2023 Distinguished Alumna Cambrie Nelson '05

As a member of the Class of 2005 and Kent Denver “lifer,” Cambrie Nelson was a thoughtful and highly impactful student leader from her earliest days in the Middle School. A standout on the varsity basketball and girls soccer teams, she was awarded the Christine D. Bullard Athletic Award, the Mary A. Bogue Trophy and the Herbert Moore Student Assembly Award in her senior year.

After graduating from Kent Denver, Cambrie was part of the Ervin Scholars Program at Washington University in St. Louis, where she founded a number of student and community organizations focused on promoting communication, understanding and social justice. In 2009, Cambrie returned to Kent Denver as a Middle School teaching fellow, history faculty member and basketball coach, and served as our founding Director of Diversity and Inclusion. Her career continued with an MBA at Washington University’s Olin Business School and leadership roles as a director and consultant with multiple social impact consulting firms. 

Cambrie is now the Deputy Director of Strategy, Planning, and Management for the Gender Equality Division at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Her work includes a portfolio of projects related to economic empowerment, healthcare, digital connectivity and policy/advocacy. 

As the 2023 Distinguished Alumni award winner, Cambrie was the keynote speaker at Kent Denver's annual Ethics Day assembly in April. She addressed the Kent Denver community and shared stories from her time at Kent Denver and insights on how to live a meaningful life. After the assembly, she attended Ethics Day seminars and hosted a lunchtime discussion with Kent Denver students. 

Cambrie also found time on Ethics Day to sit down with Head of School David Braemer for an extended conversation about her life, work and impact. A video of conversation can be found below!

Conversation with Head of School David Braemer