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FEMBA Experience

3 FEMBA military leaders + $1,000,000 Hult Prize Challenge

As we approach Veteran’s Day, I’m already thinking about the contributions of leadership that the 65 active duty / reservist / veteran FEMBAs add to our great student body. This week, I want to mention three of our FEMBA military members who continue to offer their leadership to the world, even after their military service has completed.

#1  Graham Pulliam, FEMBA 2017, Director- Design and Manufacturing at i4C Innovations Inc., formerly United States Marine Corps Officer

20151023 Marine Captain Graham Pulliam FEMBA 17 near Combat Outpost Rocco, Uzbin Valley, Kapisa Province, Afghanistan, summer 2009
Before FEMBA… Marine Captain Graham Pulliam near Combat Outpost Rocco, Uzbin Valley, Kapisa Province, Afghanistan, summer 2009. Credit: Graham Pulliam

Graham was interviewed on Public Radio International last week. If you follow this link, you can read the story and hear the radio interview of Graham.

#2  David Henwood, FEMBA 2018, Account Executive at Stryker, former US Navy Surface Warfare Officer.

20151023 David Henwood FEMBA 2018
David Henwood ’18, Account Executive at Stryker and former US Navy Officer

On the philanthropic side, David let me know about a fund-raiser he helped plan and deliver last month.

Our event, Ohana (Hawaiian for “family”) supports the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, which serves to pay for the college education of wives and children of special operations warriors.  We hosted an upscale Hawaiian resort theme/gala on Friday September 18, in Redondo Beach at the seaside lagoon, with live music as well as food tasting.  The Hawaiian theme came from my outrigger paddling team, and I have connected them with my former SEAL mentor, CDR Tom Deitz, who sits on the board of the special operations warrior foundation.

[vimeo 142697228 w=500 h=281]

OHANA from Alex Neiberg on Vimeo.

The event was a huge success.  We raised $25,224.00 – not bad for our first year!!! As I mentioned to you before, all of the event proceeds go toward funding the college tuition of wives and children of fallen Special Operations Warriors.  We are extremely excited to have nearly TRIPLED our fundraising goals!  We had our post mortem and have already started outlining plans for our September 2016 event.  I absolutely think that there is a connection for FEMBA to be part of this next year, and I will be sure to connect with you about this as time draws nearer.

20151028 David Henwood Ohana Event

#3 Mark Harper FEMBA 2011, SVP Creative and Business Development at We Are The Mighty, formerly US Air Force officer

This week I was on Facebook and I saw a link from Mark Harper, one of my all-time favorite FEMBAs. From 2010 to 2014, I hosted the “All-Anderson Commercial Challenge” and teams made 60-second viral commercials about Anderson. Mark and his classmates won the grand prize the first two years. Post-FEMBA, Mark is now the SVP in a unique start-up called We are the Mighty.com, and that is where I saw his very poignant video (link below). Keep an eye of Mark: He’s one of the most creative people I know and I love following his future.

20151023_team_Mighty-e1421264650226
Part of WATM’s veteran team in front of the Hollywood headquarters (L-R) – Augie (Navy Nuke), OV (Navy Air), Mark (Air Force Combat Camera), Ward (Navy Air), and Paul (Marine Corps Infantry). (Photo: Jeremy Rhodes)

From the We are the Mighty website:

About Us
We Are The Mighty (WATM) is the first entertainment and lifestyle brand for and by the military community and those who love it. We create and distribute authentic content across all genres and platforms that entertains, informs and celebrates military life.

Impact
Our mission is to celebrate service with stories that inspire. We are also committed to employing veterans and supporting their businesses and organizations.

Follow this link to see a very serious video with Mark and several other veterans discussing military suicides.

For something much lighter, watch this video from Mark’s first All-Anderson Commercial Challenge win.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SZlpmlAV84]

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And now for something completely different…

Do you like challenges?

Like making a difference?

Like $1,000,000 in prize money?

Like to meet former President Bill Clinton?

Compete in the planet’s largest student competition

to solve the world’s toughest challenges

Consider forming a team to enter the 7th Annual Hult Prize at UCLA.  This year, the President’s Challenge will tackle another global social challenge, as teams of three to four students come together from around the world to take on the Global “Crowded Urban Spaces” Crisis!  For full details, visit the Challenge website.

http://www.hultprizeat.com/UCLA

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