Service Academy Business Mastermind

“We were able to take the technology associated with blockchain and cryptocurrency and use that as a fundraising mechanism, initially, to help support cannabis operators.”  -Greg Anderson, USMA ‘92 Both 1992 graduates of the United States Military Academy at West Point, Greg Anderson and Charlie Uchill came together to create CeresCoin, a financial services company for the highly regulated legal cannabis industry. Ceres is a blockchain compliance and transparency solution that provides a peer-to-peer methodology for conducting secure, auditable, financial transactions. As CEO, Greg brings leadership experience from his time in the military and over 20 years in the real estate development industry. With a background in alternative structured finance, Charlie brings his industry expertise to the Ceres team as COO. In this episode, we discuss: The development of a financial services platform that bridges the gap between two highly regulated spaces—cannabis and blockchain How Greg and Charlie worked with the SEC

“I wanted to build my business from the ground up… having the power to choose the clients you work with, figure out how you want to build your business strategically and for the long-term. It’s been exciting… doing it all from scratch.”  -Matthew Wang, USMA ‘06 After graduating from the United States Military Academy at West Point and serving as an active-duty military intelligence officer in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Matthew Wang transitioned into finance. Matthew completed the Bank of America Veterans Associate Program and then continued on to work with Bank of America's Global Markets institutional clients. He now works as a Private Wealth Manager with Merrill Private Wealth Management and is currently building out his team of financial advisors at The Wang Group. In this episode, we discuss: Matt’s path from getting out of the Army to becoming a private wealth advisor Oh Six Answers—the Podcast Matt is launching that is focused on reconnecting his USMA ‘06 classmates ahead of their 20-year r

“It’s not a question of whether you can or can’t do it…it’s about mindset.”   -Brett Hadley (USAFA ‘05) Brett Hadley is an Air Force veteran and the Managing Partner of BAB Investments, which he founded in 2019 with his brother JJ. Using their combined knowledge and ambition, the two brothers founded BAB Investments with the hope of providing friends, veterans, and other investors the opportunity to reach their financial goals through the prospect of passive income. Mindset is the driving force behind Brett’s success in life and in business. In today’s episode, Brett shares what having an abundance mindset looks like for him on a day-to-day basis. In this episode, we discuss: The value of resiliency and cultivating an abundance mindset Why authenticity can 10X your business and your life  How Brett built his real estate business through the military veteran network Brett’s experience of implementing EOS  Why you don’t need to be an expert in everything to be successful Brett also shares why he recently paid

“If you align incentives in purchasing a home… you create value for the resident of the home who wants to share on the upside and you create a tremendous amount of value for the investors who want a resident who cares about the home and wants to take care of it.” -Kent Keirsey, USMA ‘03 USMA alumni Kent Keirsey and Peter Crawford are co-founders of Acre Homes, an innovative real estate company that provides consumers with a better way to purchase and live in a home they love. After serving as an Infantry Officer, Kent has spent his post-military career building businesses in both the real estate and healthcare spaces. Peter, a former Infantry and Special Forces Officer, has worked in management consulting and operations.  In this episode, we discuss: Kent and Peter’s inspiration to improve the model for buying a home in the U.S. How Acre works from the homebuyer’s perspective Acre’s unique offerings that differ from a typical mortgage Kent and Peter’s short-term and long-term goals for Acre The strength that

“Some people say, ‘I am cancer’ or ‘I am bipolar,’ but it’s important to note that it’s just a health problem. They have a disorder…‘I have bipolar’ or ‘I’ve had cancer.’ I think that’s an important thing to note….My hope is that I can help impact the lives of folks that are struggling with a mental health challenge.” - Charlie Eadie (USMA ‘07) After serving in the U.S Army for ten years and overcoming significant challenges, Charlie Eadie pivoted to small business leadership and growth functions where he currently thrives. Charlie's latest ventures include serving as the Senior Vice President of Channel Growth for the Demex Group, a venture-backed post-Series A startup that provides climate insurtech solutions.  He is also the co-founder and General Partner of CMD Capital, a venture capital firm that invests where innovation commands capital. He and his partners are focused on investing in the following sectors: National Security, Infrastructure, Mental Health and Social Impact.   In this episode, we discuss

“Culture really drives a lot of where people go. When you can create a family or team environment, that seems to attract a lot of folks from our community…our ultimate goal is to be able to serve everybody under the Special Operations umbrella who wants to come through our program.” - Matthew Stevens (USNA ‘91) Matt Stevens is CEO of The Honor Foundation (THF), a non-profit organization whose virtual and in-person professional development programs effectively translate elite military service to the private sector and are helping to create the next generation of corporate and community leaders. Prior to his role at The Honor Foundation, Matt gained significant experience as a senior Special Operations executive leading high-performing teams conducting our nation’s most sensitive missions, cultivating interagency relationships, and executing plans in dynamic environments. In this episode, we discuss: How The Honor Foundation helps U.S. Special Officers transition into civilian life Specific tools and strategie

“I feel like I’m at the leading edge while also taking care of my team…they have ambitions and goals and dreams and so the fact that we win together and solution together, that’s the most exciting part for me…it’s the build up and the big presentation for the deal.”- Lance Kallman (USAFA ‘04) Lance Kallman is the President and Co-Founder of DataPrime, a company focused on building machine learning engines for artificial intelligence solutions to solve business problems. DataPrime makes access to machine learning engines much easier and faster than traditional big-package software. DataPrime operates by using data to train and build artificial intelligence and is working toward building its own data marketplace, which allows everyone other than big tech to push in trade data and do it in a secure anonymous way. DataPrime even has an edge over technologies including Chat GPT and its solutions are already having a significant impact across all industries and sectors including everything from healthcare to travel

“In a partnership, you need to have trust and friendship…commitment to the people and systems that go is what I get really excited about.”- Josh Kristoff (USNA ‘07) In 2021, Navy veteran Josh Kristoff and his wife Kassandra (also a Navy veteran) joined longtime friends and Army veterans Jered and Carly DaCosta, to form Nomad Capital Ventures LLC, a vertically integrated group of real estate businesses that started with short-term rental properties in Jacksonville, Florida. Over the last two years, the company has grown to include in-house property management, a real estate brokerage, and a construction and design company that delivers a full-service experience for real estate investors. Today, Nomad Capital Ventures LLC has over $60M in assets under management…and they’re just getting started! In this episode, we discuss: How Josh transitioned from Surface Warfare Officer to real estate professional What Nomad Capital Ventures does and how the company is structured How to maintain healthy relationships when

“The continuous development of future leaders is something we’re big on. That’s a piece where we set ourselves apart from other companies. We spend a lot of time recruiting and finding the right resources, but when we bring you on our team we don’t care if you’ve been with us for a couple of days or a few months. If you have the right solution, we’re putting you in front of the customer…instilling that into the culture has been critical.” - Ryan Waguespack (USNA '03) Ryan Waguespack is the President and Founder of Iberia Advisory, a company he launched during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. It’s a fascinating story! Iberia Advisory is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business committed to helping federal agencies address financial management challenges. Following his military career as a Surface Warfare Officer in the Navy, Ryan supported the Federal government as a financial management consultant. He has led numerous project teams and assisted organizations in attaining their goals in audit readin

“We are an outdoor furniture company that is on a mission to help people spend more time outdoors. My co-founder and I think there is something special about spending time outdoors with the ones you love. From personal experience, those are the most special memories whether it’s dining outdoors or sitting around a fire pit or even watching college football on a Saturday. If you’re doing it in an outdoor area, it just feels different.” - Alex Duncan (USMA ‘13) Alex Duncan is an Army Veteran and the Co-Founder of Outmore Living, a company on a mission to encourage people to spend more time outdoors through innovative and timeless furniture design that utlizes experience-enhancing technology to make spending time outside more comfortable and enjoyable. Founded and based in Austin, Texas, the company is on a mission to foster deeper connections between family and friends, enrich experiences through innovation, and highlight the direct relationship between outdoor spaces and well-being. In this episode, we discuss

“There’s so much more that goes into financial planning, especially when you’re talking business planning, than pie charts and spreadsheets. More often than not, it’s just clearing the way for the business owner to be able to work on the business instead of being sucked in to work in the business on a day-to-day basis.” - Donald Pearson (USNA ‘16) Donald Pearson (USNA ‘16) is a Wealth Management Advisor at WestPac Wealth Partners and a Registered Representative (RR) & Investment Advisor Representative (IAR) of Park Avenue Securities. Upon graduating from the United States Naval Academy in 2016, Donald commissioned into the United States Marine Corps. He served as a Financial Manager responsible for all resources allocated in support of Marine Corps activities in Central and South America before joining WestPac. In his work, Donald most enjoys working with energetic, passionate, loving families and business owners that are growing and dedicated to making sound financial decisions to set their families and

“For me, it’s about creating as much value as you can and sharing it amongst as many people as you can. The bigger the community, the bigger the opportunity…I get a lot of joy from being around other people and working with other people. ”– Joshua Awad (USNA ‘02) Navy Veteran, Joshua Awad is the Co-Founder of OnePet, a portfolio of digitally native companies in the veterinary and pet care space. He is also a Partner at eGateway Capital, a late-stage venture capital firm that invests in high-growth technology companies and operates as an M&A advisory practice that enables the future of eCommerce. Josh served as a Surface Warfare Officer from 2002-2008 after graduating from the Naval Academy and also holds master’s degrees from Oklahoma University and Harvard Business School. In this episode, we discuss: How Josh got started in eCommerce after serving in the Navy The stories behind Josh’s different eCommerce business ventures  How eGateway Capital functions as an eCommerce ecosystem and who it’s for The th

“The whole idea is to create something that provides lifelong memories that Veterans can share with their friends and family.”- Toby Prudhomme (USMA ‘96) Toby Prudhomme (USMA ‘96) is President of Extreme Adventures, a 501(c)(19) non-profit organization that provides outdoor experiences for Veterans and their families. His goal is to enhance the lives of America’s Veterans through recreational and social opportunities that reengage them with the activities they love and unite them with people who share similar backgrounds and experiences. Toby grew up hunting and fishing in Louisiana. He’s a retired  U.S. Army officer and completed over five combat deployments. In this episode, we discuss: Why Toby founded a non-profit outdoor adventure company for Veterans  How outdoor adventures build camaraderie and help military Veterans process difficult experiences What a typical adventure with Toby and the team looks like How Extreme Adventures fund their outdoor experiences, making them free for Veterans to join Toby

“The big vision is how can we bring order to the mess that is the ocean transportation industry on the bulk side? $1.3 trillion is being spent to transport commodities annually…this is an international business and every ship is filled to the brim. The smallest shipment we’ve done is 50,000 metric tons. What that looks like is two and a half football fields long and seven stories high….you’re talking about a very big business for the building blocks of the world and we’re trying to bring order to that.” - John Hahn (USMMA '04) John Hahn is a U.S. Merchant Marine Academy grad and the CEO and Co-Founder of Ocean Freight Exchange, a company he started in 2015 to optimize the global supply chain and make shipping simple by connecting ship owners and charters via their data-centric AI platform, like Uber for the freight industry. The company’s platform enables brokers to become super-brokers, save over 3 hours of time every day, and generate over 4X revenue plus a 5X bonus. They ship everything from grain, fertili

“Ingram Capital builds community through real estate…we buy dilapidated, abandoned homes, fix them up, and turn them into safe, single-family homes as long-term rentals.” - Wil Ingram (USNA ‘11) Wil Ingram is a U.S. Navy veteran on a mission to build community through real estate. His interest in real estate began while serving as a Surface Warfare Officer in the U.S. Navy. After spending three out of his six years in uniform at sea, he decided it was time for a career change so he could spend more time with his growing family and founded Ingram Capital, LLC with his brother. Ingram Capital, LLC operates out of Dayton, Ohio and specializes in single-family long-term rental properties. Wil and his brother are passionate about buying semi-distressed or abandoned homes, fixing them up and making them useful for the community again. In this episode, we discuss: What Ingram Capital does and why Wil recently acquired a cabinet and flooring company What made it possible for Wil to transition into real estate full t

“You have to be very selective about what you do and how you maintain your property as well as how you're going to get income…this is a whole new arena.” - Gary Klaben (USMA ‘79) Gary Klaben is the President of Coyle Financial Counsel, an innovative wealth management firm dedicated to helping families preserve and grow their wealth so they can have complete confidence in their financial legacy. This is Gary’s second guest appearance on the SABM Podcast and we’re delighted to welcome him back. In this episode, Gary dives into some great topics related to the benefits of multigenerational living and building a family estate. Gary is the author of Changing the Conversation, The Wealth Sanctuary and co-author of The Business Battlefield. He’s also a coach at Strategic Coach, the #1 business coaching program in the world for entrepreneurs. In this episode, we discuss: The benefits of creating a family estate and how it can help everyone realize a vision and pursue a purpose Why vision boards are a great starting

“We really believe that we’re going to change the global workforce by taking the best of military chaplaincy and pivoting that toward the corporate world…our commitment is to impact the company bottom line by increasing employee resiliency, engagement, performance and retention through chaplaincy.” - Alan “Blues” Baker (USNA ‘78) Alan “Blues” Baker is the Founder & CEO of ChaplainCare, which serves people and strengthens organizations by providing the benefits of military chaplaincy to civilian workplaces. Alan has over 34 years of experience in college, corporate, and military chaplaincy and now trains supervises, and endorses prospective and current chaplains in a variety of settings. A graduate of the United States Naval Academy, Baker rose to the rank of rear admiral. He currently teaches at Fuller, Gordon-Conwell, and Wesley seminaries. Alan is passionate about workforce chaplaincy and sees it as the most exciting and fastest-growing segment of soul care. In this episode, we discuss: What ChaplainCa

“Look at the example of continuous performance feedback. We take it for granted that part of being a leader is providing regular, consistent feedback, both critical and complimentary. If you're in the platform, and it says, hey, it's time for you to provide feedback, you start developing that habit early and often.” - Scott Taylor (USMA ‘01) Scott Taylor (USMA ‘01) is the Founder of Startwise, a SaaS platform that is transforming the way employers lead and employees grow within companies while addressing the fact that businesses nationwide face a trillion-dollar annual loss due to employee churn. The mission of Startwise is to reimagine the employee experience and the future of work by building software products using learning sciences and distributed leadership to accelerate human skills development. The company’s JobOS platform helps leaders build, develop and retain top-performing teams.  In this episode, we discuss: What it takes to build a SaaS platform and how Startwise works How Startwise uses custome

“Our theme is having partners who are experts at what they do. One of the founding principles behind Blue Flag is we really want to do things that we’re great at. We’re not interested in faking it until we make it. We’re interested in doing what we’ve had decades to get good at.”- Christian Jensen (USAFA ‘96) Christian Jensen (USAFA ‘96) is a Managing Partner at Blue Flag, an LLP, or partnership between experts with diverse skills, much like a medical practice, that helps businesses reach their full potential through project management and talent solutions. While many technology and consulting companies are created to serve a core industry or have a unique specialization, Blue Flag’s structure allows the company to bring on co-owners and build a practice with depth in new areas very quickly. Chris and his team serve both the private and public sectors. Working with large government and private clients has given Blue Flag a foundation of proven solutions while working with startups infuses their everyday work

“Academy grads have a special kind of independence and willingness to do things that are really difficult and see things through in the long term…I think that hardens your character and makes you push through…We really want to emphasize some of these core values: to present good opportunities to our team members and do operations in a way that’s honest and in a way that’s not only good for our customers but also benefits the greater good. The Academy has provided really strong values for executing those missions.”- Zachary Adams (USAFA ‘13) Zach Adams is a former F-15E Strike Eagle pilot in the U.S. Air Force and Co-Founder of Pitch Aeronautics (Pitch Aero), an unmanned aircraft startup company commercializing cyclorotor propulsion technology to save money and save lives. Zach is applying his doctoral research experience to develop and enable drones to physically interact with surfaces. Their drone prototype, "Astria" can perform up-close, touch, and robotic tasks that can replace expensive rope, crane, and h