Resilience Education & Training Institute (RETI)
Training Resilience. Restoring Purpose. Empowering Better Decisions.
The decisions you make under pressure shape your life, your work, and the people around you. RETI prepares you to lead yourself through chaos and act decisively when stakes are high.
Current initiative: 1 million justice-involved lives reached by 2031
Track record
Proven in the field.
Delivered inside the Bay County Jail since 2017, with Class 038 graduating in August 2026. Every agency trained has returned for more.
See the results →Leadership & governance
Accountable by design.
Founded by Dr. Ed Naggiar, a retired Navy SEAL officer with a PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology. Governed by a board, guided by a strategic advisory council.
Meet the leadership →The plan
Ready to scale.
The curriculum is going digital to reach one million justice-involved people by 2031. Founding partners fund the build that gets it there.
See the path to 2031 →The gap
Resilience has been a privilege, not a right.
The same frameworks that sharpen Navy SEALs, Fortune 500 executives, and elite athletes remain almost entirely untapped in the justice-involved population, a group facing some of the highest-stakes pressure of anyone.
Why RETI existsThe cost of the gap
Inside
~2 million
people incarcerated in the U.S. on any given day
Released
6 in 10
are rearrested within 3 years of release
Back inside
$8 billion
spent annually re-incarcerating people already released once
Sources: Prison Policy Initiative, Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie 2026 · Bureau of Justice Statistics via HHS Healthy People 2030 · Vera Institute / Prison Policy Initiative
Our vision
Thrive in Chaos
Train Resilience. Build Judgment. Serve Those Who Need It Most.
Who we are
What is RETI?
RETI is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit training institute focused on resilience, self-leadership, and decision-making under pressure. Our programs are designed to meet people where they are, helping them build awareness, strengthen judgment, and act with purpose in high-stress and high-risk environments.
We exist because resilient people build resilient communities. When you can think clearly under pressure and lead yourself with purpose, that strength ripples outward: to your family, your workplace, and the people who depend on you. Resilience training has historically been reserved for corporate executives, special operations units, and those who can afford high-end coaching. We're making these tools accessible and digestible for everyone, so you can show up at your best when it matters most.
Resilience is not theoretical. It is practiced, trained, and lived.
How we train
One Framework. Four Pillars. Whole-Person Resilience.
Resilience isn't developed in isolation. It's four interlinked capacities working as one. RETI trains the whole person across mind, body, emotion, and purpose, so participants can act with clarity no matter what pressure they're under.
Mental Clarity
Developing decision-making frameworks that function under pressure.
Physical Resilience
Building the physical capacity to sustain performance under stress.
Emotional Regulation
Managing emotional responses to maintain purpose and effectiveness.
Spiritual Purpose
Aligning actions with values to sustain meaning through adversity.
Our track record
Proven where it’s hardest.
Active since 2017
01 · Delivery
37
Classes delivered across all programs
02 · Reach
400+
Justice-involved participants trained since 2017
03 · Completion
97%
Graduation rate
04 · Outcome
60%
Incarcerated adult graduates who did not reoffend in Bay County
Source: RETI program records, Resilience for Incarcerated Adults at the Bay County Jail and agency programs, 2017–2026. Every agency trained has returned for additional training.
What we do
Resilience training that changes lives.
RETI delivers Mission-Based Resilience (MBR) training adapted to each population it serves. Participants practice through simulations, exercises, and real-world application across four dimensions: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.
Resilience for Incarcerated Adults
- For
- Incarcerated adults
- Length
- 4 weeks, in person
- Where
- Bay County Jail, Florida
- Cost
- No cost to participants
- Status
- Class 038 completed August 2026
The program serves incarcerated adults who've faced broken relationships, past mistakes, and a lack of meaningful support. MBR-IA offers a clear roadmap forward, restoring belief that success is still possible beyond past circumstances.
About the programResilience for Law Enforcement & First Responders
- For
- Law enforcement, firefighters, EMS and other first responders
- Length
- 2-day intensive, in person
- Where
- On site, Bay County, Florida
- Cost
- [Confirm with RETI]
- Status
- 100% of agencies return for more training
A two-day intensive for law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMS, and other first responders facing high-stakes decisions and cumulative daily stress. Participants leave with tools to manage occupational pressure, maintain clarity under stress, and sustain long-term performance, in the field and at home.
About the programThe path to 2031
From one jail to one million lives.
Every number on this roadmap is a person, working toward a different future. Right now, this program is changing lives at a single location. By 2031, we'll have scaled this same proven curriculum to reach a million people nationwide through our digital masterclass format.
2026 · Build
Pilot only
Complete curriculum conversion.
2027 · Launch
4,000–5,000
Go live and deploy in first target markets.
2028 · Grow
~50,000
Expand to 5+ locations; iterate the curriculum; build marketing and sales capacity.
2029 · Scale
~250,000
Mid-tier state systems go live.
2030 · Accelerate
~500,000
Full operational team deployed; multi-state contracts active.
2031 · Flywheel
1,000,000
Large-state contracts; the program generates its own momentum.
Impact that lasts
Leadership & governance
Strong leadership. Strong governance.
The team responsible for scaling a proven program into a national movement. RETI is governed by a board and advisory council spanning military leadership, corrections, nonprofit scaling, and finance.
Dr. Ed Naggiar
Founder · CEO · President of the Board
Retired U.S. Navy SEAL officer with 20 years leading high-stress teams and a Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology. Nearly a decade delivering the curriculum in correctional facilities; author of The Suit & The SEAL.
Hali Naggiar
Chief Operating Officer · Vice President of the Board
Leads operations, program infrastructure, and implementation planning. Manages enterprise-wide strategic initiatives for Commander, Navy Installations Command; MBA, Troy University.
Stephanie Patton
Chief Strategy Officer · Secretary of the Board
Oversees governance, organizational administration, and strategic initiatives. Strategic Analyst supporting Department of War quality-of-life programs.
Governing Board & Core Operations
Dr. Ed Naggiar · Hali Naggiar · Stephanie Patton · Jim Curry, retired U.S. Marine Corps logistics officer and certified Enterprise Chief Risk Officer
Strategic Advisory Council
Colin McKee, retired U.S. Navy Commander and executive coach · Brian Conroy, three decades in global financial services, including Fidelity Investments and Goldman Sachs
Recent grads
Graduates of the RETI program.
Each graduate represents growth, accountability, and a commitment to purposeful decision-making.
Partner with us
Become a founding partner in scaling resilience.
Philanthropic capital is the bridge between a proven idea and a national movement. Your partnership doesn't fund an idea — it funds a future already in motion.
Now · 2026–2027
Fund the Build
Converts an established in-person program into a scalable digital asset: curriculum conversion and initial platform integration. A one-time cost that creates a sustainable model.
Next · 2028–2031
Scale What Works
Bridges the funding gap between growth-stage expansion and sustainable scale. Once that infrastructure is built, the model sustains itself.