TheMilVet Podcast

In this episode of TheMilVet Podcast, host Beau Higgins sits down with longtime friend and financial services veteran Brian Stengel to discuss his extraordinary journey from growing up in a Marine Corps family to becoming a successful entrepreneur, investment banker, and private equity investor in the technology sector. Brian shares how being raised by a Marine Corps aviator shaped his perspective...

In this episode of TheMilVet Podcast, host Beau Higgins sits down with Brooke Coburn , Co-Founder and Partner of Capitol Meridian Partners , to discuss his remarkable journey from growing up in rural upstate New York to spending 25 years at The Carlyle Group and ultimately launching his own private equity firm focused on the national security ecosystem. Brooke shares how a single corporate finance...

In this episode of TheMilVet Podcast, host Beau Higgins speaks with leaders from the Alaska Adventure Project , a nonprofit based in Ketchikan, Alaska, that helps veterans reconnect through outdoor adventure, community, and shared experience. The conversation centers on how the organization supports healing and purpose for veterans through time in nature and small-group engagement. Billy Boulton,...

In this episode of TheMilVet Podcast, host Beau Higgins sits down with retired Marine Corps Colonel Kevin Hudson to discuss his remarkable journey from infantry officer to Cobra pilot, and ultimately to executive leadership in the private sector at YAM Worldwide . After serving more than 26 years in the Marine Corps, Kevin made the transition into a completely new industry, helping build Parsons X...

Meet Christopher Knapp , retired Navy officer, defense technology leader, and Chief Engagement Officer of the Uncrewed Warrior Foundation , in this insightful episode of TheMilVet Podcast. It is a conversation about unconventional career paths, military transition, purpose after service, and finding your place in the rapidly evolving world of defense technology. Chris shares his remarkable journey...

In this episode of TheMilVet Podcast, host Beau Higgins speaks with Ryan Manion , CEO of the Travis Manion Foundation , about leadership, loss, veteran transition, and finding purpose after service. TMF was founded by Ryan’s mother, Janet Manion, in honor of her son, Marine 1st Lt. Travis Manion, who was killed in Iraq in 2007. Ryan discusses how TMF has grown into a national organization that sup...

In this episode of TheMilVet Podcast, host Beau Higgins sits down with Clark Yuan , Founder and CEO of Stitch3D , United States Army Veteran, and West Point graduate. Clark shares his journey from growing up in a Taiwanese military family to serving as a Military Intelligence officer in the U.S. Army, and ultimately transitioning into entrepreneurship and defense tech innovation. Clark discusses h...

In this episode of TheMilVet Podcast, host Beau Higgins speaks with Tom Lynch , a Managing Partner at Iron Point Partners and former U.S. Navy JAG officer, about his path from military service into finance and private equity. Tom reflects on how his background shaped his leadership style, transition into investing, and career in real estate private equity. Tom reflects on the influence of military...

In this episode of TheMilVet Podcast, host Beau Higgins sits down with Giles Walger , Founder of OODAx , and United States Marine Corps veteran. Giles shares how his transition from the Marine Corps to Amazon ’s Pathways program - and later to AWS Mission Engineering - equipped him with the tools, mindset, and network needed to thrive in the private sector and ultimately launch his own company. Gi...

In this episode of TheMilVet Podcast, host Beau Higgins sits down with Patrick J. Murphy , Executive Director of Hilco Global , former Congressman, and United States Army Veteran. Patrick shares his remarkable journey from a blue-collar upbringing in Philadelphia to the 82nd Airborne Division, deploying to Iraq, and later serving in Congress where he helped shape landmark legislation like the Post...

In this episode of TheMilVet Podcast , host Beau Higgins speaks with Thomas Higginbotham , Founder and CEO of Kestrel and United States Air Force Veteran. Thomas shares how growing up in a multi-generational Air Force family, serving as a fighter pilot, and later working through a grueling flight training experience shaped his resilience and mission-driven mindset. The conversation follows his jou...

In this episode of TheMilVet Podcast, host Beau Higgins sits down with Gregory Henson , founder of Cloud Veterans and former tech CEO, and Philip Lukaszonas , a U.S. Army veteran and manager of customer success at Ingram Micro to discuss how they are helping veterans build careers in cloud technology. Greg and Philip share the origin story behind Cloud Veterans—a nonprofit initiative built to solv...

In this episode of TheMilVet Podcast, host Beau Higgins speaks with former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer about career transitions, leadership in high-pressure environments, and building a path beyond government service. Fleischer reflects on how he moved from college with no clear plan to Capitol Hill and then to the White House, where he served as press secretary to President George W...

In this episode of TheMilVet Podcast, host Beau Higgins sits down with Randy Mullen , Founder & CEO of Sightline Ventures and a former U.S. Air Force Officer, to explore his journey from military service to building a mission-driven company in the defense tech space. Randy shares how his upbringing near Edwards Air Force Base first sparked his interest in the military, eventually leading him i...

In this episode of TheMilVet Podcast, host Beau Higgins sits down with Mike Gaffney , Naval Academy graduate, former nuclear-trained submarine officer, and now CEO of Cellphire Therapeutics, Inc. , to unpack a career that spans undersea operations, top-tier consulting, private equity, and biotech leadership. Mike shares how growing up around his father’s Naval Academy classmates and mentors, inclu...

In this episode of TheMilVet Podcast, host Beau Higgins sits down with Matthew R. Brooks , Founder and Principal of Second Echelon Capital , Colonel, US Air Force (Retired) and U.S. Air Force Academy graduate to explore his journey from the cockpit to entrepreneurship, and now to investing in fellow veterans. A graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, Matt shares how a single touchdown cat...

In this episode of TheMilVet Podcast, host Beau Higgins sits down with Sean Patterson , Founder of CrossGen AI and Chief Operations Officer at StartGuides , a former U.S. Navy submarine officer, and a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology . Sean reflects on how the foundation of service, rooted in discipline, accountability, and commitment to som...

In this episode of TheMilVet Podcast, host Beau Higgins sits down with Lindsey Chrismon , co-founder and CEO of Oply , former U.S. Army aviation officer, AH-64 Apache pilot, and the first woman in U.S. Army history to fly the AH-6 Little Bird in the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) . A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and Harvard Business School , L...

In this episode of TheMilVet Podcast, host Beau Higgins sits down with retired U.S. Marine Corps Major General  Ryan Heritage —a career infantry officer who made a rare and impactful pivot into cyberspace, and information warfare. From watching The Sands of Iwo Jima as a fourth grader in Massachusetts to commanding at the regimental level and later leading Marine Corps Forces Cyber Command, Ryan’s...

In this episode of TheMilVet Podcast, host Beau Higgins sits down with Michelle “MACE” Curran , U.S. Air Force veteran, former Thunderbird pilot, and author, to explore her extraordinary journey from fighter jets to inspiring audiences around the world. MACE shares how her time in the Air Force—culminating as one of the few female Thunderbird pilots—shaped her approach to leadership, overcoming fe...

In this episode of TheMilVet Podcast , host Beau Higgins sits down with Josh Welle , U.S. Navy veteran, former officer, and Vice President, Global Head of Cybersecurity Portfolio for Capgemini . Josh shares his journey from serving in the Navy to navigating leadership roles at top companies like Capgemini and beyond, bridging the gap between military service and the corporate landscape. Throughout...

In this episode of TheMilVet Podcast, host Beau Higgins sits down with Jacob “Jake” Wilmes , U.S. Marine Corps veteran , former scout sniper, self-taught coder, AI and machine learning engineer, and founder of Hire Calling . Jake shares his journey from serving in elite combat roles to navigating the complexities of civilian life, learning to code from scratch, and breaking into the tech industry...

In this episode of TheMilVet Podcast, host Beau Higgins sits down with John Price , US Army Special Forces veteran, former Senate staffer, private equity operator, and founder of HighGround . John shares his journey from a college student at the University of Colorado Boulder whose life changed on September 11th, to joining the Army through the 18X Special Forces program, serving alongside elite t...

In this episode of TheMilVet Podcast, host Beau Higgins sits down with Raj Shah , Air National Guard F-16 pilot and Managing Partner at Shield Capital . Raj shares his non-linear journey from growing up as the son of Indian immigrants in Georgia, to serving as a citizen-soldier in the Air National Guard, to working at McKinsey, founding multiple cybersecurity companies, and now investing in early-...

In this episode of TheMilVet Podcast, host Beau Higgins sits down with fellow Marine Patrick D. Nugent — former Regimental Commander at The Citadel , former Marine Corps infantry officer, Speaker, Adaptive Athlete, and Veteran Advocate — to share one of the most powerful and non-linear transition stories you’ll hear. Patrick walks through his journey from growing up in Cleveland with a deep family...