Leaving a Lasting Impact: Our Experience at the CVN Annual Meeting

Matt and I recently attended the Cohen Veterans Network (CVN) Annual Meeting in San Antonio. The conference was an eye-opening experience. Although we’re not veterans ourselves, we work with several organizations that serve veterans. I don’t know what it was exactly, but this year’s CVN Annual Meeting was really special; it was about how you felt more than anything. Fun and insightful, it brought to light the magic that can happen when you’re passionate about the work you do and the people you do it for and with.

What is CVN?

Cohen Veterans Network is a nonprofit network of healthcare clinics that help post-9/11 veterans, active duty service members, and their families. CVN was founded by philanthropist Steven A. Cohen, who made a $275M commitment to launch the network. They currently operate 22 clinics across 20 states. Since its inception in 2016, they’ve served nearly 79,000 clients, and in 2024 alone provided over 139,000 clinical sessions.

The work CVN does is so important. When we started working for them, our initial research showed that veterans trust veterans. Period. The more real, the better. At that time, many veterans relied on the VA for their medical care, and the idea of seeking mental health support elsewhere was uncommon. Not just any therapist would be a good fit for a veteran. The cultural competency of CVN’s clinicians is a major factor in client comfort. Over and over, the clients we’ve spoken to have emphasized how important it was to have a therapist that understood where they were coming from and what they had gone through.

The 2025 Annual Meeting

The CVN Annual Meeting is a place for clinicians and other affiliates to gather, share successes, and be recognized for their efforts. This year, there were 190 in-person attendees and 150 virtual attendees. The conference hosted 16 workshops ranging from mental health strategies for LGBTQIA+ military communities, to navigating substance use treatment for veterans. We launched our Back to Better campaign there, which is built on individuals sharing their Cohen Clinic experiences.

Opening Keynote from Anthony Hassan, President and CEO of CVN.

I was honored to introduce Kyle Snook, West Point graduate, retired US Army Infantry Combat Platoon Leader, and former COO of PRISM Vision Group. 

Kyle took us step by step through his amazing story.

It wasn’t all business, though…

We enjoyed events including a Fiesta Awards Dinner and a Historic Trolley Tour: Photo Scavenger Hunt!

We can’t wait for next year

This year’s CVN Annual Meeting was a magical experience for us. We typically work with Paul, Elise, and Nicole on the marketing staff, so it was great being able to connect with people throughout the network and really feel how much compassion goes into these clinics. Everyone seemed so engaged, and the entire event was put together with close attention to the details. Once you were there, you felt totally taken care of, from the food to the hotel rooms to the social events. We learned a lot and made meaningful connections with so many people.