Robert Hess

Robert Hess graduated from the Virginia Military Institute, and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the US Army in 1967. After retiring from the US Army, he worked in government relations for a French aerospace company. He then migrated to California where he earned his MBA from the Anderson School of Business at UCLA.

 In 2003, Robert officially became a prostate cancer survivor and created a 501 (c) (3) non-profit, The Prostate Cancer Awareness Project (PCAP), to reduce the prostate cancer death toll through early detection. His prostate cancer awareness efforts included a solo, 8,400-mile motorcycle ride across the US and back in 2010, generating 10 state prostate cancer proclamations.  In 2016, he broadened the PCAP’s mission to include support for all cancer survivors and merged it into a new cancer charity, The Cancer Journeys Foundation.

But Roberts's life’s surprises weren’t over.  In 2017, he received a PTSD diagnosis, 48 years after his last combat tour. He had been carrying repressed memories all that time.  That's when his Army training kicked in once again and he created a program under the Cancer Journeys Foundation umbrella to help reduce the annual veteran suicide death tool. This was the beginning of the  Disabled Veteran Empowerment Network (DVEN)  

Tune in to hear his inspiring story!