Syracuse University’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) brought together more than 440 influential stakeholders, veteran business owners, regional and national veteran services organizations, and corporate partners of the Coalition for Veteran-Owned Business (CVOB) in Dallas recently for the national Veteran EDGE conference. EDGE (Engage, Develop, Grow, Elevate) is the country’s largest convening of veteran-owned businesses and supporters.
The conference agenda featured more than 40 workshops and sessions on entrepreneurial education, training, resources and networking opportunities. Notable speakers included Andy Williams, star of HGTV’s “Flip or Flop Fort Worth” and U.S. Marine veteran; Korto Momolu, entrepreneur, fashion designer, “Project Runway” participant and military spouse, plus many more.
“The EDGE program is a great example of research informing practice,” says Mike Haynie, Syracuse University vice chancellor and founder/executive director of the IVMF. “Through our research, we’ve been able to develop a deep understanding of the needs and challenges facing those veterans who are working to grow and scale a small business. In turn, with the support of our academic and private sector partners, we can develop specialized programs like EDGE that are uniquely positioned to address the challenges veteran business owners face today and throughout the entrepreneurial journey.”