Dr. Claire A. Nelson

Dr. Claire Nelson is a future-driven sustainability engineer with over twenty-five years of experience specializing in strategic foresight, sustainability engineering, and international development. With an emphasis on private sector development, her work spans project development, management, and pioneering advancements in development equity at the Inter-American Development Bank. Dr. Nelson's educational achievements include an industrial engineering degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo and Purdue University and a doctorate in engineering management from George Washington University, making her the first Jamaican woman to earn a doctorate degree in an engineering discipline.

As a founding curator of TEDxIDB and a recognized White House Champion of Change, Dr. Nelson is often invited to speak at high-profile events. These include the World Steel, Jamaica Development Bank, and the US Securities Exchange Commission. Her speaking engagements often touch on her specialty areas, such as International Development Project Design, Scenario Analysis, Stakeholder Consultation, and topics like "From Future Shock to Future Sense" and "Future of Well-being." Her storytelling prowess is evident in her evolving One Woman Show, "Moon Runnings."

An advocate for social causes, Dr. Nelson established the Institute of Caribbean Studies, a leading Caribbean-American advocacy organization. Her efforts have led to her being recognized as one of the Top 50 Female Futurists in the world by Forbes and being commended in the US Congressional Record for her leadership and as the architect of June as National Caribbean American Heritage Month. She has served on numerous boards and committees including the US Department of Commerce US/Caribbean Business Development Council Advisory Board and the International Think Tank Commission on Pan-African Affairs, Office of the Prime Minister of Barbados, among others.

Dr. Nelson's engagement with and influence on issues of diversity and social exclusion have been noted in multilateral development assistance institutions. This includes her participation in significant conferences like the Bellagio Consultation on the UN World Conference Against Racism and the Salzburg Seminar on Moral, Ethical, and Spiritual Leadership. Besides her extensive work, she also contributes to media outlets such as Morning Edition, National Public Radio, and CaribNation TV.

Currently, Dr. Nelson is the Ideation Leader of The Futures Forum and Sagient Futures LLC, which provides strategic foresight and development futures consulting practice. She also serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of the World Futures Society, further harnessing her expertise as a Black Futurist and a key voice in future-focused conversations.