Nikk Cochran Selik (he/him) is an accomplished speaker, consultant, and community leader who is passionately dedicated to advancing the rights of the LGBTQ+ community. With his warm and approachable style, Nikk has become one of the most sought-after speakers on transgender identity in the country. Since 2011, his acclaimed "Transgender 101" presentation has been featured at universities, businesses, healthcare centers, public libraries, religious organizations, and wellness conferences nationwide.

 

Nikk's advocacy work for the transgender community extends beyond his speaking engagements. As the founder of T-MAC: Transmasculine Alliance Chicago, one of the largest trans-led organizations in the Midwest, he has been a driving force in building community and empowering the transgender community. He has also collaborated with Northwestern Medicine to develop their Gender Pathways Program and provided internal transgender competency trainings, while volunteering as a mentor for trans and gender diverse teens at Lurie Children's Hospital from 2019-2020.

 

More recently, Nikk lived in Boston and worked as the Program Coordinator of Rural TransECHO at the Fenway Institute's Division of Education & Training. This national program was created to expand access to gender-affirming healthcare for transgender people in rural areas.

 

Currently, Nikk is back in Chicago where he recently incorporated as an LLC. He also contracted with the Illinois Department of Human Services to develop the TGNB Wellness & Equity Program; a statewide initiative focused on addressing the unique issues faced by the transgender, non-binary, intersex, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer population across Illinois. 

 

Nikk's outstanding contributions to the LGBTQ+ community in Chicago were recognized in 2018 when he was selected as one of the Windy City Times "30 Under 30" honorees.

 

When he's not busy changing the world, Nikk enjoys playing guitar, camping, reading, and spending time with his husband. He graduated with a Bachelor’s of Arts in Film/Video from Columbia College Chicago.