MEET OUR FOUNDERS
The Will of a Warrior Foundation was born from lived experience, not textbooks.
After serving as a Marine and later retiring as a police sergeant, co-founder Richard Peña saw too many of his own teammates quietly drowning in PTSD, depression, and burnout.
He knew because he’d been there too.
Instead of keeping it buried, he started sharing his story — raw, personal, and unfiltered.
Those first conversations cracked something open, and from them, the Foundation was born.
Meet Richard
co-founder and facilitator
"After confronting my own battles with PTSD, anxiety and depression, I realized the power of unfiltered conversations. That's why we founded The Will of a Warrior - to share those raw experiences and help others find their path to healing."
Richard Peña has lived both sides of the fight. A Marine veteran and retired police sergeant, he spent 18 years on the front lines of service. Along the way, he became a Master Peace Officer, a Field Training Officer, a TCOLE Instructor, and a certified ALERRT Instructor. He built school safety programs, trained the next generation of officers, and carried the weight of leadership in one of the hardest professions there is.
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But the same uniform that gave him authority also came with scars — PTSD, depression, and anxiety that nearly swallowed him. Instead of hiding it, Richard chose to speak it. His raw honesty about survival — in uniform and as a man — has become the heartbeat of The Will of a Warrior Foundation. Today, he delivers keynotes, seminars, and CE-certified trainings that cut through clinical jargon and go straight to the truth. That’s why people see themselves in his story. And that’s why it saves lives.
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Bring Richard In to your department or event and start the conversation that saves lives.
Meet Démetra
co-founder and director of strategy
While Richard is the primary facilitator, any trainings are supported behind the scenes — and often in the room — by co-founder and Director of Strategy, Démetra Conrad.
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Démetra helps coordinate logistics, engages directly with attendees, and adds perspective when the moment calls for it. When she joins a session, people experience the impact of two voices — male and female, frontline and family, leadership and lived experience.
Together or solo, the mission doesn’t change: creating space for real, unapologetic dialogue.
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Ready to take the next step? Click here to bring this vital conversation to your team.
