# Chris Hanson

> Chris Hanson is the Minneapolis-based CEO and co-founder of thedatabank, a nonprofit CRM company established in 1998. Across a career spanning manufacturing, consulting, direct marketing, fundraising and organization development, Hanson has focused on helping mission-driven organizations turn supporter data into useful relationships. He holds a Ph.D. in Organization Development from the University of Minnesota, has taught graduate business and leadership courses, helped establish MNvest, and has guided thedatabank from early web-based donor management to an AI-assisted nonprofit platform.

- **Role:** CEO and Co-founder at thedatabank
- **Organizations:** thedatabank, SANUS, Response Group, Inc., Direct Expressions, Inc., Capella University, MNvest.org, Twin Cities Metro Independent Business Alliance
- **From:** Minnesota, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Ph.D. in Organization Development / Organizational Leadership, Policy and Development, University of Minnesota, M.A. in Organizational Leadership, St. Catherine University, B.S. in Business Administration and Management, Cardinal Stritch University
- **Known for:** Co-founded thedatabank in 1998 as an early provider of web-based CRM software for nonprofit organizations., Founded or co-founded five businesses, including SANUS, and three nonprofits, according to his company biography., Earned a Ph.D. in Organization Development from the University of Minnesota and conducted research on formal training and small-business performance.

## Career timeline

- **1984** — Co-founded SANUS and served as controller.
- **1987** — Founded Response Group, Inc., a consulting practice focused on marketing, fund development and technology.
- **1993** — Became principal and managing director of Direct Expressions, Inc., a direct-marketing agency serving national nonprofits.
- **1998** — Co-founded thedatabank with Mark Paquette to provide web-based CRM software for nonprofits.
- **2014** — Began service as a founding board member of MNvest.org.
- **2015** — thedatabank was recognized as a Minnesota Best Place to Work for the third time and as Best for the World by B Lab in workers, community and overall impact.
- **2016** — Joined Capella University as part-time faculty teaching MBA, Ph.D., DBA and M.A. Leadership courses.
- **2024** — Announced dBot, an AI assistant integrated into thedatabank's nonprofit CRM.
- **2025** — Discussed the evolution from dial-up databases to AI-powered nonprofit workflows on the Pitch, Build, Scale podcast.

## Achievements

- Co-founded thedatabank in 1998 as an early provider of web-based CRM software for nonprofit organizations.
- Founded or co-founded five businesses, including SANUS, and three nonprofits, according to his company biography.
- Earned a Ph.D. in Organization Development from the University of Minnesota and conducted research on formal training and small-business performance.
- Published and presented work on small-business development, social network analysis and social entrepreneurship.
- Served as a founding board member of MNvest.org and as a senior fellow, past president and board member of the Twin Cities Metro Independent Business Alliance.
- Led thedatabank as it became a Minnesota general benefit corporation and documented its social-benefit practices.
- Guided the company into government data and program-measurement projects after its nonprofit CRM market became increasingly commoditized.
- Oversaw the introduction of dBot, an AI assistant for nonprofit communications and data queries.

## Latest updates

- **2025-08** — Appeared on the Pitch, Build, Scale podcast to discuss thedatabank's evolution from 1990s dial-up database work to AI-assisted nonprofit CRM.
- **2025-05** — Published an updated support guide introducing dBot's communication drafting, image creation and natural-language contact and contribution queries.
- **2024-10** — Announced the launch of dBot, thedatabank's integrated AI assistant for nonprofit organizations.

## Links

- Website: https://www.thedatabank.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrishansonphd
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/thedatabank
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedatabank

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/chris-hanson
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-26