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In honor of Veterans Day earlier in the month, we wanted to focus our November NYCSA event on an entrepreneurial journey from the military to the private sector. As is widely reported, the transition back to civilian life can be challenging, and support systems for veterans are not always as advertised. On the other hand, many veterans have made successful transitions back into the private sector and are thriving. Please join us in welcoming Marine Corps Sgt. (Ret.) Ryan Loya to discuss his journey from service to civilian life and hear a soldier’s perspective on how the civilian community supports our veterans – and how we could do better. Ryan Loya is Co-Founder and CEO of Biommunity, a biopharmaceutical company currently commercializing a botanical supplement to treat PTSD, and starting a double-blinded clinical trial with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. Ryan served ten years in the U.S. Marine Corps, deployed four times, two of which were to Afghanistan. He was awarded the Purple Heart, and Navy Commendation, with a Combat V for Valor. During his transition from military to civilian life in March 2017, Ryan co-founded Irreverent Warriors, a national non-profit generating awareness and prevention of veteran suicide. He also co-authored legislation, to reform the Department of Defense Transition Assistance Program (TAP). Key mandates from the “Loya-Sears Warrior Transition Assistance Reform Act of 2018” are now in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2019, requiring earlier pre-separation counseling, standardized curriculum, increased participation rates, and improved transition assistance resources. Ryan previously worked for a global advertising firm, FCB Health, in which he launched REBOOT, the first network-wide Veteran hiring initiative for the Interpublic Group (IPG).