Identifying ways to improve the Reserve experience to make our force more competent, committed, and lethal.

When I weighed whether to take this "service sabbatical," a well-meaning senior confidant said, "yeah, but it's a big problem, so you won't solve it in your time." Exactly. The point is not to chase such a manageable problem that your success pedantically defines victory so narrowly that you flatten the problem. Instead, it's to jump into a multi-causal, inter-generational cluster and say, "How can I help?"MG Kotulichg gave me an answer: "Get rowing, Young Captain." And row we did. Over ~9 months, which felt much longer (in the best way), I learned what the banality," trying to turn a steamliner in a river," really meant. Our efforts were often stymied by turf protectors who had seen it all so much that they needed the vision to see their biases. We also made mistakes. We failed to sequence champions before presenting and felt those bruises walking out of the meetings. But we were neither dissuaded nor discouraged by our shortfalls. In rising, we improved, and when the ARTF closes in December 2023, it will have left the Army enterprise better than it found it.Tha's only because so many nameless servants remain—committed souls who could not care less about the credit. Their open-ended dedication is to the young man and woman joining today. Those young and old who don't know what will unfold and charge forward nonetheless. Our duty is to improve their experience, training them as lethal instruments of our nation and for them to feel ready when our country faces its next inevitable foe.This is the work.Row.

After rehabbing as a civilian, I recently relapsed, joining the Army Reserves officer focusing on space. Unfortunately, I was reprimanded on my first day for (tongue-in-cheek) showing up as Buzz Lightyear.

I was honored to participate in a heterodox community. I quickly realized that I have neither the pith nor confidence to be a compelling journalist.

The AVG Select Fund provides individual investors access to high-quality venture capital investments. Investors own a portfolio of 20-30 deals diversified across focus, stage, industry, and sector, co-invested alongside top VCs. Deals are programmatically selected from overall AVG deal flow to correlate with the diversification of the venture industry.Encourage those who want to demystify the buzz word to take part so that they can then perpetuate the buzz word.

Authored RMMFI's Social Return on Investment equation. More importantly, became close friends with Aaron Witzke.

-Selected as one of 12 George S. Mitchell Scholars from a national pool of candidates.-Finished first in class and received First Class Honours (yes, there was more than just me in our graduating class).-DCU International Scholar Award Recipient, awarded to those who successfully take the bus the first time they touch down in Dublin.-Thesis updating civil-military relations to match the contemporary social landscape and changing nature of warfare. To date, three people (excluding me) have read it.

The Urban Leaders Fellowship is a paid fellowship that recruits the best and brightest for an intensive, seven-week experience in eight premier cities across the country. Together with other ambitious, mission-driven individuals, ULF will empower you to bring about real and lasting change in the community where you work through policy advancement, community impact, and people development.Most proud of the partnership forged with Aaron Witzke from the Rocky Mountain Microfinance Institute, who endured my fellowship and, ever a glutton for punishment, remains a friend (reluctantly) today.

-Synthesized and instituted the LNO position at the Embassy charged with overseeing 300 personnel located throughout the host nation and with briefing the Ambassador, host-nation leadership, and international partners.-Took initiative outside of prescribed responsibilities by assisting with the successful evacuation of eight US Embassy personnel, designing embassy aid and security strategy, and conducting 15 interviews with high-ranking officials in the security, development, and aid fields.-Forever shamed by peers for staying in a Hilton for half of my deployment. Nonetheless, I still have Hilton Honors Points.

-Led a summer-long detail as the officer in charge of 25 soldiers responsible for instructing 400 cadets, seamless coordination between two 200-person organizations, and maintaining accountability of over $2 million worth of equipment.-Coordinated travel, residence, training, and certification of 185 soldiers without incident as the Brigade (BDE) Liaison Officer, ensuring BDE Military Advisor Training Academy qualification which enabled the deployment of all 185 soldiers.-In a sign of camaraderie, my soldiers put my car on Craigslist. If you're looking, it's still for sale.

-Rehabilitated 30 soldiers, who were previously deemed unfit to deploy, into a group identified as, “the best Platoon in the Battalion”-Simultaneously served in two roles, both senior to me, overseeing the training of 45 soldiers, $5 million worth of property, and a successful transition of 135 soldiers back from Iraq-Repeatedly asked if, "I could even read," upon making normal LT mistakes.

-Basic Combat Training (BCT): Unanimously selected as Soldier of the Cycle from among 200 peers-Officer Candidate School (OCS): Honored by peers to be the Alpha Team Leader for OCS’ inaugural Sandhurst Military Competition team; chosen as the OCS Leadership Graduate -Infantry Basic Officer Leader’s Course: Graduated on the Commandant’s List and ranked number three out of 40 officers in my Platoon-Ranger School: Part of 10% of students who do not recycle the course and chosen as the Company’s Officer Leadership Graduate Candidate-Fun Fact: Lost four toenails in Ranger School due to the cold. -Sad Fact: That wasn't the most.

-Selected as a CORO Fellow from a national applicant pool.-Studied system analysis through seven placements across five sectors with weekly leadership seminars and over 100 interviews.-Had car broken into four times; after two, it's just my fault for parking it there.

-Established the City Internship Program in collaboration with IWU, Illinois State University, and the Cities of Bloomington-Normal.-Authored successful grant on behalf of Bloomington-Normal recognizing the city as one of the 100 Best Communities for Youth.-Only offered the job after I failed a basic aptitude test at State Farm.

-Crafted and managed a campaign strategy, while in school, that resulted in a 15-point victory in a 78,000 person city. -Recruited, trained, and managed 50+ campaign volunteers of all ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds.-Slept on a campaign couch 66.6% of the election.

Noticing a severe lack of marketing for Westside Business, our team analyzed the local job market, focusing on its strengths and areas needing cooperative engagement. We worked directly with local businesses to create the first Westside business directory, the first virtual presence for most businesses.Our product today has grown into the "Small Business Partners": Within this unique internship opportunity, students learn about entrepreneurship and the day-to-day operation of a small business. Small Business Partners shadow local small business owners and learn about economic development initiatives in the community. As a part of the program, students meet business owners and community leaders every Thursday during a lunch workshop. Each partner will have the opportunity to work with a local small business owner while also applying his/her skills and expertise to improve their partnering business. Throughout the semester, the Small Business Partners will work on a group project focused on growing small businesses on the Westside of Bloomington. Specific Outcomes:-Launched an online business directory for small business owners-Interviewed business owners and gathered data for Economic Development Council -Learned about the community by frequently getting lost and had kind community members pointing me in the right direction -Assisted with a feasibility study for a small business association

-Chosen by our team as the group’s negotiator conducting over 50 community interviews and 25 vendor negotiations.-Implemented a ginger-loan and credit-cooperative program connecting eight rural villages that remains operational today.-Referred to either as Matt Damon or the Hulk.