Jacob Brown is one of the most electric voices rising in the world of professional speaking.

A former NFL athlete turned serial entrepreneur, best-selling author, and transformational keynote speaker, Jacob has quickly become a go-to expert for companies and conferences that want to shift mindsets, build resilient leaders, and transform workplace culture.

Today, Jacob is a trusted keynote speaker for organizations like Intel, Meta, LinkedIn, UPS, General Motors, the Dallas Cowboys and many more. He’s delivered standing-ovation keynotes at top universities including Notre Dame, Michigan, and Wisconsin, and his insights have been featured in Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and Good Morning America. Jacob is also the author of Fail Forward Mentality, a powerful book designed to help individuals and organizations break free from perfectionism, embrace resilience, and transform setbacks into growth.

His book is a natural extension of his message on stage, equipping readers with actionable tools to reframe failure and lead with courage. As co-founder of Varlo, a global athletic apparel brand, Jacob knows the entrepreneurial hustle. But it’s his work with executive teams, HR leaders, and frontline managers that sets him apart. His keynotes go beyond motivation - they activate change. Using humor, hard-earned wisdom, and practical frameworks, Jacob helps leaders unlock their teams' potential by transforming failure into strategy and adversity into alignment.

Whether guiding companies through burnout, broken culture, or leadership drift, Jacob equips audiences to embrace discomfort, lead with authenticity, and build failure-resilient organizations that thrive in uncertainty.

He lives in Metro Detroit with his wife and their four children. Offstage, you’ll find him cheering at basketball games, attending ballet recitals, or sneaking in a family vacation - always leading from the core.

Ready to connect? Text or call me @ 248-805-6093 or email me at jacob@failforwardbrown.com

For speaking inquiries: www.jakebrownspeaks.com

Jacob Brown

Community outreach is my jam and what I absolutely love to do! In my 23 year career at USAA, I have interwoven my love for community and sustainability into many initiatives in my career and my life. 

For the past 15 years, I have served in several leadership roles at USAA ranging from program management to call center manager. My subject matter expertise is rooted in compliance and risk management, identifying trends, pinpointing themes, and delivering insights for action. 

As a result, I am able to help organizations streamline their operations and reduce their costs. One of my key strategies I employ to do this is by building strong relationships and modeling cross-team collaboration and partnerships. I consistently bring teams together and find common ground to help us all achieve the business goals.

I first noticed my passion for community involvement when I saw my Grandma Grace in action as she was her neighborhood “Good Deeds Catalyst” aka community outreach queen. She lived in a developing country and consistently found ways to rally for resources and people to genuinely come together and help where there was a need/cause without a hidden agenda. People often joked that she was the “unofficial mayor.” This inspired me.

I love community outreach and want economically challenged & low-income minority youth to know that he/she is not their zip code! I want them to be able to have encouraging mentors, exposure to STEM careers and enriching experiences that may not typically be available to them. 
 
Some of my community involvement I am most proud of is:

✨Participant in the inaugural PEAK African American diversity group as a mentor and my mentee was highlighted and promoted in the 1st year

✨Served as the key event planner for a 3-day technology entrepreneurship boot camp for veterans and military spouses.

✨Led a team of 6 volunteers for the inaugural USAA Pro Bono Impact Day with Taproot Foundation and created a one year marketing plan for a nonprofit providing education programs to low income and minority students.
 
My goal is to serve more in community engagement and I am interested in roles around corporate social responsibility, DEI, sustainability, and community impact. I would love to bring my leadership and program management skills in these roles.

I love connecting with people that are mission focused, community minded and passionate about making a difference in the world we live in. Please connect with me if you are also driven in that way.


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Jacob Brown

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