Nikita Llerena

Nikita Llerena is the Project Manager of Flow at In Place of War, leading the development and coordination of the project.

She is a cultural mediator, social entrepreneur, storyteller and co-founder of Aîbaibu Kayawai – Women Who Heal, an indigenous women’s association in the Amazon that promotes ancestral knowledge, community well-being, and a social enterprise of handcrafted bio-jewelry.

Nikita also co-founded the IRIS Institute, which organizes cultural and educational initiatives in Brazil. Her work bridges art, culture, ecology, spirituality and social justice, with professional experiences in indigenous territories, refugee camps, favelas, and rural agroecological settlements. She has also worked as a cultural producer and curator in major events in Brazil, and is co-author of the children’s book "The Secret of the Amazon Artisans" (published in Brazil, 2025).

She is a CNPq (National Council for Scientific and Technological Development - Brazil) research fellow in the Ethno Biocredits project, which is developing environmental indicators and certifications based on indigenous practices. In September 2025, she will begin her Master’s programme in Intercultural Encounters at the University of Helsinki, in Finland.