Leading to Win Texas Foundation Hosts Successful Leadership Event Bridging Military and Civilian Communities

The Leading to Win Texas Foundation successfully hosted Leading2Win 2025: Bridging the Gap, a four-day leadership event held September 11–14 across venues in Austin and Round Rock, Texas. The gathering brought together service members, veterans, spouses, employers, military supporters and community leaders while facilitating new connections, shared expertise and strengthened resilience across generations and sectors.

Joseph Kopser, L2W Planning Chair and Leading to Win Texas Foundation Board Chair and Co-Founder, emphasized the event's purpose. "Leading to Win is about bridging the gap between military and civilian life, across generations and sectors, so that we can strengthen our communities together," Kopser stated.

The event series attracted significant participation across multiple activities. Nearly 60 attendees gathered at the 9/11 Memorial Reception at American Legion Post 76, featuring musical guest Monte Warden. The Friday Conference & Resource Fair at Dell Diamond drew over 250 participants, including 51 Subject Matter Experts powered by Red Thread X and 25 organizations. The conference featured a fireside chat with Navy Seal and former NFL Player Clint Bruce.

Military representation was substantial throughout the events, with co-located representatives from the Meet Your Army event from Fort Hood, Texas, Army Futures Command, Army Recruiting Command and US Army ROTC. Over 75 participants attended the Texas Army ROTC Tailgate at the University of Texas at Austin against UTEP football game, coinciding with US News and World Report naming UT-Austin as the number one university in Texas for veterans.

The Travis Manion Foundation's 9/11 Heroes Run at Camp Mabry attracted more than 600 runners, demonstrating strong community engagement. These participation numbers reflect the growing momentum of the foundation's mission according to event organizers.

"Leading2Win 2025 proved that when we bring people together across generations and communities, powerful connections are made," said Kopser. "From the 9/11 Memorial Reception to the Travis Manion Foundation's 9/11 Heroes Run, every moment reinforced our mission of bridging the gap and building a stronger, more resilient future."

With 20 sponsors and donors and hundreds of attendees across multiple events, Leading2Win 2025 underscored the importance of collaboration between military and civilian communities. The foundation continues its work through hands-on workshops, shared experiences and leadership opportunities to bridge the gap, empower veterans, and strengthen Texas communities. Sponsors and partner organizations included IBM, Patriots Hall Dripping Springs, Army Futures Command, JP Morgan Chase, American Legion Post 76, and Combined Arms. For more information about the foundation and future events, visit https://Leading2Win.org.