Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans launched at the University of Missouri

Mizzou joins national consortium of world-class schools offering entrepreneurship and small business management training to post 9/11 veterans

[COLUMBIA, MO] – The Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV), a national entrepreneurial and small business education program, has announced the expansion of its consortium of schools to include the Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business at the University of Missouri.

The EBV Program, founded in 2007 at the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University (SU), is operated by SU’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF), and is partially funded through a cooperative agreement with the US Small Business Administration (SBA). The EBV National Program is a novel, one-of-a-kind initiative designed to leverage the skills, resources and infrastructure of higher education to offer cutting-edge, experiential training in entrepreneurship and small business management to post-9/11 veterans with disabilities. The aim of the program is to open the door to economic opportunity for our veterans and their families by developing their competencies in creating and sustaining an entrepreneurial venture. Mizzou’s program will be launched with a $450,000 donation from of the employees of Veterans United Home Loans through the Veterans United Foundation.

The EBV is offered through a national consortium of world-class schools that, in addition to the Trulaske College of Business, includes the Whitman School of Management at SU, the College of Business at The Florida State University, the Anderson School of Management at UCLA, the Mays School of Business at Texas A&M University, the Krannert School of Management at Purdue University, the School of Business at the University of Connecticut, the E.J. Ourso College of Business at Louisiana State University, the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University, and the Erivan K. Haub School of Business at Saint Joseph’s University.

“The University of Missouri is a wonderful addition to the EBV family. We are very excited about their inclusion in the EBV Consortium and the impact they will have on the Midwest veteran community” said Dr. Mike Haynie, EBV founder and executive director of the IVMF. “The passion that Mizzou has for veterans’ support initiatives will complement the EBV National Program tremendously and we are certain that their EBV graduates will gain the skills and tools necessary to achieve success with their entrepreneurial aspirations.”

“Mizzou is committed to serving our veterans. We are proud to be part of the EBV Consortium and to offer this important resource,” said Stephen Ferris, Interim Dean of the Trulaske College of Business. “Our entrepreneurial programs have helped many Mizzou students launch their own businesses. Now, thanks to our partners at Veterans United, we look forward to expanding the reach of our efforts to include such an important group of individuals who have served this country.”

“Our veterans deserve an opportunity to become part of the economic engine of their communities and the EBV programs provides the skills and network to do just that,” said Greg Bier, Entrepreneurship Alliance and EBV director. “We understand the unique needs of our veterans and we look forward to furthering their careers as business owners, entrepreneurs, and community leaders.”

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About the EBV and IVMF

The EBV is widely acclaimed as the nation’s premier veteran entrepreneurship training program, recognized as a national best practice by the Department of the Army and one of the 10 best entrepreneurship programs in the United States according to the editors of Inc. Magazine. EBV was featured on CBS News’ 60 Minutes in 2012; watch the feature “Succeeding as Civilians” at http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/succeeding-as-civilians/.

Syracuse University serves as the EBV Consortium’s National Headquarters. On the SU campus, the EBV is administered under the auspices of the IVMF, the first interdisciplinary national institute in higher education focused on the social, economic, education and policy issues impacting veterans and their families post-service. Through its focus on veteran-facing programming, research and policy, employment and employer support, and community engagement, the institute provides in-depth analysis of the challenges facing the veteran community, captures best practices and serves as a forum to facilitate new partnerships and strong relationships between the individuals and organizations committed to making a difference for veterans and military families.