By the time she arrived at Vanderbilt to pursue her MBA, Marjorie Eastman already had a notable academic and military record. As an undergraduate, she studied Slavonic and East European Studies in London and was competitively selected as a White House intern. Later, she earned a Masters in International Studies and was one of 56 students selected for the FBI’s Honors Internship Program.

After 9/11, Eastman enlisted in the U.S. Army and served as an intelligence officer and commander. Her ten years of service included two combat deployments, first in Iraq and then, six years later, in Afghanistan. During the latter tour of duty, when she led more than 100 soldiers, Eastman was ranked the #1 Military Intelligence Company Commander in Eastern Afghanistan and was awarded a Bronze Star. In between her missions overseas, as an Army Reservist, she applied her intelligence expertise as a business development lead for Lockheed Martin.

 In 2017, Eastman received the National Independent Publisher Book Award for her memoir, The Frontline Generation: How We Served Post-9/11. The book, which became the first to define post-9/11 service and leadership, is on the recommended reading list for the U.S. Army Military Intelligence Center of Excellence library and museum. PBS’ Veterans Coming Home initiative characterized her as a “veteran thought leader,” and in 2018, she was selected as one of the “Mighty 25” – the nation’s Top 25 Influencers Supporting the Military Community. 

She is a keynote speaker and contributing writer and business mentor who also works with the National Security Innovation Network. A recent project of hers is the 2019 Bicycle Collectible Deck of 52 playing cards that showcase high-impact charities and businesses founded by members of the military community after 9/11. Eastman currently leads global strategic communications for NET Power, a clean energy firm that is commercializing a revolutionary power system that captures carbon.