Sep 10, 2024

Cocktails and Conversations (invite only)

At the COMMIT Foundation, we realize that transitions do not happen in a vacuum. To help military families have more suc...

At the COMMIT Foundation, we realize that transitions do not happen in a vacuum. To help military families have more successful transitions from active duty service, COMMIT created a specialized track of programs specifically for the military spouse. In October, COMMIT will bring a first-of-its-kind in-person workshop to Washington, DC. This workshop will provide a space for military spouses to explore their narratives, create a network, and explore opportunities for their lives as they begin to dream of the possibilities. Preceding this event, COMMIT CEO JC Glick and Chairman of the Board Guy Filipelli will host Cocktails and Conversations. Join us as we hear the stories of COMMIT participants and experience the impact of COMMIT’s work firsthand. Featured Guests: Guy Filippelli recently launched Squadra, an early-stage venture capital firm. Guy has 15 years of experience building software teams to solve some of the world’s most challenging data and integration problems, most recently as Founder and CEO of RedOwl, which Forcepoint acquired in August 2017. Before RedOwl, Guy co-founded Berico Technologies, a high-end engineering firm that services the federal government, and launched Oxpoint Holdings, an investment arm that has invested in and incubated multiple private ventures. He began his career as a US Army intelligence officer, serving in Korea, Italy, Germany, and Afghanistan, and finishing his service at NSA. In 2007, Guy received the National Intelligence Medallion, the nation’s highest award for non-governmental personnel, for his efforts in Iraq as the analytic lead of major data fusion initiative. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio, holds a B.S. in Economics from the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point, and received his B.A. and M.A. in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from Oxford University, where he studied as a Marshall Scholar. JC Glick serves as the Chief Executive Officer of The COMMIT Foundation. JC brings with him a wealth of experience as a leadership consultant and career Army officer and is driven by a deep commitment to supporting veterans in their transition journey. Since transitioning from 20 years of military service in 2015, J.C. has been a founder and partner of two leadership companies, where his clients included Fortune 500 companies, international non-profit organizations, government agencies, the NFL, numerous NFL and NBA teams, and multiple NCAA programs. Over the course of his Army career, JC spent over seven years in the Ranger regiment, serving in two Ranger Battalions as well as Regimental Headquarters, participating in the Best Ranger Competition twice, and has over seven and a half years of command time with 11 combat deployments and numerous operational deployments around the world. JC is the author of two books, including A Light in the Darkness: Leadership Development for the Unknown. In 2017, he was selected as a TEDX Speaker and delivered Rethinking Leadership at TEDX Hammond. JC is also an adjunct professor at St. John’s University in Queens, New York. He holds degrees from the University of Rhode Island and the Naval War College and is a doctoral candidate at Columbia University. JC is also a Liberty Fellow, part of the Aspen Institute. Lisa Townsend is currently serving as the Chief of Staff to the CEO of Ellucian. She is originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, and joined the Navy after graduating from Georgetown University in 2010. Lisa served as an Intelligence Officer in the Navy and was deployed in 2013 to the Arabian Gulf with the Eisenhower Strike Group. For the past three years, Lisa has been stationed at the Office of Naval Intelligence in Suitland, MD. This past spring, I completed my MBA at Duke University. My spouse, Nick, and I have a two-year-old son named Leo. We love living in Alexandria and spending time with friends and family. In my free time, I enjoy playing board games, reading and making ceramics. Maria Hines is the Registrar at West Point Elementary and Middle School in West Point, NY, where she ensures proper certifications and documentation for over 700 students. During her most recent audit by the DODEA School System, her department achieved a 100% pass rate. While she currently applies her systematic approach to managing records, her true passion lies in interior design. She thrives on transforming ordinary spaces into havens of comfort and efficiency, with a special talent for revitalizing old, worn-out items by breathing new life into them through her creative touch. Maria is a devoted mother of two, a proud Army spouse, and has been married to her husband for over 17 years. She embraces the challenge of frequent relocations, viewing each move as an opportunity to create a fresh home and life for her family.