Ep. 117 From Marine to Machine Learning: Paul Hylenski’s Mission to Fix the VA System

In this inspiring episode of The MilVet Podcast, host Beau Higgins sits down with Paul Hylenski, CEO and Founder of Vet Mentor AI, Marine Corps veteran, best-selling author, and 4x Tedx Speaker to explore his journey from the flight line to the forefront of artificial intelligence. After serving eight years in the Marine Corps — including at the prestigious Presidential Helicopter Squadron (HMX-1) — Paul faced the same frustrating, confusing VA disability claims process that so many veterans struggle with. Denied multiple times and left with only a 10% rating, he decided to take matters into his own hands. Teaching himself to code five programming languages in just six months, Paul built his own AI platform to navigate the VA system — ultimately recovering the full benefits he deserved. 💡 Key Takeaways from This Episode:The creation of Vet Mentor AI, an avatar-driven platform that analyzes VA claims and helps veterans refile with precision.How AI uncovered a shocking VA error: a veteran’s claim had been denied using another veteran’s medical records.Paul"s battle-tested leadership lessons — and how bad managers inspired his bestselling books and multiple TEDx Talks.Why error-proofing processes, not people, is the future of effective leadership in both military and civilian organizations.The importance of resilience, perseverance, and taking the shot — whether you"re applying for a TED Talk or building something that doesn’t exist yet. This episode is a must-listen for veterans navigating the benefits system, leaders seeking a more human-centered approach, and anyone curious about the real-world potential of AI for social impact. #TheMilVetPodcast #VeteranSuccess #VetMentorAI #PaulHylenski #AIForGood #LeadershipMatters #MarineCorps #VAClaims #VeteranSupport #TEDxSpeaker #VeteranEntrepreneur Thanks for listening! Here"s how you can find us to continue the conversation: Tweet us at @brendan_aronson Follow us on Instagram at @themilitaryvet Subscribe to our Weekly Newsletter at https://www.themilvet.org/resources-for-veterans Check out our video content on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/@themilitaryvet