Mark Nutsch

From the battlefield to the business world, Mark Nutsch shares his remarkable story and the secrets to his success—from leading a heroic 12-man Green Beret team in defeating the Taliban to founding a wildly popular and award-winning bourbon brand.

In October 2001 following the attacks on 9/11, Mark Nutsch led a team of U.S. Special Forces on a covert mission to Afghanistan, where they would ride to war on horses to fight the enemy—side by side with their Muslim counterparts—capture the strategic city of Mazar-i-Sharif within a matter of weeks, and successfully overthrow the Taliban. Now a consultant to Special Operations Command, he earned a Bronze Star with valor for his bravery. The story inspired a New York Times bestselling book by Doug Stanton, Horse Soldiers, and a 2018 major motion picture called 12 Strong, in which Mark is portrayed by actor Chris Hemsworth. 

Years after this historic event, Mark and a few of his fellow Green Berets teamed up for a different sort of mission: Co-founding American Freedom Distillery and their signature offering, Horse Soldier Bourbon, which is sold in bottles pressed in molds made from steel salvaged from the World Trade Center site. The company achieved remarkable success, and Horse Soldier Bourbon has won more than 30 awards, including three Double Gold Medals at the San Francisco International Spirits Competition, and in 2024 the brand became the “Official Dark Spirit” Sponsor of the Professional Bull Riders. 

On stage, Nutsch enthralls audiences with an edge-of-your-seat, behind-the-scenes account of how this almost unbelievable event played out, impacted the world, and earned them the gratitude of a nation. He also shares his impressive entrepreneurial story, discussing how he and his team applied the lessons they’d learned in the military—deliberate and focused planning, short and long term coordination, and maintaining a strategic vision—to grow their business and establish an unforgettable legacy. He inspires audiences to leverage these principles to achieve their own personal and professional goals. 

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