Finding Home: The Veteran Reintegration

In honor of Veterans Day’s 100th anniversary, US vets speak on the challenges of reintegrating into civilian society - and what we can do to help.

Episode Notes:

Sponsor: On this segment of #Ask Rickey, we bring you Part 2 of our end of year planning conversation. Ask Rickey! is brought to you by Rickey Bowen, CRPC, CEP, financial planner with Gateway Financial Advisors, Inc.

Join the Circle: As a member of The Ambassadors Circle, you are joining like-minded individuals on a mission to inspire and equip all of us to #DoMoreGood. Click here to learn more!

Time For Some Action:
Our challenge to you today is to take a few moments to think about your connection - or lack thereof - to our military veterans. Take an assessment of how that might affect your ideas on our country's foreign policies that may put those who serve in harm’s way... as well as the resources and attention devoted to veterans upon their return. Let's all ask ourselves... are we invested enough? Aware enough? Connected enough? And if your answer is no and you'd like to change that... hit us up on social and we'll do it together!

Some links to get you started:

National Organizations
Warrior Connection
Vets in Tech
Student Vets of America
Gold Star Families

Local Organizations
Swords to Plowshares
Coming Home Project
BORP Veterans Outreach
Bay Area PVA

Guest Profiles

Phil Dillard, Curator; Founder, Black Ant Consulting; Co-Founder, VETCON; United States Navy Veteran
Phil Dillard is a Navy veteran turned successful consultant, entrepreneur and educator. Phil is the founder of a strategy, innovation and project management firm (Black Ant Consulting), and Co-Founder of VETCON, the premier national conference and community for military veteran entrepreneurs. He has founded or led four startups and has been an advisor for numerous companies. As a growth and innovation consultant, he works with companies of various size on business strategy, product development, and customer development, helping them create and execute effective approaches for healthy growth. Phil has been an Adjunct Professor of Negotiations and Entrepreneurship in the MBA program at Golden Gate University for over 6 years. Phil is uniquely positioned to bridge the worlds of the startup and the enterprise. He earned a Bachelors of Science from the United States Naval Academy and earned an MBA from the Chicago Booth School of Business. Website | VETCON website | LinkedIn | Facebook | VETCON Facebook | Twitter | VETCON Twitter | Instagram 

Aaron Phillips, ​ ​Executive​ ​Director, Warrior Connection; United​ ​States​ ​Marine​ ​Corps​ ​​Veteran
Aaron has been a part of TWC since 2015 when he attended a Veterans Retreat. Like many Veterans, Aaron had a transformational experience. Because of that powerful experience, Aaron became both a retreat mentor as well as a trained retreat facilitator. Since 2016, he has served as the Executive Director. Before joining TWC, Aaron served on active duty in the Marine Corps as a team communications NCO and Alternate Team Leader, where he was assigned to 1st Marine Division and attached to 1st Surveillance Reconnaissance Intelligence Group, along with JTF task forces missions and deployments with the 15th MEU (SOC). After his time in The Corps, Aaron worked in a variety of corporate leadership roles including wellness programming. Aaron has a degree in Behavioral Science and a background in law enforcement. His experience, talents, and drive will enable TWC to reach and serve the thousands of veterans who are emotionally struggling to find their way to healing. TWC Website | LinkedIn | TWC Twitter | TWC Facebook

Margo Ellis, Founder & CEO, Ella Solutions; United States Marine Corps of Engineers Veteran
Margo began her career in the U.S. Marine Corps of Engineers in 1999. Her service included a tour as a Female Engagement Team (FET) leader in Fallujah, Iraq and training the first Iraqi women security professionals. In June 2008, Margo became a veteran advocate, working as the DC Regional Director for Student Veterans of America (SVA), then as a Senate Liaison for The Department of Veterans Affairs, where she helped negotiate passage of 8 bills and an 11% increase in VA’s budget to over $125 billion. In 2012, Margo moved to the Private Sector as a Vice President in the Private Bank at J.P. Morgan where she helped lead an 17% growth in revenue and 15% reduction in operating expenses for a $165 billion line of business.In 2015, Margo began her entrepreneurial career, founding EELA Consulting serving startups like Honor and hyper-growth phase companies like Monat. Her firm focuses on scale strategy, cyber security and political organizing. Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Chris Starling, Director of Operations, Vets in Tech; Retired, United States Marine Corps
Chris Starling retired from the Marine Corps in 2014 after 26 years on active duty. An infantry officer, he completed ten overseas deployments and three combat tours. While on active duty, Chris was stationed in the San Francisco Bay area three times. From 1992 to 1995, he was assigned to an Interagency Counter-Drug Task Force based at Coast Guard Island, Alameda. From 2007-2008 he represented the Marine Corps as a Hoover Fellow at Stanford University; from 2010-2013 he commanded the 23d Marines headquartered in San Bruno. Upon retirement, he worked as Director of Military and Veteran Affairs at the Marines’ Memorial Association in San Francisco. Recently, Chris transitioned to Operations Director at Vets In Tech, a San Francisco based NGO based that assists in training and finding employment for Veterans in the technology sector. Chris earned his BA from the Virginia Military Institute and MPA from the City University of New York. VetsinTech Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | VetsinTech Facebook | VetsinTech Twitter

Production Credits: 
Sound Design by Courtney Grace with Hosts Becca, LT, Christianne Harder and j-
Guest Relations by Andrea Rush with Production Assistance by Jen Huynh
Content Development by Sophia Cross
360BayArea Intro Music by Courtney Grace with vocals by ElleT

Featured Music + Clips:  
Courtney Grace - Ask Rickey Theme Music, What’s the 411 Theme Music                                       
Tomer Ben Ari “10”
Mike Arnoult “Honey” feat West Am
Phil David “Last Day on Earth” , “We Chillin”, and “Spin Cycle”
Oliver Michael “Bluerise”
D.A.H. Trump “Sungazing”
K. Solis “Wavy”
Charlie Ryan “Steady Haste”
Oran Loyfer “Drops”
Distyll Musique “New Mexico”