In honor of Women’s History Month, we’re looking at some of the standout female founders from our Breaking Barriers in Entrepreneurship (BBiE) and Veterans in Residence (ViR) program participants over the past year. BBiE creates a space for veteran and military spouse entrepreneurs from traditionally underserved communities to come together to support and educate one another in the face of unique challenges, and help spread the word about opportunities.

We encourage you to learn about these exceptional entrepreneurs, and think about their asks of the broader community. Be sure to follow and connect with them on social media!

Paden Sickles

US Navy Veteran
SickFit
Breaking Barriers Alum

SickFit is a socks and streetwear company dedicated to sparking conversations. Our mission is to engineer fashion pieces that not only captive us through innovative high-quality designs, but also spark meaningful conversation.

Paden’s Ask: We’re looking to expand our network and business contacts in Dallas, TX as we prepare to move our business there. We are also seeking grant opportunities to support business growth, and looking to hire a publicist. Please connect with us on Instagram and TikTok @sickfit.us, LinkedIn and Facebook @Sickfit, and Twitter @sickfitofficial if you can help, or if you just wanted to stay updated on SickFit’s latest offerings.

Nina Vizcarrondo

Coast Guard Veteran
Advertly
BBiE, ViR Alum

Advertly follows the AirBnB model applied to advertising. We are a smart online advertising marketplace that simplifies marketing by connecting ad hosts and ad buyers. Our mission is to create accessible marketing for everyone. We even have AI to help translate advertising slogans to other languages!

Nina’s Ask: All companies need marketing, so sign up for free on our website! Email info@advertly.com if you have any questions.

Kim Cross

Navy Veteran
Zhi Bath & Body, LLC
BBiE, ViR Alum

People come to me when they are frustrated with skin issues and their skincare routine only seems to make it worse. At Zhi Bath & Body, we help improve skin health through our toxin-free goat milk skincare products matched to your skin type. We at Zhi Bath & Body love educating folks about skin sensitivity and natural skincare to get you to a place where you feel happy and confident in your own skin. What is your most pressing skin issue right now and what information can I give you to make it easy to fix that?

Kim’s Ask: We’re seeking sponsors to join us this June for Unwind Your Wellness Day, creating a day of relaxation, connection, and appreciation for women of all ages. Your sponsorship, whether monetary or through raffle donations of products/services, will help us provide a fun and rejuvenating environment where women can come together to unwind and feel truly valued. Let’s join forces to make this event unforgettable and show our love and appreciation for the women who help us thrive.

Beth Fynbo

Army Veteran
Busy Baby
BBiE, ViR Alum

Busy Baby keeps your baby busy at mealtime and during everyday activities while supporting their development with a first-of-its-kind system of food-grade placemats, tethers, and accessories that keep baby’s things within reach and off the floor, at home and on-the-go. The Busy Baby line of products are Mom-invented and designed to make life a little easier with a busy baby.

Beth’s Ask: Please like/comment/share whenever you see our posts and tell anyone you know with a baby about our products. Marketing is SO EXPENSIVE and letting people know our products exist is by far the hardest part of this business.

Pinky Uttayaya-Andrews

Military Spouse
Zenergy Health & Performance
BBiE Alum

Zenergy Health & Performance specializes in empowering veterans and underserved communities to conquer chronic pain. We offer a unique, integrated approach to wellness, tailoring personalized, non-invasive care to help individuals reclaim their full potential. By dismantling barriers and fostering equitable health outcomes, we envision a future where diverse communities thrive beyond pain.

Pinky’s Ask: We are seeking business mentors to join our Advisory Board to help us with continued growth. We are also looking for partners, investors, and the following practitioners (physical therapist, acupuncturist, and chiropractor) who align with our mission to join our team.

Raya Arbiol

Navy Veteran
Thrive Consulting
BBiE, ViR Alum

The go-to consulting partners for small businesses in Greater Philadelphia, Thrive Consulting specializes in strategic planning and financial management to propel your business forward. Whether it’s optimizing processes or fostering growth, we’re here to make your journey smoother. With a hands-on approach and personalized strategies, we’re not just consultants; we’re your growth advocates. Let’s navigate challenges and seize opportunities together. Choose Thrive Consulting, where your success is our priority.

Raya’s Ask: As Thrive Consulting continues to empower small businesses in Greater Philadelphia, we’re seeking collaborative partnerships within the Bunker Labs community. We’re on the lookout for strategic alliances to enhance support for entrepreneurs, investors looking to foster small business success, client, referrals, and networking opportunities.

Nicole Dhanraj

Army Veteran
424 Business Group, Inc.
BBiE Alum

At 424 Business Group Inc, our expertise lies in refining operations, enhancing profitability, and prioritizing a customer-centric approach to give you a competitive edge. We go further with our Workforce Development solutions, focusing on efficient onboarding processes and tailored training programs to elevate your staff’s skills. Consider us your ally in achieving operational excellence, workforce development efficiency, and sustainable, profitable growth.

Nicole’s Ask: We are looking for client referrals, and opportunities to provide community training as part of social impact grant initiatives.

Support Women Veteran and Military Spouse-owned Businesses

In addition to the featured entrepreneurs presented above, there are dozens of women-led companies participating in our Breaking Barriers in Entrepreneurship (BBiE) workshop today that could use your support. Browse the many women veteran and military spouse-owned businesses that have come through the program, including our most recent graduates in the 24A cohort, and show them some support and patronage.

Representation matters, especially in the entrepreneurial world. Through the power of community and connection, the BBiE workshop aims to help participants shatter society-erected barriers for entrepreneurs of historically underserved communities. Interested in going through the workshop? Fill out an interest forms for the next cohort.

Bunker Labs is Now Part of IVMF

As of January 2024, Bunker Labs is now a part of Syracuse University’s D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF). In addition to ongoing Bunker Labs programming, we’d encourage you to browse IVMF’s deep wealth of entrepreneurship programming, much of it available virtually or at locations across the country. Find the program to help your business take the next step today!