#158: David Gowel – Army Veteran, RallyPoint CEO

This week’s Borne the Battle interview is with Army Iraq War Veteran, David Gowel, a West Point and Ranger School graduate who later became an assistant professor at MIT’s ROTC program. David is currently the CEO of RallyPoint, a military-themed social media network. Which begs the question: just how does a former armor platoon leader become the CEO for a social media company? And, with a crowded social landscape that includes Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, SnapChat and others, why would anyone join yet another social media network?

This week’s guest lays out his case. In the interview, he also shares tips and pointers for expanding your own social media network.

Prior to becoming RallyPoint’s CEO, David and his wife started their own company that helped other companies leverage social media tools to improve their business models. For LinkedIn specifically, David would consult on how to network on the platform without “harassing people.” This experience led him to also write the book, “The Power in a Link: Open Doors, Close Deals and Change the Way You Do Business Using LinkedIn.”

RallyPoint is a social media network that caters to the active duty and Veteran experience. In the interview, David explains how partnering with VA’s Veteran Experience Office has enabled RallyPoint to organize discussions and “Command Post” messages around VA's Veteran’s Journey Map, which portrays the life stage moments--and VA experiences--that Veterans typically experience.

Currently there are 1.7 million RallyPoint members, many of whom, in addition to active duty and Veterans, are family members, caregivers, civilian recruiters, and VA and DoD civilians.

Enjoy the episode.

Additional Links: https://www.rallypoint.com https://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/63494/questions-community-care/ https://www.rallypoint.com/organizations/veterans-affairs-va-department-of-veterans-affairs-va-washington-dc/answers #BtBattle Veteran of the Week: Army Veteran and 109 year-old Julia Kabance.