Meet Our President

Brandeis University’s 2024 Alumni Achievement Award winner, Leroy Ashwood, is the President and Chief Executive Officer of BRAVE for Veterans, Inc. Together with his leadership team and a committed volunteer group known as “Bravites”, Leroy has established brand recognition in Massachusetts for helping Veterans obtain sustainable employment since 2009. Mr. Ashwood’s career leadership roles have been in public service and social entrepreneurship. He has supported and directed start-ups in the MA Departments of Corrections and Youth Services, which helped adult and juvenile offenders get a second chance at life and served as a federal Grants and Contracts Officer and Director of Authorization, Technical Division, for the statewide Massachusetts Executive Office of Human Services Secretariat.

The breadth of his experiences in those roles enable Leroy to “see the need behind the need” where Veterans are concerned. Or, as a Washington DC Army LTC remarked, “...you see systems!” His interests have extended to service on several professional and local community boards in Massachusetts, and he holds awards for his participation in those capacities. At one time, his sales efforts resulted in his company winning national AIIM’s Awards for Process and Innovation for firearms registration in Massachusetts. BRAVE co-founder, Elena Gonnella, was the design architect and oversaw the implementation of that award-winning process solution. Leroy was subsequently given the “Vision Award” for his achievement. As the Director of the Firearms Bureau accepting the award said, “This award will save many lives of police officers!”