Niko Emack-Bazelais, Emerson Alum, Leader, and Change Agent

 Niko Emack-Bazelais graduated from Emerson College in 2018, where he majored in Political Communication and played soccer in the NCAA. He's currently studying Leadership, Organizations, and Entrepreneurship at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where he's looking at issues in politics, policy, and power through the lens of education. Professionally, his writing on the intersection of politics, sports, culture, and identity has been published by The Boston Globe, NPR, Foreign Policy Magazine, U.S. Soccer, and The National Interest. Politically, Niko served in numerous communication roles at the City of Cambridge, the City of Boston, and the Massachusetts State House. After the murder of George Floyd, he worked with partners from My Brother’s Keeper Cambridge (Obama Foundation) – a non-profit focused on race and equity – to organize a protest on Cambridge Common, creating space for the community to come together and ask tough questions. From 2020-2021, Niko helped run the MBK Summer Empowerment Program, a paid opportunity for high school-aged kids to learn about social justice, financial literacy, and mental health. In 2022 and 2023, he led community walks on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, challenging residents to view Cambridge’s inequities through Dr. King’s eyes. For all of his work, Niko was honored alongside black leaders selected across the state of Massachusetts with the Black Excellence award on the Hill. When he's not behind a desk, Niko coaches high school soccer at his alma mater, Cambridge Rindge and Latin.