Dr. Claire Nelson is Chief Ideation Leader of The Futures Forum, a research and education practice specializing in bringing the power of strategic foresight, and the discipline of sustainability engineering to challenges facing organizations and communities. Nelson, named on Forbes as one of the top 50 female futurists in the world, is author of the game-changing book “SMART Futures for a Flourishing World: A Paradigm for Advancing Global Sustainability”.
A visionary speaker and consultant, Nelson’s engagements have included: White House; World Bank; World Steel; US Air Force; UNESCO; Pacific Skills Summit; BET Leading Women Defined; ASME; American Association for Blacks in Energy; Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference; NSBE Ghana; Salzburg Seminar; Space Frontier Foundation; Saudi Space Agency; Jamaica Stock Exchange; Purdue University; University of the West Indies; Analog Astronaut Conference; and Engineering for One Planet. Dr. Nelson is a Member of the Board of the World Futures Studies Federation as well as Editor-At-Large of its flagship publication Human Futures Magazine.
She convenes the global communities of practice- Space Futures Forum and sits on the Inclusion Advisory Council of Space for Humanity, and the Leadership Team of the Institute of Space Law & Ethics. The architect of the Caribbean Space Society and OASEAS (Omni African Space Exploration Analog Simulation (OASES) Initiative, she has been recognized as an emerging leader in Space Sustainability by the AIAA ASCEND 2023 Diverse Dozen and honored by the National Society of Black Engineers Aerospace Special Interest Group for her pioneering efforts.
A social entrepreneur, Dr. Nelson is Founding President of the Institute of Caribbean Studies, the leading Caribbean American Diaspora organization, and Convening Chair of the Campaign for June as National Caribbean American Heritage Month. She is Curator of the Caribbean American Legislative Forum on Capitol Hill and White House Briefings, the National Caribbean American Heritage Awards, and the Caribbean Space Society. Cited for her leadership in the US Congressional Record and honored by the Embassy of Jamaica in the USA for the leadership in the Jamaican diaspora, Dr. Nelson serves as Advisor to several organizations including, EarthShift Global, Morgan State University Vice Presidency for International Affairs, Global Carbon Reward and Humans for AI. She is also an active member in Constituency for Africa and the Black Women’s Roundtable.
Dr. Nelson, an award-winning writer and storyteller, has performed her one woman show ‘Moon Runnings: The Life & Times of the First Jamaican on the Moon’ at the ASU Emerge Festival of the Future, UNESCO, and International Moon Day. The only Black female in her graduating class, she holds a Doctorate in Engineering Management from the George Washington University (1990). Dr. Nelson was named a White House Champion of Change in 2012.