Team Rubicon–a team foolish enough to think we can make an impact and smart enough to have a chance.
Jake Wood
Co-Founder and Executive Chairman
Executive Team
Jake Wood honorably served four years in the United States Marine Corps, deploying to Iraq in 2007 and Afghanistan in 2008. He graduated Scout-Sniper School at the top of his class,and in 2007 he was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with “V” for actions in Iraq. Jake serves on numerous national veteran committees and speaks around the country about veteran issues and social entrepreneurship. Jake’s first book,Take Command, was published in October 2014 by Crown. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a double major, where he also played football.Jake co-founded Team Rubicon in 2010 and served as CEO until 2021.
Art delaCruz
Chief Executive Officer
Executive Team
Art delaCruz served honorably for over 22 years in the United States Navy and enjoyed a career that included a broad range of assignments. Art commanded a Navy strike-fighter squadron, spent one year with McKinsey & Co. as a Secretary of Defense Corporate Fellow, served as a Topgun instructor, and made six combat deployments. After retiring, he spent two and a half years in the aerospace and defense sector in the roles of business development and strategy and planning. He maintains a honed "quick reaction" capability by attempting to keep up with his wife, four kids, golden retriever, and labrador retriever puppy.
Nicole Capossela
Chief Development Officer
Executive Team
Nicole received her undergraduate degree from George Washington University, a master certificate in Fundraising Management from Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, and a master’s degree in Public Administration – Nonprofit Management from George Mason University. She began her work in the nonprofit sector at the Assassination Archives and Research Center in Washington, DC. Later, she worked for the National Rifle Association as part of the development leadership team that built the NRA Office of Advancement. In 2013, she moved to Los Angeles to join the University of California, Los Angeles and served as the Executive Director of Development, with a focus on Individual Giving. She was part of the senior leadership during UCLA’s $5.49 billion Centennial Campaign. Nicole made the leap and spent two years as the Senior Vice President of Account Service at an advertising agency in Dallas, before returning to Los Angeles and the nonprofit sector in 2018 as the Chief Development Officer at Team Rubicon.
Dane Barata
Chief Financial Officer
Executive Team
Dane has over 22 years of extensive operational and finance experience, serving in multiple capacities ranging from corporate planning, strategic planning, financial reporting and risk management. Prior to joining TR, Dane served as the head of finance for multiple business units and led business plan development, financial forecasting, financial analysis, and capital commitment planning, as well as competitive analysis and benchmarking. Dane spent 10 years in the International market in addition to his North American ops experience at Warner Bros Inc. Dane received his BA in Accounting and his MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Management. He was a U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant during the Desert Storm Operation era. He is accompanied and supported by an excellent Finance & Accounting team he is fortunate to work with at TR as well as the family of four at home that he keeps him grounded.
David Burke
Chief Programs Officer
Executive Team
David joined Team Rubicon in 2013, and was quickly promoted through the ranks to head up global operations for the organization. He oversees the strategy, development, and execution of Team Rubicon’s disaster service capabilities. In addition to his role at Team Rubicon, David has served on the boards of National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (nvoad.org) and the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation (gwotmemorialfoundation.org), where he served as the Board President. Prior to his move to the non-profit space, David served nearly 5 years in the Marine Corps as a logistics officer, deploying to Iraq with RCT-8 and to Afghanistan with the 2d Marine Division, separating from active service as a Captain. He graduated from the University of Iowa where he majored in business, bicycle maintenance, and beer snobbery.
Kristal Shipp
Vice President, Brand & Communications
Marketing & Communications
Sheng-te Yang
Vice President, Data & Technology
Technology
Tim Norman
Vice President, People Operations
People Operations
Zach Brooks-Miller
Senior Director, International Programs
Field Operations
Zach is a U.S. Army veteran with 12 years of experience designing, implementing, monitoring, evaluating, and leading collaborative lifesaving projects. His career has focused on serving people in conflict, post-conflict, and fragile states like Somaliland (Somalia), Nagorno-Karabakh, Mozambique, Sri Lanka and Laos, where he worked closely with civil-society and military partners. He’s lent his knowledge and skills to Survivor Corps, the HALO Trust, Education for Peace in Iraq, and Empower Lebanon. Zach is a recipient of two Purple Hearts, an Army Commendation Medal with “valor” device, and the Bronze Star. For the last five years, Zach has led a diverse team executing Team Rubicon’s strategy for delivering humanitarian aid in rapid-onset disasters and complex emergencies. Zach holds both a master's degree in International Affairs and Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in History.
Jeff Byard
Vice President, Operations
Field Operations
Jeff is a Greyshirt and Marine Corps veteran serving as Vice President of Operations for Team Rubicon. He leads a highly functional and diverse team of staff and volunteers dedicated to delivering disaster relief services across the country. Jeff develops strategies to grow connections with local, state, federal, and other partners to enhance effective and efficient service delivery. His resume includes being the Associate Administrator, Office of Response and Recovery at FEMA, and Executive Operations Officer at the Alabama Emergency Management Agency (AEMA).