Founder & Chairman
Thomas “Tommy” Aceto is a former U.S. Navy SEAL, advocate, and integrative wellness leader dedicated to advancing neuroscience-informed approaches to mental health, addiction recovery, and human performance.
After 16 years of military service, including combat deployments and operational medicine experience, Tommy witnessed firsthand the neurological and psychological toll of trauma, chronic stress, and addiction. His own recovery journey led him to explore emerging therapies, nervous system regulation, and integrative healing modalities—transforming personal adversity into a mission of service.
As Founder and Chairman of the Neuroscience & Wellness Initiative, Tommy works at the intersection of neuroscience, public policy, and community-based wellness. He has been actively involved in legislative advocacy efforts surrounding innovative mental health treatments and is committed to helping position Tennessee as a national leader in integrative neuroscience and recovery solutions.
Tommy’s leadership philosophy centers on training the nervous system as the foundation for resilience. Through education, breathwork, environmental design, functional health practices, and creative engagement, he believes individuals can shift from survival-driven patterns to intentional, purpose-driven living.
His mission is clear: to help individuals understand how the brain and body work together—and to build a movement that turns pain into growth, service, and lasting transformation.
Co-founder / Operations / Community
MJ Aceto is a professional horse trainer and two-time World Reserve Champion in show jumping, bringing elite performance discipline and deep emotional intelligence to her leadership at the Neuroscience & Wellness Initiative.
With decades of experience training horses and riders at the highest competitive levels, MJ has developed a profound understanding of nervous system regulation, nonverbal communication, and emotional congruence. Her work in equine-assisted development emphasizes emotional regulation, confidence-building, and trauma-informed healing—particularly for women navigating abuse recovery, relational trauma, and identity reconstruction.
At NWI, MJ leads programming focused on equine-assisted therapy, somatic awareness, and nervous system recalibration through embodied practice. She specializes in helping individuals recognize dysregulation patterns and rebuild internal safety through structure, assertiveness, and connection.
Her approach integrates performance psychology, environmental awareness, and the human–animal bond to cultivate resilience, trust, and self-leadership.
As President, MJ is committed to expanding access to experiential healing models that restore confidence, autonomy, and strength from the inside out.
Medical Director / Clinical oversight and guidance
Dr William R Dennis, MD, MPH, attended undergrad and medical school at the U. Of Missouri Kansas City from 1992-1998 while on a Navy scholarship.
He was commissioned as an officer, Ensign, in the US Navy in 1993. He then did an emergency medicine residency at the U. Of Missouri Kansas City from 1998-2001. He then went on to teach and train US Navy emergency medicine residents at Portsmouth Naval Medical Center from 2001-2009.
While on active duty, he did a fellowship in emergency medical services and disaster management and received his Masters of Public Health from the U. Of PIttsburgh. Dr Dennis was then director of emergency medical services and disaster management for Navy Medicine East. He was in charge of all EMS/disaster services for the US, Africa, Europe and the Middle East.
After serving 16 years as an officer in the Navy, he went on to work in multiple emergency departments, from level 1 trauma centers to critical access rural emergency departments.
Dr Dennis has also practiced correctional medicine and addiction medicine for many years and currently serves as chief medical officer for Advanced Correctional Healthcare.
