From Navy SEAL to Venture Builder:
Nuri Golan on Turning Elite Operators into Elite Entrepreneurs
In this week’s Team Never Quit Podcast, Marcus and Melanie are joined by Nuri Golan, a man who proves that elite performance doesn’t end when the uniform comes off — it evolves.
A Veteran and Officer in the Israeli Navy SEALs, Nuri transitioned from high-stakes maritime operations to high-impact venture creation. Today, he is a serial entrepreneur, startup advisor, investor, and Managing Partner of Vetted — a powerful platform helping combat veterans build world-class companies.
In this episode, Nuri shares how the mindset forged in special operations becomes a competitive advantage in the startup arena.
Building & Exiting Multiple Companies
Nuri’s entrepreneurial track record is nothing short of remarkable:
· Co-Founder & CEO of EXO Technologies (acquired by Lear Corporation)
· Co-Founder of Navmatic (acquired by Superpedestrian)
· Co-Founder of Sosivio
After EXO’s acquisition, Nuri went on to lead Lear’s corporate venture arm — investing in startups and venture funds, gaining firsthand insight into what separates promising founders from scalable operators.
He brings a rare perspective: he’s been the founder, the acquirer, and the investor.
Vetted: Unlocking the Entrepreneurial Power of Combat Veterans
Today, Nuri serves as Managing Partner of Vetted — an education, acceleration, and investment platform designed specifically for combat veterans from the U.S. and Israel.
Through:
· The Vetted Startup Accelerator
· The Alpha-Bet Entrepreneurship Program
Vetted equips veterans with:
· Hands-on mentorship
· Early-stage funding
· Tactical business education
· A powerful cross-border founder & investor network
The mission is clear: transform operational excellence into entrepreneurial success.
Bridging Two Innovation Powerhouses
As an Israeli-American, Nuri is passionate about strengthening collaboration between U.S. and Israeli veteran communities — two ecosystems known for innovation, resilience, and leadership.
He believes elite combat veterans represent one of the most untapped entrepreneurial resources in the world — disciplined, decisive, mission-driven leaders ready to build companies that matter.
This conversation with Nuri Golan delivers powerful insight from someone who has operated — and succeeded — at the highest levels.
In this episode you will hear:
• By the time he was 19 or 20 [my grandfather] had already graduated from college and was in the U.S. Army. (8:31)
• You don’t have to precheck in Israel because it’s mandatory service for Israeli’s. (9:25)
• We saw our family with tattoos on their arms from death camps and concentration camps they were sent to. (19:19)
• In Israel, all of our officers are “Mustangs.” (Prior enlisted and then cross over to become officers) (26:51)
• In Israel, you don’t really have a lot of senior enlisted guys, especially operators. The most senior guys – the ones with the most experience – are officers. (30:11)
Israeli Arabs, who are Israeli citizens, don’t have to serve. Ulta orthodox Jews are also exempt from service. (31:44)
• [Marcus] Do something for your people. (37:01)
• I really wanted to help create a program to help show them [combat veterans] how to utilize the skills they got from their military training and service in the business world, because I realized that a lot of the skills that I got from the military is what helped me become a successful entrepreneur.0 (40:46)
• Our program is open to all combat veterans from U.S and Israel. We also started an entrepreneurship school.0 (43:53)
• Hamas operators don’t walk around with rifles. (57:51)
• Their command centers are all under Mosques and hospitals by design. (58:37)
• There’s always conflict so you’ll go to Tel-Aviv in the middle of the war and you’ll still see people on the beach playing volleyball, and out at restaurants. We have to continue to go on. That’s how you fight terrorism. (61:36)
• Israel is one of the most important partners that the United States has in the global landscape. (66:36)
Support Nuri:
- https://accelerator.thevetted.vc/
Support TNQ
- IG: team_neverquit , marcusluttrell , melanieluttrell , huntero13
- https://www.patreon.com/teamneverquit
Sponsors:
- Navyfederal.org
- bubsnaturals.com [Promo code TNQ]
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