I'm Nicholas Rheubottom
I work with clients to design the actionable strategy and governance that turn ideas into outcomes.
ABOUT
I work at the intersection of housing, governance, and community.
​Strong communities depend on strong systems, the structures that shape decisions, align partners, and move good ideas into action. Throughout my career, I have focused on connecting strategy, governance, and collaboration in ways that make complex initiatives workable. I am drawn to the spaces where policy, community, and implementation meet, and where clarity and partnership can unlock meaningful outcomes.
​
I support local businesses, non-profits, and community organizations navigating growth and transition across the housing, employment, and technology sectors. Much of this work centers on social innovation projects across Alberta and Western Canada, including Indigenous-led initiatives, affordable housing, equitable employment models, and access-to-capital efforts. I provide strategic advisory support in government relations, grant writing, and the development of public private partnerships. I also take on select projects outside these sectors where strategic clarity or systems design can strengthen community-focused efforts. In parallel, I incubate initiatives of my own, including a CMHC funded housing lab and two emerging LLM tools: ProcureAI and GovScope.
​
I believe good systems are intentional and rooted in real relationships. My work is collaborative by nature, informed by place, and centered on clarity, partnership, and long-term impact.
AREAS OF WORK
Housing & Community Development
I support affordable, Indigenous-led, and community-driven housing projects across Alberta and Western Canada. My work focuses on early-stage clarity, funding pathways, and navigating the systems that move housing ideas into implementation.
Governance & Organizational Design
I design structures, roles, workflows, and decision pathways that help organizations operate with clarity and alignment. This work supports long-term impact, accountability, and systems that move complex initiatives from concept to implementation.
Public Policy & Government Systems
I work within municipal and provincial systems to support policy alignment, land-use pathways, funding structures, and interdepartmental collaboration. My work helps translate policy goals into practical, implementable actions.
Social Innovation & Systems Change
I help teams design structured learning cycles, prototypes, labs, and community-driven systems-change efforts. This work supports new approaches to housing, governance, and economic participation rooted in real community experience.
Indigenous
Partnerships
I support First Nations and Indigenous organizations with governance clarity, strategic alignment, funding strategy, and project development. My work centers on relational, trust-based collaboration and respect for community-led priorities.
Systems Communications
I develop communication strategies that make complex systems clear and actionable. This includes narrative design, crisis communications, and messaging frameworks that support alignment across partners and levels of government.
Employment & Economic Development
I support equitable employment models, regional economic development strategies, and access-to-capital initiatives. My work includes funding strategy, program design, and structured support for organizations navigating growth and transition.
Tech & Early-Stage Innovation
I provide strategic guidance for tech-driven initiatives, including grant funding, systems design, and alignment for emerging tools that support community or public-sector outcomes. This includes early-stage pathways for LLM-based and govtech projects.
SERVICES
Strategy & Planning
Strategic plans and priorities
Clear, actionable plans that align organizational vision, system constraints, and practical pathways to implementation.
​
Readiness and feasibility scans
Short, intensive assessments that help organizations clarify scope, risks, and the conditions required for a project or initiative to move forward.
​
Implementation pathways
Roadmaps that translate complex policy, governance, and funding environments into sequences of steps teams can act on.
​
Systems interpretation for leaders
Support for boards and executives to understand how municipal, provincial, federal, and sector systems influence decision-making and project success.
Governance & Organizational Design
Governance models and mandates
Design of board, committee, and leadership structures that support clarity, accountability, and long-term stability.
​
Roles, committees, and decision flows
Definition of roles, responsibilities, escalation pathways, and decision authorities that reduce ambiguity and strengthen execution.
​
Operational workflows
Practical frameworks outlining how teams coordinate, deliver, and report — especially during growth or major transitions.
​
Governance transition support
Guidance for organizations restructuring governance, scaling programs, or aligning with new regulatory or funding environments.
Funding Strategy & Partnerships
Funding strategies and capital planning
End-to-end funding approaches that combine grants, loans, incentives, and investment tools to make projects viable.
​
Grant and incentive structuring
Targeted development of grant applications, incentive packages, and funding narratives aligned with government priorities and readiness standards.
​
Multi-source funding alignment
Layered financial strategies that position projects for federal, provincial, municipal, and philanthropic investment.
​
Government and partner navigation
Support in coordinating across government departments, Indigenous partners, developers, financial institutions, and community organizations.
Innovation & Lab Design
Lab design and delivery
Design and leadership of multi-phase innovation labs that test new models across housing, community development, economic systems, or organizational change.
​
Prototype and testing cycles
Structured cycles that turn concepts into testable actions, generating learning that informs strategy, governance, and real-world implementation.
​
Evaluation frameworks
Clear, adaptable approaches for assessing impact, fidelity, and learning across complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives.
​
Systems integration
Ensuring governance, funding, operations, and partnerships align within a coherent model that organizations can adopt, scale, or embed.
MY CLIENTS
Governments • First Nations • Non-Profits
Entrepreneurs • Community Organizations
Developers • Research & Innovation Partners
SELECTED WORK
Indigenous-Led Housing Initiative (Edmonton Region)
I supported a large Indigenous-led mixed-market housing development by identifying Indigenous partners, pitching the project, and facilitating engagement between priority groups and government. I also led targeted advocacy efforts and directly secured over $14M in municipal funding, strengthening readiness for multi-phase development and future investment.
CMHC Funded Solutions Lab for Affordable Housing
I co-founded and lead a CMHC-funded Solutions Lab through the federal government's National Housing Strategy, developing localized financing tools for community-led housing. After securing $300K in federal support, I co-designed the Lab’s governance, operational structures, and multi-phase learning model, integrating partners and systems needed to test and scale new investment approaches.
Modular Seniors Housing on Surplus School Sites
I supported a Calgary-based developer exploring modular seniors housing on two surplus school sites. I led the feasibility work, funding strategy, and the full community engagement plan, while managing the application and facilitating all meetings with the City’s Affordable Housing team to navigate municipal pathways and strengthen project readiness.
LLM-Based Government Systems Analysis Tool
A prototype built on customized LLMs that analyze decision-making patterns and emerging policy signals. The tool generates strategic briefs and reporting for government teams, lobbyists, and political campaigns to improve readiness and inform strategic decisions.
CONTACT
If you’re exploring a project, partnership, or complex systems challenge, I’d be glad to connect.
Email: nicholas@4sightadvisory.ca