Matthew McBride has been named board chairman of Challenge America, a national nonprofit dedicated to connecting service members, Veterans and their families to resources and solutions that build community and give purpose to their lives.
Challenge America offers three initiatives that advance this mission. Launched in Cleveland, its Makers For Veteran initiative is a nationally recognized incubator program that develops innovative products for injured Veterans. Also offered in Cleveland, its Music Therapy Program leverages the healing power of music to help Veterans cope with post-traumatic stress or traumatic brain injury. Also developed in Cleveland, its Military Sisterhood Initiative is a national peer-support network for women Veterans, offering these brave women a safe space to connect with other military sisters and discover resources that may help them in their transition to civilian life.
A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and a Veteran, McBride joined the Challenge America Board of Directors in 2020. He is a Partner at Wave Strategy, a BioScience Advisory firm, in Cleveland, where he actively leverages his technology commercialization expertise, to expedite the development of cutting-edge technologies through strategic enterprise partners, healthcare systems, and entrepreneurs. McBride previously served as an advisor to Challenge America for their Veteran Make-a-thons and guided Challenge America in adapting this program to develop innovative products for essential workers on the frontlines of COVID-19.
“I believe strongly in Challenge America’s mission to connect military Veteran and their families to much-needed resources,” said McBride. “The goal is for Challenge America to serve those who served our country, and provide them with the tools necessary to become an ‘agent of change’ in their battles against physical and/or mental illnesses.”
Recently, Challenge America was selected from a pool of 160 competitors to receive the prestigious Lab-to-Market Inclusive Innovation Ecosystem Prize from the United States Small Business Administration for its timely and effective response to the pandemic environment.
You can learn more about Challenge America by visitingwww.challengeamerica.com.
