Nina Tellegen is CEO of the DOEN Foundation, since October 2007. DOEN is a charity organization that uses the annual proceeds it receives from the Dutch Charity Lotteries to invest in a wide-range of initiatives and has been active as a Foundation since 1991. These Lotteries include The Dutch Postcode Lottery, BankGiro Lottery and Friends Lottery. DOEN believes that a green, socially-inclusive and creative society is possible, as the world is full of committed entrepreneurs with sustainable, cultural and socially-engaged initiatives. These entrepreneurial people have the courage to take risks, in order to put their, often pioneering, ideas into practice and to also inspire others. DOEN offers these people financial support and also connects them with each other.

Nina started her career at the African Studies Centre where she worked as a researcher and wrote her PhD thesis on the development of rural enterprises in Malawi. From 2001 until 2007 she was the managing director of Wemos, an advocacy organization working on international health issues.