NationSwell Council

A nomination-based council of the nation’s leading senior thought leaders, change-makers, and social impact amplifiers committed to driving and scaling change through cross-sector collaboration, inspiration, and connection.

Council benefits

Build community

Connect with peers from diverse fields, industries, and backgrounds. Through shared experiences and curated introductions, we foster collaboration and collective action.

Inspire and be inspired

Attend events designed for inspiration and action, including roundtable discussions, member-hosted salons, expert-led workshops, and more.

Collaborate and activate

Join member-centered impact projects, driven by the passions of our community. Leverage your expertise and gain support from fellow leaders to generate impact at scale.

Select Council Leaders

JACQUELINE NOVOGRATZ

Founder and CEO
Acumen

DONNEL BAIRD

Founder
BlocPower

JULIA COLLINS

Founder and CEO
Planet FWD

ADAM DRIVER

Actor and Founder
Arts in the Armed Forces

MATTHEW E. BERSHADKER

President and CEO
ASPCA

REYNA MONTOYA

Founder and CEO

Aliento

MIKE KEO

Co-founder
Make Us Visible

LAUREN BAER

Managing Partner
Arena

AUTUMN MCDONALD

Senior Fellow and Head
New America CA

CARLOS MARK VERA

Exec Director and Co-founder
Pay Our Interns

LORI CHOI M.D

Co-founder and CEO
I’ll Have What She’s Having

ALEJANDRO GIBES DE GAC

Founder and CEO
Springboard Collaborative

What Council leaders say

“One of the most important things we can do to develop the collective leadership necessary to shape a better world is to create the spaces that enable each of us to pull up from our individual pursuits and think openly with each other about the path forward. That’s what NationSwell is making possible — and it’s such a vital contribution.”

WENDY KOPP
CEO, Teach for All
NationSwell Council

“I’ve been a long-time Council member, and I love this community. It’s where I go to connect to the smartest minds and the most action-oriented leaders on the cutting-edge of driving progress. There is an authentic spirit of service at the core of this community that always energizes and inspires me.”

DONNEL BAIRD
Founder and CEO, BlocPower
NationSwell Council

“NationSwell’s gatherings tend to feel different from other events. People feel comfortable sharing their best ideas and their worst fears, in the same conversation. It’s like being with old friends, many of whom you’ve never met before.”

AMANDA RIPLEY
Author and Journalist, The Atlantic
NationSwell Council

“There’s something different about being a member of a shared community. It’s beyond transactional and creates a different kind of a dialogue. You get further faster if you have this [NationSwell] community there for you.”

ALEJANDRO GIBES DE GAC
CEO, Springboard Collaborative
NationSwell Council

Who We Serve

Community leaders

Nonprofit executives, founders of grassroots organizations, activists, movement builders, and civil servants

Advisors

Seasoned investors, board members, former executives looking to lean into impact

Thought leaders

Accomplished influencers, artists, authors, topical experts, academics, and policymakers

Amplifiers

Documentarians and journalists covering the nation’s most critical issues

Join our Council
Apply