The Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University (IVMF) held the first international expansion of its program, Operation Boots to Business: From Service to Startup,recently at Mildenhall Royal Air Force Base, England. The program, launched this fall in collaboration with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and Department of Defense (DoD), is offered to transitioning service members and their families as part of the TAP or TAMP program and teaches fundamentals of entrepreneurship as a post-service career path. In addition, Boots to Business makes available SBA tools and resources for business startup.
The two-day training at RAF Mildenhall took place Nov. 28 and 29. Accompanied by a representative from the SBA, IVMF executive director and founder Mike Haynie and IVMF director of new initiatives and external relations Ray Toenniesson offered transitioning U.S. service members information on how to become business owners as they make the move back to civilian life.
“The Boots to Business program is the start of a viable economic path for transiting service members interested in entrepreneurship after they transition out of the military, giving them tools they need to succeed,” says Haynie. “By expanding the program internationally, we are opening the doors to service members stationed all over the world to create their own post-service career path. We are very proud to partner with the Air Force to ensure the success of this expansion.”
Operation Boots to Business has been piloted on multiple military bases this fall, and is scheduled to roll out U.S. Armed Forces-wide in 2013.
