Veterans to face a different kind of boot camp during program at FSU

For 21 military veterans, it’s time for boot camp all over again.

The veterans, all of whom have suffered disabilities during the course of their post-Sept. 11 military service, are coming to Tallahassee this week to take part in the Florida State University College of Business’ Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities program. From Tuesday, June 8, through Tuesday, June 15, the veterans will take classes, participate in workshops and breakout groups, and hear from industry professionals while they create or enhance their own business plans.

“We are very excited to kick off the third year of our boot-camp program,” says Randy Blass, the program director and an FSU College of Business faculty member. “Each year, we look forward to welcoming new veterans with new business ideas and working to help them make those dreams a reality.”

This year’s Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities program began three weeks ago with an online course that the veterans are required to complete; today marks the beginning of the residency portion of the program. Tonight, the program will kick off with a special performance from country music star (and multiple Grammy and CMA Award nominee) Michael Peterson. At the end of the weeklong residency, the program will provide 12 months of ongoing support for the veterans as they return home to pursue their businesses.

This year’s program features a first — prize money offered to participants. With funds donated by South Florida-based business Source One Distributors and its CEO and founder, Mark Llano — a military veteran and entrepreneur himself — two first-place ($1,500), two second-place ($1,000) and two third-place ($500) prizes will be awarded after the veterans present their final business plans at the completion of the program.

“This is the first time anything like this has been offered, not only at FSU, but at any affiliated boot-camp program in the country,” Blass said. “It will provide an extra incentive as our veterans go through the program. Receiving start-up capital can be the jump-start many of them need to get their businesses up and running.”

The program also offers the veterans the unique opportunity to check out Doak Campbell Stadium, one of the only breaks in their schedule of long days in classrooms at the FSU College of Business and long nights working on their business plans.

“The Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities program is such a unique opportunity, and we are so honored to be a host school,” said Caryn L. Beck-Dudley, dean of the FSU College of Business. “Our program is totally volunteer-based, and our students do most of the operational work. This gives our students a firsthand look at operating a nonprofit business while at the same time helping veterans transition back into civilian life and entrepreneurship.”

The Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities program, which was established in 2007 at Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management, is offered at a consortium of universities that also includes Florida State, Texas A&M University, the University of California Los Angeles, Purdue University and the University of Connecticut. The program is recognized by the Army Community Covenant program of the Department of the Army as a “national best practice” program.

For more information about FSU’s boot camp, which is housed in the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship, contact Blass at (850) 644-7859 or rblass@cob.fsu.edu or visit www.cob.fsu.edu/ebv.