Who We Are
Founder
Chris Warnes, MBA
Chris Warnes is a serial entrepreneur, speaker, online business coach, life mentor and author focused on self-awareness, purpose, spirituality, mindset, leadership, company culture, leadership and the true meaning of entrepreneurship. His work has been recognized locally, nationally, and internationally.
After two tours in the military, Chris lives and breathes the warrior mindset. His mindset is superlative. His companies operate from the culture and core values that he lives by and represents. His methodology, a tactical approach that produces results for both clients and students. His care for people, discipline and accountability sets him apart from all his competitors.
Chris is also known to many as CW, an 8-figure entrepreneur and highly successful figure in the fitness industry. In over 13 years, Chris has built six companies, ranging from online fitness coaching, a full-service gym, Real Estate, high-end timepiece trading and now Warrior Consulting.
Chris has a natural talent for transforming people and businesses with visions and goals into tangible revenue. However, there’s nothing that fulfills him more than growing his team and everyone around him both personally and professionally. He lives a purposefully driven life. Dedicating it to teaching and showing others what they can’t see to overcome obstacles, as well as, stepping aside from themselves to grow.
Now he has founded The Clark Initiative to help excel, educate, and empower veterans and veteran entrepreneurs to create a life for themselves after coming back home. With The Clark Initiative, many veterans will be able to live a life full of prosperity and a greater future.
Executive Director
Paola Santamaría
Paola was born in Barranquilla, Colombia and was always involved in art from a young age. She traveled to the USA at age 17 to study English for one year but ended up staying to study art, graphic design, photography and art history. When Paola finished school, she got married and started a family. While raising her family, Paola opened a store selling children’s décor while selling her art, creating murals, and personalizing products for gifts. After getting pregnant with 2nd child, Paola decided to focus solely on her family and decided to close her store, later to reopen virtually. While raising her family, Paola focused on refining her photography skills and as an artist overall. When her youngest went to preschool, Paola began teaching art to children in a local studio while visiting schools as part of her role. Paola went on to change her careers and align her focus and future within the world of business with a desire to grow. She took a role as personal assistant to Chris Warnes & Warrior Consulting as well as leveraging her photography skills. She began to grow within Warrior Consulting eventually assuming the role of Creative Director for the 4+ Warrior Brand businesses. She is directly responsible to facilitate the grow of the brand as well as bringing to life content within the client’s vision. Today, Paola operates her store TheMarketPointe on Etsy in addition to being a mom, professional photographer, artist, graphic designer and Creative Director. Paola’s determination and passion to help others grow and expand their lives and their minds directly translates to her passion to serve as Executive Director for The Clark Initiative.
Vice President
Wes Taylor
Wes Taylor enlisted in the United States Army in April of 2001 as an infantryman, with the intention of serving his 4-year commitment and getting out to return to college. Twenty-three years, multiple combat deployments, and a myriad of challenging assignments later, he retired from the military in September of 2024 and has taken his abilities to the manufacturing sector, where he is implementing organizational changes to develop the workforce and company processes to increase efficiency while lowering costs.
As a veteran, and someone who has been involved with The Clark Initiative since its beginning, Wes is humbled to bring his problem solving and leadership abilities to the team in order to empower and educate other veterans as they navigate the challenges of transitioning to civilian life. TCI holds a very deep personal meaning to him, and he feels honored every day to be involved with the organization.
Director of Fundraising
Patrick Shaughnessy
Patrick’s formative years on Long Island’s North Shore were steeped in history. The sprawling estates of industry titans like J.P. Morgan, Carnegie, Rockefeller, and Pratt, and the very streets designed to serve them, provided a constant reminder of ambition and influence. These settings, which fueled the imagination and writings of F. Scott Fitzgerald, instilled in Patrick a desire to leave his own legacy.
Driven by a desire to serve, Patrick enlisted in the Navy in 2011 as a Hospital Corpsman. His initial orders to Portsmouth Naval Hospital and the USNS Comfort were altered, but his commitment to his patients and fellow sailors remained steadfast, often marked by a willingness to go above and beyond, sometimes with reckless pursuit.
Upon graduating from SUNY Maritime with a degree in International Transportation and Trade, Patrick entered the heavy equipment rental industry. Here, he honed the crucial skills of customer relations, sales, and operations, which are now pivotal to his success in managing his own property management, small business consulting, and merchant services firms. He places paramount importance on customer satisfaction.
Patrick possesses a remarkable ability to connect with people from all backgrounds, engaging in deep and insightful conversations that have fostered valuable relationships with industry leaders and clients. He understands the power of genuine connection.
Patrick’s ambition is to revolutionize customer service and make a meaningful impact. Guided by the African proverb, “If you want to go far, go together,” he strives to elevate others while building his entrepreneurial ventures.
Director of Communications
Jake Barratt
Jake Barratt was raised in East Granby, Connecticut. After high school Jake worked in the logistics field before becoming an entrepreneur.
Seeing a need for customer service in the tree and landscape industry, Jake formed Barratt Enterprises in 2018. Barratt Enterprises is a full service tree and landscape company that aims to always exceed the customer’s expectations.
Jake also enjoys shooting trap, skeet, and sporting clays any chance he gets.
Secretary
Josh Ward
Josh Ward was born in Kingsport, Tennessee. He graduated from Sullivan South High School in 2002. After high school He enlisted in the US ARMY as a 12 Bravo Combat Engineer. Upon completion of his basic training and advanced individual training (AIT). He set out for his first duty assignment at Ft Campbell, Kentucky. There he completed two tours in Iraq with the 101st Airborne Div with B co 326 En Bn on the first tour, and A co 2/101st BTSB. I served and fought alongside Sgt Clark both tours.
After getting out of the Army in 2009, Josh headed home and started working at a local restaurant rolling sushi. After about three years of rolling sushi, He decided he need more in his life and decided that he was going to dedicate his life to serving his fellow veterans.
Josh hopes to be an asset in The Clark Initiative and help as many veterans as possible achieve their goals of becoming the leaders they are meant to be.
He also enjoys, brain games, guns, watches, cars and food!
Web Designer
Alex Perez
Alejandro (Alex) Perez is an Air Force veteran with 14 years of service and is still proudly serving today. Born and raised in Stamford, Connecticut, graduating from West Hill High School in 2007 and joined the ANG in 2011. After completing his training he went to school for Web Design & Development and has 5 years experience as a Web Developer. Whether it’s through clean code or visual design, Alex has a strong passion for making things look good and function even better; something he considers one of his specialties.
Outside of work and service, Alex enjoys creating with his hands, from building wooden projects to crafting props inspired by movies with his 2 kids. Currently Alex is diving deeper into the world of artificial intelligence, aiming to grow it into a future career and business. Always looking for ways to blend creativity with technology, Alex brings a unique perspective and hands-on approach to everything he does.