Nashelley Kaplan-Dailey: Community Accelerator Director
Strategic Convenings & Ecosystem Weaving
Nashelley’s commitment to water began with a literal watershed moment at age nineteen. Growing up in the Arizona desert, she realized she had no idea where her water came from. That realization sparked a lifelong focus on water, equity, and impact.
She holds a law degree from the University of San Diego, where she concentrated on water and environmental law. After relocating to the San Francisco Bay Area, she built her career across the water ecosystem, working at the intersection of public sector innovation, entrepreneurship, and nonprofit leadership.
Nashelley has worked with local government leaders advancing sustainable and decentralized water solutions through WaterNow Alliance, and supported leading water technology entrepreneurs through Imagine H2O. Through her consulting practice, NasH2O, she advised mission-driven organizations and companies working at the intersection of water, innovation, and implementation.
Most recently, Nashelley served as Managing Director of the AWE Foundation, where she led immersive eight-day river journeys through the Grand Canyon, convening influential leaders from across sectors. The experience reinforced a core belief that guides her work today: powerful shifts occur when people feel connected and inspired — new relationships form, new ideas emerge, and inspiration turns into action.
At Watershed Progressive, Nashelley serves as Community Accelerator Director, focused on designing and evolving strategic convenings — including Localizing California Waters — and tending the “seeds” within the organization. She works to translate promising ideas into fundable, scalable programs and to weave relationships across partners, funders, and community leaders to move ideas into impact.
Nashelley lives in Oakland, California with her husband Jose and their two daughters.