Bunker Labs is now a part of the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF)! With this change comes a mountain of opportunity for Bunker Lab’s program participants and alumni. We wanted to take this opportunity to highlight a few people who have taken programs at both Bunker Labs and IVMF, and asked them to share their thoughts on the two military entrepreneur giants joining forces.

You can read more about Bunker Labs joining IVMF in our announcement.

Charlynda Scales

CEO Mutt’s Sauce
Air Force Veteran

A 10-year active-duty veteran and current reservist, Charlynda created Mutt’s Sauce to bring a beloved family sauce recipe to everyone. Charlynda cites Bunker Labs’ as a source of mentorship and a key resource as she begins scaling her company nationwide. She is also a current CEOcircle program participant, and has participated in several IVMF mentorship panels, sharing what she’s learned along the way, and has seen firsthand the impact IVMF has made in the military community. Be sure to sign up for Mutt’s Sauce’s mailing list to place your order soon!

Bunker Labs and IVMF is a collaboration that just makes sense. The organizations are like-hearted (sharing the same core values) and whereas Bunker Labs has great social capital, IVMF has the business infrastructure to help make both efforts scale higher, farther, and faster. I look forward to the impact this partnership will make.

—Charlynda Scales

Renee Krieg

CEO Vertical Athletics
Army Veteran

Renee served from 2001-2007 in the Army as an Intelligence Analyst, achieving the rank of Staff Sergeant (E6). She’s now the CEO of Vertical Athletics, a performance sports apparel company scaling at a prodigious rate after striking licensing agreements with Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer, and getting on shelves at Rally House, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and most MLB and MLS stadium stores.

Renee is a current member of Bunker Labs’ CEOcircle, and credits Bunker Labs with helping her understand how to do business with large corporations. At IVMF, she’s been a part of Veteran EDGE and the IVMF Acceleration Challenge, and treasures the friendships and bonds that have endured long after the programs run their course.

IVMF is excellent at creating and executing programs that bring resources and people together for tactical learning opportunities, while Bunker Labs has done a wonderful job at creating a sense of community among veteran entrepreneurs by offering the opportunity to be connected locally and in annual programs.

The consistency of year-round support Bunker offers will be largely enhanced by combining forces with IVMF’s program strength and resources resulting in the shared vision of both organizations to successfully grow entrepreneurship among the military and veteran community.

—Renee Krieg

Sheena Parker

CEO 4SYT Industries
Army Veteran

Sheena served in the US Army as a Signal Support System Specialist, and then a Signal Warrant Officer, and deployed to Korea, Qatar, and twice to Kuwait. Her company, 4SYT Industries, is a building management company dedicated to bringing buildings back to life and restore their beauty with a full suite of maintenance, cleaning, and restoration services.

Sheena participated in Veterans in Residence (ViR) 21A, and feels it was the most impactful program on her business that created so many lasting connections, critical hires, and detailed information. IVMF also played a critical role in her business development, and she’s participated in many of the programs and conferences, lauding their professionalism, organization, value, and personable approach.

The prospect of Bunker Labs and IVMF collaborating is like combining entrepreneurial fireworks with a military precision playbook—a dynamic explosion of innovation and strategy! I love this idea, and I’m excited to see how this comes together!.

—Sheena Parker

CEO Patriot Conceptions
Army Veteran

Haotian served in the Army as a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear operations NCO, attaining the rank of Sergeant (E5). His business, Patriot Conceptions, helps families grow through advanced reproductive technologies, egg donation, and pregnancy surrogacy.

Haotian participated in Bunker Labs’ Breaking Barriers in Entrepreneurship and CEOcircle programs. He credits Bunker Labs programming as instrumental in the development and growth of his business. He gained insights into marketing and customer service, and learned a lot about networking to enhance his business skills and make meaningful connections, driving growth and investment. Haotian also participated in IVMF’s Acceleration Challenge at the Edge Conference, the VPPCE Program, and the EBV-A Program at FSU where he gained crucial business skills and knowledge in subjects like business planning, financial management, and strategic leadership.

Bunker Labs and IVMF working together is exciting due to the complementary strengths of both organizations. Bunker Labs excels in providing immediate, hands-on support and mentorship for veteran entrepreneurs, while IVMF offers extensive educational resources and programs.

Their collaboration could create a robust ecosystem of support, combining practical business tools with comprehensive education and training. This partnership would likely lead to an even greater impact on the veteran entrepreneurial community, fostering innovation, growth, and success across various business ventures. paragraph.

—Haotian Bai

Chelsey Thomas

Founder at Camouflage Perks
Air Force Spouse

Chelsey is an Air Force spouse, and her husband has served as both an enlisted and officer in the US Air Force. Camouflage Perks teaches military families how to travel for free and access other travel-related benefits. She went through Bunker Labs’ Breaking Barriers in Entrepreneurship workshop, which helped Chelsey set an overall path and vision for her business and introduced her to creative ways to apply for grants and increase funding. She credits her time at IVMF with helping her open doors to networking, capital, mentorship, and nurturing a contagious enthusiasm for entrepreneurship.

I’m excited to see Bunker Labs & IVMF combine their strengths to make a powerful community for military entrepreneurs. Bunker Labs’ virtual resources can add so much to the momentum & experience that IVMF creates in person.

—Chelsey Thomas

Bunker Labs and IVMF: One Mission

Together, we’re excited to discover all the new ways we can serve the veteran, military spouse, and military family entrepreneurship community. We hope you’ll be part of our story, and let us accelerate your journey. If you’re interested in learning more about the thinking behind IVMF and Bunker Labs joining forces, we’d encourage you to read our announcement.