Nikhil Mankekar – Boulder native, artist, community leader, and entrepreneur. A lifelong artist and musician, Nikhil is a producer, singer, songwriter, guitar virtuoso and multi-instrumentalist. He is the creative director for Naked Sunrise and has appeared in Spin Magazine. He believes social justice and art are powerfully intertwined. Nikhil’s essay on Music and Diversity in Boulder Arts was published in “Celebration!”, the catalogue for the History of Visual Arts in Boulder project (HOVAB).
Nikhil is also a commissioner with the City of Boulder Human Relations Commission. He is the first Indian and Sikh-American to be appointed to any city board or commission in Boulder. Nikhil has been recognized for his leadership on a wide range of issues including homelessness, economic justice, diversity, inclusivity and building a safe and welcoming community in Boulder. In 2017, Nikhil was awarded the United Nations Association’s International Human Rights Award for his work.
He graduated as valedictorian of his class at the University of Colorado at Boulder, where he received the Chancellor’s Recognition Award for earning all A’s during his college career, and was also named the Outstanding Graduate of the Leeds School of Business. Nikhil is an alumni of the Community Foundation’s Leadership Fellows program and a longtime moderator for the CU Conference on World Affairs. Nikhil has spent several years working with the Boulder International Film Festival (BIFF). He created and hosts the KGNU radio show People of Color in Boulder County (PoCo in BoCo) on 88.5 FM.