Veteran entrepreneurs turn military skills into business ownership
Warrior Rising, with funding from Wells Fargo, offers veterans mentoring, education, networking, and more as they pursue a path to business ownership.
“I found great purpose in serving my country and serving other people,” Jason Van Camp said about his nearly 20 years in the U.S. Army Special Forces. When he retired from the miliary in 2015, he asked himself “what all veterans ask themselves, ‘what am I going to do with myself now?’”
After launching his own leadership consulting business, Van Camp continued to talk with men and women of the military, some of whom were struggling. The sentiment was clear: They weren’t looking for a fishing or hunting trip; they were looking for a purpose. Van Camp recalled one veteran saying, “All these people are donating all this money and they’re doing all this stuff so I can have one good day. I don’t want one good day; I want one good life.” The veterans wanted to start their own businesses.
These conversations inspired Van Camp to launch his next project, Warrior Rising, which provides veterans the education, coaching, mentorship, equipment, tools, network, and funding they need to run a business. Its video curriculum translates the military decision-making process — the operations order — into a business model, said Van Camp.
He's tapped into something important to a majority of veteran business owners. According to a 2021 National Survey of Military-Affiliated Entrepreneurs conducted by the Institute for Veterans and Military Families, 60% indicate that entrepreneurship helped them find a purpose after the military, and 97% said that the skills they learned in military have helped them with their business.
A laptop, a website, and a custom suit
Some come to Warrior Rising with an idea sketched on the back of a napkin, others want to buy a franchise or an existing business, and still others are looking to accelerate their current business. Participants attend weekly coaching calls to ask questions, try out pitches, and receive mentoring from guest experts, including retired U.S. Army General Stanley McChrystal.
Warrior Rising has steadily increased the number of program participants. Last year, they worked with 2,500 veterans, with a goal of 5,000 by the end of 2022. A $100,000 grant from Wells Fargo is helping Warrior Rising update its mobile app and recognize participants with events like the Business Shower they hosted last September. Similar to a bridal or baby shower, this event gives veterans key services they need to succeed in business, including a custom-tailored suit, a laptop, a professionally designed website, headshots, and the opportunity to present their brands in a "Shark Tank"-style pitch competition.
“We need to recognize that many veterans would benefit from greater access to guidance as well as capital. Warrior Rising is poised to make a difference for a wide range of veteran entrepreneurs.” — Jenny Flores, head of Small Business Growth Philanthropy at Wells Fargo
“We need to recognize that many veterans would benefit from greater access to guidance as well as capital,” said Jenny Flores, head of Small Business Growth Philanthropy at Wells Fargo. “Warrior Rising is poised to make a difference for a wide range of veteran entrepreneurs.”
“We have some tremendous success stories, including one guy who started his business 1 1/2 years ago, and now it’s valued at $12 million,” said Van Camp. His shooting-for-the-stars goal is to have $100-million businesses in the Warrior Rising portfolio by 2024.
Battle buddies and rally points
“I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit,” said Business Shower attendee Colleen Riddick, a U.S. Army linguist who served in Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield.
When she was ready to leave the military and pursue a government civilian role that could incorporate her top-secret clearance, there were no opportunities available. After participating on the US Women’s National Handball Team and raising a family, she considered her next move.
“I’m comfortable being uncomfortable, and that’s what Warrior Rising really homes in on,” Riddick said. She created Alamo Mobile Fitness, the first woman- and veteran-owned mobile fitness facility in San Antonio. “It’s not a hobby. It’s not just a passion. This is a real business,” she said.
This is where the expert coaching comes in. “We empower our vetrepreneurs to make business decisions and provide them with a battle buddy,” said Van Camp.
“They collaborate with you to start from scratch and offer mentor sessions to help you prepare your pitch for investors or boards of directors,” said Riddick. “They arm you with confidence. Like in the Army, there are rally points, so I can take a step back and see if we are on target. And if we are not, we have to readjust.”
“It helped me being mentored by other veterans who speak the same language,” Riddick said.
“A lot of times veterans need that tough love,” said Van Camp. “It’s how Warrior Rising helps veterans find their purpose again through business ownership.”
