Warriorside: The Fight Against Disconnection

America’s veterans and first responders are facing a lethal mental health crisis. With estimates of 20 to 40 deaths per day, the threat isn't the battlefield—it is disconnection. Warriorside exists to confront this head-on through Conscious Storytelling. We empower participants to rediscover their internal architecture by reclaiming their narrative. When these stories are shared on stage, the War Cloud of isolation dissipates, replaced by deep community connection. This isn't just a program; it is the medicine for the soul. Help us provide the path leading home. Please make your tax-free donation today.

Who We Are:


Diego Ugalde,
Executive Director

Coaching Warriors on the Path to Healing

Looking back through the dusty, war cloud of my career as a civilian paramedic and Navy SEAL, I feel deep gratitude for the last 50+ years of my life’s journey. My path has been forged by setbacks, failures, broken bones, abandonment, loss, rejection, hard lessons, growth, healing, and transcendence. Through these experiences, I have learned to access a profound peace even in the midst of life’s chaos.

Since retiring from the military in 2018, I have been a public speaker, published author, and leadership and integration coach, guiding leaders, executives, athletes, mental health clinicians, and veterans as they navigate their own life paths, uncover resilience, and embrace the power of their story.

As Executive Director of Warriorside, I lead a program that transforms the lives of Veterans and First Responders by helping them reconnect to self and community through their strength, courage, and humanity.

John K Bates,
Storytelling Coach

Coaching Leaders to Speak, Inspire, and Lead with Impact

John Bates helps leaders become more effective communicators and inspiring leaders by sharpening their high-level messaging, refining their delivery, and aligning their approach so that what they mean to say is exactly what their audience hears. When leaders go through his coaching, the results are dramatic. When entire teams participate, the results multiply exponentially.

John has worked with top-tier leaders from organizations such as Intuit, Google, NASA, U.S. Navy Special Operations, Boston Scientific, the U.S. Air Force, and many other global enterprises. His training blends principles from neuroscience and evolutionary biology, giving leaders not only proven communication techniques, but also the science behind why they work.

Respected by many of his clients as one of the world’s best executive speaking and presentation coaches, John’s mission is to help leaders speak with clarity, lead with authenticity, and inspire action — all while staying true to their own unique style.

Matthew Dunehoo, 
Director of Development/
Documentarian

Matthew is a lifetime musician, filmmaker, podcaster, and creator. Currently serving proudly as the Director of Development and Documentarian Warriorside, he is dedicated to supporting veterans and first responders silently battling the invisible scars of war and service.

Our Program
Your Story Is The Medicine

Through Warriorside’s proprietary 4-week coaching program, participants reconnect with themselves through conscious awareness coaching empowering them to transform their life experiences into strength, purpose, and healing. They learn to craft their story with clarity and presence and share it live, creating genuine connection with community. For those called to go further, the Warriorside Speakers Bureau offers a path to become professional speakers and storytellers who turn hard-earned wisdom into messages that inspire healing, unity, and human resilience.