Russell Ellis
Combat Veteran, TEDx Speaker & Catalyst for Courageous Change
Fields of expertise:
Russell “Jolly” Ellis is a combat veteran, TEDx speaker, and digital creator who has built a community of more than 8 million followers by refusing to say anything he doesn’t mean. His work centers on mental health, veteran identity, masculinity, civic engagement, and what it costs to change your mind in public.
Raised in the mountains of Western North Carolina in a household steeped in racism, Jolly enlisted in the Army after high school and served 13 years — including combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan as a military interrogator. After separating from service, he confronted his own conditioning head-on, beginning the public reckoning that would eventually reach millions.
He has spoken on the National Mall to thousands, delivered a TEDx Talk that NPR’s Eric Deggans called “one of the best dissections of white supremacy… I have ever seen,” and won the inaugural season of Discovery+’s Survive the Raft. He was credentialed press at the 2024 Democratic National Convention and quoted by the Associated Press. His 89,000-subscriber Substack and Top 5% engagement rates across Instagram and YouTube reflect an audience that doesn’t just follow it shows up.
