Shikha Dalmia is the President of the Institute for the Study of Modern Authoritarianism (ISMA) and the Founder and Editor of The UnPopulist, a leading Substack publication dedicated to defending open and liberal societies from rising reactionary and illiberal ideologies. She is an internationally recognized writer and policy analyst whose work focuses on democracy, liberalism, immigration, and the global challenge of modern authoritarianism and populism.

Previously, Shikha served as a Senior Analyst at the Reason Foundation and wrote widely for major U.S. and international outlets, including The Washington Post, The Week, Reason, and others. Through The UnPopulist and the annual “Liberalism for the 21st Century” conference, the largest gathering of liberals from around the world, she leads a network of scholars, journalists, and advocates committed to defending pluralism, civil liberties, and human dignity worldwide from authoritarian attacks.

Her work is particularly influential in highlighting how authoritarian movements and populist currents undermine democratic institutions—and what civil society, policy leaders, and citizens can do to counter these threats and strengthen liberal democracy.