User Profile

Managing Director, Doris & Donald Fisher Fund

Christopher D. Nelson is the managing director of the Doris & Donald Fisher Fund, the San Francisco-based foundation of Doris and Donald Fisher, founders of Gap, Inc. The Fisher Fund seeks to ignite the transformation of American K-12 public education by investing in entrepreneurs and organizations that support the creation and replication of high-performing public charter schools, innovative human capital programs, advocacy initiatives at the local, state and federal levels, and new school models that integrate technology to personalize learning, support teaching and increase productivity. The Fisher Fund's grantees include groundbreaking organizations such as KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program) and Teach For America. Nelson directs the Fisher Fund's strategy and manages its portfolio of philanthropic investments. Previously, Nelson spent six years as a litigator at Keker & Van Nest in San Francisco, where he specialized in complex business litigation, intellectual property matters, state and federal government investigations, and white collar criminal defense. Prior to that, Nelson practiced law at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett in New York City. Chris serves on the Board of Directors of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, the California Charter Schools Association, and the Newark Charter School Fund and as an advisor to numerous other education reform organizations. Chris received a B.A. from Duke University and a J.D. from Duke University School of Law. Chris lives in San Francisco with his wife, Amy Rees, and their daughter, Simone. He is a Fellow of the fourth class of the Entrepreneurial Leaders for Public Education Fellowship and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.