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