IVMF Offers Scholarship to Female Vets, Military Spouses to Attend 2013 WISE Symposium

The Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University (IVMF) is offering a full scholarship to female veterans and military spouses interested in attending the 11th annual Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship (WISE) Symposium event next month in Syracuse. The premier symposium for up-and-coming entrepreneurs, and anyone active in the business community, takes place April 16 at the Oncenter. The event runs from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and is a jam-packed day of inspiring activities, speakers and networking. More than 1,000 attendees are anticipated.

The IVMF will cover the cost of the registration fee for female veterans and military spouses interested in attending the symposium and the IVMF’s special roundtable discussion “Empowering Yourself as a Business Owner: A Military Spouse and Female Veteran Perspective,” beginning at noon.

The IVMF roundtable is a discussion and exploration of opportunities for success as female veterans and military spouse business owners. The discussion will encourage sharing of ideas and experiences among this unique group of women who hold a unique set of proficiencies and understanding of a distinct military culture that lends itself well to business ownership. Moderators include:

• Jane Gardner, a veteran, owner of Life Choice Meals and an entrepreneurship student at SU’s Whitman School of Management;
• Jessica Sloma, a military spouse and owner of J. Sloma Consulting; and
• Laura Stradley, a veteran and military spouse, director of the Monroe County Veterans Service Agency, co-vice president of the Rochester Regional Veterans Business Council and co-author of “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to the ASVAB” and “The Pocket Idiot’s Guide to the ASVAB.”

The deadline for female veterans and military spouses to apply for the WISE scholarship from the IVMF is Wednesday, April 10. For consideration, contact Meghan Florkowski at the IVMF at mconroy@syr.edu or 315-443-4629. Proof of military service is required, via a DD214 or LES.

The WISE Symposium is organized in conjunction with KeyBank and the WISE Women’s Business Center. Launched in 2003 by SU’s Whitman School of Management and its Falcone Center for Entrepreneurship, WISE fosters the pursuit of entrepreneurial opportunities by women from all walks of life. Each year, the Falcone Center and WISE Women’s Business Center sponsor events to promote entrepreneurial thinking among women in the Central New York area and offers a way to help entrepreneurial women stay connected. Since its inception, the WISE Symposium has reached thousands of women in Central New York, successfully evolving into a year-round initiative supporting entrepreneurs through the established WISE Women’s Business Center.

For more information on the WISE Symposium, contact Lindsay Wickham at 315-443-3550 or lwickham@syr.edu.