Col Nelson Rouleau was an Air Force Senior Developmental Education Fellow assigned to Project Everest for Academic Year 2020–2021.

Background: Col Rouleau is a risk-taking leader and strategist with 26 years of combined experience in combat, strategy, disruptive innovation, design thinking, organizational development, consulting, and coaching. He’s led and commanded military organizations at the senior manager and the vice president level. He has earned a reputation for challenging the status quo and quickly transforming organizational culture. His organizations give strong voices to mavericks and have a reputation for leading ridiculously, thinking radically, and designing with perspicacity. In turn, his teams have a history of illuminating solutions to long-standing institutional problems with entrenched positions. Col Rouleau has grown and matured a matrixed network of young leaders and disruptive thinkers capable of leading and ensuring competitive advantage long into the future. He is a founding member of Project Everest, a strategy design and facilitation team that specializes in infusing creativity into dull strategy development methods and using design-inspired facilitation to help teams unlock their creative potential. He has helped teams from the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Space Command, the U.S. Air Force Academy, and the Mitchell Institute. Col Rouleau is the founder of The Bigfoot Experience: Living and Leading, by Design. Inspired by human centered design and motivated through his experiences in leading in combat, authentic leadership development, disruptive innovation, and organization development, the Bigfoot Experience guides large organizations through periods of change and helps discover novel solutions to vexing problems. Through the experience, C-Suite leaders and young high potential leaders are coached to live and lead authentic lives and navigate life’s transitions.

Areas of Focus: Col Rouleau’s mission is three-fold: first, to lead and think far ahead of a rapidly changing world. Second, to guide organizations and teams through periods of change, have tough conversations, and assist executive leaders to live and lead their most authentic lives. Lastly, to develop young curious minds capable of solving difficult national problems through a kaleidoscope of ideas and experiences. He has helped author and communicate strategy at the highest levels of the U.S. government. He was a part of the team that authored the Pacific Air Force Strategy in 2014. In June of 2021, he will serve as the Senior Air Force Strategist in the Under Secretary of Defense’s Policy and Force Development Office where he will help draft the U.S. National Defense Strategy.

Academic and Professional titles: Col Rouleau has a certificate in Management Excellence from Harvard Business School, certificate in Organizational Consulting & Change Leadership from Georgetown University’s Institute for Transformational Leadership (July 2021) as well as master’s degrees in counseling and military strategy. He also serves as an adjunct instructor teaching command leadership and airpower history for the U.S. Air Force’s Air Command and Staff College.