Nicholas is the Executive Director of the Better Way Foundation, bringing 20 years of experience across business, philanthropy, and the nonprofit sector. His work has focused on leading complex strategies and building relationships that advance mission-driven organizations.
Prior to joining Better Way, Nicholas served as Chief of Staff for Great MN Schools, a venture philanthropy network dedicated to improving K–12 education. In that role, he helped incubate the organization at The Minneapolis Foundation and led strategic planning, financial and operational management, policy development, and coalition-building efforts.
Previously, Nicholas was Director of New Sites & Expansion at 50CAN, where he worked at the intersection of philanthropy, policy, and community engagement to launch state-based organizations advancing equity in PreK–12 education. He also served as Deputy Director of MinnCAN, where he was a founding Executive Committee member of MinneMinds, a statewide PreK scholarship campaign that has expanded access to high-quality early education for thousands of low-income children. He began his career as a Senior Account Executive in Investor Relations at Padilla.
Nicholas currently serves on the boards of the Francesco Collaborative, Friends of the Boundary Waters Action Network, and World Savvy Midwest. He holds a master’s degree in Public Communication and bachelor’s degrees in Communications, Legal Institutions, Economics, and Government from American University.
He lives in Mendota Heights, Minn., with his wife and three children, and frequently visits the state’s Arrowhead region, including the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. An avid runner and cyclist, he enjoys exploring the outdoors—and is still working on his golf game.
Reach out to Nicholas at nbanovetz@betterwayfoundation.org.
