Recognition highlights Capone's continued leadership in transforming veteran mental health care
SOUTHLAKE, Texas, March 11, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Amber Capone, CEO and co-founder of Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VETS), a leading nonprofit working to end the veteran suicide epidemic, has once again been named to Inc.'s 2026 Female Founders 500 List after a year of major policy victories, expanded research funding, and growing national influence in veteran mental health care. The honor recognizes founders whose bold ideas, resilience, and execution are shaping the future of their industries.
Selected by Inc.'s editorial team following a rigorous review of thousands of nominees, the Female Founders 500 highlights entrepreneurs who challenge the status quo, create lasting social impact, and demonstrate exceptional leadership. Capone's inclusion for a second consecutive year underscores her continued influence in advancing new solutions for veteran mental health care.
Over the past year, Capone helped secure landmark bipartisan policy victories advancing research into psychedelic-assisted therapies for veterans. VETS played a central role in the Texas Ibogaine Initiative (S.B. 2308), which secured $100 million in combined public and private funding for clinical trials, and sponsored California Assembly Bill 1103, which modernized the state's approval process for federally authorized psychedelic research. Together, these initiatives are unlocking large-scale clinical studies and accelerating the development of evidence-based treatments for traumatic brain injury, PTSD, and addiction.
Founded in 2019 by Amber and her husband, Navy SEAL Marcus Capone, VETS has become a national leader in providing access to psychedelic-assisted therapies for veterans suffering from traumatic brain injury (TBI), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), addiction, and other service-related health conditions. Through its Foundational Healing Grants program, VETS has helped more than 1,300 U.S. Special Operations veterans and spouses access treatment abroad, along with comprehensive preparation and integration coaching designed to support long-term healing.
Capone's journey into nonprofit leadership began as a Navy SEAL spouse and mother who witnessed firsthand the toll of military service on families. After her husband Marcus medically retired from active duty in 2013 and struggled with severe symptoms of PTSD and TBI, Amber sought alternative options when traditional treatments failed. Learning about ibogaine therapy through a trusted friend, she arranged for Marcus to receive treatment abroad, an experience that transformed his life and ultimately inspired the creation of VETS.
Their story was featured in the award-winning Netflix documentary In Waves and War, which spotlighted the healing journeys of Special Operations veterans and brought global attention to the emerging science of psychedelic-assisted therapy.
"Being named to Inc.'s Female Founders list for a second consecutive year is a tremendous honor," said Capone. "When VETS was founded, I believed we could challenge the limits of what healing looked like for veterans, even when the system wasn't ready to embrace it. Building this work has meant pushing boundaries and creating new pathways to care where none existed before. I'm proud of how far we've come and deeply grateful to the veterans and families whose courage continues to inspire this mission."
Under Capone's leadership, VETS has expanded from a grassroots initiative into a national force for research, advocacy, and treatment access. The organization partners with leading academic institutions to study the impact of psychedelic-assisted therapies and has helped catalyze more than $124 million in research funding through legislative and policy advocacy efforts. The organization was also recently named to Charity Navigator's prestigious "Top Charities List," ranking among the four highest-rated charities out of more than 225,000 evaluated nationwide.
VETS has also achieved significant policy milestones across the United States, helping advance groundbreaking state and federal initiatives supporting clinical research into psychedelic therapies for veterans. In recent years, the organization has played key roles in legislative efforts in Texas, Georgia, California, New Jersey, and other states, and helped secure the first federal funding for psychedelic treatment research through amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act.
"Amber represents a new generation of leaders who combine compassion, courage, and relentless determination to solve problems that others have overlooked," said Marcus Capone, co-founder and chair of the VETS board. "In just the past year she helped drive historic research funding, unite veteran organizations through the VALOR Coalition, and bring global attention to the issue of veteran suicide. I'm so proud of the way her vision has helped thousands of veterans rediscover hope, pushing the conversation about mental health treatment forward in ways that once seemed impossible."
In addition to supporting veterans through treatment access and research partnerships, VETS continues to lead a growing national coalition of veteran-serving organizations, including the Veteran Alliance for Leadership, Outreach, and Recovery (VALOR) Coalition, working to ensure that life-saving, evidence-based therapies can one day be safely and legally available in the United States. The organization's mission remains to end the veteran suicide epidemic by expanding access, accelerating clinical research, and advocating for the policies that make both possible.
For more information about VETS and its work supporting veterans and advancing psychedelic-assisted therapy research, visit www.vetsolutions.org.
About Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VETS)
Founded in 2019, Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VETS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to ending the veteran suicide epidemic through three core pillars: resources, research, and advocacy. VETS provides access to psychedelic-assisted therapies for veterans and their spouses, supports scientific research with leading institutions, and works with policymakers to advance evidence-based treatment options for traumatic brain injury, PTSD, addiction, and other service-related conditions. Since its founding, VETS has supported more than 1,300 veterans and spouses with treatment access and comprehensive integration support.
Media Contact
Brad Burge, Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VETS), 1 6508636887, [email protected], https://vetsolutions.org
SOURCE Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VETS)
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