Friday is National Donut Day! To celebrate, we’re expanding the scope a little bit past donuts and sharing some standout veteran- and military spouse-owned businesses that offer a variety of baked goods and sweet treats!
We encourage you to learn about these exceptional entrepreneurs, and think about their asks of the broader IVMF community. If you can help them reach their next goal, reach out!
Nicole Brown
Navy Spouse
Pop’s Praiseworthy Popcorn
BBiE Alum
At Pop’s, we provide moments of joyful snacking with an unmatched assortment of craveable flavors. Our handcrafted popcorn is made with premium non-GMO kernels and infused with real ingredients such as lavender, rosemary, or cherry blossoms. You’ll actually see the flecks of herbs & spices on our popcorn. And, every bag is filled to the brim so that you aren’t wasting your money on a bag full of scraps or worse, a bag half filled with air.
Nicole’s Ask: We are foundationally strong and ready to grow. I’m asking for your help into distribution channels that service commissaries, exchanges, convenience stores, food halls, snack bars and kiosks located in military or government facilities, university campuses, hospitals, hotels and specialty grocery stores.
April Williams
Navy Veteran (Ret.)
Mom Mom’s Cottage Foods
ViR, V-WISE, and EBV Alum
Mom Mom’s Cottage Foods crafts small-batch vanilla extracts and specialty flavors using time-honored techniques and premium ingredients. Our products bring elevated, bakery-quality taste to both home kitchens and professional food service operations. Whether you’re a home baker or a chef running a high-volume kitchen, we help you create unforgettable flavor moments—one bottle at a time.
April’s Ask: As a military entrepreneur, I’m growing Mom Mom’s Cottage Foods—a small-batch brand specializing in pure vanilla extracts and specialty flavors, handcrafted on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. I seek partnerships with chefs, caterers, and food service buyers who value elevated, artisan ingredients, as well as introductions to shared kitchen spaces to scale production. If you or someone in your network is passionate about supporting veteran-owned brands with bold flavor and heart, I’d love to connect!
Christopher Wysong
Army Veteran
Bucket of Bread
ViR Alum, MEF Guest Speaker
Bucket of Bread offers easy, versatile baking kits—available in recyclable buckets or convenient boxes—that let you create fresh bread, pizza dough, cinnamon buns, and even doughnuts with a single mix. Just add water and let it rise using our organic, non-GMO blends made without preservatives, artificial ingredients, or added sugars. Veteran-owned and purpose-driven, a portion of our profits helps fight food insecurity through donations to food banks across the country.
Christopher’s Ask: I’m looking to connect with fellow veteran and military family entrepreneurs who can help grow Bucket of Bread—through referrals, partnerships, retail leads, or by simply trying the product yourself. I’m especially interested in aligning with food-focused ventures, nonprofit networks, and anyone with insight into scaling a mission-driven product business. If you believe in clean food, creative kitchens, and doing good while doing business, I’d love to connect.
Join the Veteran and Military Spouse-owned Businesses in our Community
Are you sitting on a great business idea? Join the amazing nationwide community of veteran and military spouse entrepreneurs, and turn your business dream into a reality! IVMF has a huge portfolio of entrepreneurship programming designed to meet veterans and military spouses like you precisely where you are on your journey, no matter if you already have a small business empire, or just an idea on a napkin. Learn more about all of our program offerings today!