Dr. Ichsani Wheeler is a scientist, entrepreneur, and leader in the development of open digital infrastructure for environmental stewardship, climate action, and food security. She is the founder and Research Coordinator of OpenGeoHub Foundation, an international non-profit that develops open geospatial data, machine learning models, and digital public goods used by governments, researchers, and international organizations worldwide.
Her work focuses on combining earth observation, environmental science, and AI to improve decision-making on land degradation, soil health, carbon sequestration, ecosystem restoration, and sustainable agriculture. Dr. Wheeler currently leads multiple international research initiatives and has helped build globally accessible environmental data systems serving millions of users and supporting organizations including the European Commission, IFAD, UNCCD, and the World Resources Institute.
She is a strong advocate for transparent, accountable, and inclusive AI, with particular interests in data commons, participatory land governance, and ensuring advanced technologies deliver measurable public benefit.
Outside her professional work, she is a passionate gardener, cook, and mother of two.
