About
We looked for this community.
We couldn’t find it. So we built it.
Founded by two Chicago veterans who came home and ran into the same wall most veterans hit — the community they’d built in the military didn’t exist on the outside.
The Problem We Exist to Solve
Military service creates lifelong bonds. Civilian life often takes them away.
Many veterans, service members, and military families experience isolation, loss of identity, and fewer opportunities for meaningful connection after the uniform comes off.
Esprit exists to rebuild what service creates — purpose, belonging, leadership, wellness, and community — in the neighborhoods veterans already call home.
Why We Exist
Illinois is home to nearly half a million veterans; Chicago alone has more than sixty thousand. More than one in four continues serving through volunteering. The Foundation runs the programs where that service to the community continues.
Sources: 1 Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs (veterans.illinois.gov). 2 U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, Chicago city (census.gov). 3 AmeriCorps, Volunteering and Civic Life in America (americorps.gov). Figures reflect the most recent publicly-available data as of publication.
Our Story
Why we exist.
Esprit de Corps Foundation was founded by Damian Garcia and Rogelio Villa — two Chicago veterans who came home and ran into the same wall most veterans hit: the community they’d built in the military didn’t exist on the outside.
Damian is a U.S. Army veteran who continues to serve in the Illinois National Guard. Rogelio is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran. Between them, they’ve lived both sides of the transition — the camaraderie of service and the silence that follows it.
What they wanted was simple: a place with the energy of a YMCA and the soul of a USO. Somewhere active, welcoming, and always open — where veterans can be themselves, military families feel seen, and civilians who care about this community can show up and belong.
Not a program. Not a support group. A home.
Meet the Team
The people carrying the mission.
Veteran-led. Chicago-built. Every person on this team serves because they believe Chicago deserves a stronger veteran community than the one we inherited.
Founder & President
Damian Garcia
U.S. Army Veteran · Illinois National Guard
“I didn’t start Esprit because veterans needed another nonprofit. I started it because they deserved another place to belong.”
After serving on active duty in the United States Army and transitioning to the Illinois Army National Guard as a Non-Commissioned Officer, Damian learned early that leadership is the quiet work of taking responsibility for the people beside you — a standard he still holds himself to every day. That same standard is what showed him the problem: too many veterans were leaving behind the uniform without finding a new community to belong to.
Rather than start another program, he envisioned something larger: a permanent home where veterans, families, first responders, students, and neighbors could build relationships through recreation, leadership, service, and community.
That vision became the Esprit de Corps Foundation.
Today Damian leads the Foundation’s long-term strategy, partnerships, and campus development while continuing to serve in the Illinois Army National Guard.
Why I Serve
“A unit isn’t the base you serve on. It’s the people who have your back. Esprit is where that keeps happening after the uniform comes off.”
Leading
- Strategic Vision
- Community Partnerships
- Organizational Growth
- Long-Term Campus Development
Co-Founder & Vice President
Rogelio Villa
U.S. Marine Corps Veteran
“Leadership isn’t measured by rank. It’s measured by the people you’re willing to keep serving after the uniform comes off.”
Rogelio brings decades of leadership, mentorship, and service to the Foundation. As a United States Marine Corps veteran, he helps shape Esprit’s culture, volunteer leadership, and long-term vision — ensuring the organization stays grounded in the values of service, accountability, and community.
He works closely with veterans, community partners, and volunteers to turn ideas into programs that strengthen Chicago’s veteran community — from neighborhood service projects to the events that put the Foundation on the ground where it’s needed.
Why I Serve
“Every Marine a rifleman means every person counted, every hand needed. Nothing changed when I took the uniform off — I just started counting a bigger community.”
Leading
- Veteran Engagement
- Volunteer Leadership
- Program Operations
- Community Partnerships
Why We Lead
Leadership isn’t about titles.
We believe leadership means creating opportunities for others to belong, grow, and serve. Every person on this team shows up because they believe Chicago deserves a stronger veteran community than the one we inherited — and because they’re willing to help build it.
Where service continues.
This community needs you.
Three paths into the Foundation's work.
Show Up
Attend an event. Meet the community. Belonging starts by walking in the door.
See Upcoming EventsSupport the Mission
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