Meet Nivedita Das, BGDM's Co-Executive Director

Meet Me!

My name is Nive (niv-E) and I am thrilled to introduce myself and announce my new role at BGDM as Iyabo’s new Co-Executive Director. Being the yin to her yang, and as she has so aptly put it, ‘the peanut butter to her jelly,’ has been one of the wildest, most fulfilling rides of my life. I am constantly learning from the breadth of her community and industry knowledge, which she approaches with much compassion and care. It has, and continues to be an honor.

A bit about me. I’m a South Asian woman who was born in India and raised primarily in the USA and Egypt. My wanderlust and work has seen me live and/or work in Russia, Qatar, the UK, North Macedonia, Nepal, and India. My nomadic tendencies have taken me to far reaches of the globe, while my curiosity has fed my passions leading me to work across sectors in film, education, workforce development, arts and innovation. It is this same innate wonder that led me to find a home both personally and professionally at BGDM, where I am proud to harness my experiences for the benefit of this truly one of a kind space for creativity, community, growth, comfort, support and learning.

Since starting with BGDM in 2021, I have worked to help BGDM move to nonprofit status, solidifying our branding and digital presence, and overseeing our year-round programming. All of this was truly made possible by the all-star lineup of the hardest working Mafiosx and fellow teammates Miasarah, Juliana, Nat, Farihah, Daquisha, Kitty, Chandler, Lissa, Suz, Pola and Iyabo. While some are still working behind the scenes to continue to make the magic happen, others have moved on but left a lasting imprint, evident in the thriving community and stellar reputation that they built.

So why Co-leadership? Iyabo and I felt that it was a model that best suited our current and future staff, programming, and community needs. We also felt that this model was one that aligned with our values, which center wellness, an emphasis on equity, harnessing individual expertise, and cultivating deeper impact and sustainability as an organization.

I am excited to be working in collaboration with Iyabo, to continue to build on her vision, to ideate together, and to navigate the highs and lows of this path she charted, together. Most of all, I am excited to continue to chip away at barriers and advocate for an equitable, safe, accessible, creative, and diverse nonfiction industry for the betterment of our community.

With much gratitude,

Nive