operations:
Wyly Gray -
Founding Director
Wyly is a United States Marine and the leading voice supporting guided psychedelic group therapy for veterans. As Founding Director of Veterans of War, Wyly is deeply committed to changing the mental health paradigm regarding trauma, plant medicine, and veteran suicide.
Wyly has survived a broken family, foster care, two deployments in support of the War on Terror, and Post Traumatic Stress (PTS). Through his work with Veterans of War, he experienced firsthand the strength of guided psychedelic therapy in battles against treatment-resistant trauma, depression, anxiety, insomnia, and PTS.
Thanks to plant medicines, Wyly overcame suicidal thoughts and ideations, found sleep again, and cemented his purpose to bring safe and effective tools for recovery out of the shadows to serve those suffering from the treatment-resistant after-effects of war.
Wyly passionately believes that entheogenic plant medicines offer a unique path forward towards recovery from trauma and he is part of ballot initiatives advocating for their decriminalization.
Board of directors:
Doctor James Giordano - Ethics and Compliance Chair
James Giordano, PhD, is a Professor in the Departments of Neurology and Biochemistry; Chief of the Neuroethics Studies Program; Director of the Program in Biotechnology, Biosecurity and Ethics of the Cyber-SMART Center; and Chair of the Sub-program in Military Medical Ethics at Georgetown University.
He is Senior Fellow in Biosecurity, Technology, and Ethics at the US Naval War College, Newport, RI; Bioethicist-in-Residence of the US Defense Medical Ethics Center; and Senior Science Advisory Fellow of the SMA Branch, Joint Staff, Pentagon.
Prof. Giordano is the author of over 300 peer-reviewed publications, 7 books and 35 governmental reports on bioscience and technology, biosecurity, and ethics, and is an elected member of the European Academy of Science and Arts, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine (UK). A former US Naval officer, holding designations as an aerospace physiologist, research physiologist, and research psychologist, he served with the US Navy and Marine Corps.
Doctor Justin Rossi - Medical Chair
Justin is a psychiatrist, neuroscientist, and clinical researcher specializing in brain neurophysiology. He received his clinical training in PTSD and trauma-related disorders through the VA medical system and is the author of more than twenty peer-reviewed scientific articles.
He brings a longstanding passion for novel biomedical and policy solutions to address challenges in mental health. Prior to his medical career, Justin worked in Washington D.C. developing scientific and technological investment strategies for the US military.
Britt Rollins - Development Chair
Britt is a marketing and communications strategist with nearly two decades of experience working for global advertising agencies such as Saatchi & Saatchi and DDB In New York, London, and San Francisco. Now driven by his own history with depression and anxiety, Britt is bringing his skillset and attention to help change the cultural narrative regarding veterans, mental health, and psychedelic based therapies.
Britt has deep experience in pharmaceutical and biotech industries--having spent over half his career marketing central nervous system products. More recently Britt served as Managing Director of a brand communications agency focused on advancing more progressive causes, including advancing state energy efficiency programs, promoting women’s sexual health, and demonstrating the benefits of organic cannabis farming.
In addition to his career as a marketing strategist, Britt brings 8 years experience working with 501c3 organizations to secure project funding for novel programs that service individuals who are suffering from mental illness.
Dr. Carlos Garcia - Programs Chair
Dr. Carlos Garcia is a Licensed Psychologist in the state of Florida. He received his doctoral degree in clinical psychology from Nova Southeastern University and completed his doctoral fellowship at Rutgers University. Before accomplishing his educational goals, Dr. Garcia served as a TOW Gunner in the United States Marine Corps and was honorably discharged in 2004. He then served as a firefighter and paramedic in Florida for 7 years before returning to school to attain his doctoral degree.
During his clinical training, Dr. Garcia focused his work on stress resilience and Post Traumatic Growth. He utilized his background as a military service member to develop a thorough understanding of the impact of stress and trauma on both mental and physical health. Dr. Garcia continues to support veterans through his clinical work and as an advocate for the use of plant medicines and psychedelics to heal trauma and other mental health issues.
Additionally, Dr. Garcia is one of VoW’s first Fellows (Fireteam Alpha, 2021).
Adrian Sinclair - Communications Chair
Adrian is a maverick polymath, a life-long learner, a digital creative, and an agent for Change. With over 20 years of experience in Government and industry he brings a rich set of experiences and skills to support the Veterans of War vision for strategic growth.
Several deployments operating in war zones in support of the War on Terror have cemented Adrian’s conviction that novel approaches must be considered for the fight against trauma associated with PTSD and depression, and he firmly believes that more has to be done to destigmatize and revolutionize mental health care through the promotion of next generation hybrid entheogenic therapies.
As a successful publisher and podcaster, Adrian is joining VoW’s team to support the mission to prevent veteran suicide by spreading awareness about guided psychedelic group therapy designed to heal the scars of war.
Dr. Bia Labate - Diversity and Inclusion Chair
Dr. Beatriz Caiuby Labate (Bia Labate) is a queer Brazilian anthropologist based in San Francisco. She has a Ph.D. in social anthropology from the University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Brazil.
Her main areas of interest are the study of plant medicines, drug policy, shamanism, ritual, religion, and social justice. She is Executive Director of the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines (http://chacruna.net, https://chacruna-iri.org, https://chacruna-la.org) and serves as Public Education and Culture Specialist at the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS).
She is also Adjunct Faculty at the East-West Psychology Program at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) and Visiting Scholar at Naropa University’s Center for Psychedelic Studies. Additionally, is Director of Diversity and Inclusion at Veterans of War, member of the Oregon Psilocybin Advisory Board’s Research Subcommittee, and Advisor at the Synthesis Institute and at InnerTrek.
Dr. Labate is a co-founder of the Interdisciplinary Group for Psychoactive Studies (NEIP) in Brazil and editor of its site since. She is author, co-author, and co-editor of twenty-five books, two special-edition journals, and several peer-reviewed articles (https://bialabate.net).
Wyly Gray - President
Wyly is a former Marine, a recent Georgetown University graduate, perpetually an outspoken advocate for veterans, and a survivor. He is connected with Dr. Bronner’s, EFA, The Travis Manion Foundation, Veterans For Action PAC, and serves as the Executive Director for Veterans of War.
He can be found online in multiple formats and has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, on NPR, and by Pepsi in a nationwide commercial, as well as on multiple podcasts. Wyly speaks at psychedelic conferences and events that educate the public regarding the efficacy of plant medicine or whenever it furthers his mission to help veterans recover from treatment-resistant trauma.
Help us change the world,
one life at a time.
“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.””