RallyPoint

RallyPoint

Company type	Private
Industry	Professional networking, Social networking
Founded	2012
Founder	Yinon Weiss, Aaron Kletzing
Headquarters	Middleton , United States
Key people	David Gowel (CEO), Yinon Weiss, Aaron Kletzing
Products	Professional networking platform for U.S. military personnel and veterans
Website	rallypoint.com

RallyPoint is a privately owned American enterprise established in 2012 by military veterans Yinon Weiss and Aaron Kletzing while attending Harvard Business School. The company manages a specialized professional network tailored for the United States military personnel and veterans, often referred to as the "LinkedIn for the military." Its platform facilitates connections among active service members and veterans, offering access to career opportunities both inside and outside the armed forces, along with engagement on pertinent subjects.

In 2012, RallyPoint received $10,000 as the runner-up in the Harvard Business School Business Plan Competition and secured $100,000 from MassChallenge, competing against more than 1,300 startups. Building on these successes, the firm attracted private investment, including $1 million from angel investors.

Originating from the Harvard Innovation Lab, RallyPoint’s headquarters are located in Middleton, Massachusetts. The company’s business strategy centers on capitalizing on its specialized market to deliver customized networking and career advancement solutions tailored for military professionals. Leadership includes CEO David Gowel alongside the original founders Weiss and Kletzing.

History

Yinon Weiss and Aaron Kletzing, RallyPoint’s co-founders, initially met during their deployment in Iraq in 2008 and later reconnected as classmates at Harvard Business School. In 2016, Army Veteran David Gowel assumed the role of CEO and joined the board, contributing strategic direction to the organization.

RallyPoint was acknowledged in November 2016 by Forbes as one of America’s top five veteran-founded startups. In 2020, it formed a partnership with Amazon Web Services aimed at addressing suicide risks among military personnel and veterans, thereby strengthening its social impact within its core demographic.

By 2023, RallyPoint received endorsement from the Department of Defense’s Military OneSource Spouse Education & Career Opportunities program as a principal platform supporting career development and transition services for the military community. That year, Dr. Matthew Nock, chair of psychology at Harvard, recognized RallyPoint’s significant potential in veteran suicide prevention during an interview with Federal News Network.

In January 2024, Dr. Nock collaborated with MIT and Amazon to publish research utilizing RallyPoint’s platform combined with machine learning techniques to predict and intervene in suicide risk among servicemembers and veterans. This initiative was funded through a U.S. Air Force AFWERX Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) award with RallyPoint acting as the prime contractor.

In July 2024, David A. Steinberg, CEO of Zeta Global, announced a collaboration with RallyPoint designed to improve user experience and broaden support services for the military community.

Most recently, in September 2024, Psychological Medicine featured peer-reviewed research on RallyPoint’s AI and machine learning suicide risk detection efforts conducted alongside MIT and Harvard researchers, highlighting the company’s pioneering role and recognition in mental health technology focused on veterans.

Website

RallyPoint functions as a professional networking platform dedicated to U.S. military personnel and veterans. Described by Forbes as "LinkedIn on steroids for members of the military," it organizes user profiles by rank, specialty, duty assignment, and geographic location to facilitate targeted networking and recruitment efforts.

Serving both as a professional network and an advanced employer-to-service member matching system, RallyPoint tackles veteran employment challenges through a technology-driven approach designed to enhance job placement outcomes within the military community.