Connie Nielsen

Danish-born actor, producer and writer, Connie Nielsen’s achievements in the arts range across leads in films such as the Academy Award winning Gladiator, the critically acclaimed Brothers, One Hour Photo, and Demon Lover. Connie Nielsen also appeared as Hippolyta in DC Comics and Warner Brothers’ Wonder Woman, WWll and Justice League. Ms. Nielsen produced and starred in Sundance/Channel Four’s current smash hit series, Close To Me. She also stars in and produced “The Dreamer”, a biopic based on the life of Danish Writer, Karen Blixen, scheduled for release Q3 2022, for Viaplay and Zentropa, based on the original idea by Connie Nielsen and Karoline Leth. She is the recipient of Best Actress Awards from The San Sebastian Film Festival, The Danish “Bodil” Awards, and The Empire Awards. Ms. Nielsen co-founded and is the President and CEO of Human Needs Project (HNP) providing sustainable Infrastructure Services for informal settlements since 2010. In 2014 HNP opened the Kibera Town Center (KTC) serving residents with dignified services and access to jobs and education. A social enterprise, the Kibera Town Center has transformed tens of thousands of lives through more 2 million transactions since opening. Human Needs Project is the recipient of the 2015 Aspen Big Idea Award and in 2017 Connie Nielsen was awarded the Nelson Mandela Changemaker Award. She was the keynote speaker at major conferences including PTTOW! 2017, The CSR Awards 2015, the Gates Foundation Sanitation Summit 2013, Opportunity International 2012. Ms. Nielsen also founded Road to Freedom Scholarships in 2011, which continues to educate children living in informal settlements.