How the Blue Horizons Is Innovating the USAF from the Inside Out

What does it take to shake up one of the largest and most complex organizations in the world from the inside out? On this episode of the Innovation Storytellers Show, I invite you to buckle up for a conversation that dives straight into the heart of how the US Air Force is building a homegrown culture of audacious innovation through its Blue Horizons Fellowship.

I’m joined by Colonel Daniel Ruttenber and Dr. Eric Keels, two brilliant minds guiding this unique think-and-do tank based at the Air War College. Blue Horizons is where selected majors and lieutenant colonels step out of their daily missions and into a ten-month sprint to tackle strategic challenges that could redefine the future of national security. 

What makes it so remarkable is that these officers aren’t handed polished blueprints to test. Instead, they begin by hunting down the most significant, thorniest problems no one else has solved yet, then race to turn raw ideas into tangible prototypes that push the boundaries of what’s possible in modern warfare and defense technology.

Colonel Ruttenber lifts the curtain on how this fellowship for battle-hardened innovators has evolved from an academic elective into a crucible for rapid prototyping and strategy shaping that senior leaders now rely on for bold insights. 

Eric shares how diverse perspectives, strategic forecasting, and a healthy risk appetite come together to give fellows the courage to imagine everything from bacteria-built runways to Google Maps-style decision support for mission commanders. Together, they unpack why breaking through bureaucratic roadblocks and perfecting the art of storytelling is just as vital as building breakthrough tech when you’re challenging an institution designed to prioritize certainty over the experiment.

Suppose you’ve ever wondered what real innovation under pressure looks like and how a tight-knit cohort can turn constraints into rocket fuel. In that case, this episode delivers an inside look at a program rewriting the playbook on defense innovation. 

We also explore how private companies, startups, and universities can collaborate with Blue Horizons, bringing fresh thinking to the Air Force’s most challenging missions while learning what it truly means to build resilience, speed, and adaptability.

After listening, I’d love to hear your thoughts. How can leaders inside large organizations borrow lessons from Blue Horizons to encourage more risk-taking, faster learning, and better storytelling to turn big ideas into real-world impact? Join the conversation and share what you think.

About Eric Keels

Name:  Eric Keels
Title: Associate Professor
Company: Blue Horizons
LinkedIn 

Eric Keels is an Associate Professor of International Security and curriculum coordinator in the Blue Horizons program at Air War College. While at Blue Horizons, he has advised on projects related to jet fuel generation from carbon capture, data management, integrating non-kinetic effects, enterprise-wide talent management, and 3D printing drones to rapidly disrupt our adversary’s decision-making. Outside of his work in the Blue Horizons program, he leads policy- relevant research on armed conflict. Prior to working at Blue Horizons, he coordinated research on political violence at the One Earth Future Foundation and was a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in Global Security at the Howard H. Baker Center for Public Policy, University of Tennessee.

About Daniel Ruttenber

Name:  Daniel Ruttenber
Title: Deputy Director 
Company: Blue Horizons
LinkedIn 

Colonel Daniel M. Ruttenber is the Deputy Director, Center for Strategy and Technology and an associate professor/instructor for the Chief of Staff of the Air Force’s Blue Horizons Fellowship. Unhindered by conventional thinking and processes, Blue Horizons is part think tank, part incubator, molding battle-ready entrepreneurs capable of taking aggressive action to exploit emerging strategic opportunities.

With service as a KC-135R/T Formal Training Unit Evaluator and Instructor Pilot Colonel Ruttenber has spearheaded global reach with worldwide mobility impact. A total force veteran, he was instrumental in the activation of the 99th Air Refueling Squadron as an air refueling associate unit with the Alabama Air National Guard. A Weapons School graduate with academic and flying honors, Colonel Ruttenber commanded combat operations and Special Operations Air Refueling missions in support of Operations NOBLE EAGLE, IRAQI FREEDOM, NEW DAWN, and ENDURING FREEDOM.

Colonel Ruttenber was the commander of the Air Force’s inaugural KC-46 squadron and Formal Training Unit and is an Advanced Air Advisor with global security force assistance experience. He commanded the 621st Air Mobility Advisory Group, Travis Air Force Base, California and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, spearheading global employment of U.S. Air Force Air Advisors, Air Mobility Liaison Officers, and Air Mobility Operations experts spanning 5 squadrons and 21 operating locations across the globe.