Freddie Kim’s military life began at 17 as a cadet at West Point, where in addition to proving his scholastic prowess, he was an All-American boxer and captain of the academy boxing team. During his distinguished military career, he achieved his dream of becoming a Green Beret and honorably leading a Special Forces team – ODA 1211 – into Afghanistan, Nepal, South Korea and the Philippines, in training and combat.

Despite his military success, and like many service members, Freddie faced a tough transition into civilian life. After five years in the corporate world (manufacturing and construction) and earning his MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, Freddie realized that his true calling is to empower fellow Veterans to succeed in finding their next fit into small-medium sized companies and transitioning their military leadership into “winning” in the business and entrepreneurial worlds. Consequently, he started MilSpec Talent, a boutique recruiting agency collaborating with investment firms and search funds to place high-impact, low-ego Veterans as senior leaders in these environments.

A business owner himself, Freddie is CEO and co-owner of a service and distribution business in Virginia. As a complement to his work at MilSpec Talent, he continues to support other Veteran entrepreneurs by serving on their boards or advisory boards, and by sharing his personal failures and ‘Lessons Learned.’ He firmly believes that the cohort, tools, and techniques from The Lions Pride have enabled these successes.