Shikha founded ISMA in 2023 with the aim of preventing the overtaking of liberal democracies by religious, ethnic, and populist nationalist movements. She is also the founder and editor-in-chief of The UnPopulist, a publication that is likewise dedicated to defending liberalism from authoritarian challenges.



Shikha, a native of India who became a U.S. citizen, was an editorial writer for The Detroit News from 1995 to 2004, and a senior analyst at Reason magazine from 2005-2020, winning numerous awards for her work on civil liberties, immigration, and environmental issues. She was a visiting fellow at the Mercatus Center’s program on Pluralism and Civil Exchange from 2021-2023. She has served as a columnist at Forbes, The Daily, The Washington Examiner, The Week, and Reason. She has been published in numerous publications around the world including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Times of London, The Daily Beast, and USA Today.

After almost three decades in Michigan, she moved to Washington D.C. with her husband, where they were rescued by Cherry, an adorable beagle-mix they brought home from a local shelter.