IVMF – Entrepreneurship Programs, Part II
The Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University (IVMF) was established in 2011 at Syracuse University in New York with its founding partner JPMorgan Chase & Co. Since its inception, IVMF programs have grown to meet the needs of transitioning service members, veterans, and family members of both groups. There are 12 IVMF programs for entrepreneurship. In this article we’ll focus on entrepreneurship programs that have special eligibility requirements.
IVMF’s entrepreneurship programs are designed to help veterans, transitioning service members, and spouses start their own business. For some of the programs, enrollees must meet eligibility requirements. The first one is the Boots to Business (B2B) program. This program was designed in partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration to assist those interested in exploring business ownership or other self-employment opportunities. B2B is a two-day program open to transitioning service members, including Guardsmen and Reservists and their family members, that is offered worldwide. After the two-day program, participants can enroll in follow-on classes. Check out this website for more information: https://ivmf.syracuse.edu/veteran-and-family-resources/starting-growing-a-business/boots-to-business/.
The second program is the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans (EBV), which teaches the steps and stages of creating a business, with a tailored emphasis on the unique challenges and opportunities associated with being a veteran business owner. EBV is open to post 9-11 veterans. Other veterans can enroll, and IVMF will refer them to other similar programs. EBV is an intensive program that starts with a 30-day online session. Then there is a 9-day residential program with 12 months of post-program support. The residential program is offered at ten partner universities across the nation. During the residential portion, all costs are covered including materials, travel, food, and lodging. During the 12-month follow-up period, attendees can access over 36 different partners – everything from financial management to marketing to mentors aimed at small businesses. There is also a specialized version of EBV for veterans’ family members or caregivers that operates in the same way as the traditional EBV. Information on both programs can be found at https://ivmf.syracuse.edu/veteran-and-family-resources/starting-growing-a-business/
The third program is the EBV Growth Track. This recently launched program is a three-phase program that gives veterans with a successful business the tools and coaching to propel their business to the next phase: sustainable growth. Topics include acquiring growth funding, rebranding for expansion, determining a sustainable growth rate, partnerships, managing cash flow, and much more. Veterans of any era who have been in business for three years and have five employees are eligible to apply.
The last program, targeted for women veterans, active duty women, and women spouses, is called V-WISE – Veteran Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship. The V-WISE online program is 15 days and the residential program is three days. IVMF pays for lodging for the attendees. The follow-on portion is similar to EBV. An introductory program is also offered called V-WISE IGNITE. This one-day conference covers the basics of starting a business and is held in various locations across the country. Information about both programs is at: https://ivmf.syracuse.edu/veteran-and-family-resources/starting-growing-a-business/
DVOP specialists can help their clients tap into these resources when a client is interested in starting a business. Having a working knowledge of all the IVMF programs and events will provide DVOP specialists with valuable resources. You can find more information about IVMF at https://ivmf.syracuse.edu/.
IVMF – Entrepreneurship Programs, Part I
The Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University (IVMF) was established in 2011 at Syracuse University in New York with its founding partner JPMorgan Chase & Co. Since its inception, IVMF programs have grown to meet the needs of transitioning service members, veterans, and family members of both groups. There are 10 IVMF programs for entrepreneurship. In this article we’ll focus only on those that are open to anyone, while the next article in this series will focus on programs that have special eligibility requirements.
IVMF’s entrepreneurship programs are designed to help veterans, transitioning service members, and spouses start and grow their own business. According to Misty Stutsman, IVMF’s Director, Entrepreneurship & Small Business, “there are nearly a dozen IVMF programs designed to help individuals start their own business and with more than 76,000 individuals having participated in one or more programs.”
VETNET is an IVMF program that is available to free to anyone. Through VETNET, IVMF offers a series of webinars about careers after military service. Topics range from search techniques, marketing, project management, accounting, research, personal branding, and much more. You can find VETNET at https://ivmf.syracuse.edu/veteran-and-family-resources/starting-growing-a-business/vetnet/
A second free IVMF resource open to anyone is called the “Center of Excellence for Veteran Entrepreneurship.” According to the Center’s web site, it serves as a resource database to “collect, organize, and share knowledge, resources, and networks to advance entrepreneurial opportunities for transitioning service members, veterans, and their families.” The database is organized into four “buckets.” In the first bucket, users can find information tailored to veterans who are interested in starting or evolving their own business. The second bucket is a storehouse of academic research related to entrepreneurship for veterans, transitioning services members, and their families. Training programs are the third bucket – a resource of academic and other training focused on entrepreneurship including college level courses and degrees. The final bucket provides information about corporations who are interested in working with veterans for whom the Center will serve as a bridge between stakeholders and networks. The Center’s web site is: http://veteranentrepreneurship.org/
The final program is IVMF’s Coalition for Veteran Owned Business (CVOB), with founding partner First Data. This is a network of Fortune 500 companies who are interested in having more veterans within their supply chains. While this resource is free, it does require registration. Through CVOB, veterans and military spouse business owners can connect with a coalition of industry leaders committed to providing innovative solutions, thought leadership, webinars, original publications, networking, and matchmaking events. Information on CVOB is available at https://ivmf.syracuse.edu/veteran-and-family-resources/starting-growing-a-business/cvob/
The remaining IVMF programs require enrollment and enrollees must meet specific eligibility requirements. We’ll cover those in the next article.
DVOP specialists can tap into these IVMF offerings and explore what is available for their clients. Since the programs covered in this article are open to anyone, DVOP specialists and their clients can benefit from exploring the IVMF offerings. Having a working knowledge of all the IVMF programs and events will provide DVOP specialists with valuable resources. You can find more information about IVMF at https://ivmf.syracuse.edu/.