Kelsey Monaghan-Bergson

The terms “impossible” and “difficult” typically deter many people from an undertaking. For Kelsey, the potential for non-linear problem-solving sparks interest, curiosity, and an opportunity to rout a challenge. Driven by a strategic vision to enact comprehensive reforms throughout the Department of Defense (DoD), with diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility as operational imperatives, she aspires to lead transformative changes through tangible initiatives that dismantle stigmatizing barriers by capitalizing on neurodiversity as a key force multiplier.

 

As an Asian-American, LGBTQ+, neurodiverse woman, she supports efforts for inclusive talent management, enhancing mission readiness, representation, and lethality within the DoD to ensure the U.S. maintains its military advantage while providing opportunities for neurodiverse individuals to thrive in their careers.

 

A member of the US Air Force Academy Class of 2025, Kelsey is a Martinson Honors Scholar majoring in Behavior Science and minoring in diversity and inclusion. She is the first-ever cadet in Project Mercury, the US Air and Space Forces’ premier innovation initiative, to become a Certified Professional Innovator through the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, and is a leader, researcher, and advocate for the Department of the Air Force Barrier Analysis Working Group Disability Action Team’s Neurodiversity Initiative.  Kelsey is also an Intellectual Edge Alliance Fellow; a semi-finalist for the AFWERX Spark Tank 2023 with her joint project on Astro Psychiatric Artificial Intelligence; the Chair of USAFA’s Multicultural Student Council; and Director of USAFA's Democratic Dialogue Project. She aspires to apply her education across the full spectrum of military operations to influence relevant actors' perceptions, behavior, and actions through gray zone tactics.

 

A Pacific Northwest native, Kelsey loves hiking, skiing, policy, positive psychology, creative strategy, art, and the power of community. Outside of her military duties, you will find her making patches, researching her special interests, playing Pokemon, and exploring the intersectional implications of Garfield the Cat.