CVTI Partners with Amazon Global Military Affairs to Empower Veteran Success at Mission Forward Summit

This event brought together hundreds of veterans, military spouses, and advocates from across the country for two days of connection, learning, and inspiration —all centered around advancing post-service success and belonging.

For CVTI, this engagement marked the second consecutive year of collaboration with Amazon’s Global Military Affairs team, following the success of last year’s inaugural summit. “When Ian McDuffie and Nathanael Beeman first invited me to help design and deliver content for the Veteran Summit at Amazon HQ2 last year, it was an easy yes,” said CVTI’s Director of Education, R.J. Jenkins. “It was an incredible experience. But this year, when Willie Davis asked if we would return, I didn’t even hesitate — and somehow, it was even more impactful for me than last year.”

Reframing Impostor Feelings as Signals of Growth

At the Summit, Jenkins led an interactive workshop focused on reframing impostor feelings — not as weaknesses to overcome, but as natural indicators of growth and aspiration. This approach, which has become a hallmark of CVTI’s work, challenges the narrative that “impostor syndrome” must be fixed. Instead, Jenkins encourages participants to view those feelings as a signal that they’re evolving, stretching, and stepping into new spaces of possibility.

“Even though I spend much of my time helping others reframe their impostor feelings,” Jenkins shared, “I still experience them myself — often daily. And this Summit was no exception. But that’s exactly what makes this work so human and so necessary. Most of the time, discomfort is a sign that you're doing something right, not doing something wrong.”

Non-Cognitive Skills as Executive Functions

In addition to reframing impostor feelings, Jenkins also offered sessions focused on dispelling damaging misconceptions about veterans in the workplace, cultivating a growth mindset to support continuous learning and adaptability on the job, and building social-emotional core competencies — including self-awareness, empathy, and resilience — to fuel peak performance and professional fulfillment. These themes reflect CVTI’s evidence-based approach to transition programming, which blends behavioral science, career development, and human-centered design to help veterans thrive in complex, dynamic educational and work environments.

"For too long, the interpersonal and social-emotional capacities that drive effective leadership have been dismissed as “soft skills,” a label that minimizes their critical importance in leading organizations and building thriving teams," Jenkins observed. "But in reality, empathy, vulnerability, and compassion are not “soft” at all, and I need folks to understand that if you want to thrive at work, you have to know how to communicate effectively, inspire trust, and read a room — all things veterans have been trained to do."

A Community of Leaders and Changemakers

This year’s Mission Forward Summit featured an extraordinary lineup of speakers and panelists, including JoAnne (Jo) Bass, the first — and only — woman to serve as the highest senior enlisted leader in any U.S. military branch; Ryan Pirozzi, Head of Prime Video Marketplace; a powerful military spouse panel featuring Nicole Morrison, Crystal LeBoeuf, and Anna Kelly; Christopher Sullivan, VP at Amazon Web Services (AWS); and Jason Redman, U.S. Navy SEAL (Ret.).

“Sharing the stage with individuals of this caliber is deeply humbling,” Jenkins reflected. “But what truly stays with me are the veterans — their authenticity, their willingness to engage, and their determination to keep growing. The conversations we had were raw, thoughtful, and transformative.”

Continuing the Mission Forward

Jenkins expressed deep gratitude to the Amazon Global Military Affairs team — Willie Davis, John Hunt, Ian McDuffie, Nicole Morrison, Anna Kelly, Porsha Sherwood, and Charlotte La Belle — for their partnership and trust.

“On behalf of the entire CVTI team, we are so grateful to collaborate with organizations like Amazon that share our commitment to supporting veterans in their transition and professional growth,” he said. “Our work depends on partnerships like these. Together, we’re not just creating programs—we’re changing culture and helping veterans thrive long after their service.”