Alice Shikina

Alice Shikina is a highly skilled mediator, negotiation consultant, and public speaker whose diverse background uniquely positions her to help others resolve conflict and communicate with purpose. As the Founder of Shikina Negotiation Academy and Shikina Mediation and Arbitration, she has dedicated her career to transforming the way individuals and organizations approach negotiation, communication, and peacebuilding.

Alice’s journey into mediation began in 2013, following an eclectic career that spanned theater, entrepreneurship, and education. She brings over two decades of acting, directing, and producing experience to her work, using her performance background to read emotional dynamics in the room and guide parties toward mutual understanding. Her calm, compassionate, yet firm demeanor allows her to keep logical reasoning engaged while helping clients regulate strong emotions—an approach that has helped hundreds of divorcing couples, families, and organizations achieve peaceful resolutions.

In her mediation practice, Alice facilitates resolutions in divorce, workplace, and family disputes, as well as conflicts involving aging parents, adult siblings, and community members. She also mediates housing cases for Conflict Intervention Services, helping low-income residents avoid displacement, and works with the Department of Police Accountability, bridging understanding between civilians and police officers. For her years of peacebuilding in San Francisco, Alice was honored with the 2025 Peacemaker Award from Community Boards.

Through Shikina Negotiation Academy, she empowers individuals and corporate teams to strengthen their negotiation and communication skills. Her clients have successfully negotiated significant salary increases, achieved equitable divorce settlements, and secured favorable business outcomes through her coaching. Alice’s methodology blends psychology, strategy, and performance—focusing on continuous role-play and practice to keep skills sharp, much like going to the gym for mental fitness.

A natural educator and engaging public speaker, Alice delivers high-energy, interactive presentations across the country on topics such as negotiation strategy, emotional intelligence, and conflict resolution. She combines insights from her training at Yale University, Harvard, and the University of Michigan with her lived experience as a single mother, fighter, and creative. Her early career as Artistic Director of Three Wise Monkeys Theatre Company and her acclaimed historical play Okinawa 1945—produced in San Francisco, Hawaii, and at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival—reflect her lifelong commitment to storytelling, empathy, and human connection.

Outside of her professional work, Alice is a proud single mother of two sons who continually remind her of the importance of love, balance, and resilience. A former Muay Thai kickboxer and theater director, she brings grit, empathy, and courage to every mediation she conducts and every audience she addresses.

• Trauma Certification

• Miami University - BFA, Theatre

• Wiley E. Manuel Certificate for Pro Bono Legal Services

• Academy of Professional Family Mediators

• Superior Court of California, County of Alameda