Tomorrow, July 23, UCLA Anderson proudly commences its fourth annual Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans.
Known on campus simply as the EBV, the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans is a program originally conceived by the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University in 2007. A year later, the EBV Consortium of Schools was established; it included Anderson, Florida State University's College of Business, and Mays Business School at Texas A&M. In 2009 The Krannert School of Management at Purdue University and the University of Connecticut School of Business joined the consortium.
Here is a description of the program:
The 'Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities' (EBV) offers cutting edge, experiential training in entrepreneurship and small business management to soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines disabled as a result of their service supporting operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. The intent of the EBV is to open the door to entrepreneurial opportunity and small business ownership to you, by developing your competencies in the many steps and activities associated with creating and sustaining an entrepreneurial venture, and also by helping you coordinate your efforts with programs and services for veterans and others with disabilities.
“As we have in the past, it’s our true privilege to support disabled veterans who return home and seek economic and entrepreneurial opportunities for themselves and their communities,” said Judy D. Olian, dean of UCLA Anderson in a 2010 Assets story. “The school’s longstanding engagement in entrepreneurial studies positions us well to help veterans build the foundation they will need to realize their entrepreneurial aspirations.”
In that same article, retired NAVY Seal and 2009 EBV participant Neil Mahony commented on relationship between entrepreneurship and military life:
“There’s a risk factor, but it is calculated. On the SEAL teams, we knew that our duties were hazardous, so we did a lot of mitigation to improve the odds and make the payoffs that much better. That’s how I see entrepreneurship. I enjoy identifying an opportunity, then analyzing the risks and potential rewards – both personal and financial. That’s why I’ve decided to go into green business. I believe in it, so the gamble does not seem as significant. And the rewards of working in the green movement are just amazing.”
The EBV is designed around two guiding principles. The first focuses on practical training in the tools and skills that are needed for new business creation and growth, along with an emphasis on issues and potential obstacles specific to disabled veterans. During the EBV experience, students develop strategies that are most effective for their business model, and learn how to raise capital, attract customers and write business plans. Establishing a support structure for graduates of the program is the second, equally vital, element.
The EBV accepts veterans who served on active duty after September 2001 with a "service-connected disablity." All costs, including travel and lodging are covered by the program.
For more on the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans, please click here.
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