Founder & Principal Advisor, Ethos Advisors
Lindsey Nelson, MBA, CAE
Lindsey Nelson has spent two decades in the rooms where association strategy gets made and — just as often—where it stalls. Her work centers on a single question: What does it take to move an organization from intention to results? In her experience, the answer is rarely another plan. It is the discipline, systems, and alignment that turn a plan into action.
That conviction comes from leading mission-driven organizations through real transitions. Across national and global associations, she has steadied teams in flux, rebuilt their operational foundations, and helped boards and executives agree on what matters most. Leaders value her ability to cut through complexity and build structures that make progress durable rather than momentary.
Professional background
Before founding Ethos Advisors, Lindsey served as executive director of the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA), a global trade association representing more than 1,500 companies across 40 countries. Managing a $3 million budget and an international team, she led the organization through a significant transition: rebuilding its IT infrastructure, overhauling the staffing model, and restoring trust among a diverse global membership. Under her leadership, TEA returned to profitability within two years, grew revenue by $2 million, and established the governance and planning disciplines that positioned it for future growth.
Earlier, Lindsey held senior roles with the National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA), where she oversaw the majority of its revenue portfolio and led a growth strategy that doubled the operating budget. As executive director of the NAMA Foundation, she helped raise $5 million through a capital campaign that created long-term sustaining revenue for the convenience services industry.
In August 2024, Lindsey founded Ethos Advisors to provide strategic consulting, fractional CEO and COO support, and operational implementation for associations and nonprofits. She partners with leaders who want more than a plan; they want the accountability and operational structure required to turn intention into action. She also advises leading advisory and professional services firms on high-profile client relationships, high-stakes negotiation and decision-making, and strategies that help clients identify, create, and capture value in complex business opportunities.
An active mentor and volunteer, Lindsey counts her most important roles as partner to her husband and mother to her three children.
Areas of expertise
Strategic planning and organizational alignment
Operational design and performance systems
Board governance and stakeholder engagement
Executive advising and leadership coaching
Recognition and education
Lindsey received the Association Forum’s 2020–2021 Association Professional Achievement Award and was named a Forty Under 40 honoree by the Association Forum and USAE. She has held the Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential since 2015. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communication studies from Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, and an Executive MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, where she serves as vice president of finance for Women@EMBA.
“Lindsey’s leadership as executive director of TEA was transformative. Her strategic vision, operational expertise, and ability to foster collaboration elevated the organization to new heights. She navigated complex challenges with confidence and positioned TEA for long-term success. ”
