She went from pre-med dreams to rocks and rigs and didn’t stop climbing. Nikki’s path took her from being the first in her family to graduate college to running the Ralph Lowe Energy Institute at TCU, with stops along the way in oilfields, private equity boardrooms, and global energy hubs. This episode is full of stories about pivoting careers, saying yes to wild opportunities, and mentoring the next wave of energy pros. She’s big on merging business sense with technical chops, tackling water issues, and rethinking how universities plug into the energy world. If you care about the future of hydrocarbons, AI in the patch, or what Texas energy looks like next, this one hits. Click here to watch a video of this episode. Join the conversation shaping the future of energy. Collide is the community where oil & gas professionals connect, share insights, and solve real-world problems together. No noise. No fluff. Just the discussions that move our industry forward. Apply today at collide.io Click here to view the episode transcript. 00:00 - Crystal's Athletic Director Steal 05:36 - Journey to TCU 08:56 - Crystal's Entry into Oil and Gas 11:01 - Chuck's Best Plains Exploration Story 13:15 - Chuck's Best Pogo Story 17:04 - Firewheel Energy Overview 20:38 - Atlas Resource Partners Insights 21:03 - Career Path in Energy 23:35 - Total Energy Company Discussion 28:34 - Energy Mix Explained 32:43 - Importance of Petroleum in Energy 34:15 - Offshore Oil Spills Impact 36:10 - Energy Industry Marketing Strategies 38:36 - Burning Hydrocarbons vs Wood 43:54 - TCU Experience Recap 46:38 - Role of the Energy Institute 49:20 - Carbon and Emissions Credits Explained 52:00 - Energy MBAs Overview 56:30 - Engaging Kids in Energy 59:03 - Contacting Dr. Rafiee 1:05:42 - Closing Remarks 1:06:00 - Energy MBA Discussion 1:07:10 - AI's Role in Energy 1:07:25 - Outro https://twitter.com/collide_io https://www.tiktok.com/@collide.io https://www.facebook.com/collide.io https://www.instagram.com/collide.io https://www.youtube.com/@collide_io https://bsky.app/profile/digitalwildcatters.bsky.social https://www.linkedin.com/company/collide-digital-wildcatters
