On this episode of the Sports Philanthropy Podcast, host Roy Kessel welcomes Patti Brady, founder & CEO of Koterra. Patti traces how a lifetime in sports — culminating as a D1 volleyball captain at Lehigh — shaped her team-first leadership and fueled her mission to advance brain health. She shares Koterra’s work addressing concussions and repetitive brain injuries in veterans and athletes, highlighting collaborative care models centered on HBOT, TMS, red-light/laser therapies, and emerging innovations — paired with standardized protocols and outcome tracking. From building tiny homes for homeless veterans to convening stakeholders at a congressional brain-health reception, Patti underscores a philosophy of mission alignment, community partnerships, and data-driven impact — and calls for broader access to effective therapies and informed support across sports and military communities.
Patti Brady
Patti Brady brings a unique blend of elite sports experience, operational leadership, and mission-driven non-profit innovation to her role as founder and CEO of Koterra. As a former D1 volleyball captain at Lehigh University, she honed the habits of teamwork, accountability, and resilience early in her career—traits that would shape her professional journey far beyond the court. From those formative years, she developed a deep empathy for athletes, teams, and the structures that help them perform at their best.
Transitioning into the corporate world, Patti spent more than three decades working within highly-structured environments, including service to the U.S. Department of Defense and other major organizations. In those roles, she learned to align diverse stakeholders around mission-critical objectives, manage complex programs, and deliver results under pressure. Her corporate experience became the backbone of her ability to launch and lead non-profit initiatives—from building tiny homes for homeless veterans to founding Koterra to address brain health and concussion care for veterans and athletes.
Today, Patti is bridging the gap between athletic performance, veteran care, and cutting-edge neurosciences. Under her leadership, Koterra identifies high-need veterans and athletes, deploys evidence-based protocols such as hyperbaric oxygen therapy, TMS and laser therapies, and partners with treatment sites across the U.S. to standardize care and gather data. She is motivated by a powerful philosophy: building purpose-driven solutions that scale, rather than one-off fixes. With Patti at the helm, Koterra stands as a model of how sports, service and science can converge to create meaningful, measurable impact.
Koterra
Koterra is dedicated to transforming how veterans heal from brain injuries, PTSD, and other trauma-related conditions. Founded on the belief that true recovery requires treating root causes rather than masking symptoms, Koterra bridges the gap between veterans and innovative, non-pharmaceutical therapies. The organization acts as a healing coordinator — not just a referral network — covering treatment costs, managing logistics, and ensuring that every veteran has access to life-changing care without financial or bureaucratic barriers.
The organization’s mission is to heal veterans by connecting them to trusted clinics that provide evidence-based, non-pharmaceutical treatments such as hyperbaric oxygen therapy, transcranial magnetic stimulation, and red-light laser therapy. Koterra’s long-term vision is to see these alternative yet proven treatments recognized and supported within the broader healthcare system, including the Department of Veterans Affairs, so that every veteran — regardless of income or location — can access effective, science-driven healing protocols.
At its core, Koterra stands for transformation, compassion, and collaboration. Guided by integrity and a deep sense of responsibility, the organization works closely with veterans, families, clinicians, and researchers to restore hope and quality of life. By uniting science, empathy, and action, Koterra is redefining what it means to heal — helping those who served the nation reclaim their strength, purpose, and peace.
0:03 – 0:32 | Introduction & Focus
Host Roy Kessel welcomes Patti Brady, founder & CEO of Koterra, to discuss concussions and brain health.
0:52 – 2:12 | Early Sports Roots
Youngest of five with a coach dad, Patti tries many sports, excels in swimming, then — after a growth spurt — finds her sport: volleyball.
2:02 – 2:28 | Competitive Lessons
Captains in high school and at Lehigh University (D1); develops persistence, mission focus, and a “never give up” mindset.
2:31 – 4:44 | From Court to Career & Service
Translates team leadership into a 35-year DoD contractor career, college coaching, and launching a nonprofit building tiny homes for homeless veterans.
5:03 – 7:12 | Building Patriot Springs
Identifies a local gap, avoids duplication, rallies community/business leaders, and partners with a high school tech center to build homes—progress without big upfront funding.
8:46 – 10:20 | The 501(c)(3) Reality
Patriot Springs’ filing faced rejections; grants need bandwidth and track record. Koterra’s status was approved quickly; donors split between tax-driven and mission-driven giving.
10:49 – 12:50 | Koterra’s Origin Moment
A chance Staples encounter leads to a congressional brain-health reception with NFL Hall of Famers; two athletes later join Koterra’s board.
12:50 – 15:17 | Veterans & Athletes: Shared Barriers
Both groups face repetitive brain injuries and access hurdles (VA limits; older NFL players lacking coverage). Patti highlights HBOT and pairing veterans with pro athletes in clinics.
15:49 – 19:17 | Emerging Therapies & Hope
Post-conference optimism around psychedelics (clinical oversight), TMS, HBOT, red-light/laser, plus a sideline anti-inflammation nasal spray; field collaborates and shares data despite limited FDA-level trials.
20:23 – 23:59 (plus 25:07 – 27:10) | Roadmap & Fun Close
Next 12–24 months: expand partner sites (e.g., Aviv Clinics in The Villages; Aurelius/Dr. Joe Maroon in PA; sites in AZ, TX, CO), standardize protocols, grow data, and move 19 veterans off the waitlist — backed by advisor/donor Mike Gabler (Survivor 43 winner). For fun: as “commissioner,” Patti would require starting pitchers to go 5–6 innings; she’s a Yankees fan.
