Nikki joined Americans for the Arts in February 2020. As the Equity in Arts Leadership Program Manager, she will work to envision, design, and implement programs to improve the entry, advancement, and leadership opportunities for historically and currently marginalized or underrepresented arts administrators in the arts and culture field.

Nikki holds a Bachelor's degree in Political Linguistics from Pitzer College in southern California, where she solidified her interests in language, human rights, and cross-cultural understanding. She also holds a Master's degree in Arts, Festival, and Cultural Management from Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, Scotland, where she researched the impact of programming at the intersection of arts and social justice.Her previous work experiences include organizations across the US, such as the Massachusetts Cultural Council, El Sistema USA, Berklee College of Music, and The Center for Arts-Inspired Learning, among others.

AmiScherson (she/her/hers)is an arts administrator, musician, and self proclaimed "mover". Sheis fascinated by the intersections of social justice and the arts, and strongly believes in using creativity to create positive change. Ami works for Americans for the Arts as the Equity in Arts Leadership Program Coordinator, creating opportunities and initiatives to pursue cultural equity throughout the field. Prior to working at Americans for the Arts, she has interned at Kaufman MusicCenter, the Cleveland Orchestra, and Stuart's Opera House. She is passionate about community development, and has pursued projects throughout urban, suburban, and rural regions of the United States. Most recently, she conducted research in Nelsonville, Ohio to understand the impact of nonprofit arts programming on rural Appalachian communities. She graduated from OhioUniversity's Honors Tutorial College with a B.A. in Music and a minor in Business. In addition to her work, Ami is a member of the Dance/NYC JuniorCommittee 2019-2020 Cohort. She is a proud Japanese-Chilean, and currently lives in Queens, NY.