Chelsea Robinson

Serial Impact Entrepreneur | Strategy | Governance | People

South Lake Tahoe, California, United States

About

I am a serial founder and leader of nonprofit and social impact orgs. Most recently, I have led efforts focussed on creating public goods, and innovations in governance and economics. I like hard problems. I have worked on economics, space tech & policy, climate change solutions, mental health & suicide, deliberative democracy and the future of work over 15 years. I am an entrepreneur, organizer, program designer, and facilitator. I tend to build the first phase of an organisation. My strengths are in people leadership and process leadership. I'm a natural facilitator of complex rooms. I also have a deep skillset in program design. For example, I developed a model for multi-stakeholder innovation labs within what otherwise look to be fellowship programs and accelerators. I've refined approaches to funding questions instead of silver bullets. I've also developed a methodology for "starting well" when beginning a new organisation and I give it away for free, with the hope it can help others. My career began in political movement building. I was one of the founders of New Zealand youth climate movement Generation Zero. Within two years we were the trend setter, with a base of 12,000. Within ten years we established the New Zealand Climate Commission in government, and enshrined our policy, the Zero Carbon Act, into law with cross party support. My University education via a BSc in Environmental Studies provided me a skillset from design thinking to the sociology of decision making to public policy instruments and natural resource management practices.

Experience

  • Stealth ethical AI lab at -
    Mar 2025 - Present · 1 yr 5 mos

  • Open Lunar Foundation (8 yrs 5 mos)
    • Senior Advisor
      Mar 2023 - Present · 3 yrs 5 mos

      After leading and building Open Lunar's first five years, I led a fundraise to achieve a multi-year runway and transitioned the team to new leadership. My role has evolved to support the organisation to thrive as it matures into its next chapter.

    • Co Executive Director
      Jun 2020 - Mar 2023 · 2 yrs 10 mos

      We make sure that when we all look up at the Moon we see something we’re all proud of. openlunar.org

    • Chief Operating Officer
      Mar 2018 - Jun 2020 · 2 yrs 4 mos

      Open Lunar Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit helping to create a peaceful, cooperative long term future on the Moon for all life. There is a renaissance of attention toward the Moon as our closest neighbor. Many are vying for the “firsts” in this expansion beyond Earth. In the next few years alone there are many Moon landing teams plotting courses to establish themselves as key players in the lunar future. Our global nonprofit exists to help this shared lunar future manifest with intentionality and values at the forefront. We see the Moon as part of the Earth–Moon system, rather than an escape from Earth. We want to make sure that when we all look up at the Moon we see something we’re all proud of. openlunar.org

  • Consultant partnering with exec and Boards at Self-employed
    Jan 2024 - Present · 2 yrs 7 mos

    Consulting with organisations looking to enhance their performance.

  • Research Program Manager & Advisory at Purpose
    May 2023 - Jun 2024 · 1 yr 2 mos

    Uncovering the success factors behind real-world examples of deeply networked economic cooperation at scale. We are investigating ways of doing business that weave multiple firms together toward shared prosperity.

  • Member (membership organisation) at Enspiral
    Mar 2013 - Jun 2019 · 6 yrs 4 mos

    Enabling more people to spend their lives working to solve the greatest challenges of our time. Since inception we’ve been testing ways of working together with trust and respect to share money, information and control as openly as possible. As a community we’ve supported hundreds of people to launch and build all sorts of initiatives, projects and world-changing ventures.