Once a Warrior, Now a Social Entrepreneur

“You have to have a bias for action in the world if you want to do your part to make it a better place.”

     —Jake Wood

Jake Wood’s “bias for action” is indisputable: after graduating from college, he joined the Marine Corps and served two years overseas. His return to civilian life wasn’t easy. Like many veterans, Jake was faced with a loss in structure, purpose, and sense of impact. After a close friend and fellow veteran committed suicide, Jake founded non-profit Team Rubicon with a dual purpose: (1) to serve global communities before, during, and after disasters and crises, and (2) to reintegrate veterans into civilian life through opportunities to utilize military training for communities in need.

Ten years later, Jake welcomed his second daughter, who required surgery shortly after she was born, into the world. The experience sparked a new idea to empower more people to have a greater impact and sense of purpose. In 2021, Jake co-founded Groundswell, a corporate philanthropy platform that allows you to “give like Gates, be taxed like Warren Buffet, and be recognized like Rockefeller.”

We invited Jake to lead us through his purpose journey, from creating social entrepreneurship ventures to the impact your company can make through them.

Listen for insights on:

What to expect from venture investorsHow companies can support and enable employees in their philanthropic givingHow employee-driven corporate donations drive better business outcomesAdvice for pursuing greater impact through social entrepreneurism

Resources + Links:

Jake Wood’s LinkedInTeam RubiconGroundswellNew York Times: “Once a Warrior, Then a Nonprofit Leader, Now an Entrepreneur”Forbes: How Groundswell Is Shifting Giving From The 1% To The 99%“Once a Warrior” Memoir
(00:00) - Welcome to Purpose 360
(00:13) - Jake Wood • Groundswell
(01:30) - Jake's Personal Purpose
(02:32) - Evolving Purpose
(04:00) - Team Rubicon
(06:49) - Helping Veterans
(09:19) - Creating Groundswell
(12:12) - Structure
(13:37) - Elements of Groundswell
(17:19) - Response
(18:17) - Example
(19:52) - Philanthropy Trends
(20:41) - Inspiration
(21:32) - Insights
(23:01) - Empathy and Love in Leadership
(24:02) - Last Word
(24:44) - Wrap Up