After medically retiring from the United States Army for injuries sustained in combat, I was unsure of my next career steps. I had wanted to be in the Army since I was four years old, so I had never really contemplated anything else. When a friend and former Army colleague asked if I would invest in his start-up, it turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life.While I could no longer serve my country as a soldier, I realized I could continue to serve in other capacities. I found that creating and sustaining meaningful employment – by empowering and positively impacting the lives of others – was intrinsically rewarding. That’s why, after growing the start-up into a multi-million dollar venture and exiting with more than 2,000% ROI in just three years, my next steps were to pursue formal studies in entrepreneurship and innovation management while simultaneously starting my own investment and consulting firm. The following years were tremendously exciting: I was able to help many hopeful entrepreneurs through the venture planning process, giving them the confidence they needed to advance their ideas. I also had the opportunity to pursue my largest investment to-date, fit20 USA. Since joining its executive team (and despite the obstacles posed by COVID-19), we have tripled our number of locations, conducted thousands of training sessions, and most importantly helped hundreds of people live healthier lives.The knowledge I gained during my undergraduate studies and my experiences working with small businesses helped me recognize the massive need for analytical support among small and medium-sized enterprises. Most recently, this led me to complete a dual-degree Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) at the University of Notre Dame. Now, with 10 years of experience in strategic planning, innovation management and organizational leadership, I continue to champion and serve America’s small and medium-sized businesses, especially in the domain of building their data analytics capabilities.Outside of work, I’m proud to be a member of the US National Amputee Hockey Team and to have been named USA Hockey’s 2020 Disabled Athlete of the Year. In my free time, I enjoy speaking at local colleges and high schools, advocating for the disabled community, working with nonprofits, hunting, playing video games, and spending time with my wife, Alyssa, and our dog, Zeus.