Meet Our Founders

  • Leroy Ashwood

    President & CEO

  • Elena Gonnella

    Advisor

  • Steven T. Woolner

    Advisor

  • Gerald R. Lucas, PhD

    U.S. Army Veteran, SES (R), Clerk

A Citizen’s Call to Action

Genesis Story

BRAVE President Leroy Ashwood responded to Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) founder Paul Rieckhoff’s citizens call to “Take Action” on April 9, 2009. Known as the “Joint Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record Initiative”, it aimed to digitize the administrative and medical jacket of every single Veteran who ever served. Leroy’s combined career history made him the perfect person to craft a dynamic and technical solution to the government’s problem. So, Leroy, Steven T. Woolner, and Gerald R. Lucas met with then US Veteran Administration’s Deputy Chief Information Officer for Enterprise Development, Paul Tibbits, to pitch Leroy’s plan of action. At the conclusion of the meeting, Paul pronounced: “No one has ever walked into this office with an idea like yours! You have your dream, now go back to Massachusetts and build your team!” Although that idea never came to fruition, all of what BRAVE is today is the grandchild of that meeting.

Board of Advisors

Leroy Ashwood — President & CEO, military family

Elena Gonnella — Co-Founder, military family

Steven T. Woolner — Co-Founder, military family

Gerald R. Lucas, PhD, U.S. Army Veteran — Co-Founder, SES (R), Clerk

David A. Grant, DBA, COL US Army (R), Immediate Past National Director, US Army Soldier for Life Program

Judy Hershberg, PT, DPT, MS, military family

Charlie DuQuette, MSgt. USMC (R)

David Preman, U.S. Army Veteran — Software Developer (R)

David Kaloupek, U.S. Army Veteran

Jim Quinlivan, U.S. Navy (R)

Joseph DiDonato, U.S. Army Veteran

Robert L. Phillips III, U.S. Air Force Veteran — Strategic Business Consultant

Anita Rossi — Special Projects, military family

Senior Leadership

Leroy Ashwood — President & CEO, military family

Steven T. Woolner — Co-Founder, military family

Charlie DuQuette, MSgt. USMC (R) — Director of Career Transition & Training

Gerald R. Lucas, PhD, U.S. Army Veteran — Co-Founder, SES (R), Clerk

David A. Grant, DBA, COL US Army (R), Immediate Past National Director, US Army Soldier for Life Program — Senior Advisor

David Preman, U.S. Army Veteran — Software Developer

Robert L. Phillips III, U.S. Air Force Veteran — Strategic Business Consultant

Rebecca Serva — Communications Director, military family

Ilse Allen — Director of Veterans Research, military family

Student Leadership

Julia Jakob — Director of Operations and Finance

Elena Bunker — Senior Leadership Assistant/Corporate Brand

Isabella Orkin Emmanuel — Director of Veterans Policy Development/ Government Relations

Brendan Zuzak — Corporate Data Analyst

Aavedon Roy — Assistant Director for Special Projects

Alumni

Kamila Haieva — International Business School (IBS)

Harry Watkin-Fox — University of Florida Law School

David Wang — Columbia University, Graduate Economics

Leah Peretsky — Cornell Law School

Zhyiu Wang — University of Chicago, Data Consultant

Sijia Lui — Columbia University Graduate School

Reese Farquhar — IBM

Research Interns

Francesca Auricchio — Project Planning Assistant

Benjamin Busch

Vivek Gautham Hein

Josephine Boampong

Silas Brooks Hedstrom

Year-end wrap up for BRAVE interns, 2025!

In Memoriam

Richard Gonci, Vietnam Veteran

Tom Noonan, Vietnam Veteran

Meet Our President

Leroy Ashwood, recipient of Brandeis University’s 2024 Alumni Achievement Award, serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of BRAVE for Veterans, Inc. Since founding the organization in 2009, Leroy—alongside his leadership team and a dedicated volunteer corps known as the Bravites—has built statewide recognition for helping veterans secure sustainable employment and transition successfully to civilian life.

Leroy’s career spans public service and social entrepreneurship, with leadership roles in the Massachusetts Departments of Corrections and Youth Services, where he helped adult and juvenile offenders get a second chance. He also served as a Federal Grants and Contracts Officer and Director of Authorization, Technical Division for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Human Services Secretariat, overseeing statewide initiatives that improved access and accountability.

His ability to “see the need behind the need” has made him a visionary in veteran advocacy. As COL Mark B. Sherkey Jr., US Army AWC, once remarked: “You see systems!”

Leroy’s commitment extends beyond BRAVE. He has served on numerous professional and community boards across Massachusetts, earning recognition for his contributions. Earlier in his career, his sales leadership helped his company win the AIIM National Award for Process and Innovation for a groundbreaking firearms registration system in Massachusetts—designed and implemented by BRAVE co-founder Elena Gonnella. For this achievement, Leroy was honored with the Vision Award, presented by the Director of the Massachusetts Firearms Bureau, who noted:

“This award will save many lives of police.”

Leroy continues to lead BRAVE with purpose, vision, and a deep commitment to those who’ve served.