City Connect Detroit: Bio

Nikita Buckhoy has been with City Connect Detroit since August, 2007. As the Project Manager for the Food and Fitness Collaborative, Nikita is the thought leader for the group, which involves planning, organizing, providing guidance and support, and maintaining awareness on current and relevant issues surrounding food systems and built environment. In her role, Nikita also supports collaborative members in their roles within the collaborative, work groups, and steering committee. Nikita first began her work at City Connect Detroit as a consultant, writing grants for Wayne County, specifically working on the Head Start: Healthy Families, Healthy Relationships grant.

This is Nikita’s second time living in Detroit, a city that has lured her back with the vibrant Eastern Market (one of her favorite things about the city) and its affordable living. After obtaining her undergraduate degree in Anthropology, Afro American Studies and Women’s Studies from the University of Michigan, Nikita lived and worked in Detroit.

Returning to her hometown of Chicago, Nikita attended University of Chicago, earning her Masters in Social Work. She worked as a Consultant with the Communication and Media Arts High School in Detroit prior to working at City Connect Detroit, helping the school manage their Skillman Foundation funded projects.

Nikita currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Girl’s Best Friend Foundation in Chicago, a Foundation that backs organizations that empower girls and strengthen their leadership abilities, supporting feminist and social change in Illinois. In addition to practicing Hatha yoga for over 10 years, she is an avid reader and counts What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day and The Red Tent as her favorite books. Nikita spends her free time expending her creative energy by weaving or creating collages, caring for her houseplants, watching horror films and enjoying ethnic cuisine.

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