Nelson Gonzalez

For more than 25 years, Nelson has worked to leverage technology, entrepreneurship, public policy, research, and capital markets to drive social and environmental impact at a systemic scale.

As Global Head of Impact Computing at Amazon Web Services, Nelson leads a team focused on applying predictive data analytics, machine learning, generative AI, high-performance computing, and modeling/simulation to social and environmental impact challenges. He manages go-to-market portfolios in Climate Risk Analytics, Circular Economy Solutions, Food Insecurity, ESG Analytics, Conservation & Biodiversity, and Healthcare Analytics via the Social Determinants of Health and leads the Amazon Sustainability Data Initiative.

Before joining AWS, Nelson was the co-founder of Declara, a venture-backed collaboration platform that accelerates professional learning using applications of machine learning. It was acquired in 2019. He was Chief Strategy Officer of the Stupski Foundation, where he designed a national network of education systems focused on personalizing learning at scale, which was used by the Obama Administration to design national education policy. He advised the Colombian President on IT innovation and poverty reduction strategies and founded Advent Strategy, where he led dozens of engagements with impact investing, philanthropic, corporate, academic, and international development institutions.

As Founding Director of the Royal Institution World Science Assembly, he led initiatives on pandemic vaccine development. Nelson also worked with the BBC on social impact programming and managed the campaign of Ashraf Ghani, the current President of Afghanistan, for UN Secretary-General. He began his career as an Intelligence Analyst at Booz Allen Hamilton, Engagement Manager at the Ulanov Partnership (comprised of ex-McKinsey partners), and Research Associate at the British Royal Household, through his work in ethics, theology, and higher education for John R.W. Stott, Chaplain to H.M. The Queen.

Nelson's Board service includes PRC San Francisco, Grantmakers for Education, Boundless Impact Investing, Growth Sector Workforce Development, and StartOut entrepreneurs; and the Advisory Boards of the Burberry Foundation, and the NYC Public Schools innovationZone. He has volunteered broadly with communities living in poverty across the world and is developing a body of work to support social entrepreneurs.