WSS 2026: Giving Back
WSS 2026: Giving Back
The causes we championed — and how you can continue to support them.
Service doesn't end when the mission does. That's the thread that ran through every gathering, every conversation, and every handshake at WSS 2026. From the conference floor to a late-night benefit dinner overlooking the mountains, this year's Summit was a reminder that the national security community is as committed to giving back as it is to the work itself.
Below, you'll find the organizations that were part of WSS 2026 — along with information on how you can get involved, donate, or simply spread the word.
Howlers Ridge
Founded by actor Taylor Kitsch, Howlers Ridge is a nature-based healing center and 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Bozeman, Montana. Taylor was inspired to create it by a family member's addiction recovery journey, his relationships with veterans and military families through his film roles, and his own deep connection to the outdoors.
When its 22-acre retreat center is complete, Howlers Ridge will offer free, trauma-informed wilderness retreats for veterans, people in recovery from substance use disorders, and survivors of trauma and domestic violence — designed to foster healing, resilience, and reconnection through the power of nature. Taylor made a special appearance at WSS 2026 and brought the room to its feet.
Fox Bravo Overland
Fox Bravo Overland was born in 2011 from a simple but powerful idea: a group of veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq who were struggling to reintegrate found solace, camaraderie, and renewed purpose in the wilderness. What started as a healing expedition became a movement.
Today, Fox Bravo Overland (FBO) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to empowering veterans, first responders, and service members through overland expeditions, hands-on training, and community-building programs — welcoming participants regardless of background or ability level.
IN Network
Many young adults from underserved communities never get a fair shot at a career in intelligence or national security — not for lack of talent, but lack of access. IN Network is changing that equation.
Through education, mentorship, networking, and skill development, IN Network equips students with scholarships, internship placements, and the tools they need to compete in the intelligence sector. At WSS 2026, IN Network underwrote attendance for 11 Young Professional attendees, many of whom you met throughout the conference.
➤ Learn more & support IN Network
The Longest Climb Foundation
In 2019, COL (Ret.) Martin J. Bowling led a remarkable mission: to bring surviving veterans from both sides of the Battle of Hamburger Hill back to the same jungle battlefield — 50 years later. On that anniversary, former enemies climbed the hill together for the first time. It was an act of healing that defied description.
Back home, COL Bowling turned that spirit into action, helping veterans correct their military records and receive the honors they had long been owed. In 2024, joined by Mr. John Hollis, The Longest Climb Foundation was formally established to extend that mission — including honoring the family of Medal of Honor recipient USMC Sgt. Rodney Davis.
➤ Learn more & support The Longest Climb Foundation
End Child Soldiering
Founded by WSS partners Mick Mulroy and Eric Oehlerich, End Child Soldiering addresses one of the most urgent humanitarian crises of our time: the exploitation of children in armed conflict. With primary efforts in East Africa, including northern Uganda, the organization works through trusted local leaders to deliver sustainable, trauma-informed programs that restore dignity and opportunity to vulnerable youth.
Their documentary film, My Star in the Sky — screened at WSS 2026 — tells the deeply personal story of the couple whose experience inspired the founding of the organization. If you haven't seen it, seek it out.
Iron Butterfly Media
Iron Butterfly Media, founded by Megan Jaffer and Cadie Hopkins, is dedicated to amplifying the voices of women and minorities in national security through storytelling, artistic media, and educational programming. Their film, The Power We Hold: Stories from Women Spies, screened on night two of WSS 2026 to a standing-room audience.
Iron Butterfly Foundation — the nonprofit arm — supports women leaders, founders, and creators making an impact in government, industry, academia, and investment.
➤ Connect with Iron Butterfly Media
Four Branches Bourbon — A Different Way to Give Back
Not every act of giving requires a donation. Four Branches Bourbon is a veteran-founded spirits company whose model is built around giving back: a portion of every sale goes directly to veteran and first responder nonprofit organizations, including Fox Bravo Overland.
Their charitable partners include the CIA Officers Memorial Foundation, Folds of Honor, Special Operations Warrior Foundation, Tunnel to Towers, Pararescue Foundation, and more than a dozen other organizations serving those who served. If you drink bourbon, drink with purpose.
➤ Shop Four Branches & see their giveback partners
To every attendee, sponsor, speaker, and donor who made WSS 2026 what it was — thank you. The work doesn't stop here. We'll see you in 2027.
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