Our nineteenth recipient, (Major) Michael LeBlanc graduated from Harvard Business School in 2019 with an MBA.  Mike served as an infantry and intelligence officer throughout the course of his military career. He served twelve months as an advisor to the Afghan Army in Southern Helmand Province where he led over 300 combat patrols for which he was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal. Upon his return from Afghanistan, Mike joined 1st Reconnaissance Battalion in Camp Pendleton, and was immediately deployed to the Arabian Peninsula to join Joint Special Operations Task Force – Arabian Peninsula (JSOTF-AP).  Mike was awarded the Joint Service Achievement Medal for his work against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. He graduated from St. John’s College, Annapolis, MD, in 2009 with BA degrees in Philosophy and Math, and minors in Comparative Literature and Classics.  Mike is the Co-Founder, President, and Chief Operating Officer of Cobalt Robotics, a groundbreaking security company that utilizes artificial intelligence, machine learning, and fully autonomous security robots to ensure workplaces are safe and secure. Under Mike’s leadership, Cobalt has placed a major emphasis on veteran hiring and proudly participates in the Department of Defense’s Skillbridge program to help train and employ more veterans.  As a result, nearly one-third of Cobalt’s employees are former military. Mike resides in Irvine, CA, with his wife Chiryze, son, Mike Jr., and daughters, Claire and Elizabeth.