Veteran Leadership Lasting Impact

James Powers is a disabled U.S. Army veteran, former NCO, and nationally recognized advocate who has spent his life showing up where it matters — in uniform, in communities, in Congress, and in the messy, uncomfortable places where real change actually happens.

Over 11 years of service, including combat operations in Iraq and multiple leadership roles, James developed the mission-first mindset, adaptability, and grit that define his work today. After being medically retired in 2016 due to service-related injuries, he faced the difficult reality many veterans experience: the loss of identity, purpose, and direction that comes with leaving the military. That struggle — and the rebuilding that followed — became the foundation for his signature framework, SGTY: Something Greater Than Yourself.

In the years since, James has become a force in veteran advocacy, policy work, and grassroots organizing. He has led multifaceted campaigns across ideological lines, coordinated national road trips to engage lawmakers, organized high-impact demonstrations outside the U.S. Capitol, and fought for policies that protect veterans, Afghan allies, and cannabis consumers. His efforts have been featured in major outlets including The Washington Post and The New York Times.

James also works extensively in the cannabis space, where he brings a veteran’s perspective to an industry often dominated by corporate interests and political theater. As a Ganjier Product Specialist, second-generation cultivator, and outspoken advocate for consumer protections and homegrow rights, he pushes for a cannabis landscape that serves people — not just profits.

Beyond advocacy, James has held leadership, operations, and management roles in the private sector, giving him a broad understanding of how teams function, how systems fail, and what it takes to build trust and culture in real life — not in theory.

Today, as the founder of Just A Veteran, James blends all of it — military experience, community organizing, policy insight, storytelling, and no-nonsense leadership — into a platform committed to purpose, clarity, and impact. Whether he’s speaking to college students, advising businesses, working with nonprofits, or challenging lawmakers, James brings the same approach every time:

Show up. Tell the truth. Do the work. And help people find their Something Greater Than Themselves.