Sean was born in Detroit, Michigan, to Jeff and Sandra Nelson. Detroit is where he established his relationship with God and developed his values for hard, honest work and intentional relationships. In 2004, he decided to leave his hometown and follow the call of God on his life by moving to Houston, Texas. He began volunteering at the Star of Hope homeless shelter near downtown Houston. It wasn’t long before essential volunteers and staff noticed his natural ability to lead. He was offered his first position in ministry only two months after he arrived in Houston. He served at Star of Hope Homeless Shelter as a student director while attending the College of Biblical Studies, where he studied Biblical Counseling. For six years, God graciously allowed him to serve the youth at Star of Hope and a local church in the greater Houston area.

Distinguished mentors and his time in the DeVos Urban Leadership Initiative have shaped Sean into a courageous and generous leader. These are just a few attributes that have contributed to an extensive career in ministry where he has established himself as a pioneer, influencer, culture optimizer, strategic leader, and systems thinker. He understands that no matter the work, he has a calling to be a servant-leader who can be differentiated yet inclusive.

Sean enjoys making memories with his family through travel, playing basketball, lifting weights, competing in body-building competitions, attending plays, singing, playing the guitar, meeting new people and hearing their stories, hanging with youth, empowering the next generation of leaders, and making disciples of Jesus Christ. He is married to Flor Nelson and they have six beautiful children and two grandchildren – Prince, a bonus son, Benjamin, Julie, Emily, Jaden, Adonaiya, twin granddaughters Alileah and Nialeah and Duke, the family pet.