Hello Whitefish Podcast · July 2023
Ex-CIA Special Agent / Air Force PJ - Who Is Nic McKinley?
Nic McKinley's first appearance on Hello Whitefish - an origin story conversation covering his path from Air Force Pararescue to the CIA, why he moved to Montana, and how he built DeliverFund from scratch to apply intelligence tools to human trafficking.
Watch on YouTubeHosted by Hello Whitefish
Key Takeaways
- The decision to leave the CIA was a recognition that the private sector offered more operational leverage on the trafficking problem than anything available inside government.
- Air Force Pararescue instills an operating standard that does not degrade when you leave the military - it becomes the floor, not the ceiling.
- The Flathead Valley is not a retreat from the work - it is the base from which DeliverFund operates.
- What building DeliverFund from scratch actually required: the mistakes, the funding gaps, and what almost ended the organization in its first year.
CIAAir Force PJDeliverFundOrigin Story
From the episode
Nic McKinley is a former CIA Special Agent and Air Force PJ.
He is currently the CEO of Deliverfund - a counter human trafficking intelligence nonprofit based in Whitefish, Montana.
In 2021, he helped orchestrate the escape of the Afghan Youth Girls National Soccer Team from the Taliban during the American withdrawal.
Episode chapters · 1:08:55
3:11
Career as an Air Force Pararescueman (PJ)
5:07
PJ School
15:39
"Not making it out alive"
16:53
Was a PJ with Seal Team 6
23:58
Role in the CIA as a special agent
41:17
Starting DeliverFund
42:02
How to fight Human Trafficking
1:00:15
Operation coordinated from Whitefish, Montana