OUR MISSION: PTSD Service Dogs

As a former journalist and metal band lead singer who in 2012 started her transition to her true gender and five years later became the first openly transgender person elected to a state legislature, Danica Roem has reimagined herself several times. “It was about going from being a closet case who was too afraid to be authentic, too afraid of what other people might think, to being in a position where a lot of people ask what I think about something,” says Danica. That transparency has led her constituents to trust her even if they don’t always agree with her policy opinions. Now Danica is eyeing another evolution: In 2023, she’ll run for an open Virginia Senate seat.

For more about Danica’s journey, pick up her recent book, Burn the Page: A True Story of Torching Doubts, Blazing Trails, and Igniting Change.

What pushed you to make a change? I knew I didn’t want to be a producer for the rest of my life. Change is never a bad thing. Every year for the past decade or so, I’ve started off by setting one personal and one professional goal to focus on. This is this year’s realization of that.

What have you learned?

I’m learning every day. E-commerce is the future of commerce, the future of

After 30 years as a TV producer, Candi Carter had an epiphany once her team was forced to work from home early in the pandemic. “I work with a lot of millennials and members of Gen Z, and they’re always talking about ‘me time’ and ‘work-life balance.’ But I’m 53, and as I was growing up, we were never allowed to focus on that,” she explains. Suddenly she could be home for dinner instead of not making it back until her kids’ bedtime. Once she saw what was possible for her without working 16-hour days seven days a week, she realized that her decades of experience could be used more strategically elsewhere.

Candi took four months to see what else was available before landing at Knocking, an e-commerce production company, as chief content officer. In her new role, she’s able to embrace opportunities that come her way and live in the fullness of her own creativity.

“I can run my foundation, share philanthropic goals and sell TV shows, and the C suite at Knocking is encouraging and excited for me to do all that,” she says.

“I can get out there and pursue what really matters to me, and it’s such a freeing life proposition to be able to do that. I could not be happier.” shopping, at the forefront of how so many media businesses operate. Being in this new arena of business has shown me what’s really possible. It’s a tremendous opportunity.

What has been the biggest challenge? I had four months between leaving my last job and beginning this one to just breathe and see what other opportunities might come into my space. It takes a month for people to realize you’re available and another couple of weeks to set meetings, so these things really do take time.

Do you have regrets?

I don’t have any regrets. Now I get to walk my daughter to the school bus. It’d been years since I’d done that, because I was always on a train when she was headed to school. Not anymore. — astoldto LizzSchumer

$1 Million donated directly to the care & training of more PTSD service dogs for veterans by the end of 2022

50,000+ lbs

5+ years of supporting vets with PTSD, funding research & championing critical legislation of dog food donated to military vets & veteran service dog organizations