Driving Communities Forward with Jake Wood

This Veterans Day, I’m honored to share an inspiring conversation with Jake Wood , founder of Team Rubicon and now CEO of Groundswell , a platform reimagining and streamlining corporate social responsibility initiatives. Jake’s journey from founding a veteran-led disaster relief organization to championing impactful business practices in the corporate world offers valuable insights for leaders and change-makers alike.

In our interview, Jake reflects on the power of service, the evolving role of social impact in business, and how companies can shift from focusing on “inputs” to measuring transformative “impact.” His message is clear: social impact is not just the right thing to do — it’s a competitive advantage in today’s economy.

Jake’s work is a powerful reminder that change happens when we not only give back, but also build systems that create lasting, measurable transformation. Read on to learn more about Jake's vision and consider supporting Team Rubicon, and other organizations that support, engage and provide resources to veterans and their families this Veterans Day.

What gets you up in the morning and what's a typical day in your role?

If you're an entrepreneur that has difficulty getting up in the morning you should find a new career.? I'm so excited about Groundswell's?vision and mission that I can't even recall the last time my alarm, which is set to 4:45am, went off.?

I usually am at my home office desk by 5am and spend that time responding to East Coast emails and working on deep work that requires focused energy. By 7am I'm in dad mode. I co-manage our daughters' morning routine with my wife before dropping them off at school on my way to the office. By 8:30am I'm in meeting mode. Since I run most of Groundswell's?enterprise sales, my day is typically stacked from start to finish with both internal and external meetings.? The one thing I always make sure of though is that I eat dinner with my family. I try to make missing dinner the very rare exception, and not the rule, while I'm not on the road.?

Who inspires you?

I'm fortunate that I don't lack inspiring people in my life. Prior to Groundswell I was the CEO and founder of Team Rubicon, a veteran led disaster response organization. In that capacity I met literally thousands of people - both our volunteers and the recipients of our services - who are among the most amazing, compassionate, talented, and selfless people you can find on the planet. In a similar vein, my colleagues at Groundswell are so deeply committed to what we're building that every day in the office is a dose of inspiration.

What do you wish people knew about your field?

There's a real business case for social impact that I fear is lost. Consumer preferences are constantly shifting, and the evidence is clear: a majority of consumers today factor social issues into their purchasing decisions. This is becoming even more pronounced within the workforce. If you want to compete in the economy of the future, ignore your company's social impact at your own peril.?

What is your vision for the future of social impact?

I think the space is still stuck on "social inputs" vs. social "impact." What I mean is this: if your CSR report only cites things like the number of hours your employees volunteered or the total dollars they donated, then you're focused on inputs. To the company they feel like outputs - and in some ways they are, as they're the result of a CSR team's efforts to engage their workforce. But in terms of what really matters - the community - they're nothing but inputs.? The sector needs to push beyond this and quantify the true impact of their work. What did those hours accomplish? What did those dollars transform?? Hours and dollars are a means, not an end.?

How can we support your work?

Specific to Team Rubicon, we like to think we're the largest nonprofit in America that not enough people have heard about.? If you have a military veteran in your life - of any age - tell them to come continue their service with us.?Learn more about Team Rubicon here.