Nikki Batchelor is the Executive Director for the $100M XPRIZE Carbon Removal, a competition supported by the Musk Foundation to drive innovation, market adoption, and responsible deployment of carbon removal solutions. In this capacity she oversees program operations, develops partnerships, and leads strategic initiatives on topics such as environmental justice and investor engagement, including the Circular Carbon Network that provides market insights for the growing carbon tech and carbon removal sectors. Nikki also supports XPRIZE’s work across the Energy & Climate Domain and previously managed operations and impact programs for the $20M NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE from 2015-2021. She also serves on the Carbon Business Council Board of Directors and Puro.Earth Advisory Board.

Previously Nikki served as an Innovation Advisor for the U.S. Agency for International Development, designing and operating challenges and prizes across a range of topics including clean energy, water, health, education, and governance. She also managed operations and designed impact frameworks for several $100M+ grant programs in Afghanistan and Iraq. Additionally, she has worked as a Strategist for NationBuilder, a community organizing software platform, developing product use cases, marketing plans, and expansion strategies for new markets. Nikki holds an MBA from George Washington University in DC.