Gillibrand: Over $1 Million for SU to Help Women Veteran Entrepreneurship

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand

U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand Monday announced a federal grant worth $1.3 million for Syracuse University to strengthen entrepreneurship opportunities for women veterans. The federal investment will be used by the Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) at Syracuse University and comes from the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Women Veterans Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship (V-WISE) program.

Sen. Gillibrand pushed for the federal investment in a letter to the SBA in December.

“Our veterans who bravely served our country deserve every opportunity to succeed in our economy here at home. And the skills they have are unmatched, from high-tech machine operating to data analysis, engineering and superb leadership,” Senator Gillibrand said. “This is a smart investment for Syracuse University to equip our veterans with the tools and resources to put all these skills to work in the new economy, to help start new businesses and support new jobs. And I have no doubt that when women are given a fair shot to lead the way in this effort, that’s how we will ignite our economy.”

“The Veteran Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship program launched in 2010, as a partnership between Syracuse University and the U.S. Small Business Administration. Over the past three years, more than 1,000 women veterans and service members have benefited from the V-WISE training experience, and the program represents a powerful and nationally important platform through which to empower our women veterans as business owners,” says Mike Haynie, executive director of Syracuse University’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families. “With the great support of Sen. Gillibrand, we’re thrilled that the SBA has afforded us the opportunity to continue this impactful partnership, in service to those women who have served the nation in uniform.”