Today we’d like to introduce you to Ric Juarez.
Hi Ric, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I currently live in Flower Mound, Texas, though like many retired service members, I’m a transplant shaped by years of moving between duty stations. My career in the U.S. Navy took me across the country and around the world: San Diego, Ventura, San Francisco, Kaneohe (Hawaii), Okinawa (Japan), Jacksonville, Corpus Christi, and multiple six-month deployments in remote and often undisclosed locations.
I flew for the U.S. Navy, a role that exposed me to both immense hardship and the privilege of helping others in moments of crisis. I truly believed (and still do) in our U.S. Navy motto: “A global force for good.” That belief was deeply personal. I was born in Peru and became an orphan at seven years old, having already survived a near-death burn accident at the age of two. Throughout my life, during wartime deployments and later when I was diagnosed with cancer at 38, I was repeatedly reminded how fragile and precious life can be.
After 20 years of military service, I retired and entered the corporate world. I worked at SpaceX, where I led teams building spacecraft, and later led manufacturing and testing, producing large-scale drones. Professionally, I had reached a place of success—but personally, everything changed in 2021.
That year, our family lost our first granddaughter before she reached the age of two. The magnitude of that loss forced me to pause and reevaluate my purpose, priorities, and the impact I wanted my life’s work to have.
Out of that reflection came a decisive change. I founded Dear Future, Inc., a nonprofit based in Flower Mound, Texas, focused on reaching children in some of the most remote regions of the world. Our mission is simple but powerful: to provide education and health to children living in remote and extremely poor regions of the world. We do this by providing essential school materials—such as notebooks, pencils, and crayons—and by supplying hygienic pads for girls, ensuring they never have to miss weeks of school due to a lack of these basic resources.
Dear Future represents the convergence of my life experiences—survival, service, loss, and hope—and my continued commitment to being a global force for good.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No, it has not been a smooth road. I’ve faced meaningful personal and professional challenges. From early life instability and serious illness to the demands of wartime military service, cancer, and later navigating profound personal loss.
Founding a nonprofit brought a different kind of complexity. Building support as an organically grown organization required persistence and trust-building, while operating in remote regions demanded constant problem-solving around logistics, access, and reliability. That work often meant long stretches of travel, hundreds of hours in economy class, moving from place to place to ensure resources reached the children who needed them most. While difficult, these challenges refined my leadership, deepened my commitment, and reaffirmed the purpose behind the work.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Nonprofit – My work focuses on removing the barriers that prevent children from accessing education in remote and underserved communities. As the founder of Dear Future, Inc., I specialize in practical, scalable solutions; providing essential school materials and hygienic pads for girls, so children can attend school consistently and with dignity.
I truly believe education is the most important pillar for human progress, and with that belief comes a responsibility to help children who cannot help themselves, and my call is especially for children in regions that are often forgotten. I am known for a hands-on, field-driven approach, working directly in these communities to ensure resources reach those who need them most.
What I am most proud of is building an organization with integrity and measurable impact from the ground up. What sets me apart is the combination of lived experience, operational leadership, and a deep personal commitment to showing up (again and again) for the children we serve.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
Several books and voices have been influential in shaping how I approach leadership, service, and life more broadly. The teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh, including The Art of Power, Taming the Tiger Within, Fear, and The Art of Communicating have been especially grounding, helping me live with presence, compassion, and clarity, even in high-pressure environments.
Start Something That Matters by Blake Mycoskie, founder of TOMS, reinforced the idea that purpose and impact can be built into an organization from the very beginning. Letting Go by David R. Hawkins has also played an important role in helping me navigate the journey within, loss, uncertainty, and emotional resilience.
During long journeys, I often turn to podcasts for reflection and perspective. I regularly listen to The Diary of a CEO and 10% Happier for conversations on growth, mindset, and leadership. When I need a mental reset, The Why Files provides an entertaining break.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dear-future.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dearfuturengo
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/dearfutureusa
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dear-future-inc
Image Credits
All images here belong to Dear Future, Inc.
All rights reserved.
