Meet Our Directors

---

Nicole Davis is a Licensed Massage Therapist, educator, and respected industry leader dedicated to advancing excellence, integrity, and professionalism within the field of massage therapy. As the Director of the New Jersey Massage Championship, Nicole brings a clear vision focused on elevating the craft, celebrating therapist skill and artistry, and creating meaningful opportunities for professional growth and recognition.

With over a decade of experience in massage therapy education, business development, and team leadership, Nicole brings a comprehensive perspective that spans both foundational training and advanced professional development. As the Director of Education at Body In Mind Massage Institute, she leads core competency education and prepares students for licensure and clinical practice.  As the owner of Enlightened Massage Education, a continuing education company, Nicole is dedicated to helping licensed therapists refine their skills, expand their clinical expertise, and advance their careers.

Nicole’s connection to the competitive massage community is both professional and personal. She has been involved with the American Massage Championship since its inaugural event and was honored as the 2023 Swedish Massage Gold Medalist. This firsthand experience fuels her passion for creating a championship environment that is both inspiring and accessible—one that highlights technical excellence, fosters community, and encourages therapists at all career stages to challenge themselves.

In addition to her work in education and competition, Nicole actively contributes to advancing the profession through leadership and regulatory service. She serves as Vice Chair of the New Jersey Board of Massage and Bodywork Therapy and as a member of the Board of Directors for the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB).  Through these roles, she remains deeply committed to maintaining high standards of practice, supporting therapist competency, and ensuring the continued growth and credibility of the profession.

As Director of the New Jersey Massage Championship, Nicole is proud to lead an event that not only showcases talent, but also strengthens the professional community, inspires excellence, and elevates the future of massage therapy.

Mark Carangelo is an author, presenter, and the owner and founder of the American Institute of Alternative Medicine school since 1997, with 35 years of clinical experience. He lectures year round across America on acute and chronic pain and specializes in movement. Mark was inducted into the World Massage Therapy Hall of Fame class of 2017, and he was the inaugural vice president of the New Jersey Massage and Bodywork therapy licensing board, where he served 6 years. Mark currently holds the position of TEST Football Academy NFL Combine Prep coordinator for all manual therapy.

Mark is the inventor of the Buttercup TM. Mark has developed Kinetic Activation Technique (KAT) and Functional Integrated Therapy (FIT) for the manual therapist seminar series and DVD series. He presents nationwide at state conventions and AMTA Chapter Conventions. Mark also presents on a variety of topics such as (Buttercupping) Cupping Therapy, Orthopedic Assessment and Corrections in addition to a variety of other modalities.

His audience includes massage and physical therapists, as well as athletic trainers, chiropractors, nurses, physicians, occupational therapists, and high-end sports and athletic trainers. He has consulted for the Washington Football team as a movement therapist. Mark worked for the Columbia U. sports medicine staff as a manual therapist, was a consultant for the UCLA football strength staff, and has been on the New York Jets strength and conditioning staff. He still works with many elite athletes from UFC, MMA fighters, world-class swimmers, and was the massage coordinator for the Gotham FC women’s professional soccer team and Seton Hall Men’s Basketball team. Mark has amassed hundreds of thousands of hours of clinical experience, and his school is recognized as one of the most complete in the USA.