Nicholas McKinley is a former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operative and US Air Force veteran. He is also the founder of DeliverFund.[1]
Early life and education
editKinley is originally from Montana.[2][3] He studied at Harvard Extension School (HES) and earned a Bachelor of Liberal Arts.[2][4]
Career
editMcKinley's professional journey began in the United States Air Force, where he served eleven years as a pararescueman (PJ) within the Special Operations community.[5] His duties involved performing high-risk rescue missions and providing medical care in combat zones.[6][1] McKinley joined the CIA in 2007 as an operative in the agency's Directorate of Operations component,[6] where he gathered intelligence on global threats.[1][4] During his time as a CIA Operative, he was nearly abducted at a checkpoint by terrorists while stationed in North Africa, but managed to negotiate his way out of the situation without the use of physical violence.[6] He left the CIA in 2014 to start a family and establish the non-profit organization DeliverFund.[2][4][3] In its first three years, DeliverFund produced intelligence leading to the arrest of four pimps.[7] The organization expanded in 2018, assisting law enforcement in the arrest of 19 traffickers and rescuing 17 victims.[7] In the first nine months of 2019, DeliverFund helped arrest 25 traffickers and 64 buyers of underage sex.[7] DeliverFund also provided intelligence that helped take down the listings site Backpage in 2018.[7]
As part of a team of special operations experts, he also assisted in the evacuation of the Afghan girls' soccer team to Lisbon, Portugal, following the Taliban takeover in the summer of 2021.[8]
Personal life
editHis experiences at the CIA have led to comparisons with the fictional character Jack Ryan, a CIA analyst and field operative created by author Tom Clancy. He is married.[6]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Courage Under Fire: How Ex-CIA Officer Nic McKinley Dodged Bullets, Spies & Terrorists". Spyscape. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- ^ a b c "Nic McKinlay". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- ^ a b Brewster, Thomas (2023-10-04). "iphone app promises to identify human traffickers critics say it endangers victims". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- ^ a b c Throp, Charles (2018-09-26). "Meet the CIA Officer Who Brings Realism to Amazon's Jack Ryan". Men's Journal. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- ^ "Ex CIA officer & USAF pararescueman". Spyex. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- ^ a b c d Capote, Nicholas (2023-06-21). Nic McKinley - The Real Jack Ryan by VICE Media (Documentary). Vice Media.
- ^ a b c d Captain, Sean (2019-11-04). "This AI can spot signs of human trafficking in online sex ads". Fast Company. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- ^ Margolius, Marie (2023-08-24). "How the Afghan Girls' Soccer Team Started Life Anew". Time (magazine). Retrieved 2024-10-02.