From his years in the military to his current role as managing director at JPMorgan Chase — where he helps veterans build their own businesses — Alex MacIndra Jr. is a veteran success story.
And his story has a long history, going back generations of his family in the small town of Union Chapel, Arkansas.
Masters generations
In the year In the late 1800s, MacIndra’s great-grandfather, Reuben Frank MacIndra, moved his family to Union Chapel, a town originally populated by freed black slaves.
Working on their family’s farm, the MacKindras made a name for themselves by demonstrating their ability and aptitude for hard work. That is, the family used mentoring programs, as well as public and private funding, to not only start their family farm, but to grow it, and grow it.
Amidst the success of the family business, the McIndres never lost sight of the importance of giving back and reaching out to others in their community and community. Generations of MacIndras have given their lives to the military and then to their communities when they return home.
“I wouldn’t be where I am now if it wasn’t for the opportunities that counseling has provided,” says MacKindra. “The farm my family was able to start, with the support and mentorship of others, has helped educate and clothe every generation of my family since the 1880s.”
Paying it forward
MacIndra chose to honor his roots by following in his father’s footsteps and joining the military. In the year He graduated from West Point in 1993 and then served a tour as a captain in the United States Air Force.
Armed with the life experience and knowledge he gained from his service — and a freshly minted MBA from the University of Southern California — MacIndra dove into the world of corporate finance. He quickly rose through the ranks, building a reputation for his intelligence, reliability, and kindness. Today, he works as a managing director for JPMorgan Chase Commercial Banking.
In the midst of his own success, McKindra’s wanted to help those like his grandfather Reuben who risked their lives for their country and now want to break ground as civilians.
At JPMorgan Chase, he continued to advocate for veterans, eventually co-leading JPMorgan Chase’s commercial banking veteran initiatives program with Army veteran Terry Hill.
Currently, McKindra and Hill are working with JPMorgan Chase and Bunker Labs, a national nonprofit organization, to build programs to help veteran small business owners. Together, they created CEOcircle, a 13-month mentoring program tailored to help mid-sized military-affiliated companies grow. Through this program, veteran business owners and their families will receive the guidance and resources they need to succeed, including education, networking and one-on-one financial advice from JPMorgan Chase advisors. The program empowers businesses that support military families for generations to come – businesses like MacIndra Farms.
The new program launched nationwide last year and will welcome its second batch of 80 military-related businesses this November.
“If my grandfather were here today, I want him to know that he not only built our family, but that he instilled in us the values that allowed hundreds of other veterans to accelerate and thrive. They own future businesses,” McKindra said. “I know he’d be proud of that.”
