Dr. Karen Thomas is an Air Force Veteran, prior military special operations physical therapist, and founder of Venture Out Wellness. It is her mission through Venture Out Wellness to educate frontline defenders in how to prevent injuries by becoming champions of their own bodies, armed with the tools they need when pain strikes. For over 16 years, Dr. Thomas witnessed and experienced first-hand a critical void in proactive support for the health-needs military and civilian front-line defenders. This drove Dr. Thomas to create Venture Out Wellness, a new proactive path for dependable health and wellness services that are specifically built to meet the needs of the unique individuals who put their lives on the line for us. This new model of care ventures out to ask frontline defenders how we can serve and support them through physical health educational strategies and community support with an equal sense of urgency to the jobs they perform. Dr. Thomas’ programs build resiliency and teach our country’s finest how to land on their feet time and time again. Dr. Thomas has served our nation’s front-line defenders in over 9 states and 3 countries as a military medical officer and civilian physical therapist, amassing over 33,000 patient encounters throughout her career. From serving civilian firefighters and law enforcement personnel to the men and women defending our country in uniform in commands like Air Force Special Operations and Naval Special Warfare, Dr. Thomas’ continued service to our country and passion for supporting those who have dedicated their lives to protecting our communities is undeniable. Dr. Thomas has a bold and unapologetic mission to change the way we support those who dedicate their lives to serving others, their communities, and their country. Rooted in a mission of service before self, we build not only more resilient first responders, but more resilient communities.