Jay Kopelman.
CEO, Mission To Live Foundation
CEO, Mission To Live Foundation
Jay Kopelman is CEO of the Mission To Live Foundation, dedicated to expanding access to psychedelic therapy for veterans navigating the invisible wounds of war: PTSD, mild traumatic brain injury, depression, and addiction.
A New York Times bestselling author, former Marine Corps lieutenant colonel, and two-time cancer survivor, transformed by ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT therapy himself, Jay brings exceptional passion, lived experience, and urgency to this work. He works tirelessly to raise funds to provide psychedelic therapy scholarships for veterans and first responders in need, and has dedicated his life to service: as an officer of the Marines for 20 years, as a healthcare leader for 10 years seeking improved patient outcomes at Johnson & Johnson and Airstrip, and as a business advisor to veteran entrepreneurs.
In 2024, after a lifetime of service and battles both internal and external, he underwent a profound healing journey through ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT. A year after his transformation, Jay has evolved from participant to president, having raised over $2 million to fund scholarships. His authenticity, transparency, and courage in sharing his own story have been the catalysts.
Under his leadership, the Foundation is setting a new standard for veteran care: not just funding treatments, but full-spectrum healing journeys that include integration coaching, meditation, functional medicine, hormone balancing, long-term support, and data collection to provide outcomes evidence. His vision is for the foundation to raise awareness, mobilize resources, and ensure no one is left behind, knowing every veteran’s path is different, and healing doesn’t end when the retreat is over.
From a young age, he felt called to defend those who couldn’t defend themselves. As a Marine, he served with honor, including in combat in Iraq. As an author of From Baghdad With Love, he helped reshape public perceptions of war and recovery. As a nonprofit leader, he has supported countless causes: animal rescue, wounded warriors, humanitarian relief.