Clayton Nelson
Clayton Nelson brings a career that refuses to stay in one lane to his role as Central Ohio Market Manager at SEA Change. His background spans hospitality, real estate marketing and operations, and insurance technology, including automation work that contributed to a company acquisition. Woven throughout that professional arc is a decade of hands-on involvement with Social Enterprise accelerators, coaching and facilitating founders fighting for mission and market.
Clayton's work has always put people in the driver's seat of their own systems. Through his automation consulting, he helps small businesses and early-stage startups move toward their goals by clearing the operational barriers between them and their first wins. That same instinct carries into his ongoing work with GiveBackHack, where nearly a decade of facilitation and coaching has reinforced a simple truth: the most important thing you can give an early-stage founder isn't a framework, it's a clearer path forward.
Clayton is the kind of person who ends up knowing everyone in the room and actually remembers how they're connected to each other. He runs on curiosity, strong coffee, and the belief that the right introduction at the right moment can change everything. He's equally at home in a strategy session and a casual hallway conversation, and he has a talent for making both feel like the same thing. If you've crossed paths with Columbus's startup or nonprofit scene, there's a decent chance you've already met him.