Mizzen+Main and Special Operators Transition Foundation

At Mizzen+Main, we talk a lot about showing up. Not just looking sharp, but bringing your best to whatever’s in front of you. That’s exactly what drew us to the Special Operators Transition Foundation (SOTF).

SOTF helps America’s most elite warriors take on one of the toughest missions of their lives: the transition from military service to civilian life. These men and women come from a culture built on precision, trust, and performance under pressure. The shift to corporate life can be disorienting, and that’s where SOTF steps in.

As SOTF CEO Austin Moore explains, “They emerge from a highly specialized career environment with its own language, customs, and culture, and the transition to corporate America can be disorienting. The Operator culture values performance above all, which can contrast with the office dynamics in some corporations. Operators also face difficulty translating their experience into civilian terms. Skills that have ensured mission success… leadership under extreme duress, adaptability, resiliency… do not always map neatly onto corporate job descriptions, leaving employers uncertain about how to evaluate them.”

SOTF’s program lasts 6 to 18 months, providing structured coaching, corporate exposure, and alumni engagement. It’s designed to make each transition successful, sustainable, and worthy of the person making it. “The result is mutually reinforcing,” Moore says, “as Operators achieve fulfilling civilian careers while corporations gain leaders who deliver disproportionate impact.”

That’s a mission worth standing behind.

One SOTF Fellow, a 20-year Army veteran with 16 combat rotations, now leads in the private sector at a defense technology company. His words sum up what SOTF makes possible:

“From start to finish, I learned WHO I am from WHAT I experienced in the military. This helped me articulate HOW to be an asset in the private sector. I’m grateful for everyone’s dedication to helping Special Operations veterans transition into the workforce. We served the greatest country in the world, and SOTF continues to do the same.”

That mindset—to see a problem and fix a problem—is what connects Mizzen+Main and SOTF.

Together, we created a limited-edition Mizzen+Main t-shirt with one powerful phrase across the chest:

SEND ME.

Those two words represent courage, service, and a willingness to lead—the same spirit that defines our military veterans and the same values we try to embody every day.

Every shirt sold supports SOTF’s mission to help Special Operations veterans transition successfully into their next chapter. Because when they thrive, everyone benefits: their families, their communities, and the companies lucky enough to have them.