Mission Oriented

In this episode of the Mission Oriented Podcast, host Bob Louthan sits down with Mike Sherbakov — Marine veteran, venture capitalist, and Managing Partner of The Veteran Fund — to explore how service, gratitude, and purpose can shape the next generation of veteran entrepreneurs. Born in Russia, Mike immigrated to the United States at the age of five, watching his parents rebuild their lives from the ground up. That journey instilled in him both humility and drive — lessons that would later guide his military service and entrepreneurial career. After 9/11, an 18-year-old Mike felt called to serve, enlisting in the U.S. Marine Corps and spending five years on active duty in San Diego. Following his service, Mike discovered his passion for entrepreneurship — building HMS Fitness, a franchise business inspired by his Marine Corps training, and later founding Karuna Towels, a social venture that merged profit with purpose. His ventures taught him not just how to build companies, but how to build communities. Now, as Managing Partner of The Veteran Fund, Mike invests in founders who share that same mission-driven mindset. His work through Founder Institute's Veteran Cohort and Bunker Labs helps bridge the gap between veterans and venture capital — empowering leaders who combine discipline, resilience, and innovation. Throughout the episode, Mike reflects on finding alignment through Ikigai — the Japanese philosophy of purpose — and his daily reminder to "Stop. Breathe. Be grateful." at 11:11. This conversation is a powerful blend of entrepreneurship, gratitude, and the belief that veterans are uniquely equipped to lead America's next wave of innovation. 🎙️ Listen now to Episode 201 of the Mission Oriented Podcast — available on YouTube and all major streaming platforms.

In this milestone 200th episode of the Mission Oriented Podcast, host Bob Louthan sits down with General Darren McDew, U.S. Air Force (Ret.), to reflect on a lifetime of leadership, service, and perspective shaped by 36 years in uniform. General McDew's story begins at the Virginia Military Institute (VMI), where the values of teamwork, integrity, and resilience first took root. From there, his career path took him to the skies as an "accidental pilot" — thanks to an ROTC scholarship that set him on course for an extraordinary journey. Over time, he commanded at every level, culminating in his role as Commander of U.S. Transportation Command, one of the nation's most critical joint commands. Throughout the conversation, General McDew shares insights that go beyond military service: Beware of the Test – why life's toughest challenges aren't written on paper but show up unexpectedly, testing integrity and character. Power, Not Politics – how true leadership transcends divisions and focuses on responsibility to those you lead. Cyber, Drones, and New Frontiers – why today's threats keep him up at night, and what Americans should understand about vulnerabilities that affect us all. He also reflects on his personal philosophy, distilled into three words: Beware. Decide. Be. A framework that guided him through decades of command and continues to shape how he mentors the next generation of leaders. This episode is more than a conversation about military milestones. It's about values, responsibility, and the enduring need for leaders who walk the walk every single day. As General McDew puts it, "Decide the kind of person you're going to be — and be it, not when it's convenient, but every day." 🎙️ Tune in to this landmark episode of the Mission Oriented Podcast to hear General Darren McDew's journey, wisdom, and lessons for both the military community and civilians alike.

In this episode of the Mission Oriented Podcast, host Bob Louthan sits down with Tim Jensen — Marine veteran, Chief Brand Officer at Grunt Style, and President of the Grunt Style Foundation. Tim shares his remarkable journey from enlisting in the Marine Corps in 1997, serving in Iraq with 2/24 Marines, to helping grow Grunt Style into one of the most recognizable patriotic apparel brands in America. Along the way, he reflects on the culture of military service, the challenges of transition, and how a "t-shirt folding job" turned into a career shaping brand identity and community. We dive into the origins of Grunt Style, its iconic ethos "This We'll Defend," and how the company exploded from a niche veteran brand into a cultural movement. Tim also opens up about his work with the Grunt Style Foundation, tackling issues like toxic exposure, suicide prevention, food insecurity, and how veterans can reclaim a sense of mission after service. This conversation is raw, thoughtful, and inspiring — blending stories of Marine Corps grit, entrepreneurship, and a call to never forget the sacrifice of the veteran community.

In this episode of the Mission Oriented Podcast, host Bob Louthan sits down with Air Force veteran Chad Fulkerson, a former B-1 bomber weapons systems officer who successfully transitioned into entrepreneurship as a Firehouse Subs franchise owner in Texas. Chad shares his unique journey from growing up in a military family to joining the Air Force at age 28, earning his call sign "Henway," and navigating combat missions with his B-1 crew. He talks candidly about the challenges of leaving military life after 10.5 years, the lessons learned in leadership and discipline, and how those skills transferred into running a thriving restaurant business. We also dive into why Firehouse Subs' values and Public Safety Foundation resonated with him, how the culture helped him find a sense of mission after service, and what it was like to steer a business through the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic. Chad reflects on the importance of community, supporting first responders, and the lasting impact of military camaraderie. This episode is a mix of humor (including the story behind his call sign), resilience, and insight into how veterans can translate military experience into business success.

Paul Habenicht - Marine Veteran Applying Military Principles to Entrepreneurial Success Paul Habenicht, a U.S. Naval Academy and Darden MBA graduate successfully built and exited a veterinary services business called VetEvolve. Paul shared his journey from the Marine Corps to entrepreneurship, highlighting how his military experience shaped the culture and operations of VetEvolve. As Paul and his co-founder Nick acquired and integrated veterinary clinics across the country, they intentionally applied principles from the Marine Corps playbook - things like mission-type orders, empowering frontline teams, and an "officers eat last" mentality. "We really understood that it's all about your people," Paul explained. "The best captain in the world is supported by 20 sergeants and they do the work and they drive your plan." This people-first approach allowed VetEvolve to scale while maintaining a strong culture. Paul also offered insights on the emotional and practical aspects of exiting an entrepreneurial venture. While the financial upside was rewarding, he found the transition out of the day-to-day business to be bittersweet. "It doesn't feel exactly like you think it does," he said. "There's a tremendous amount of work that leads up to that sort of a transaction or that sort of process." Now, Paul is turning his attention to helping other entrepreneurs through his new venture, Range Control. He's eager to share the lessons he learned - from navigating acquisitions to building a cohesive culture - with the next generation of founders. "I'm looking to transfer some of the skills I've learned," Paul said. "I can help them see where they need to go and provide them some of the advice and guidance and investment support that people have provided us." To hear the full interview and learn more about Paul's entrepreneurial journey, check out the latest episode of the Mission Oriented podcast.

Erik DeGiorgi is a Marine veteran that is the founder and CEO of NetSpeek. Erik shared how his background as a Marine infantryman during the early days of the Afghanistan war helped prepare him for the rigors of entrepreneurship. "Endurance is probably the single most necessary trait for a founder," he said, noting that the ability to push through challenges is critical. After leaving the Marines, Erik co-founded a family business in the digital signage industry, gaining valuable experience in building and scaling a tech company. This led him to identify a major pain point in the pro-AV industry - the complexity of managing disparate technologies from multiple vendors in enterprise environments. This insight inspired the creation of NetSpeek and its flagship product, Lena. Described as a "central nervous system" for AV networks, Lena uses artificial intelligence and natural language processing to monitor, diagnose and even automatically resolve issues across an organization's collaboration and audiovisual systems. "We've built Lena to really mimic human workflows," Erik explained. "Lena has instant access to every support ticket that's ever been, the technical manuals for every device, and can communicate directly with the equipment to take corrective action." With Lena's commercial launch scheduled for January 21st, Erik is excited to bring this innovative solution to the pro-AV market. NetSpeek will be showcasing the product at the Integrated Systems Europe trade show in Barcelona in early February. "We're really focused on the meeting room right now," said Erik. "There's more technology in those spaces than ever before, and a zero tolerance for when it doesn't work. That's where we're laser-focused on making a difference." Listeners can connect with Erik and the NetSpeek team at erik@netspeek.com and visit them at www.netspeek.com

Leadership Lessons from Doug Moran: A Journey of Resilience and Empowerment Doug Moran is a seasoned executive coach, author, and former Capital One CIO. Doug shared his inspiring leadership journey, which has been shaped by his experiences in business, politics, and personal reflection. His book, If You Will Lead, distills these experiences into valuable leadership insights, with a focus on empowering others to reach their potential. He covers sixteen historical figures as he highlights leader characteristics. Doug's journey to leadership started early, shaped by his upbringing as a "Navy brat" and his father's influence. Although he didn't follow in his dad's military footsteps, Doug's passion for leadership grew throughout his career. After working in telecom and politics — including a key role in Governor George Allen's administration — Doug transitioned to Capital One, where he spent a decade honing his leadership and coaching skills. A pivotal moment came when Doug discovered the power of coaching. Through coaching, Doug learned that leadership isn't about being the smartest person in the room but about enabling others to perform at their best. This philosophy became a cornerstone of his work as a coach. A central theme of Doug's leadership approach is resilience, and this idea was inspired by Rudyard Kipling's poem "If". His father's frequent quoting of the poem instilled in Doug the importance of treating both success and failure with equanimity. In the book, Doug draws on this principle of steady leadership to help readers navigate their own leadership challenges, from dealing with setbacks to managing high-pressure situations. The spark for writing If You Will Lead came from Doug's realization that many leaders need a practical framework for developing their leadership skills. He wanted to offer a guide that not only shared his personal lessons but also provided actionable advice for leaders at every stage of their journey. The book reflects Doug's deep belief in the power of coaching and the ability to bring out the best in others — an approach that has been the core of his career and coaching philosophy. Whether you're a seasoned executive or just starting your leadership journey, Doug Moran's insights offer a wealth of wisdom for anyone looking to grow as a leader and empower others along the way. For more insights on Doug's leadership philosophy, check out the full interview on the Mission Oriented podcast and grab a copy of If You Will Lead to dive deeper into his practical approach to leadership. Learn More Buy "If You Will Lead" here Website: https://www.ifyouwilllead.com VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch. by VeteranCrowd Network Why do thousands of merchants put us through a bootcamp to join their loyalty program? Why do they make checkout an obstacle course? It's embarrassing. Time consuming. Intrusive. Cumbersome. Broken. Why? Because no one ever built a simple & secure way to validate our veteran status at checkout. Until now. Want to be recognized at select merchants simply by swiping your existing Visa card? Join our waitlist and be one of the first veterans to have this power in your wallet. About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.

Dave Esra - Veteran Entrepreneur Tackles Maternal Health Crisis Dave Esra is the founder and CEO of Bobi Health. Dave is a veteran who served in both the Navy and Army, and he is now using his entrepreneurial skills to tackle a critical issue - the high rates of maternal mortality and morbidity. Dave shared his personal connection to this problem - his wife had a high-risk pregnancy that was ultimately successful, but he saw firsthand the challenges and risks that many women face. This experience inspired him to found BobiHealth, a startup that is using technology to improve maternal health outcomes. The statistics around maternal health are sobering. Dave noted that 94% of maternal mortality is avoidable, and that every two minutes, a woman dies from maternal health complications. In the U.S. alone, there are over 50,000 cases of severe maternal morbidity each year, costing the healthcare system billions of dollars. BobiHealth's approach is to leverage wearable devices and predictive analytics to identify risk factors and complications early on. By continuously monitoring key biometrics like heart rate, breathing, and activity levels, the platform can alert healthcare providers to potential issues before they become serious. This allows for earlier intervention and treatment, potentially preventing devastating outcomes. As an entrepreneur, Dave has drawn heavily on his military experience to guide BobiHealth's development. He spoke about the importance of defining a clear mission and vision, establishing core values, and building a culture of accountability. These are all lessons he learned during his time in the service. Learn More Dave Esra Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveesra BobiHealth LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bobihealth Website: https://www.bobihealth.com VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch. by VeteranCrowd Network Why do thousands of merchants put us through a bootcamp to join their loyalty program? Why do they make checkout an obstacle course? It's embarrassing. Time consuming. Intrusive. Cumbersome. Broken. Why? Because no one ever built a simple & secure way to validate our veteran status at checkout. Until now. Want to be recognized at select merchants simply by swiping your existing Visa card? Join our waitlist and be one of the first veterans to have this power in your wallet. About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.

Nick Smith, a Navy veteran, shares his journey from dreaming of flying to becoming an F-18 test pilot. He co-founded 37th & Moss, a search fund supporting entrepreneurs. The podcast explores his transition to entrepreneurship, reflecting on military experiences and the importance of networking.

Sherman Williams & Emily McMahan - Academy Investor Network, Helping Service Academy Graduates Invest in Venture-backed Startups Sherman Williams is a Naval Academy graduate. After serving as a Naval Intelligence Officer, he headed to Chicago's Booth School to study finance and landed himself in investment banking. While in banking he started investing and advising startups. This was a perfect segue to co-founding Academy Investor Network. Emily McMahan is a WestPoint Academy graduate. After her time in the Army as a Military Police Officer, she has always been focused around community and working with entrepreneurs. She has a passion to work with startup companies and founded Capitol Post, which taught military veterans how to start and grow businesses, a great foundation for beginning the Academy Investor Network. She is also the Deputy Director at the Common Mission Project, an international platform supporting mission-driven entrepreneurs. Academy Investor Network Academy Investor Network was founded in 2020. From Sherman's and Emily's own academy experience they personally saw the unique population that made up the graduates. They wanted to offer an investment syndicate for U.S. Service Academy graduates to invest in venture-backed startups. "We enable every Service Academy graduate to connect, learn and invest in the venture asset class." Learn More Sherman Williams Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherman-williams/ Emily McMahan Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilymcmahan/ Academy Investor Network LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/academy-investor-network/ Website: https://academyinvestor.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/AIN_members VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you. by VeteranCrowd Network Why do thousands of merchants put us through a bootcamp to join their loyalty program? Why do they make checkout an obstacle course? It's embarrassing. Time consuming. Intrusive. Cumbersome. Broken. Why? Because no one ever built a simple & secure way to validate our veteran status at checkout. Until now. Want to be recognized at select merchants simply by swiping your existing Visa card? Join our waitlist and be one of the first veterans to have this power in your wallet. About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.