Image
Jake Harriman: Finding Common Ground to Reach Higher Ground
Jake Harriman
Former Marine Force Recon Platoon Commander, Mission-Driven Changemaker, Founder of Nuru International and More Perfect Union
- Former Marine who completed four tours of duty in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia
- Honored as a White House “Champion of Change,” and a Dalai Lama “Unsung Hero of Compassion”
- Incredible stories filled with lessons for empowering leaders and developing new solutions to old problems
Play Video
View Fees
Jake Harriman is a mission-driven changemaker and decorated Marine platoon commander whose combat experiences in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia profoundly shaped his mission to create a better world. Two powerful realizations drove him to found his renowned nonprofits: the devastation of poverty as a root cause of conflict, and the urgent need to heal the fractures within his own country. Confronted by the extreme poverty that fuels violence and destabilizes communities, Harriman launched Nuru International in 2008, a groundbreaking organization that focuses on eradicating poverty in fragile regions around the world.
Upon returning to the United States after his time in combat zones, Harriman was unsettled by a different kind of conflict—the growing polarization tearing apart the very nation he and his fellow veterans had fought to protect. Realizing that the greatest threat to America’s strength may be rooted in internal divisions, he founded More Perfect Union (MPU) in 2020. MPU’s mission is to bridge divides, reform the political system, and give government back to the American people through a veteran-led movement grounded in unity, integrity, and legislative reform.
Exclusively represented by Leading Authorities speakers bureau, Harriman speaks to audiences about his journey from the battlefield to the front lines of social change. In his talks, he reveals powerful strategies for taking ownership of one’s community and using innovative solutions to tackle even the toughest challenges. By emphasizing resilience, leadership, and action, Harriman inspires each listener to tap into their own talents to serve others, reminding them that positive change is achievable for anyone willing to take the first step.
A decorated combat veteran, Harriman has been honored by the White House as a “Champion of Change,” selected as a Dalai Lama “Unsung Hero of Compassion,” and featured in profile pieces by Forbes, The Huffington Post, ABC News, and more. He is also a graduate of the Presidential Leadership Scholars Class of 2015, and has served as a senior advisor at the McChrystal Group since 2021.
Born in rural West Virginia, Harriman attended the U.S. Naval Academy before serving seven and a half years as an Infantry and Force Recon Platoon Commander in the Marine Corps. He led four operational deployments, including counter-terrorism operations in the Horn of Africa and two tours of combat in Iraq. Harriman’s experiences in combat convinced him that the “War on Terror” would not be won on the battlefield alone — and that the coordinates of someone’s birthplace should not dictate the opportunities they are presented with throughout the course of their life. Jake left military life to enroll at Stanford Graduate School of Business where, with the assistance of roughly 30 peers and professors, investments from Silicon Valley, and donations from around the world, he moved to Kenya and founded Nuru International.
From 2017 to 2019, Harriman helped draft, introduce, and work to pass groundbreaking new legislation called the Global Fragility Act of 2019, which equips America with new authorities and resources to prevent conflict and stabilize some of the most fragile regions of the world that pose a growing threat to US and global security.
Speaker Video
Jake Harriman: The Origin Story of +More Perfect Union
Jake Harriman: You Can Be a Difference Maker
Empowering Individuals to Solve Problems
Jake Harriman: Iraq War Vet Hopes to Bridge Political Divide Through Community Service
Jake Harriman: The New Front Lines | TEDxBYU
More Perfect Union
Jake Harriman: The Origin Story
Jake Harriman on Making a Difference
You Never Stop Serving
TEDx Talk
Bridging the Divide: Veterans Building Unity in Times of Turmoil. In his work with More Perfect Union, Jake Harriman continues to break new ground, harnessing his combat experience to address a different kind of battle—one against polarization and division in America. As the nation faces unprecedented levels of divisiveness, Harriman’s nonprofit delivers a message of hope and unity, urging Americans to recognize the common values that unite them. Through inspiring and often unexpected stories, he shares how veterans, with their unique perspectives, can play a pivotal role in bridging gaps between communities. This talk explores how we can come together across divides, reminding us that we share more in common than we may realize. Harriman’s approach combines empathy, resilience, and the power of connection, revealing what it takes to inspire unity in turbulent times.
Building Great Leaders: How To Unlock Hidden Potential. While developing and deploying Nuru International, Jake Harriman was faced with the monumental task of not only recruiting fellow Operators to join his ranks but also identify and training local leaders in war-torn parts of Africa to take up his cause and continue Nuru’s work after the NGO’s physical exit from the region.
Having crafted a model for Nuru’s success that is “fundamentally based on building leaders to innovate past the challenges they will experience”—coupled with his impressive experience as a Presidential Leadership Scholar—Harriman is able to discuss in moving detail how to inspire and equip the leaders of tomorrow. He shares stories that are equal parts heart-breaking, gripping, and hilarious to illustrate the importance of strong leadership in war and business. In particular, Harriman focuses on how to identify and nurture the unique qualities that make a leader, why it’s better to invest in leaders than infrastructure, plus how to unlock potential within your current ranks.
Servant Leadership: Put Yourself Last to Finish First. How does a leader become someone their team wants to follow? According to Jake Harriman, by practicing the principles of servant leadership. With this practical, hands-on talk, he explains how to become a servant leader as well as the bottom-line benefits to servant leadership—including learning implementable solutions to existing problems from those you lead, creating an engaged culture with less lost time, and developing a resilient staff who is willing and able to withstand seismic shifts.
Fail Fast, Learn Fast: Innovation Under Pressure. When Harriman launched Nuru International, it was the first organization of its kind: a fusion of the best aspects of NGOs paired with a staff of special operations combat veterans with experience operating in war zones. With this talk, he tells stories of the early days of Nuru and the challenges he faced, including being robbed, a malaria diagnosis, a black widow spider attack, an earthquake, and being struck by lightning—all in one week. With a motto of “fail fast, learn fast,” Nuru became an agile organization that is now a major success story soon heading into new global territories with the backing of the U.S. government. He shares the lessons learned along the way about innovating past unforeseen challenges and continuously adapting to new environments.
Recent News
Client Testimonials
Click one of these resources below for another way to find more speaker ideas for your audience.
