Claire England

Claire England is Executive Director of RISE Global. RISE – a Relationship & Information Series for Entrepreneurs – is Austin's free, nonprofit conference series serving thousands of entrepreneurs and small business owners. After the success of the 2012 conference under her leadership, RISE was named one of the nationwide "Must-Attend Conferences for Entrepreneurs" by Forbes in 2013. As the steward for RISE, Claire has demonstrated her talents for successfully partnering with both national brands and local community organizations, building strong connections with business leaders, and serving as an advocate for all sectors of Austin's entrepreneur community.

In addition, her background encompasses nonprofit administration, strategic partnerships, fundraising, digital marketing, and public relations. She spent more than 10 years in nonprofit management at organizations such as Foundation Communities, Caritas of Austin, and Houston Grand Opera.

Prior to joining RISE, Claire worked in the private sector as a digital media strategist and served as Senior Accounts Director for KBJOnline, a social media startup, where she gained experience working with the types of entrepreneurial businesses she is passionate about supporting. She is a cum laude graduate of Texas State University with a B.A. in Mass Communication – Public Relations.

Having served on leadership and ad-hoc committees and boards of directors, Claire is dedicated to community volunteerism. She also has been active in Austin Entrepreneur Scene Leaders, Association for Women in Communications, Austin Symphony BATS, and USA Triathlon. A native Austinite, Claire spends her free time racing in sprint triathlons, reading, listening to live music, and sharing all that is wonderful about her hometown with newcomers and visitors alike.