The Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities

The Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans (EBV) was started at Syracuse University. Since it's beginnings, more than 200 veterans have finished their training and the EBV has become an important part of the Department of Defense (DOD) and its efforts to transition soldiers who experience forms of disabilities from military service to civilian life.

The year 2009 found the Department of the Army naming the EBV as the nation's, 'Best Practice,' for programs that serve soldiers and their family members. According to the Army, "By all accounts the EBV program has developed into a truly world-class initiative that is representative of a novel programmatic approach to addressing a social and economic imperative." Even more importantly, the EBV program empowers American veterans who experience service-connected disabilities with the opportunity to achieve their own economic freedom in the most American way possible; through entrepreneurship.

The EBV offers veterans experiential training in entrepreneurship on the cutting edge, as well as small businesses management. The program is there for post-9/11 veterans who experience forms of disabilities as a result of their service to America. The program is designed to provide an open door towards business ownership for veterans through development of their skills in the numerous steps and activities related to launching and then growing a small business, as well by assisting veterans to leverage programs and services in ways that further their entrepreneurial dreams. A network of world-class educational institutions offer the EBV program, to include:

• Mays Business School, Texas A&M University
• School of Business, University of Connecticut
• College of Business, The Florida State University
• School of Hotel Administration, Cornell University
• Krannert School of Management, Purdue University
• E. J. Ourso College of Business, Louisiana State University
• Martin J. Whitman School of Management, Syracuse University
• Anderson School of Management, University of California, Los Angeles

The Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans (EBV) Structure

The EBV program is designed around two central elements. The first is focused and practical training in the tools and skills of new venture creation and growth that is reflective of issues which are unique to both disability and public benefits programs. The second is establishment of a supportive structure for veterans who graduate from the EBV program. Where the practical elements of the program are concerned there are three phases involved, to include the following:

Phase 1: Veterans pursue a self-study curriculum that is facilitated by an online discussion as well as an assessment module; something that is moderated by entrepreneurship faculty and graduate students from an EBV partner University. During this phase, veterans work on developing their own business concepts.

Phase 2: During a nine-day residency at an EBV University, veterans are exposed to the basics of business ownership through lessons and workshops from nationally-ranked entrepreneurship program faculty members from around America.

Phase 3: During Phase 3, veterans are provided with continuing technical assistance from EBV University faculty experts and partners.

Veterans who participate in the EBV program find themselves immersed in a number of topics related to the pursuit of entrepreneurship. The topics that are addressed through the EBV program include ones such as:

• Which activities should I outsource
• How much money do I need and how do I get it
• What do I need to know about hiring employees
• What is a business model and does mine make sense
• Where do I get the information I need to organize my venture
• Do I really need a business plan and how can I write a great one
• How do I make sense of the numbers and which ones really matter
• What is a good business concept and can I determine if my idea is a solid one
• What is guerrilla marketing; are there ways to market while spending less money

The Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University founded The Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV) program in the year 2007. The logic behind the founding of the EBV program was basic - Whitman is home to one of the top ranked entrepreneurship programs in the entire world and desired to serve the veterans who have both served and sacrificed for America. From the start the program was conceived as a social venture, one that would provide world-class training in entrepreneurship and small business management to veterans who experience service-connected disabilities at no cost to the veteran. The Whitman School of Management and Syracuse University believe veterans have already earned the price of admission through their military service.

The Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans (EBV) Class of 2007

The EBV Class of 2007 was the very first one and represented a diverse group of veterans who shared in common not only their military service to America, but also their desire to succeed through entrepreneurship. A number of the veterans had already overcome a great deal early in their lives; Whitman is confident they are able to meet the challenges associated with business ownership. The very first graduating EBV class certainly did not disappoint - 70% of them are now business owners, while four of these veterans own ventures that generate revenues in excess of $1 Million dollars as of 2009!

Due to the clear success of the first graduates of the EBV class at Syracuse University, the Whitman School was approached by other Universities and colleges from around America that recognized the incredible impact of a model based upon leveraging their existing abilities to serve veterans through entrepreneurship. Expanding the EBV program with the goal of serving more veterans with service-connected disabilities was plainly the next logical step in the program's evolution, leading to the formation of the EBV Consortium of Schools.

The Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans (EBV) Consortium

The EBV Consortium was formed in the year 2008 as a national educational initiative. It is designed to assist veterans with disabilities to make the transition from military service to self-employment, to develop professional networks, and ultimately - to both start and grow sustainable businesses.

The world-class business schools offering the EBV program on their campuses, with Syracuse University serving as the national host for the program, continue to be largely privately funded. They offer the program at no cost to veterans who experience service-connected disabilities who desire to become small business owners. The EBV Consortium is the first major partnership of Universities and colleges in America since the end of World War II and has been formed with the sole purpose of serving veterans with disabilities.