Staff from the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families show off in Orange on National Orange Day at the start of Veteran EDGE 2023. Photo by Michael Parks of Daystar Photography.
During 2022, 鶹ƵUniversity’s delivered 161 entrepreneurship training programs across the nation to more than 3,000 military-connected participants. One of those events, the annual Veteran EDGE conference, is among the largest convenings of established veteran and military spouse business owners in the United States.
Panelists during a moderated discussion titled “Doing Business With Big Business,” during Veteran EDGE 2023. Photo by Michael Parks of Daystar Photography.
Veteran EDGE (Engage, Develop, Grow, Elevate) convened in Dallas, Texas last month. Part of what makes the IVMF’s entrepreneurship events successful is leveraging University professors in the field of small business and entrepreneurship from the Whitman School of Management, along with many other professionals from around the country, to conduct the intensive training modules.
“Part of the reason why I get excited when IVMF asks me to teach their veteran populations is I get to show appreciation to the people who have sacrificed for the place I call home and help them become entrepreneurs in a way that translates their service into the greater good of their community,” says Elizabeth Wimer G’06, assistant teaching professor of entrepreneurship at Whitman, and the granddaughter of a World War II veteran who attended 鶹ƵUniversity on the G.I. Bill.
Nearly 200 military-affiliated business owners attended the training event which featured keynote speakers, breakout sessions, discussion panels and fireside chats. The 2023 Inc. Magazine’s Vet100 list highlighting the fastest growing veteran-owned businesses was also announced during the event. In addition, at EDGE, ten companies were selected to receive $10,000 in capital thanks to the D’Aniello Family Foundation Acceleration Business Challenge created by Daniel D’Aniello ’68, U.S. Navy veteran, University Life Trustee and IVMF Advisory Board Co-Chair.
“Entrepreneurs are best positioned to drive change, bring innovation and new ideas to some of the most pressing challenges that we, as a country, face today. I’ve been privileged and honored to have the opportunity to watch entrepreneurship change the lives of students, families, and communities—and that’s what keeps me going,” says J. Michael Haynie, vice chancellor for Strategic initiatives and innovation, IVMF’s founder and executive director and Barnes professor of entrepreneurship,
J. Michael Haynie, 鶹ƵUniversity Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives and Innovation, and IVMF Founder and Executive Director, speaks at the opening of Veteran EDGE 2023. Photo by Michael Parks of Daystar Photography.
Each day, participants learned from some of the leading voices in today’s conversations around veteran small business ownership. One of those voices is retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Barbara Carson, IVMF’s managing director of programs and services, who spoke to the audience about why the conference is so relevant to today’s veteran entrepreneur community.
“We have seen joint ventures, contracts and new businesses come out of the magic that is Veteran EDGE. Perhaps more importantly, these relationships help us navigate the ups and downs of entrepreneurship,” says Carson, who is located in 鶹ƵUniversity’s Washington D.C. office. “Growing and scaling a business is challenging, but having a network of battle buddies in business who understand some of the unique obstacles that veterans and military-connected entrepreneurs face can make all the difference.”
With more than 8,000 graduates from the IVMF’s entrepreneurship programs, several are among the top performers in their industries at a national level. Sponsored by one of the IVMF’s strategic partners, Fiserv, the Inc. Vet100 Awards Dinner celebrates those businesses which have excelled in growth over the last year.
The 2023 Vet100 list included twenty-four awardees who graduated from one of the IVMF’s programs, the largest number of IVMF alumni to appear on the annual list to date. The 2023 list also featured 10 women entrepreneurs, six of whom are IVMF program graduates, such as Venus Quates.
Quates, a U.S. Air Force veteran, graduated from the IVMF’s Veteran Women Igniting the Spirt of Entrepreneurship (V-WISE) program and is in third place on this year’s Vet 100. Her company, LaunchTech, LLC, provides expert support in navigating critical infrastructure from the cradle to the grave, focusing on innovation and modernization, information security and assurance, and systems engineering for enterprise customers in both public and private sectors.
Assistant Teaching Professor Elizabeth Wimer (left), from the Whitman School of Management, with Nneka Bell, a U.S. Navy Veteran and participant at Veteran EDGE 2023. Photo by Michael Parks of Daystar Photography.
“For LaunchTech to be recognized for the second year in a row amongst my fellow veterans was both humbling and rewarding,” says Quates, who said her inspiration for launching her small business was the desire to create a game-changer that infused innovation, excellence and flavor as well as a distinct and inclusive culture.
The success of Veteran EDGE each year, and the success of the IVMF, would not be possible without the support of sponsors committed to enhancing the post-service lives of our veterans, transitioning service members and their families. For 2023, the conference was sponsored by:
For more information on the programs and services provided to the nation’s military-connected community, or to find out more about the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families, please visit .
