When Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon at the head of his legions and marched on Rome, it marked a point of no return. The phrase crossing the Rubicon has since survived in reference to any group committing itself to a risky course of action. Jake Wood co-founded Team Rubicon alongside William McNulty following the Haiti earthquake in 2010. Prior to Team Rubicon, Wood served in the Marine Corps as a Scout-Sniper, with tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Three days after the quake, Wood and McNulty gathered funds and medical supplies from friends and family and flew into the Dominican Republic. They rented a truck, loaded their gear, headed west to Haiti and led a medical team into Port-au-Prince. The team treated thousands of patients, traveling to camps deemed too dangerous by other aid organizations. They ventured outside the traditional scale of disaster response, focusing on those who would be overlooked and untreated. Since then, Team Rubicon has deployed on over 175 operations, both domestic and international.

Team Rubicon’s primary mission is providing disaster relief to those affected by natural disasters, be they domestic or international. By pairing the skills and experiences of military veterans with first responders, medical professionals, and technology solutions, Team Rubicon aims to provide the greatest service and impact possible. Through continued service, Team Rubicon seeks to provide veterans with three things they lose after leaving the military: a purpose, gained through disaster relief; community, built by serving with others; and identity, from recognizing the impact one individual can make. Coupled with leadership development and other opportunities, Team Rubicon looks to help veterans transition from military to civilian life.

General (Ret.) David Petraeus joined Team Rubicon’s Board of Advisors in 2013. Civil rights expert Ehsan Zaffar joined the Board of Advisors three years later in 2016.Among Wood’s awards: 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs by Goldman Sachs, CNN Hero, the Heinz Award, the Grinnell Prize and Chronicle of Philanthropy’s 40 Under 40.