Nelson Foster ensures access to clean, trusted, and actionable information by improving data pipelines, reporting structures, and automation strategies. Nelson combines expertise in data analytics, system architecture, and product roadmapping with hands-on development skills to build efficiencies, mentor the data team, and turn complex information into compelling narratives that highlight JumpStart’s mission and impact.

Nelson’s career spans both public and private sectors. Inspired by attending the FutureLAND conference, he later served as a Fellow in 2023 before co-founding ProKofa Solutions, a consultancy focused on data storytelling, cyber-resilience, and system design for underrepresented businesses, nonprofits, and community organizations. Previously, he worked as a data engineer at The MITRE Corporation, prototyping cloud analytics for the Department of Treasury, and spent over a decade at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, where he ultimately led analytics for Vocational Readiness & Employment Services, a $1.2 billion federal program supporting service-disabled Veterans and their families.

Nelson holds a Master of Science in Data Science from The George Washington University, specializing in Geographic Information Systems, and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from John Carroll University. Deeply engaged in Cleveland’s innovation ecosystem, he serves on FutureLAND’s Host Committee, participates in Manufacturing Works’ Leadership Institute, and is a member of Alpha Kappa Delta, the International Sociological Honor Society. Bringing his passion for data-driven community impact full circle, Nelson now applies his expertise to support entrepreneurs and innovators shaping Ohio’s economic future.