3C Foundation - Chris Cravens

06/24/2026

40 Years Yesterday.

It has been a hell of a ride, full of broken trails, foreign sunrises, fallen warriors, adding humans to the homestead and slowly assembling and reassembling a Tribe.

As with the first 20 shaping the last 20, people have made all the difference. Their stories, their struggles, their goals and collaboration have left me with passion and purposes I would have never found without them.

Yet those lost continuously carried has allowed me the decades of service since their sacrifice. Brought into initiatives serving others, rucked into conference rooms as examples of true servant leadership and remembered daily for the life they have allowed.

Looking forward to another in year the saddle, leading leaders and serving others.

SF - CCC

06/21/2026

Happy Father’s Day, Mom.

They say you learn more from bad leadership than good. If true, thanks Dad.

I grew up in a single parent house with my mom and sister. A mother who worked multiple jobs, washed and dried, led with empathy and emotion and cared enough to represent both a motherly and fatherly presence.

The Corps was filled with similar stories, and I am so fortunate to have found so many father figures and watched great fathers beside me raise their kids with respect and honor during my time in the Corps. It was a place where I first experienced care and compassion from someone other than my mother.

So, to all the dads out there like me that set our own baseline of how we would father our children, and the moms that raised us, thank you.

06/19/2026

It was a privilege to spend time with the docents, volunteers, and staff of the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico, Virginia, one of the finest military museums in the world.

A special thank you to Lieutenant General and the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, Colonel Gentry, Director of the National Museum of the Marine Corps, and Gardiner, Chief of Visitor Services, for the opportunity to share stories of service, sacrifice, leadership, and the Marines who continue to inspire us long after their final watch.

One of the highlights of the day was witnessing the presentation of new name badges recognizing volunteers who have achieved 1,000 and 2,500 hours of service. Those milestones represent far more than hours, they represent a commitment to preserving history, honoring our veterans, and ensuring future generations understand the cost of freedom.

The National Museum of the Marine Corps is an extraordinary place. Its exhibits create an emotional and visual connection to our history, but it is the docents and volunteers who truly bring the museum to life. Through their stories, personal experiences, and dedication to preserving the legacy of our Corps, they transform artifacts into lessons, exhibits into memories, and history into something deeply personal.

As Marines, we often say that every Marine has a story. These volunteers ensure those stories are never forgotten.

Thank you for all you do to preserve our history, honor our fallen, and educate the millions of visitors who walk through those doors each year.

Semper Fidelis.

06/18/2026

Thank you, Craig, for your incredible hospitality and for the invitation to visit the storied The Army and Navy Club, just a block from the White House.

I greatly enjoyed lunch, the wonderful conversation, and the opportunity to tour a building filled with history, tradition, and service. Walking its halls is a powerful reminder that leadership is ultimately about serving others. The club stands as a testament to generations of men and women who dedicated their lives to our nation and whose influence has been felt around the world.

It was an honor to spend time in such a remarkable venue, surrounded by the stories, legacy, and commitment of those who came before us. Thank you again for your generosity, friendship, and the opportunity to connect around our shared passion for leadership, service, and making a positive impact on others.

Wonderful to have my good friend Phillips in attendance as well to share updates on his passionate work with KFG, absolutely wonderful time with two gentlemen I truly respect.

06/17/2026

One of my favorite aspects of LI is the ability to connect and gain insight from so many leaders doing amazing things across the country.

Sheriff E Tuggle II is most certainly one of them. Not only leading a department of sheepdogs, but expanding his leadership knowledge and approach for the betterment of leaders in his community and abroad.

Thank you so very much for the gifts sent and continuing to lead from the front.

SF CCC

06/16/2026

Thank you to the Accordus Team for having me on their Podcast. Amazing group empowering and supporting so many 501s in the space.

Watch here: https://youtu.be/MANrABzXbdo?si=rUYbHMBF9snUf6wo

Appreciate all the time and coordination from Hinson and Breeden to make it happen!

Learn more about their amazing work and support for those running 501s here: https://www.accordus.com/

Chris Cravens shares his inspiring journey from military service to...

06/15/2026

Sometimes the most important journeys don't take us across oceans, battlefields, or even state lines. Sometimes they simply require us to slow down long enough to sit with a good book and the wisdom of those who came before us.

Last weekend I spent some time reading at Cincinnati's Mercantile Library, one of our city's greatest hidden treasures. Introduced to me by my better half cravens, who introduced this amazing space to me on our anniversary weekend.

Founded in 1835, it is the oldest membership library west of the Allegheny Mountains and has served as a gathering place for thinkers, leaders, entrepreneurs, writers, and lifelong learners for nearly two centuries. Long before social media, podcasts, and smartphones, people came here to exchange ideas, challenge assumptions, and pursue knowledge.

As I sat among the shelves and looked out over the city, I couldn't help but think about the generations who came before us. Men and women who understood that progress begins with learning, leadership begins with humility, and service begins with understanding.

Libraries like this remind us that while technology changes, the fundamentals do not. We still need places where people can think, reflect, learn, and engage in meaningful conversation.

The Mercantile Library isn't just a building full of books. It's a reminder that every generation has a responsibility to learn from the past, improve the present, and leave something worthwhile for those who follow.

In a world that moves faster every day, places like this remind us to slow down, think deeper, and continue becoming students of life.

Leadership starts with learning.
And learning starts with curiosity.

https://www.mercantilelibrary.com/

06/12/2026

The older I get, the more I realize that purpose doesn't disappear, it drifts.

Time, responsibility, and distance from the moments that shaped us can slowly pull us away from the very things that once grounded us. That's why this office is filled with reminders.

Not to celebrate the past, but to stay connected to it. Every photo, flag, coin, book, and memento represents a lesson, a person, a sacrifice, or a moment that helped shape the path.

They remind me that where we serve today is not an accident. It is the result of a long process of learning, failing, growing, and being influenced by people who believed in something larger than themselves.

When we remember where we've been, we lead with greater clarity about where we're going.

06/11/2026

Humanity, Community, Respect and Humility are traditionally difficult to find within the walls of organizations, and communities, in which I speak in and often interact. Yet I found them ever prevalent in a place most would believe would be completely removed of them. This was not the case in one of the oldest operating prisons in the United States.

Welcome to the Oregon State Penitentiary, operating since 1866.

The Full Experience: https://mailchi.mp/dc025c1879cb/lead-it-forward-giving-tuesday-event-6427215

06/10/2026

Every generation is given the opportunity to leave the world better than it found it. The people who accept that responsibility become more than colleagues, more than friends, more than teammates. They become a tribe, bound together by service to something larger than themselves.

This room is filled with people who have chosen a difficult mission: to confront trauma, restore hope, and help others reclaim their humanity.

The Reality Center (Trauma and Stress): https://www.realitymgmt.com/
Vet Phoenix (Veteran Justice Reform + Support): https://www.vetphoenix.org/