Jake Wood is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Team Rubicon USA, the purpose pillar of Mission43. Prior to Team Rubicon, Jake served in the Marine Corps with tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2010, after recently seperating from the USMC and watching disaster unfold in Haiti, he took it upon himself to take a small team down to help the people in a country devastated by an earthquake. That action led to the creation of one of the most impactful veteran focused non-profits in the country.
Team Rubicon’s primary mission is providing disaster relief to those affected by natural disasters, be they domestic or international. By pairing the skills and experiences of military veterans with first responders, medical professionals, and technology solutions, Team Rubicon aims to provide the greatest service and impact possible.
On March 15th, 2018, we sat down with Jake Wood for another installment of 43INC. It lived up to its name by creating an opportunity for all of us to “Innovate” with new ideas on display, “Network” with over 125 members of the M43 community, and “Connect” to opportunities to make Idaho a better place. Here are our three takeaways from that great evening:
Be Prepared To Fill The Purpose Void
You have to be very deliberate about filling a void in your life when you depart the military. You served with some of the funniest, most hardworking, and enjoyable people, but all that comes to an end. Jake Wood took this to a whole new level and turned it into something amazing. This didn’t come by accident, he intentionally made the decision to find a way to have purpose in his life. No one does this for you, it’s up to you to seek it out.
Surround Yourself With The Right People
If you are in Team Rubicon you belong to a culture that isn’t satisfied with the status quo, especially in the way relief organizations support people affected by disasters. The TRibe is very intentional about analyzing what they are doing and then seeing things through to make them better. So think about what is it that you value, and do the people you associate with share that same idea? You are a reflection of the company you keep.
Have a Bias For Action
On the battlefield, we inherently had to made quick decisions with imperfect information and limited resources. This is tough to teach, and we are the very few who were fortunate enough to have been through the experiences that require us to be that way. Maintain that bias for action when you leave the military, it brings value to those around you.
