Jon Macaskill (muh-KAS-kill) is a retired Navy SEAL Commander turned consultant and mindfulness and meditation teacher. He was born in South Africa but grew up in Ruston, Louisiana. After graduating high school, he served as an enlisted sailor in the US Navy receiving an appointment to the US Naval Academy and graduating with a BS in mathematics 4 years later. After graduating Basic Underwater Demolition / SEAL (BUD/S) training in class 239, Jon went on to serve another 18 years in the Naval Special Warfare community. Jon did 7 combat deployments in Iraq, Afghanistan, and off the coast of Somalia, and did additional work in Panama, Jordan, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates. Later in his career, Jon attended the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California and attained his MS in Operations Research. After retiring from the Navy in August 2020, he served briefly as the Deputy Executive Director for the veteran nonprofit, Veteran’s PATH. He now runs a podcast called Men Talking Mindfulness; does keynote speaking engagements on developing leadership, grit, and resilience; and owns his own consulting company, Macaskill Consulting, LLC. In all three roles, his desire is to improve cultures and individuals through mindfulness, meditation, vulnerability, and compassion. Jon’s wife, Beka, also served in the Navy and is now a civilian Orthopedic Physician Assistant. Together, they are the proud parents of three small children and recently after an adventurous 6 months as a family in an RV, they settled on a small farm in Colorado Springs