Niloufar Khonsari (she/they) is a seasoned interim executive leader, facilitator, and coach with 20 years of experience supporting social justice organizations through advocacy, transition, transformation, and alignment. Specializing in adaptive executive leadership, participatory governance, and cultures of care, Nilou helps nonprofits navigate complex change with clarity, compassion, and strategy.
Nilou is most energized by executive transitions, rebuilding organizational culture, and strategic repositioning. Their approach brings together lived experience and strategic thinking—offering grounded, practical tools alongside big-picture insight to guide meaningful change. Whether guiding a team through right-sizing, supporting staff through morale challenges, or advising on board-staff alignment, Nilou builds trust quickly and leaves organizations stronger, more cohesive, and better prepared for the future.
As the co-founder and former co-director of Pangea Legal Services, Nilou led a collaboratively run nonprofit that served over 50,000 immigrants, closed three detention centers in Northern California, and secured more than $50 million in local and state funding for immigrant legal defense. Nilou also personally represented over 200 clients in high-stakes immigration cases, achieving a near 100% success rate.
Beyond legal advocacy, Nilou is a respected consultant in nonprofit strategy, HR, and organizational development. They co-facilitated a year-long collective leadership program with the Nonprofit Democracy Network, guiding over 90 organizations in developing shared leadership models and power-sharing tools. Their forthcoming book, The Future is Collective, offers practical guidance for building liberatory workplace cultures rooted in care, accountability, and collective governance.
Before founding Pangea, Nilou lived and participated in movement struggles across the U.S., Argentina, and Sierra Leone. Their leadership has been recognized through several honors, including the BIPOC Pioneers in Justice Award from Levi Strauss Foundation (2021), the Community Impact Award from the Iranian American Bar Association of Northern California (2022), and the Innovative Leader in Struggles for Justice Award from the Squire Patton Boggs Foundation (2024).
Nilou is proficient in five languages and brings a strong cross-cultural perspective shaped by decades of learning from immigrant communities, BIPOC leaders, and grassroots organizers. Known for their warm, grounded presence and skillful facilitation, Nilou supports staff, boards, and executive teams through challenging moments with care, rigor, and transparency.
From fund development advising to HR restructuring to staff wellness support, Nilou offers a rare blend of high-level strategy and on-the-ground experience. They’re especially skilled at coaching BIPOC leaders, building participatory systems, and creating structures for feedback, communication, and decision-making.
At every stage, Nilou leads with humility and insight, grounded in a deep belief in people-centered leadership. Nilou loves to dance and is the proud mother of a magnificent little freedom fighter.
LinkedIn: Niloufar Khonsari