Team Rubicon is a nonprofit organization that recruits, trains, and deploys veterans for disaster response work. Since its founding in 2010, it has deployed emergency response teams to almost 220 disasters around the world. CEO and co-founder Jake Wood tells us that military veterans are uniquely qualified to fill a gap in recovery efforts because “they’ve been trained in critical skills across a variety of functions” and “service is a part of who they are.” For his work, Wood was selected as a 2016 GLG Social Impact Fellow. He sits down with GLG to discuss veteran empowerment, disaster response, and how he’s united the two for lasting impact.
Jake Wood is cofounder and CEO of Team Rubicon, the only nonprofit disaster response organization that utilizes the skills of military veterans to rapidly deploy emergency response teams. Prior to Team Rubicon, Wood served four years in the United States Marine Corps and left as a Sergeant. Wood has briefed President Obama on veterans’ issues, and met with former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton to talk about Team Rubicon’s role in veteran transition and disaster response. Wood was selected as a CNN Hero in 2012 and has received numerous awards including: the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s “40 Under Forty”; the Goldman Sachs “100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs” award; GQ Magazine’s 2011 “Better Men, Better World” Gentleman of the Year designation; the Heinz Foundation’s Heinz Award and more. Wood holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin.