Rye Barcott

Rye Barcott is a veteran and social entrepreneur. While serving as a U.S. Marine, he co-founded the non-governmental organization Carolina For Kibera, which employs a unique model of participatory development to combat cycles of violence and extreme poverty in Kibera, Kenya. His work in healthcare through this organization has provided care to over 40,000 people annually. Barcott's book, "It Happened on the Way to War," was named one of the best non-fiction titles of the year by Reader’s Digest and was acclaimed by figures like Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Bono. The book details his journey from the military to global peace-building, emphasizing participatory development and sustainable change led from within communities.

A TED Conferences Fellow, Barcott has honed his skills in public speaking at diverse venues including the Gates Foundation, Mayo Clinic, and corporations such as Amazon and J.P. Morgan. He has delivered talks to over 100 educational institutions and various professional audiences, focusing on leadership, empowerment, personal discovery, and risk-taking. His presentations are highly regarded, praised by a former Governor of North Carolina and professors at both Harvard Business School and Harvard Medical School. His approach to speaking weaves together themes of collaborative leadership and the importance of unlocking the potential of communities to solve global challenges.

Currently, Barcott is also a co-founder of Double Time Capital, an American clean energy investment firm focusing on advancing clean energy initiatives. He continues to serve as the CEO of With Honor, a movement led by veterans aimed at building a cross-partisan coalition of next-generation veterans in the United States Congress to address America's hyper-polarized political landscape. His leadership style, which has been described as a model of authentic leadership relevant across private, public, and nonprofit sectors, demonstrates his ongoing commitment to fostering impactful change and inspiring others to contribute to global solutions.