Colleen Dilenschneider

Colleen Dilenschneider chairs the National Aquarium Board and serves as an ex officio member of the National Aquarium Foundation Board. She is the founder and managing member of IMPACTS Experience, a market research firm providing data and analysis to inform the strategic direction of visitor-serving organizations. Widely regarded as a leader of the next generation of nonprofit executive management, Colleen oversees multiple audience engagement initiatives on behalf of clients in the nonprofit and cultural sectors. Colleen uses data to both identify and predict emerging market opportunities and helps nonprofit organizations maintain their relevance and secure their long-term financial futures by building affinity with their on-site and virtual audiences. Colleen has worked with many of the most admired and successful clients in the nonprofit realm, and she is the author and publisher of the popular website Know Your Own Bone, a data-informed, strategic resource for cultural organizations. She has been a featured expert in sources ranging from NPR's Marketplace to The Wall Street Journal, as well as in national museum publications and museum studies/professional development programs nationwide. Colleen has keynoted several state, national and international conferences and presented at popular industry events. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Chicago and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Southern California. She has also completed post-graduate programs at the University of Washington (public relations), Harvard University (digital engagement), Yale School of Management (behavioral economics) and the London School of Economics (strategic marketing, managerial finance).