OUR TEAM
Alturas Coaching & Consulting is led by its co-founders, Chad Carlson and Nerel Winter. Together, we bring deep experience in leadership development, systems change, and human-centered coaching. We partner closely with school leaders and their teams, offering thoughtful, hands-on support rooted in clarity, empathy, and real-world experience.
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Chad Carlson, M.Ed., is the co-founder of Alturas Coaching & Consulting and serves as a lead coach and consultant, where he helps leaders and teams thrive at the crossroads of leadership, strategy, culture, and change.
With more than 25 years of experience in leadership, education, and entrepreneurship, Chad has led organizations through growth, transformation, and systems change. His background includes founding and leading education startups, serving in executive leadership roles, coaching individuals and teams, and advising nonprofit boards. He is the co-founder and co-designer of the One Stone Lab School and the founder and leader of its national scaling initiative, One Stone Ventures - work that is widely recognized for advancing innovative, future-ready education.This diverse experience gives him a deep understanding of governance, strategic planning, organizational alignment, and the challenges leaders face in balancing vision with execution.
Much of Chad’s work has focused on helping schools and learning organizations redesign systems to better serve people and purpose. He has supported leaders and communities in moving from traditional, compliance-driven models to more human-centered approaches, including competency-based assessment, learner agency, real-world relevance, and student mentorship. He has designed professional learning experiences, communities of practice, and strategic planning processes that help educators and organizations turn bold ideas into sustainable practice. Across roles as a teacher, administrator, school leader, and consultant, Chad has worked closely with students, educators, leaders, and families, giving him a deep appreciation for the human dynamics that make change succeed or stall.
As a coach, mentor, and advisor, Chad is known for his curiosity, clarity, and human-first approach. He works with leaders to sharpen their strategy, strengthen their culture, and unlock personal and organizational growth.
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Nerel Winter is the co-founder of Alturas Coaching & Consulting and serves as a lead coach and consultant, partnering with leaders and organizations to develop strong leadership, build organizational coherence, and navigate complex change.
With extensive experience as an executive leader, school founder, and systems leader, Nerel has built nationally recognized work focused on future-ready learning. His expertise spans personalized and competency-based learning, career-connected pathways, global and experiential education, and youth apprenticeship systems that bridge education and industry. He is widely respected for his ability to translate bold vision into aligned strategy, culture, and execution.
Nerel’s leadership is grounded in deep, firsthand experience across the full spectrum of education — as a classroom educator, assistant principal, public school principal, and founder and CEO of innovative school and organizational models. He has worked closely with executive teams, boards, foundations, and cross-sector partners to strengthen assessment systems, align organizational structures, and build leadership capacity for sustainable impact.
As a coach and advisor, Nerel brings a human-centered, equity-driven approach rooted in empathy, clarity, and purpose. His work helps leaders align identity, mission, and systems so individuals and organizations can grow with intention and prepare people for meaningful, real-world futures.
OUR BELIEFS
MISSION
To help leaders build the teams, systems, and culture needed for their organizations to thrive.
VISION
Thriving leaders and organizations who lead with clarity, purpose, and alignment.
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Empathy drives effective leadership. It empowers leaders to create alignment, strengthen culture, and lead with clarity. It deepens connection within organizations and fuels growth grounded in purpose and intention. In our work with partners, empathy is at the center of all we do. By listening deeply and understanding challenges through the perspectives of others, we build trust and co-create solutions that honor both people and purpose.
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The best outcomes emerge when leaders and teams take ownership of their development. As partners in the process, we work to unlock potential - equipping leaders with the insight, structure, and strategy to lead with purpose and sustainable progress.
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Transformation happens through partnership. We work alongside leaders, teams, and the organization’s broader community as thought partners and co-creators, blending expertise and insight to achieve shared goals. Collaboration builds alignment, creates trust, develops openness to evolving practices, and ensures that solutions are embraced and carried forward by everyone who will bring them to life.
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Growth is both a mindset and a practice - grounded in continuous reflection, learning, and iteration. Leaders and organizations advance with intention and purpose, translating insight into meaningful change. By embracing growth at every level, they strengthen capability, expand impact, and create the conditions to reach greater heights.
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Clear purpose drives meaningful action. Leaders and organizations thrive when their decisions, strategies, and behaviors align with a well-defined mission and values. Purpose guides priorities, shapes culture, and ensures that every effort contributes to lasting impact.