Connect with the People Behind Navigator Foundation
Navigator Foundation is a Florida incorporated nonprofit pending 501(c)(3) status led by Army veterans who have spent their careers helping soldiers and families find their way through complex systems. This page is an invitation to get to know the people behind the mission and to connect with us as we build the navigation infrastructure veterans have always deserved.
Founders & Leadership
The Navigator Foundation was founded on July 14, 2026, by Kris and Scott Saling. They launched this nonprofit because they have seen, again and again, what happens when systems meant to support veterans and their families fall short. Their work is grounded in lived experience, deep expertise, and a commitment to designing something better.
Kris Saling
Co-Founder & Director
Kris is an Army veteran with 25 years of service, including a decade focused on reforming Army human resources and building better systems for soldiers and families. She has helped hundreds of service members navigate careers, benefits, and transitions, often in moments when stakes were high. As an author, AI innovator, and workforce transformation leader, Kris brings both technical expertise and human-centered design to the challenge of fixing what has long been broken for veterans.
As the executive director of the Navigator Foundation, Kris leads the work of designing navigation tools and systems that make it easier for veterans to access the benefits, opportunities, and support they have earned.
Scott Saling
Co-Founder & Board Chair
Scott Saling is an Army veteran, landscape architect, visual effects artist, architectural previsualization expert, and — for the second time — a nonprofit board chair. He has spent his career making complex things visible: terrain, worlds, buildings that don’t exist yet. At Navigator Foundation, he brings that same discipline to governance — helping build the infrastructure that makes the veteran services ecosystem visible to the people who need it most.
Scott’s perspective is shaped by seeing the gaps that too many veterans fall through. His focus is on building durable partnerships and systems that close those gaps for good.
Why We Built the Navigator Foundation
Kris and Scott founded the Navigator Foundation because they know what it looks like when the system fails veterans. They have watched people who served honorably struggle to access benefits, navigate careers, and find their footing in life after service. That experience drives our commitment to building navigation infrastructure that is clear, trustworthy, and built around the realities of veterans’ lives.
This is work led by veterans, for veterans, with the humility to listen, the courage to challenge the status quo, and the determination to make sure no one has to navigate alone.
Our Board
Karen Freberg
Vice-Chair of the Board
Professor of Strategic Communications at the University of Louisville, published author, and social media research consultant whose clients include DHS, CDC, and NATO.
Trish Martinelli
Board Advisor
Army veteran, defense innovator, TEDx speaker, former executive director of the Defense Entrepreneurs Forum, and founder of The Difference LLC.
Ted Adair
Board Advisor
Army veteran, founder of The Oath&Oak, an organization dedicated to veteran identity, storytelling, and upskilling in critical emerging areas, host ofThe Oak Lines podcast.
Jana Fajardo
Board Advisor
Active duty Army Officer and Deputy Director of Army People Analytics — dedicated to understanding and taking care of people in and out of uniform.
Mika Cross
Board Advisor
Army veteran, workplace transformation strategist, one of the country’s most recognized voices on federal workforce policy.
Connect with Navigator Foundation
Whether you are a veteran, a family member, a community leader, or part of an organization with resources to share, we would value the chance to connect. Every conversation helps us better understand what veterans are experiencing and how our work can meet real needs.
We especially welcome hearing from:
- Veterans and military families navigating benefits, transitions, or career changes
- Community organizations supporting veterans in employment, education, housing, or wellness
- Employers, funders, and partners interested in building better pathways for veteran talent
- Practitioners, researchers, and innovators working on veteran-focused systems and technology
Ready to Reach Out?
If you are ready to start a conversation, share an idea, or explore partnership, we invite you to contact us. Your message will reach the Navigator Foundation team, including our founders, and we will follow up as soon as we can.
Navigator Foundation | Veteran Resource Navigator 