Chris Hensman

Chris Hensman has a broad and diverse work experience spanning various industries and roles. Chris is currently serving as the Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) at Houston Habitat for Humanity, Inc. Prior to that, they worked as the Director of New Programs at Arnold Ventures, where they sourced over $96M in grants and investments across the U.S. in areas such as career and technical education, disaster recovery, and reducing bias in the workplace.

Chris has also held roles at the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation as a Rebuild Texas Program Officer, where they sourced grants totaling over $30 million for Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts. Chris has experience in public diplomacy, having worked at the U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy as a Senior Advisor, and at the U.S. Department of State in various positions such as Director of the Office of Strategic Communications Planning and Press Office Director.

Earlier in their career, Chris served as the Director for Communications Planning at the National Security Council, focusing on the President's new strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan. Chris also worked in the Middle East Press Bureau and as a Deputy Coordinator for Rule of Law and Justice Reform at the U.S. Department of State.

Chris began their career as an Admissions Officer at Connecticut College, where they recruited and selected applicants for admission.

Through their diverse experiences, Chris has demonstrated expertise in strategy development, grant sourcing, communications planning, and public diplomacy.

Chris Hensman has a diverse education history. In 1999, they began their undergraduate studies at Connecticut College, focusing on Government. Chris completed their Bachelor of Arts degree in 2003. Afterward, Chris pursued further education and enrolled at The Wharton School from 2014 to 2016. During this time, they obtained a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) with a specialization in Marketing, Operations, and Management. Alongside their formal education, Chris also obtained additional certifications. In 2016, they received a certification in Data Analysis from General Assembly. Four years later, in 2020, Chris obtained a Brain Story Certification, offered by the Palix Foundation Alberta Family Wellness Initiative.