Niloufar Khonsari

MOVEMENT LAWYER, CO-FOUNDER OF PANGEA LEGAL SERVICES

AUTHOR, THE FUTURE IS COLLECTIVE

About Nilou

Niloufar Khonsari (they/she) is a movement lawyer and author committed to collective leadership in struggles for justice. They co-founded Pangea Legal Services — a worker-led migrant justice organization, the Immigrant Liberation Movement, and Migra Watch. Nilou’s commitment to collective leadership is the focus of their forthcoming book, The Future is Collective, where they offer lessons from growing Pangea as a collectively-run organization. Nilou’s articles have been published in Nonprofit Quarterly, Common Dreams, and the San Francisco Chronicle, among other outlets.

Forthcoming

The Future is Collective

The Future is Collective is a book for nonprofit leaders who want to align their day-to-day organizational culture with their values. From practical tips on how to make collective decisions effectively to sample policies for organizing a shared leadership structure — Nilou helps us reimagine the way we work.

The Blog: Steps to Collective Governance

Blog
"Collective Governance Is Collective Care"
"Collective Governance Is Collective Care"

Published in Common Dreams (December 2022)

“Our workplaces present opportunities to experiment and learn what it actually takes to build a more caring world.”

Why My Nonprofit Has No Executive Director
Why My Nonprofit Has No Executive Director

Published in the Nonprofit Quarterly (June 2022)

“In 2017, I finally proposed removing my executive director (ED) title. A transformative power shift followed. But my vision of shared power and ownership was not easily won…”

What is Collective Governance?
What is Collective Governance?

“Collective governance is an invitation to create the kind of organization your team actually needs to do its best work and be well. There are many organizations at different stages of developing democratic or collective governance structures. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing.”

Contact Nilou