OpsLens Deck of 52 Most Wanted Post 9/11 Frontline Leaders
In 2018, as a spin-off and salute to the original 2003 deck of 52 Most Wanted playing cards, let’s honor post 9/11 frontline leaders here at home. Once a week, for 52 weeks this year, OpsLens will post a card highlighting one of the 52 Most Wanted Post 9/11 Frontline Leaders. You’ll learn the top facts about their business or organization, as well as why they made the list, which comes down to impact, scalability, health, and unique value proposition.
I encourage you to look for these weekly updates, share the card with your network, and support or buy the products and services they offer. See the 52 Most Wanted Post 9/11 Frontline Leaders launch story here.
Ace of Diamonds| Team Rubicon
Derived from the Team Rubicon website:
Team Rubicon unites the skills and experiences of military veterans with first responders to rapidly deploy emergency response teams. The idea for this charity was born on January 10, 2010, when a 7.8 magnitude earthquake devastated Port-au-Prince, the capital city of Haiti. In moments, hundreds of thousands were injured, infrastructure and buildings were destroyed, countless were made homeless. In the days following, many traditional aid organizations were slow to establish relief efforts, citing dangerous and unstable working conditions. Troubled by the scenes in Port-au-Prince and the lack of proper aid, two former Marines—Jake Wood and William McNulty—decided to act. Gathering supplies and volunteers, the small group of veterans, first responders, and medical professionals deployed to Haiti in the days following the earthquake.
The small team of eight volunteers called themselves Team Rubicon (referencing Julius Caesar crossing the Rubicon River in 40 BC) as they crossed the Artibonite River, the natural border between the Dominican Republic and Haiti. By crossing their Rubicon, the team acknowledged they were irrevocably committed to their task of helping those in need. The small group focused on populations often overlooked or underserved by traditional aid organizations. By applying medical and leadership skills honed by years of service in the military, Team Rubicon provided aid to thousands of survivors of the Haiti earthquake. From this initial operation, a larger organization grew—one committed to helping underserved communities impacted by disasters.
Roughly 70 percent of Team Rubicon volunteers are military veterans (though the only prerequisite for volunteering is a commitment to service). Disaster relief requires a breadth of skill sets and experience, and Team Rubicon offers various training tracks—from chainsaw operation to heavy equipment to disaster technology. Through this continued service, Team Rubicon seeks to provide veterans with three things they lose after leaving the military: a purpose, gained through disaster relief; community, built by serving with others; and identity, from recognizing the impact one individual can make. Coupled with leadership development and other opportunities, Team Rubicon looks to help veterans transition from military to civilian life. To learn more about this nonprofit, watch this video.
Team Rubicon is a frontline leader that should be on your list of most-wanted charities to support in 2018.
Frontline Leader (Cofounder): Jake Wood.
Name of Company/Organization: Team Rubicon, founded 2012.
Location: HQ in Los Angeles, California.
Post 9/11 Service Connection: U.S. Marine Corps (Sergeant, Squad Leader, and Sniper).
Tours of Duty: OIF and OEF.
One sentence tagline &/or mission statement: Built to Serve. Disasters are our business. Veterans are our passion.
Website: https://teamrubiconusa.org/
