Veteran-founded businesses are getting priceless support at no cost to help their companies succeed through a program offered by Disabled American Veterans.
Chief Communications and Outreach Officer for DAV Dan Clare, an Air Force and Marine Corps veteran, said the non-profit provides a lifetime of support for veterans of all generations, their families, survivors and caregivers.
“Every year, we help about a million veterans access the benefits in healthcare they’ve earned,” he said. “We represent their voice on Capitol Hill, which is, as you know, the important thing. We connect them with meaningful employment and support their businesses through DAV Patriot Boot Camp.”
Patriot Boot Camp was founded by civilians who wanted to give back and make entrepreneurship accessible to veterans, Clare explained.
“It empowers business founders in the military and veteran community that includes spouses,” he said. “It's really connecting people with a community that’s committed to their success inside and outside of the military and veteran community.”
Patriot Boot Camp is offered at no cost to participants and is tailored for active-duty military, veterans and spouses, who are already in a business and are looking to grow.
“They’re looking to expand or scale and get better at what they’re doing,” said Clare.
The next Patriot Boot Camp cohort is scheduled for Feb. 5-7 at DAV’s national headquarters in northern Kentucky.
“It’s worth thousands of dollars, if you were to add it all up, the consultation alone is worth thousands of dollars, with mentorship,” he continued.
Over the three days, participants will experience presentations by real experts and discuss funding and capitalizing on a business.
“We’re going to talk about how we can deploy marketing and sales strategies, storytelling, pitching,” Clare continued. “It runs the gamut.”
He said mentors are “top of the line” and include CEOs, attorneys, and business owners who
want to help prevent veterans from making some of the mistakes that may have made early in their careers. The event culminates with a pitch competition that includes thousands of dollars in non-dilutive capital that is available to veterans who participate.
Clare stressed that Patriot Boot Camp is only possible because of the volunteers, entrepreneurs, business leaders, and folks with legal expertise who donate their time to give back to veterans.
“So we’re looking for subject matter experts,” he said. “We’re looking for folks who have relevant expertise in the tech industry or entrepreneurship. We want folks who have specialized skills, development, operations, finance, marketing, sales, business development, people who can give back and want to give back.”
Clare said mentors say they get as much out of volunteering as the veterans they help.
Military veterans and spouses who want to grow their businesses can go here.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.