CEO
Joshua Romaker
COO
Austin Hulsey
CFO
Joshua applies over two and a half decades of Special Operations experience to the science of human performance and soldier sustainment. A retired U.S. Army Special Forces Green Beret, his understanding of nutrition is rooted not in theory, but in firsthand experience enduring the physical and cognitive demands of sustained ground combat operations across the globe.
Joshua served 22 years in the U.S. Army, including 13 years in Special Forces with the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne). His career included multiple combat deployments and extensive operational experience throughout the Middle East and beyond. He was assigned to the Group’s Commander’s In-Extremis Force (CIF), serving as a Sniper Observer and Assault Team Leader, deploying repeatedly to conduct counter-terrorism operations
Following these deployments, Joshua served as an instructor within the 5th SFG Advanced Urban Combat Committee, instructing close-quarter battle, urban movement, and live-fire techniques. He later attended SFOD-D selection and the Operator Training Course before returning to 5th SFG, where he again deployed with CIF and the Commander’s Response Force to assist partner nations Special Operations Forces units thought the Middle East
Joshua served as Team Sergeant of ODA 5114 before being selected for the 5th Special Forces Group Regional Support Element (RSE), conducting singleton sensitive intelligence collection operations, and establishing the Group’s first Non-Standard Maritime Program. Joshua culminated his career in the Military conducting HUMINT collection and high-risk source extraction missions in and around the Middle East.
Since retiring from active duty in 2018, Joshua has continued to perform top tier Special Operations while maintaining advanced combat and operational skill sets. His lifelong exposure to austere environments, metabolic stress, sleep deprivation, and sustained operational tempo directly influences Proximity Nutrition’s mission: to deliver practical, effective nutrition solutions designed for soldiers, first responders, and high-performance individuals operating under real-world stress.
Joshua’s leadership philosophy is simple — support the warfighter, protect longevity, and build systems that work when conditions are at their worst.
Austin Hulsey serves as Chief Operations Officer of Proximity Nutrition, where he leads formulation strategy and development of hydration and performance-focused nutrition systems designed to support endurance, recovery, and sustained performance in demanding environments.
Over the past decade, Austin has helped develop more than 100 supplement and beverage products across powders and functional drink platforms distributed throughout the United States and internationally. He works closely with manufacturers, food scientists, and regulatory experts to move formulations from concept through scaled production while maintaining alignment with FDA requirements and real-world performance expectations.
Austin’s interest in performance nutrition began long before entering the supplement industry and was shaped through years of training in martial arts, where discipline, recovery, hydration, and physical readiness are daily requirements rather than theoretical concepts. That background continues to guide his approach to formulation today—building products intended to perform consistently under stress and support long-term readiness.
At Proximity Nutrition, Austin works directly alongside unit dietitians and elite professionals to help develop hydration systems specifically designed to support the operational demands placed on U.S. soldiers. His role focuses on translating field-driven performance requirements into practical, deployable nutrition solutions that address hydration, endurance, and cognitive readiness in real-world conditions.
In addition to his work in performance nutrition, Austin has collaborated with clinical nutrition experts and packaging engineers to support development of shelf-stable therapeutic beverage systems designed for oncology and nephrology patients, where ingredient functionality and regulatory compliance are critical to successful use in medical nutrition settings.
Austin holds a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics from Tennessee State University and continues graduate-level work in Food Science and Technology at the University of Georgia. His work supports Proximity Nutrition’s mission to deliver hydration systems built for performance when conditions matter most.
OUR TEAM
Chief Warrant Officer Five (Retired) Doug Englen retired from the United States Army after more than 33 years of exceptionally distinguished service, culminating as the Senior Warrant Officer Advisor to the Secretary of the Army. Prior to that role, he served as Chief Pilot of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), including leadership of the air component during the Bin Laden raid.
Across his career, Chief Englen accumulated over 8,000 flight hours in fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft and completed 34 combat tours, flying more than 2,500 combat missions in support of Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm, Provide Comfort, Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq, and multiple classified operations. He was inducted into the Army Aviation Hall of Fame in 2020, named Daedalian Aviator of the Year in 2015, and selected as Aviator of the Year for American Legion Post 743.
Throughout decades of combat and operational leadership, Chief Englen endured some of the harshest environments known to man—extreme heat, cold, altitude, and sustained combat operations—where physical performance and mental clarity were mission-critical. Those experiences cemented his deep understanding of the importance of hydration as the foundation of endurance, decision-making, and survivability. This hard-earned perspective directly fuels his dedication to Proximity Nutrition and its mission to properly equip the future Gunslinger with hydration standards worthy of elite performance.
For his service, Chief Englen was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal; two Silver Stars for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in combat; the Legion of Merit for exceptionally meritorious service; and three Distinguished Flying Crosses for extraordinary achievement in aerial flight. His citations state: “His gallant actions and dedicated devotion to duty, without regard for his own life, were in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.”
Additional awards include two Bronze Star Medals, eight Air Medals (with Valor), two Meritorious Service Medals, four Army Achievement Medals, and numerous campaign and service decorations. He also earned the Combat Action Badge, Master Aviator Badge, Air Assault Badge, and Parachutist Badge.
Chief Englen currently serves as Senior Manager, Advanced Vertical Lift Systems for a Major Aircraft Manufacturer and sits on the board of directors for multiple organizations nationally and in the Clarksville area, continuing a lifetime commitment to leadership, performance, and service.
