presents:
Final Fight:
Understanding PTSD in the Workplace and Beyond
A StoryBolt Documentary Screening & Discussion Session
brought to you by:
Largely unknown to most Americans, over the last 20 years, the United States has lost almost five times as many active service members and veterans to suicide than have been lost in all of the Global War on Terrorism operations.
Final Fight: When the Trauma of War Comes Home goes deeper than any documentary to date in revealing the root causes of this tragic epidemic by profiling a diverse group of veterans struggling with either combat and sexual assault-related Post Traumatic Stress, a major cause of suicide.
As the devastating war ground on, military brass, struggling to fight the longest-running war in United States history, largely ignored- not only the connection between traumatic brain injuries and suicide- but uncontrolled sexual assault among the rank and file. Leading experts in the field of PTS therapy and brain science offer hope and answers to the struggling veterans profiled in the series but also to the family and friends who love them.
Guest Speaker
Danny O’Neel signed up for the Army on 9/11 as an artillery Forward Observer at 19 years old. He quickly climbed the ranks to sergeant and became a squad leader in only 17 months.
Danny is now an entrepreneur owning Kinetic Ink and Kinetic Threads, as well as the Founder and Chairman of the Board for Warfighter Overwatch, helping his fellow veterans come home from the battlefield and combat veteran suicide.
Event Facilitator
Dr. Vernon Johnson is an accomplished and results-oriented professional with hands-on experience in diversity and inclusion, program coordination, organizational leadership, and community health. Dr. Johnson attended Southern Illinois University-Carbondale for his bachelor's and master’s degrees in healthcare management and public health. Dr. Johnson also has a certificate in diversity and inclusion from Cornell University. Dr. Johnson received his doctorate in organizational leadership at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology with his dissertation focusing on women of color in STEM careers and their barriers and supports through an intergenerational lens.
Event Coordinator
Heather Winandy is the Director of Partnerships and Experiences at StoryBolt, involved in events with Disability:IN Chicagoland, participates in the membership committee at Association for Corporate Growth in Chicago and a proud member of the Networking for Introverts group with Schaumburg Business Association. She founded MentorMe Advisors in 2023 after 30 years in Corporate America. She is a certified Life Coach with extensive expertise in Behavioral Therapies; is certified in Mental Health First Aid and also a certified Project Management Professional. Whether guiding aspiring entrepreneurs, supporting individuals climbing the corporate ladder, or helping them tackle life’s daily challenges, Heather is passionate about helping others set goals, overcome obstacles, and achieve their fullest potential.
