Leading2Win 2025 Event Bridges Military-Civilian Divide in Texas

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 un-conference 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 that Leading to Win is about bridging the gap between military and civilian life, across generations and sectors, so that communities can be strengthened together.

Event highlights demonstrated significant community engagement with nearly 60 attendees at the 9/11 Memorial Reception at American Legion Post 76 featuring musical guest Monte Warden. The Friday Conference & Resource Fair at Dell Diamond attracted over 250 participants, including 51 Subject Matter Experts powered by Red Thread X and 25 organizations. The event featured a fireside chat with Navy Seal and former NFL Player Clint Bruce, providing unique insights into leadership transitions from military to civilian life. Co-located for all L2W attendees were representatives for the Meet Your Army event from Fort Hood, Texas, Army Futures Command, Army Recruiting Command and US Army ROTC, creating valuable networking opportunities between military organizations and civilian employers.

The Texas Army ROTC Tailgate at the University of Texas at Austin against UTEP football game drew over 75 participants, occurring just as US News and World Report named UT-Austin as the number one university in Texas for veterans. This timing highlighted the importance of educational institutions in supporting military-connected communities. The Travis Manion Foundation's 9/11 Heroes Run at Camp Mabry attracted more than 600 runners, demonstrating strong community support for honoring military service and sacrifice. Kopser noted that these numbers demonstrate the growing momentum of their mission, proving that when people are brought together across generations and communities, powerful connections are made.

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 to bridge the gap, empower veterans, and strengthen Texas communities through hands-on workshops, shared experiences and leadership opportunities. Lauren Postler, Finance Chair, expressed gratitude to sponsors and partner organizations including IBM, Patriots Hall Dripping Springs, Army Futures Command, JP Morgan Chase, American Legion Post 76, and Combined Arms that made the four-day series of events successful. The military connected community in Central Texas continues to prove it's one of the best in the world, and the foundation looks forward to continuing this momentum through future initiatives at Leading2Win.org.