At Challenge America – a 501(c)3 nonprofit – we have made it our mission to connect service members, veterans and their families to resources and solutions that build community and give purpose to their lives. From the beginning, we set out to challenge the status quo by designing and scaling innovative, evidence-based solutions to the needs of the military community – no matter where they live. By leveraging Technology, creative arts and community solidarity, we are challenging America to think differently about how we serve our military.

HOW ARE WE THINKING DIFFERENTLY?

We integrate community building into every aspect of our programs and services. Our Military Sisterhood Initiative, for example, forged a national peer support network designed exclusively for women of the military. This initiative provides a safe space where more than 2 million military sisters can connect and support one another. The Challenge America: Veteran Arts Community (CAVARTS) takes a similar approach by leveraging the power of the arts to forge a new national community of Veterans who share an interest in or passion for the arts.

We also leverage technology and Innovation to generate solutions to the unmet needs Veterans encounter in their daily lives. Challenge America Makers for Veterans (CAMVETS) connects teams of designers, developers, and engineers with injured Veterans, then challenges each team to design and build working prototype solutions that meet the needs of their Veteran teammates. We then leverage strategic partnerships to develop and scale these solutions in order to make them accessible to thousands of Veterans and others facing similar challenges.

We also believe in healing through the arts. Launched in 2016, our Music Therapy Programs offer Veterans the tools they need to more effectively cope with the Trauma of their military experience. Challenge America has partnered with the VA to expand the reach of our program by offering virtual workshops. It is our goal to scale this program over time, making it possible to reach the many rural Veterans who are underserved by programs like ours. 

Ultimately, we believe that community, not charity, is the answer. Working together, we can ensure that all veterans, service members, and their families have access to the community support and integrated resources they need to live the lives they earned and deserve.

Now is the time. The challenges are great, but the possibilities are greater. 

Most Recent Episodes

January 7, 2025

Breathwork in Bed with Australian SF Tim Thomas

As a former Special Forces operator, I’ve channeled my expertise into creating some of Australia’s most impactful veteran Mental Health recovery programs, transforming countless lives along the...

Listen · 1:46:10

January 7, 2025

Healing with Hemp with U.S. Veterans Alliance

Our mission is to create a hemp based farming and construction platform that uses the Growth of both CBD hemp and hemp fiber to support the CBD and construction industries. as well as U.S. Veterans...

Listen · 1:11:29

December 30, 2024

From the Army National Guard to the Marines with Killian Shelton

In this episode Willis and Gunny talk with Army/Marine veteran Killian Shelton who has recently transitioned out of the Marines back to the civilian sector. He discusses the differences between Army...

Listen · 1:36:43

Load More Episodes

David Willis HomeFront Sitrep Podcast

My name is David Willis, I knew at a very early age that I was going into the military but didn’t know what branch. As I got older and started learning about each branch and quickly figured out that the Marines was the best. I served in the Marine Corps from 97-04. My MOS was 0311(infantry). I went to Paris Island for boot camp after boot camp I was stationed with 2nd blt 8th Marines Golf company. While with 2/8 I went on several deployments to port a prince Haiti, Okinawa, South Korea, Greece, also did two trips to Bridgeport California for cold weather training, I wasn’t going to make a Mediterranean float so I extended and joined 1st blt 8th Marines Bravo company. During my time there we deployed to the Mediterranean and had stops in Spain, Italy, Malta, Africa, and other ports. I got out of the Marines in August of 01, but 9/11 happened and was recalled to go back in where I was stationed with a mobilization support battalion and deployed.