In this episode, Jake Wood speaks with Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer Sara Porritt of Omnicom Media Group, a leading global media network. Sara shares her unconventional journey, from R&B singer to her current role with the mission of attaining equal representation, development, support, and retention of all underrepresented groups.

Links

Sara Porrit

💼 ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/saraporritt/

Groundswell

🐦 ⁠https://twitter.com/GiveGroundswell⁠

📸 ⁠https://www.instagram.com/groundswell.io/⁠

💼 ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/givegroundswell/⁠

Jake Wood

🐦 ⁠https://twitter.com/JakeWoodTR⁠

📸 ⁠https://www.instagram.com/jakewoodtr/⁠

💼 ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakewoodusa/⁠

In this episode, Jake Wood speaks with Chief Communications and Impact Officer Nishant Roy of Chobani. Nishant shares his dynamic career path that lead to driving impact for the best selling yogurt company in the U.S., investing profit back into communities, and his passion for solving child hunger.

Links

Nishant Roy

💼 ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/nishant-roy-337a49/

Groundswell

🐦 ⁠https://twitter.com/GiveGroundswell⁠

📸 ⁠https://www.instagram.com/groundswell.io/⁠

💼 ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/givegroundswell/⁠

Jake Wood

🐦 ⁠https://twitter.com/JakeWoodTR⁠

📸 ⁠https://www.instagram.com/jakewoodtr/⁠

💼 ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakewoodusa/⁠

Jake and Anthony, Chief People Officer at Suzy, Inc., chat about Suzy Inc., how to pivot as a company the right way, and how to get employees to not only adopt but take part in creating an inclusive company culture. Throughout the conversation, they share their views on the future of work, native behaviors of the internet and mobile generation, and how story-telling can be a powerful tool in inspiring people to act. Anthony Onesto is a leading expert on culture, human resources, and talent at Suzy. He focuses on driving its mission and vision around culture, talent, and human resources. Anthony founded Ella Adventures in 2015, a company that produced a comic called Ella the Engineer. The theme of the comic centralized around women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math). The stories from the series inspire young women to pursue careers in tech. In 2017, he co-founded an AI-powered HR agent called ⁠KAE.ai⁠. Time Stamps 0:00 Introduction 2:00 Anthony talks more about Suzy, Inc., Pivoting from Crowd Tap. 5:50 How did the Suzy team welcome the change and get excited about the new direction? 8:58 "Your people are your strategy" - inheriting vs creating 12:12 "If people feel ownership -- co-creating environment." 12:44 Storytelling is often the most underutilized tool in a leader's toolkit. 13:33 Everyone's focused on data, but storytelling is the movement piece -- enabling human understanding. 15:57 "People don't remember data points, they remember stories." 18:44 Anthony shares his perspective on the future of work and remote vs in-person. 25:36 Why Anthony wrote Ella the Engineer 30:45 Native behaviors of the Internet and mobile generation 35:54 "It's all made up." 40:35 The story behind Ella the Engineer 47:26 How stories and television influence the next generation

Links

⁠https://www.theellaproject.com/⁠Anthony Onesto 🖥️ ⁠https://www.anthonyonesto.com/⁠

🐦 ⁠https://twitter.com/anthonyonesto⁠

💼 ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonyonesto/⁠

Groundswell

🐦 ⁠https://twitter.com/GiveGroundswell⁠

📸 ⁠https://www.instagram.com/groundswell.io/⁠

💼 ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/givegroundswell/⁠

Jake Wood

🐦 ⁠https://twitter.com/JakeWoodTR⁠

📸 ⁠https://www.instagram.com/jakewoodtr/⁠

💼 ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakewoodusa/⁠

On this special Memorial Day episode of the Rising Tide, Jake invites Michael "Top" Washington, Master Sergeant, USMC retiree & Gold Star Father.

Top served 23 years in the Marine Corps and simultaneously served in the Fire Service in Seattle and areas in the Pacific Northwest. Since retiring from the fire service, Top graduated with a Master's Degree and serves as a trauma therapist for law enforcement.

Throughout the episode, Mike and Jake chat about Team Rubicon, dealing with PTSD as a service member, and what it means to continue to live with a purpose despite the hardships that come.

Time Stamp:
0:00 - Introduction
5:03 - Michael Washington joins the conversation
6:39 - Mike speaks on his first Team Rubicon deployment and reuniting with Jake Wood.
7:50 - Mike explains why he joined the Marine Corps, why he continues to serve
10:44 - Mike Jr's legacy
11:42 - How will Top Washington spend memorial day?
15:23 - Crossing paths at Team Rubicon 10 years ago, Mike speaks about the power of service.
16:27 - Mike speaks about the power of service, the aftermath of the death of his son, Mike Jr., and stepping off the bridge and continuing his service.
23:12 - "All those things that happened to me up until that point made me into the person I am today."
25:50 - Mike serves with his daughter in response to a hurricane in the Bahamas
26:59 - Mike speaks about going from a peer support specialist to being a therapists for law enforcement and firefighters
29:00 - Understanding that our service members experience a ton of trauma.
32:42 - "Are you bullish on America moving forward?" Blending the old generation with advancing technology and cultural changes.
36:41 - Closing thoughts

Top Washington
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/topwashington/

Jake Wood

📸 Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/jakewoodtr
💼 LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakewoodusa/
🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/JakeWoodTR 

Groundswell

📸 Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/groundswell.io/⁠
💼 LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/givegroundswell/⁠
🐦 Twitter: ⁠https://twitter.com/GiveGroundswell

On this episode of the Rising Tide, Jake welcomes Alison Levine, an accomplished American mountain climber who stands as a symbol of resilience and determination in the face of adversity.

Levine has left an indelible mark on the world of mountaineering. Scaling some of the most treacherous peaks, including Mount Everest and Mount McKinley, she has defied physical limitations and embraced the challenges that come with conquering the highest summits. In 2010, she completed the Adventure Grand Slam, an accomplishment many travelers dream of achieving.

Throughout the episode, Alison speaks about her experiences climbing Mt. Everest, making the difficult decision to turn around on her first attempt, and what it means to live with purpose.

Recognized for her extraordinary accomplishments, Alison Levine inspires us all to reach new heights and reminds us that with courage and determination, no summit is too insurmountable.

Time Stamps

0:00 Introduction

2:51 Alison talks about what's it like being on top of the world.

5:00 Alison summits on her second attempt and talks about why she turned around the first time.

9:59 Making the tough decision to turn back from Mt. Everest Summit 300 ft. from the top.

12:45 "My mantra is 'Count on me'"

15:02 "If I want to know what it's like to drag a sled for 600 miles, I should go drag a shed climbing my first mountain at 32"

17:19 Alison's new lease on life and what it's like escaping from excuses.

22:33 "People have to trust their leader and believe they have their best interest in mind."

23:45 Alison's most impactful climb in the Rwenzori Mountains liberating women in Uganda

30:00 Alison shares a fun story about mountain gorillas

32:37 Breaking Cultural Norms

Alison Levine

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/levine_alison
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisonlevine/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Levine_Alison

Jake Wood

📸 Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/jakewoodtr
💼 LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakewoodusa/
🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/JakeWoodTR 

Groundswell

📸 Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/groundswell.io/⁠
💼 LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/givegroundswell/⁠
🐦 Twitter: ⁠https://twitter.com/GiveGroundswell

In this episode of The Rising Tide, Jake interviews Joe Thomas, retired offensive left tackle for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL).

Jake and Joe played college football together at the University of Wisconsin.

Joe earned All-American honors and was recognized as a top college lineman. He was drafted no. 3 overall pick by the Cleveland Browns in 2007. Joe made the Pro Bowl in his first 10 seasons and holds the longest record for consecutive snaps at 10,363, having never missed a single play throughout his 11-season career. He’s considered one of the best offensive linemen of all time.

Off the field, Joe has been recognized for supporting children, education, and military veterans initiatives. He’s a partner in serval Mission BBQ franchises.

On the podcast, Joe and Jake reminisce about life experiences, their experience together in college football, and how Joe has made an impact during and after his football career.

Time Stamps:

0:00 Introduction

1:54 “My favorite part is how you carried my water”

2:24 The scholarship offer the coach wanted back.

3:36 Joe talks about his trip to the Inca Trail to Machu Pichu in South America

5:57 Flashback to college football at Wisconson

7:09 What was it like playing in the NFL?

12:36 How did a player of your caliber affect the locker room?

16:36 Joe talks about using his platform as a professional athlete for good

19:07 Joe travels to Afghanistan in 2009.

23:35 History of the Team Rubicon Grey Shirt

27:30 Story of Mission BBQ

29:09 Finding purpose in life after a successful career

31:41 Joe talks about his shared core mission to serve others

32:50 Finding impact through investments in retirement, Why Joe doesn’t want to become a coach.

35:00 Shoutout to Coach Brian Bott

36:19 Joe moves out to the farm

38:18 Joe talks about his family and letting his son play football

40:12 What was it like getting inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame? 

42:59 Are you using 300-pound Joe or 250-pound Joe for your statue?

43:46 Closing thoughts

Joe Thomas

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joethomas73 

🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/joethomas73

Jake Wood

📸 Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/jakewoodtr

💼 LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakewoodusa/

🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/JakeWoodTR 

Groundswell

📸 Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/groundswell.io/⁠

💼 LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/givegroundswell/⁠
🐦 Twitter: ⁠https://twitter.com/GiveGroundswell

In this inaugural episode of The Rising Tide Podcast, Jake Wood Invites Art delaCruz, CEO of Team Rubicon, to talk about leadership, disaster response, and what it means to live with purpose.

For Art, purpose is when a person’s capabilities and actions align with the opportunities to serve others. He finds gratification in knowing how he’s acted and what he’s done has made an impact on the lives of others.

Art delaCruz joined Team Rubicon (TR) in 2016 as the Chief Operating Officer (COO). Over the next five years, Art would work alongside Jake in growing Team Rubicon from 10,000 volunteers to over 100,000 volunteers around the world. In 2021, Art became CEO of TR.

Art was a collegiate hockey player at the US Naval Academy, a C-student, and an accomplished naval aviator, having graduated from Top Gun and later commanded an F-18 fighter squadron. He retired from the Navy after 22 years of service.

In addition to being a US Navy veteran and the CEO of Team Rubicon, Art is a loving husband and caring father to four wonderful children.

Team Rubicon is a disaster response nonprofit headquartered in California.

Time Stamps

0:00 Introduction

2:15 Art's catalytic life-changing moment and his story of defining purpose after 9-11

4:53 Art's experience during September 11, 2001

9:15 From peace times to mission critical, Art speaks on Leadership

12:30 Art leaves the Navy

17:17 "What does Dad do for a living?"

18:33 Art makes the decision to help people

20:13 Art talks about Team Rubicon

23:00 Art speaks on the small disasters you don't hear about

27:53 What is Team Rubicon doing in Selma, Alabama

32:33 Team Rubicon International  

36:30 "There are dozens of things more important to us than money, but they call cost money"; Art speaks about Team Rubicon and delivering mission

41:30 "If you could be the CEO of any nonprofit, what's the issue you would want to tackle that's not Disaster Response?"

44:28 Closing thoughts

Follow Art and Team Rubicon on social media.

Art delaCruz

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/artdelacruz/

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/team_rubicon_ceo/

Team Rubicon

🌐 Website: https://teamrubiconusa.org/

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/teamrubicon/

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teamrubicon/

🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/TeamRubicon

Groundswell

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/groundswell.io/

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/givegroundswell/

🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/GiveGroundswell

Jake Wood:

📸 Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/jakewoodtr

💼 LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakewoodusa/

🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/JakeWoodTR