From Soldier to CEO

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John P. DeBlasio is the Chairman of DT Global, Founder and Executive Director of the Global Peace and Development (GPD) Charitable Trust, CEO of Clear Automation, and Managing Director of Bootstrap Capital.

Business and Corporate Leadership

John started his business career in the General Electric Co. (GE) Leadership Development Program in 1994 and subsequently worked in a variety of management positions in GE’s Medical, Plastics, and Capital Divisions. In 2004, John co-founded Sallyport Global Services and built what would become the largest provider of security and facilities management services to USAID prime contractors operating in Iraq, as well as a primary contractor for the Department of Defense (DoD), Department of State (DoS), NASA, The World Bank and Foreign Ministries, the UN, and a number of private clients.

GPD Charitable Trust and DT Global

Since inception in 2011, the GPD Charitable Trust has committed over $15 million in charitable contributions to over 23 organizations globally, with the primary goal of creating more opportunity for others to promote peace and democracy worldwide. John works to combine his network built through his experiences in the public, private, and business sectors to his work with GPD.

GPD provides support to a wide range of organizations through ongoing major grants. Partnering organizations include The Center for the Study of Civil Military Operations at The United States Military Academy at West Point; The Center for Middle East Studies at the Denver University - Korbel School of International Studies; The Middle East & North Africa Program at Northwestern University’s Weinberg School of Arts & Sciences; The Leadership Development Program for the Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos orphanages in Central and South America; Syria Direct; Illinois Joining Forces Foundation; the Iraq Fellows Program, among others.

In 2019, John became the Chairman of DT Global.

Personal Life

John is a Pittsburgh, PA native and lives in Chicago, IL. He is the proud father of Sarah (25) and Jack (20).

Zackariah Crahen attended the United States Military Academy at West Point where he was a varsity member of the Track & Field team, throwing shotput and discus. He commissioned in 2012 as an Armor 2nd Lieutenant. Prior to attending West Point, he grew up in Shelby, a small farming town in north-central Ohio where he played football and track, served as the student council vice president, and participated in the Junior Statesmen of America.

Zack’s first assignment was to Ft. Benning, Georgia, where he completed the Armor Basic Officer Leadership Course and follow-on Army Reconnaissance Course. Afterwards, he PCS’d to Ft. Bliss, Texas in El Paso where he spent three years in 1-1 Cav, 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division. His primary roles were as a scout Platoon Leader for Apache Troop and Executive Officer for Bandit Troop. 2nd Brigade had a unique mission set within the Army where they were responsible for conducting bi-annual, month and a half long field exercises in simulated combat conditions for the purpose of rigorously testing cutting edge communications technology not yet fielded to the Army. These tests lead to many strategic changes in equipment and doctrine for the entire Army.

Following the completion of leadership time, Zack volunteered for a deployment to Jordan where he was stationed at the King Abdullah II Special Operations Training Center. He worked in the J3 (Future Operations), supporting British, Canadian, and Jordanian forces’ counter ISIS operations in the tri-border region of Jordan, Iraq, and Syria. Upon his return to the US after a mission change shortened his deployment by several months, he once again PCS’d to Ft. Benning, where he spent the remainder of his time in the Army, separating in 2018.

As a first-year masters student at the Harris School of Public Policy, Zack is the President and Founder of the Military Affiliated Students of Harris (MASH) and Creator of Second Service, a podcast in partnership with OMAC and Harris UC3P, focused on highlighting the successful careers of influential veterans across the public and private sector. He is also active in the Harris Consulting Club, Urban Policy Student Association, and the Project on Political Reform. Zack plans to make his policy focus on Urban Planning and Development and hopes to work in municipal or state government upon graduation.