IN-PERSON | Managing Up Without Burning Out | Boundaries, Belonging, and Sustainable Influence

Celeste Carlson, MBA, CNP, is the founder and CEO of BoardSpark and Growing Good Consulting, and a lifelong believer that strong boards can change what's possible for communities. With more than 25 years in the human service sector, she has worked alongside nonprofit leaders, funders, and community champions across small towns and cities, turning big-picture vision into practical, step-by-step action.

A Kansas native now living in Kansas City, Celeste brings a grounded, real-world perspective to her work. She spent a decade as a community foundation program officer, seeing firsthand that organizations with clear, engaged boards become magnets for resources of all kinds. She has also led fundraising efforts in volunteer leadership roles, giving her a front-row view of what boards and advocates need to confidently open doors, make introductions, and champion the missions they care about.

Celeste holds an MBA and a Certificate in Nonprofit Innovation from UMKC. She combines formal training with decades of lived experience to synthesize complex ideas about governance, strategy, and fundraising into tools that feel doable instead of overwhelming. BoardSpark — including the No-Ask Fundraising Deck and The Empowered Boardroom — reflects her commitment to helping nonprofit CEOs and boards lead with clarity, confidence, and shared responsibility.

Beyond her professional roles, Celeste is a mom, a wife, and a community-minded neighbor who understands the juggling act nonprofit leaders live every day. She cares deeply about making board work more practical, more human, and more effective — especially for organizations that may not have a big back office, but do have a big vision for their community.