About us
Citizens FoundationA non-profit in Reykjavík, Iceland, founded in 2008 — bringing people together to debate and prioritize ideas that improve their communities.
Our story
Citizens Foundation was founded in the aftermath of Iceland’s economic — and trust — collapse in 2008. Our mission has stayed the same ever since: help citizens and governments make better decisions together — building open-source tools and methods that turn public participation into action.
What began with Better Reykjavík has grown into platforms used in thousands of projects across over 50 countries — recognized with the European e-Democracy Award in 2011, the Nordic Best Practice award from the mayors of the Nordic capitals in 2015, and the #1 rating in the People Powered Participation Platform Ratings. Today we pair that experience with AI through Policy Synth — always with people in charge.
The team
Co-founder & CEO
Róbert is an entrepreneur who introduced the Web to Iceland in 1993 and to Denmark in 1995. Before co-founding Citizens Foundation in 2008 he worked in the videogame industry, where his teams received many industry awards — including two BAFTAs.
Creative Director
Maren is a multimedia artist and designer — a force of creative energy at Citizens Foundation. She has shaped the design of our apps and websites since 2012, contributes to overall strategy and sits on the board of directors.
Co-founder & Ambassador
Gunnar has been at the heart of Citizens Foundation since its start. He is an experienced process and interface designer with a strong background in multiple fields, and has worked on citizen engagement projects all over the world.
Programmer & QA Manager
Alexander started testing new versions of our open-source software at age 11. Over the years he tested most major releases, helped keep quality high, and later ported much of the new web app from JavaScript to TypeScript before the days of AI coding assistants. He has also supported the Citizens Foundation family in many other ways over the years.
Chair of the Board
Hanna Dóra has been with Citizens Foundation from the start, supporting the foundation in many practical and strategic ways. A trained accountant, she became a technology entrepreneur in the 1980s, creating business software for Icelandic companies. She also chaired the board of Róbert's first ISP business in Iceland in 1993.
Board Director
Bjarni has supported Citizens Foundation from the start through board work, technical judgment and steady advice. He is an electrical engineer and lifelong computer enthusiast who got his first computer in the early 1980s: a Micro-Professor MPF-I, the Z80-based training computer that helped introduce a generation to programming and electronics.
Former team and supporters
Executive Director, Citizens Foundation America
Josh brought Citizens Foundation America a diverse background, with stints in academic development and philanthropy fundraising, work with Robert in writing, design and business development in the videogame industry, and socially responsible entrepreneurship promoting sustainable agriculture and improved food systems.
Director, Citizens Foundation America
Katherine brought years of experience in logistics and operations. She worked closely with Josh in social, political and educational outreach in the agricultural sector, helping build a brand that promoted sustainable agriculture and best practices in the food industry.
Analyst
Sophia studied Human, Social and Political Sciences at Cambridge. She coordinated Rory Stewart's central London field campaign, produced film and lobbied government with the UK Student Climate Network, and served as a Youth Climate Ambassador for the Centre for UN Constitutional Research.
Consultant
David has been involved in the development of Internet applications since 1996, delivering enterprise-level applications for companies including PwC, UBS, Vodafone and BP. In 2004 he founded Decypher Media, developing advanced fintech applications and websites for global hedge funds.
Films
From participation consultancy to hosted platforms — see what we offer.