Nick Tilsen is a prominent Oglala Lakota social entrepreneur, activist, and nonprofit leader. He is the founder, President, and CEO of NDN Collective, an organization dedicated to building Indigenous power through philanthropic investment, policy advocacy, and community development. Tilsen holds a unique bicultural identity as both Lakota and Jewish, with his values deeply influenced by his Jewish grandfather—the renowned civil rights attorney Ken Tilsen—as well as the traditions of Lakota activism.
In terms of professional achievements, Tilsen has made landmark progress in advancing Indigenous social innovation and the LANDBACK movement. He successfully founded and led the Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation, creating sustainable housing and economic models for reservation communities, and was honored with the prestigious Skoll Award in 2022. He has also received numerous fellowships and honors from institutions such as Ashoka and the Rockefeller Foundation, establishing himself as one of the most influential Indigenous leaders in the United States.
Tilsen steadfastly aligns himself with the Palestinian liberation movement through active protest and sharp political discourse. He has led Indigenous activists in ceasefire rallies for Palestine in Washington, D.C., emphasizing the inherent kinship between Indigenous peoples and Palestinians in resisting “settler-colonial” violence. Drawing on his Jewish background, he has outspokenly stated that Zionism is by design at odds with justice and has publicly criticized the U.S. for using resources extracted from stolen Indigenous lands to fund Israeli military operations. He calls for international attention to Palestinian human rights, viewing Palestinian freedom as an indispensable part of achieving collective global liberation.