About us
A 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.
Designer & board member
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.
Films
From participation consultancy to hosted platforms — see what we offer.