Syracuse University and the Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) is hosting a new class of post-9/11 veterans for the seventh annual Barnes Family Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV) program.
The program, which is always offered at no cost to participants, leverages the resources and infrastructure of higher education, and specifically of the world-class faculty of the Whitman School of Management’s Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprises program, to provide veterans with service-related disabilities with the cutting-edge training in entrepreneurship and small-business management necessary to pursue their dreams of owning a business.
The SU EBV class of 2013 includes 28 highly accomplished veterans, the largest class hosted by the University since the program’s inception in 2007.
Offered in three phases, the EBV provides veterans with skills necessary to successfully launch and grow a new business. Through online coursework, an intense on-campus experience and 12 months of ongoing support and mentorship via the EBV-Technical Assistance Program (EBV-TAP), veterans learn how to write business plans, raise capital, attract customers, develop a marketing strategy and leverage collaborations in their communities. Participants spend their time on campus in classes, workshops and breakout sessions, hearing from industry professionals about best practices that will help them start a business and/or grow a current endeavor.
A snapshot of the class of 2013
This year’s class consists of 25 men and three women from 13 states across the country, including nine from New York and other participants traveling from as far as Oregon, Washington and California.
They represent five different branches of the military, the majority having served in the U.S. Marine Corps, Air Force and Army, and one serving in the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Army National Guard. Each veteran in the program has had an exemplary military career, was decorated for bravery and accomplishments in service and is a skilled leader.
Members of the 2013 class have continued to thrive post military service, proving themselves in the classroom as well as in the world of entrepreneurship. Many of this year’s students have already completed, or are currently pursuing, bachelor’s and master’s degrees in subjects ranging from business administration to psychology or have begun laying the foundation to launch a successful business venture.
In terms of business ideas, the ventures are in varying stages of ideation, planning and launch, and touch on a variety of fields. Several EBV students plan to launch businesses that would serve members of the veteran community, including nonprofit organizations geared toward disabled veterans and those who have suffered sexual trauma, services to aid veterans in the employment search and a canine therapy center that would aid veterans in their transition back into civilian life.
A number of students have backgrounds in science and technology, and wish to develop businesses around their skills in digital cartography, alternative energy, computer warfare management systems, tactical electronic communications, cyber security and scientific instruments. They want to make these technologies easier to use and more readily available in both military and nonmilitary sectors.
Regardless of their current stage of planning and launching a business venture, each member of the 2013 class has conveyed a strong interest in adding business ownership to their already extensive list of achievements. Having already demonstrated the drive, creativity and self-discipline needed to succeed in the demanding entrepreneurial world, this year’s class will use the EBV program to increase their skill set and make their dream of successful business ownership a reality.
