Meet Nick Black: A Decorated Veteran, Entrepreneur and Problem-Solver

Nick Black is a driven entrepreneur and CEO of ? GoodUnited ? , a CAN portfolio?company. Marked by his ambitious nature and a relentless problem-solving approach, he has a history of successful ventures born from brilliant solutions. As a veteran, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School graduate and start-up founder, Nick’s story is truly awe-inspiring.

Growing up in Africa and Europe, Nick returned to the United States for high school. He attended John Hopkins University , playing football there and participating in Army ROTC as the events of 9/11 deeply impacted him and propelled him to take action.?

Commissioned as a second lieutenant in 2006, Nick is now a highly decorated veteran. Throughout his six years of service, he was awarded two Bronze Stars, an Army Commendation Medal for valor and as a Field Artillery Officer was repeatedly ranked 1st among 50 peer officers in a premier Infantry Battalion.?

During his second deployment, Nick began to ponder the idea of leaving the military to pursue an MBA. However, he was faced with the problem of needing a GMAT score to apply—while being stationed in Afghanistan.

Like “something out of a movie,” a determined Nick arrived at a testing center in Kabul, covered in dust, straight from a battle in Chak Valley. This was his one shot. Successful in attaining a score, applying was the next step.

Nick described seeing fellow soldiers carrying Old Well cups throughout his combat outpost and his curiosity led him to Robert A. Connolly , a former professor at Kenan-Flagler who helped and encouraged Veterans. He was a large supporter and connection throughout Nick’s application and acceptance process.??

Nick’s time at Kenan-Flagler was filled with success, as he was a Kenan Institute Leadership Fellow, Veterans Club President and the 2013 Rollie Tillman Award Winner for Leadership. This education laid a necessary foundation to tangibly solve the problems he was passionate about.?

In a 15-month span of fire fights while deployed, his company of 120 was the only one out of five peer groups who did not have anyone killed in action. However, upon?returning home, one of his fellow soldiers took his own life. He later received an email from a friend revealing a tragic reality, one that would greatly impact him and the trajectory of his career, reading:

“We’ve lost more service men and women to suicide than we have to the enemy."

After dedicating the better part of his 20s to defeating the organizers of 9/11, the thought that suicide was the primary culprit of lost life did not sit well with Nick. The question wasn't then if he would take action against this tragic statistic. It became when and how.

In response to this issue, Nick founded Stop Soldier Suicide , a 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to stopping this tragic reality. SSS has grown from startup to national leader in reducing veteran suicide to the national average in ten years. Its growth and impact resulted in Nick being selected as a Presidential Leadership Scholar and a Leadership North Carolina Fellow.?

Nick’s first-hand experience with the difficulties of fundraising inspired him to found ? GoodUnited ? , the first fundraising solution for nonprofits and global networks. A nonprofit often lacks the resources to give everyone a meaningful experience. This startup changes that.

In response to the presence of people on social networks far outweighing websites, GoodUnited empowers nonprofits to ask people to give simply, meaningfully and where they spend time. GoodUnited has been immensely successful, helping nonprofits raise over a billion dollars.?

Nick’s passion for problem-solving and leadership is evidently vast, expressing that leadership is being able to immobilize people against a common goal.?

“It is a never-ending journey of learning,” Nick shared.

Through his work with GoodUnited, Nick became a finalist for 安永 ’s Southeast Entrepreneur of the Year. He was also recognized as the 美国北卡罗来纳大学教堂山分校 ’s 2017 Distinguished Young Alumnus, the first awardee from the MBA program, for his work with both Stop Soldier Suicide and GoodUnited.

Nick was introduced to CAN through connections within Kenan-Flagler and was drawn to it because of the strong connection to Carolina.?

“Carolina has done so much for me, I wanted to give something back, and the opportunity to add them to our cap table as investors was just remarkable.”

Nick shared that he appreciates the meaningful connections within CAN, filled with a multitude of great people investing into it. He expressed his gratitude towards the unique community UNC-CH offers. Nick agrees that “Carolina Family'' is not just a catchy tag-line, it is a tangible reality.?

To a prospective CAN member, Nick shares this encouragement:

“CAN offers all the talent you need. You just have to commit.”

CAN is thankful for Nick’s service to our country and the many ways his experiences, knowledge and expertise have enriched our network. Join CAN today to get connected to this unique, close-knit network of talented, innovative entrepreneurs.?