Author • Military Veteran • Public Servant • Speaker on Leadership, Inequality, & Civic Renewal
Leave the World
a Better Place
Than You Found It
I do this work because I know what it feels like to wonder if the system will ever work for you. I know what it’s like to fight your way forward, to keep showing up, and still feel like the odds are stacked against you.
I’ve seen friends and neighbors working multiple jobs and still falling behind. I’ve felt the frustration of voting for change and yet watching nothing change. And I understand the quiet resignation of the millions who’ve stopped believing their voice matters.
The truth is: I’ve wrestled with those same doubts. But I also know that giving up isn’t an option. What we’ve been trying in politics hasn’t worked — and that’s exactly why I believe we need new ideas, new approaches, and new energy.
This moment can feel overwhelming, but I believe in us. I believe in the answers we already have and in the power of people coming together to make them real.
That’s why I’m here. And that’s why I’m asking you to join me.
Christopher Rivers is a former US Army officer and combat veteran who enlisted at 17 and served in Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan. A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Physics with a focus on Nuclear Engineering, as well as master’s degrees in Public Policy and Foreign Service from Georgetown University.
Following his military service, Rivers worked as a policy advisor and problem-solver at the US Department of State and later in the private sector, helping organizations navigate complex operational and strategic challenges. His career spans national security, diplomacy, corporate problem-solving, and candidacy for statewide political office—giving him a unique perspective on how power is exercised across institutions.
You Shouldn’t Have to Kill to Get Ahead is his first book.