John E. Wade II is an investor, philanthropist, and founder of the nonprofit organization Soldiers of Love. He has committed the efforts of Soldiers of Love to improve local schools and provide better mental health for the community, drawing on his own experiences with bipolar disorder. Wade is devoted to encouraging and enabling ordinary people to work together to build a better world. Trained in accounting, Wade held financial and advisory positions in many sectors, including the textile industry, wine companies, and the United States Custom Service. He retired in 1999.

An active member of St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church, Wade serves on several committees and volunteers his time at the church. He belongs to the Bienville Club, the Round Table Club, Krewe d'Tat, and the Mississippi State University Bulldog Club. Wade, an avid traveler, has visited China, India, most of Europe, Egypt, Mexico, the Caribbean, and the Holy Land.

He earned a B.B.A and M.A. in accounting from the University of Georgia, where he served as president of Beta Alpha Psi, the accounting honor society. When not working on his next book or working in the community, Wade enjoys watching the New Orleans Saints and Mississippi State University football and traveling and listening to music. He lives in New Orleans.