As trustees, Jimmy Wales and Sarah Hunter will help to guide the organisation, alongside the board of trustees and its chair Sir John Gieve, and with chief executive Ravi Gurumurthy, who joined Nesta in December 2019.

Nesta combines policy research, with funding opportunities and on-the-ground testing of new ideas in order to find innovative solutions to some of the biggest challenges facing society.

Its current projects include examining the role that technology can play in education and healthcare, examining how drones can be used for social good, and supporting the pioneers that are building democratic tools for the 21st century.

Sir John Gieve, Chair of Nesta’s board of trustees, said: “I am delighted Jimmy and Sarah are joining the board with their outstanding records globally in innovation and social enterprise. They join at a critical time for the organisation as we define a strategy for the coming years which responds to the Covid emergency of today, and the challenges of rebuilding our society and the economy tomorrow.”

Jimmy Wales, said: “In the last few months our world has been transformed and Nesta is in a fantastic place to respond to this and other challenges by supporting the innovations that will shape our world for the better in years to come. New technologies are once again revolutionising the way we share information and ideas and I’m looking forward to helping Nesta make the most of these opportunities.”

Sarah Hunter, said: “The next few years will pose some big social, environmental and economic challenges. There’s never been a more important time to promote and invest in innovative new approaches to meet those challenges. Helping put Nesta at the heart of that mission is something. I’m really excited to be part of.”

Sarah Hunter joined the board on 1st April 2020 and Jimmy Wales will join on 1st July 2020.