Going through EBV gives participants a group of "battle buddies" who continue to support each other as they pursue their business dreams. Photo by Stacie Kane
Sept. 6, 2024
This summer, veterans with service-connected disabilities from 13 states participated in the University of Missouri's entrepreneurship bootcamp, a program that empowers them to employ the skills, resources and infrastructure of higher education to boost their businesses. Only eight universities in the U.S. offer the program.
“There’s so much great information, it’s like drinking from a firehose,” said Dave Richards, who spent his formative years in Kingston, Jamaica, before serving 28 years in the U.S. Army. Currently, Richards owns the Island Spice Jamaican Restaurant in Leavenworth, Kansas. He applied to participate in Mizzou’s Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans (EBV) program to take his jerk sauce business to the next level.
“As a small business owner, I’ve faced challenges with staffing shortages that have hindered our operations,” Richards said. “Moving into online sales offers a chance for me to enjoy greater flexibility in retirement while continuing to generate income.”
EBV is based at the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University, which relies on its consortium of university partners to provide a rigorous curriculum each year. Veterans United Foundation has sponsored EBV since 2015 when Mizzou joined the consortium.
EBV participants listen to a classmate pitching his business. Veterans with disabilities sometimes have limited opportunities to climb the corporate ladder due to their injuries. Owning a small business is another way for them to contribute to their communities.
Mizzou’s program included an intense eight-day residency on campus and an online business fundamentals course taught by J. Scott Christianson, associate teaching professor of management and director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Trulaske College of Business.
Stacie Kane, an assistant teaching professor responsible for many of MU’s entrepreneurial courses, also taught and coached EBV’s 2024 class, which included veterans from the U.S. Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Coast Guard.
“Veterans have such a different mindset than college students,” Kane said. “These individuals have served our country in some really tumultuous situations. They have that drive and that grit that you really need as an entrepreneur.”
Consistently ranked as a military friendly school, MU has a long history of providing services and resources like EBV aimed at improving the lives of military students and veterans.
EBV organizers Greg Bier, left, and Kelly Mattas presented Army veteran Dave Richards and the other participants with a certificate for successfully completing an online business course and weeklong residency on campus. The veterans are now receiving 12 months of ongoing support as they continue developing their businesses.
“One thing that makes Mizzou’s program stand out is that we involve our entire mid-Missouri entrepreneurship ecosystem,” said Greg Bier, EBV program director. “We brought in 25 experts from the community who are successful in their fields. This enables them to share practical tools and take a deep dive when answering questions and helping participants research and solve problems.”
Successful entrepreneurs understand that they cannot go it alone, Bier said, adding that the most important part of the EBV experience is the lasting bond that each group forms by the end of their residency.
“The program here is awesome,” Richards said. “It feels so much like family. This is where the heart of my network is now.”
View a list of companies owned by veterans who were part of Mizzou’s EBV programs.
Read about EBV 2023 | EBV 2022 | EBV 2021.