The Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University welcomed 23 veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraqi conflicts to its Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV) on July 24. The program, offered free to post-9/11 veterans, provides men and women representing all four branches of the U.S. military with cutting-edge training in entrepreneurship and small business management in an effort to help them “create their own jobs.”
During their 9-day residency on campus, veterans learn a range of business skills, including accounting, human resources, supply chain, operations and strategy. More than 300 veterans from all over the United States have taken part in the EBV, and more than 100 successful ventures have already been launched by program graduates.
Offered in three phases, the program provides veterans the opportunity to engage in workshops to write their business plans, raise capital, attract customers, and develop a marketing strategy that is most effective for their business model.
“The year 2010 marks 9 years since our troops first entered into conflict in Afghanistan and 7 years since the conflict began in Iraq,” Melvin T. Stith, dean of the Whitman School of Management and a former Vietnam War-era Army captain, stated in a press release. “Wounded warriors are coming back from these conflicts with fewer opportunities in the workplace. This program is a step towards providing them with the skills and knowledge to create their own opportunities. All six schools provide these veterans with the skills and knowledge necessary to enter the marketplace and create and build their dreams.”
