Dr. J. Cody Nielsen is founder and Executive Director of Convergence Strategies. Holding a Ph.D. in Higher Ed Administration alongside Masters degrees in Divinity and Mental Health Counseling, Cody leads the Convergence Strategies team with his nearly 15 years of experience working with individuals, organizations and institutions on a variety of equity related areas including interpersonal dialogue, organizational systems assessment, and intersectional identities. His specialization includes works with educational settings to support religious, secular, and spiritual cultures and identities at the intersections of anti-racism and decolonization. He has worked with dozens of non-profits, corporations, and education settings on strategic planning and development as well as mission and vision setting. As well, he is most recently been engaged in restorative justice efforts to explore how individuals can best prepare themselves to dialogue, discourse, and tension-filled conversations at the intersections of politics, religion, and other social issues which are divisive and challenging to navigate. He lives in Minnesota.
Cody speaks frequently at conferences and is currently in the midst of several publications. He serves primarily as an Assistant Professor of Higher Education and HESA Coordinator at Western Michigan University. He can be reached at j.cody.nielsen@convergencestrategies.org
