Chris Meek
Chris Meek | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1970 |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Syracuse University (BA, MPA) Pace University (MBA) University of Southern California (Doctorate) |
| Occupation(s) | Executive in financial services, philanthropist, author |
| Known for | Founder of SoldierStrong |
| Template:Infobox academic | |
Christopher Meek (b. 1970) is an American author, philanthropist, and executive within the financial services sector.[1] He serves as co-founder and chairman of SoldierStrong, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting U.S. military veterans. Additionally, Meek co-established ReachStrong, an online platform focused on mental health resources, as well as START Now!, which offered foreclosure counseling services to homeowners.[2]
With a career spanning more than 25 years in financial services,[3] Meek has also contributed his expertise as a member of the Maxwell School Advisory Board at Syracuse University.[4]
Education and career
Meek received his Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and political science from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University in 1992. He further attained an Master of Business Administration from Pace University[5] along with an MPA from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University.[6]
His professional experience includes sixteen years at Goldman Sachs, where he worked as an equity derivatives trader and departed his vice president position within the securities division in August 2011.[7][8][9] Following this, he held the role of managing director for global relationship management at S&P Global.[4]
In recognition of his leadership, Meek was chosen in 2018 to participate in the George W. Bush Institute's first Stand-To Veteran Leadership Initiative.[10]
Philanthropy
In April 2009, Meek coordinated a mortgage modification initiative in Stamford, Connecticut, which ultimately led to the creation of the foreclosure counseling non-profit organization START Now!. From 2009 through 2011, this program successfully assisted in preventing foreclosure on 250 homes.
After discovering that U.S. military personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan lacked essential supplies, Meek launched SoldierSocks in 2009. By 2013, the organization had distributed 73,000 pounds of hygiene products and established the SoldierSocks Veterans Grant Foundation. That same year, it rebranded as SoldierStrong and redirected its mission toward aiding returning veterans by providing advanced medical technologies. Collaborating with Ekso Bionics, SoldierStrong delivered robotic exoskeletons designed to help paralyzed veterans regain mobility. By 2017, the organization had contributed over $2 million worth of medical equipment, benefiting approximately 25,000 veterans with spinal cord injuries. As of December 2023, SoldierStrong had donated 30 exoskeleton suits to VA hospitals nationwide, positively impacting 35,000 injured veterans.
Through SoldierStrong, Meek also facilitates access to the BraveMind virtual reality therapy system, developed by USC’s Institute for Creative Technologies, aimed at treating veterans suffering from PTSD.
Meek further supports educational opportunities by providing scholarships through the SoldierScholar program at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School, Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service, and Old Dominion University’s Batten College of Engineering and Technology.
On May 22, 2018, Meek appeared before the U.S. House Subcommittees on Research and Technology and Energy to discuss the role of technology in empowering veterans.
In March 2025, he founded the 9/11 Legacy Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to educating future generations about the consequences of the September 11 attacks.
Politics
In 2010, Meek was named to the Stamford Urban Redevelopment Commission. On November 17, 2011, he declared his candidacy for Connecticut’s 4th congressional district. However, after securing 27% support at the Republican state convention, he withdrew from the race on May 26, 2012, and has not pursued elected office since then.
Awards and recognition
Meek was honored with Syracuse University’s Orange Circle Award in 2014 in recognition of his philanthropic contributions.
Podcast and books
Meek hosts the podcast Next Steps Forward with Chris Meek on Voice America’s Empowerment channel. The show features interviews with notable figures such as Anne Beiler, Karen Pence, Dana Perino, Ray Scott, and Charles Haley.
He authored Next Steps Forward: Beyond Remembering (2022), a reflective work inspired by his experiences at Ground Zero on September 11, 2001. Additionally, he contributed to the anthology Voices Against Trafficking: The Strength of Many Voices Speaking As One (2021), published by the nonprofit Voices Against Trafficking.
Personal life
Meek is married and has three children.
External link
- ↑ Keating, Susan (February 9, 2017). "Meet the Man Helping Paralyzed Veterans Stand, One Robotic Skeleton at a Time". People. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
- ↑ Varnon, Rob (March 22, 2011). "Goldman Sachs' exec brings foreclosure counseling show to Bridgeport". Stamford Advocate.
- ↑ "Chris Meek MBA - Guest Profile". Transformation talk Radio.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Maxwell Advisory Board". Syracuse University. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
- ↑ "Meek, Chris". The Maxwell School of Syracuse University. November 14, 2013. Archived from the original on August 5, 2020. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- ↑ "Maxwell alum Chris Meek speaks with Fox News about empowering veterans". Maxwell School. June 19, 2018.
- ↑ "Class Notes". Syracuse University Magazine. Vol. 32, no. 3. Fall–Winter 2009.
- ↑ Varnon, Rob (March 22, 2011). "Goldman Sachs' exec brings foreclosure counseling show to Bridgeport".
- ↑ Kim, Elizabeth (November 18, 2011). "Activist starts 4th District campaign". The News-Times. Hearst Newspapers.
- ↑ "Bush Institute Announces Inaugural Class of Stand-To Veteran Leadership Initiative". George W. Bush Presidential Center. 12 April 2018.