Twelve United States military veterans graduated today from the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans (EBV) Accelerate program at Florida State University. The program was hosted by the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship, part of the FSU College of Business.
“We are thrilled to complete our second EBV Accelerate program at Florida State University,” said Melissa Roberts, managing director for the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship. “Our partnership with the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University (IVMF) allows us to provide veteran business owners with the resources needed to take their business to the next level.”
During the three-day residential program held at the Jim Moran Building in downtown Tallahassee, entrepreneurial experts led participants through a variety of workshops that focused on how to propel their business to sustainable growth.
The EBV Accelerate program is the result of an 11-year partnership between the Jim Moran Institute and the IVMF. As veteran business owners move from leading start-ups to growing companies, they face a whole new set of challenges for which the EBV Accelerate program will prepare them. The program is designed to take advantage of the skills, resources and infrastructure of higher education to offer cutting-edge, experiential training in entrepreneurship and small business management.
Topics presented included acquiring growth funding, rebranding for expansion, determining a sustainable growth rate, establishing partnerships, managing cash flow and more.
EBV Accelerate is a three-phase program. Phase 1 features two weeks of structured and focused business analysis online. Phase 2 entails a three-day residency during which participants create a personalized action plan for their business. Finally, Phase 3 involves resources to support the growth of participant businesses post-residency.
In order for candidates to qualify for the EBV Accelerate program, small businesses must have 50 percent or more ownership maintained by a military veteran, been in business for three or more years, employ five or more full time employees, and have served on active duty with honorable discharge or general discharge under honorable conditions. Graduates of other IVMF programs are also eligible.
As a result of the 2015 legacy gift and continued support of Jan Moran and the Jim Moran Foundation, as well as the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University, lodging, meals and the training program are offered at no cost. Participants are expected to pay their own travel costs.
In addition to two Floridians who took part in this year’s program, participants hailed from Arizona, California, Colorado, Indiana, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.
The graduates are: Robin Bell, Colorado Springs, Colorado; Shawn Dominguez, Pensacola, Florida; Chad Drummond, Orlando, Florida; Daniel Elder, Kileen, Texas; Thad Hunkins, Watertown, New York; Eric Luster, Phoenix, Arizona; David Raad, Piedmont, South Carolina; Robert Rogers, Greensboro, North Carolina; Fred Smith, Hesperia, California; Milton Tookes, Knoxville, Texas; Denise Townsend, Allen, Texas; Travis Winfield, Temecula, California.
For more information, visit jmi.fsu.edu.