Transforming Culture into Strategy & Strategy Into Thriving Communities

Strategist | Executive Producer | Entrepreneur | Cultural Catalyst

With over 30 years of leadership in marketing, business and community development, Nikoa Evans is an award-winning strategist, speaker, and thought leader at the intersection of culture, entrepreneurship, and community revitalization.

Born into a military family, Evans spent her formative years living abroad in Italy, Germany, Japan, and throughout the United States, from Hawaii to Maryland. This global upbringing shaped her perspective: thriving communities are built not just on infrastructure, but on their cultural heartbeat, entrepreneurial spirit, and shared spaces of belonging.

Evans has called Harlem home for 26 years, where she has been recognized at the city & state level as one of the architects of Harlem’s commercial renaissance. She has worked with a wide spectrum of entrepreneurs from retail, restaurant, and CPG founders to creative and artist entrepreneurs and continues to advise and support emerging founders.  She has created innovative business development strategies including the nationally recognized Harlem Local Vendor Program in partnership with Whole Foods Market and Columbia Business School, which helped over 250 local entrepreneurs scale and expand distribution. As an executive producer of large-scale cultural platforms, including film screenings, live music events, experiential marketing campaigns, brand activations and public art exhibits, her work leverages cultural legacy assets to spark economic growth while preserving community roots and redefining commercial revitalization.

As a strategist and keynote speaker, Evans is known for connecting the dots between capital, culture, and community for city leaders, corporate brands, and grassroots founders, illustrating how to reclaim ownership, activate cultural legacies, and build economies that reflect the identity of the people they serve.

Nikoa is also the Cofounder and Executive Producer of the HCF Experience: an entertainment + impact enterprise inspired by the legendary 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival. Reimagining the vision of festival founder Tony Lawrence, the HCF Experience (Harlem Cultural Festival x Harlem Cultural Festival Foundation) carries this powerful cultural legacy into the future, sharing Harlem’s spirit of resilience, artistry, and innovation with the world.

Nikoa serves on the Board of Directors for Maison 276, a leading beauty and skincare brand for mature women. Evans is also a Charter Member of the Empire NYC Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc., where she serves on the Executive Committee as Foundation Chair. A member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. since 1990, she holds a B.A. in Economics from Stanford University and an MBA from the Northwestern J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management.