Born and raised in the Appalachian Mountains of Pennsylvania, Nikolas entered foster care at fourteen years old. At eighteen, he moved to Alabama for a fresh start and attended the University of South Alabama, where he founded and scaled a youth mentorship and coalition-building organization that expanded across ten states.

 

Nikolas began his federal advocacy work through the SUPPORT Act of 2018 before serving as a U.S. Army Infantry Officer with the historic 11th Airborne Division in Alaska. Near the end of his military service, he joined U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan's office as an Arctic Defense Fellow. During that time, he authored the SAFE Homes for Kids Act, legislation later incorporated into the ’25 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). He also worked alongside advocacy organizations and state leaders to support the passage of Alaska's HB 36, strengthening due process protections for youth placed in psychiatric facilities.

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Following his military service, Nikolas was selected as a Child Welfare Fellow through the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute, serving in the office of U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin. During his fellowship, he delivered a congressional briefing on child welfare policy that was picked up by Congressman Danny Davis and ultimately developed into the Fresh Starts for Foster Youth Act.

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While pursuing his MBA at Georgetown University, Nikolas continued working alongside youth with lived experience, national nonprofit organizations, and bipartisan leaders in both the House and Senate to build the coalition that advanced the legislation as part of the bipartisan Fostering Success Chafee Reform Package.

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Today, through Everest Peak Strategy, Nikolas advises mission-driven organizations navigating complex public policy, government relations, coalition-building, and organizational challenges. His approach is grounded in a simple belief: Why manage problems when you can solve them.