Like a lot of service members, Rico Macaraeg joined the military right after high school. It was 2003, and he wanted to serve his country in the aftermath of 9/11, as well as see the world.
Macaraeg had grown up in a shipbuilding town just west of Seattle, and both his grandfather and uncle had been in the Navy, too. During his eight-year tenure, he helped conduct antiterror and law-enforcement missions in countries from Kuwait to Iraq, and regions from East Africa to Central America.
And, like a lot of service members, when he was ready to leave the military, he faced a new set of challenges.
“One day you’re just [back in] the civilian world, and you have no idea what’s up or down,” said Macaraeg. “You’re like a fish out of water.”
As he sought to get his bearings, he saw that, for his civilian peers, going to college had been a crucial stepping stone. But he also knew that he wasn’t a traditional college student. So when a veteran friend of his recommended National University (NU), Macaraeg enrolled.
He soon found that NU was a perfect fit. The professors understood where the students were
coming from, and the students came with a diverse set of experiences. A lot of them were
working and represented a wide range of sectors, creating what Macaraeg calls a “melting pot”
of a cohort.
Macaraeg also found his footing academically at NU, earning his bachelor’s degree in Organizational Leadership and Development. It was a pursuit that built on his experience in the military: the success of a mission, he said, isn’t about one person’s success, but that of the team. His degree, in turn, taught him to build high-performance teams in civilian organizations.
“The professors [at NU] are top-notch,” he said. “They’re out there living and breathing the things that they’re teaching you in the classroom.”
That level of excellence prepared Macaraeg well for the workforce. He was soon recruited by Audi of America, and then went on to Lamborghini, where he became head of marketing, before earning his M.B.A. at Georgetown University.
Macaraeg went on to work for top-tier companies from tech to telehealth. Among his achievements was a rebrand at the iconic department store Lord & Taylor, as well as its eventual sale, both of which he helped manage.
After the pandemic, however, he saw that health and wellness had become a bigger collective focus. He and his husband decided to start StriveWell, which invests in and builds fitness and recovery companies like SweatHouz and STRONG Pilates. Macaraeg’s vision is to bolster brands that help people flourish beyond the gym; to create places that foster community and wellbeing for the mind, body, and spirit.
Alongside his professional pursuits, Macaraeg still incorporates public service into his life. He’s a board member of The Partnership to End Homelessness, a New York nonprofit, and volunteers in his spare time.
“I think it’s crucial for entrepreneurs to give back to the communities that they’re working in,” he said.
“My past has informed the leader I am today. Growing up poor has informed my mindset of how I want to give back…whether it’s for the communities that we serve, or the employees that
we have in our organization.”
Macaraeg credits much of his success to his academic foundation at NU. For him, earning his degree there was more than an academic achievement, it was a gateway to new opportunities, new relationships, and a foundation that has served him in every endeavor.
“Having a degree in organizational leadership has allowed me to create these organizations that are focused on people,” he said. “Entrepreneurs that grow and feed and develop people are the ones that…are wildly successful when it comes to personal and professional goals.”
For servicemembers transitioning into civilian life, he said, going to college is all upside.
“A degree is something that’s going to help you get equal footing out there in the world.”