In the heart of every military community lies a wealth of untold stories, each a testament to the courage, sacrifice, and resilience of those who serve. This blog explores just a few of those stories about veterans, spouses, and the entire family unit.
The D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) opposes the proposed expansion of SBA’s small business size standards.
At the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University, many of the people doing that work every day are themselves part of that story. We asked several of our military-connected colleagues to remember September 11, 2001, and reflect on how that day stayed with them.
Jill Chambers is a member of IVMF’s Board of Directors was present at the Pentagon on Tuesday, September 11th, 2001, when American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the building.
The IVMF contributed 10 presentations in the Voices of Service showcase from its own research and evaluation, community insights and impact, and digital library teams.
I don’t identify as the “typical” military spouse. I never lived on an Army base, never packed up a house for a PCS move, and never counted down the days until a deployment ended.
In 2007, 17 veterans arrived at Syracuse University for a new experiment: an intensive entrepreneurship program designed specifically for those transitioning from military service to business ownership. Twenty Syracuse cohorts and more than 3,300 EBV graduates nationwide later, that experiment has become one of the most enduring veteran entrepreneurship programs in the country
On Wednesday, September 16th, 2026, Syracuse University’s D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF), with the support of Fiserv, brings the Military Entrepreneurship Forum to the First Americans Museum in Oklahoma City.
People understand that military families move. What they do not always fully is what that means for a family, for a career, or for the person trying to build a sustainable one.
One of the most interesting parts of being married to someone in the military, once you have children, is that you spend weeks, months, and sometimes longer living a life that, from the outside, looks a whole lot like single parenting.
Hire a Veteran Day lands on July 25, and for a lot of companies that means a flag graphic on LinkedIn and a thank you for your service before lunch. The harder question is “what happens the other 364 days?”
STRIVE also opened their eyes to new possibilities. They began to dream of launching fishing charters on the islands, a venture they had never imagined before. Some people doubted them. Switching careers again seemed risky. But with the support of Alicia and the STRIVE community, they learned that with passion they could make plumbing, fishing, or any other pursuit a sustainable business with the right tools and systems.
Pamela Fleming built her consulting business after eight years of military service and multiple deployments, turning leadership experience into a mission to help organizations manage change. Through the IVMF’s STRIVE program at Houston City College, Fleming gained the structure and support to sharpen her message, grow her network and bring in clients.
Because these two event-driven opportunities are so vital to the entrepreneurial process, we’ve compiled a list of conferences and pitch competitions in the United States. Many are exclusively for veterans and military spouses, but there are also many listed that are open to all ventures, or those within specific industries. Be sure to read closely and check the event’s website. Our hope is that it can help you plan your year and make you aware of nearby events that can make a difference for your venture.
There is a version of me that existed before military life. She was comfortable, certain, and believed life would always feel predictable. Then, in 2023, I became a military spouse.
When my husband told me he was going to deploy to a combat zone, I was six months pregnant and unsure I was ready for motherhood. He is the nurturing one. Fatherhood came to him naturally in a way I was still catching up to. Suddenly, the person I counted on to figure all of that out with me was leaving.
On behalf of the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) at Syracuse University, I write to express our strong support for H.R. 2804, the Protecting Small Business Competitions Act of 2025, and to commend Representative Velazquez for her leadership in advancing policies that strengthen opportunities for America’s small businesses.
In the middle of a PCS move, Gabi’s marriage fell apart. The reintegration after her husband’s deployment never happened. The abuse behind closed doors went unspoken for too long. And suddenly, she was alone, starting over, with nothing but her children and a fierce determination to rebuild.
On his first day in the Senate, a decorated Vietnam combat veteran introduced legislation to keep a promise the country had not yet made good on. Eighteen months later, it became law. What happened next is where organizations like the IVMF come in.
In 1944, Franklin Roosevelt signed legislation that transformed the country. A Syracuse University chancellor, also a veteran, helped shape it. Eight decades later, the institution he led is still honoring the commitment that bill made possible.
During his second inaugural address, President Abraham Lincoln gave the nation its most enduring obligation to those who served. One hundred and sixty-one years later, the country is still reckoning with what that obligation means.
Mary Safford’s service revealed her calling. America’s institutions tried to block it. She built her way in — and then helped open the door for others.
James Forten is one of the original American veteran entrepreneurship stories. He was a free Black teenager in Philadelphia when the country declared independence, and he went to war as a privateer before the law would let him do much else. He came home, learned the sailmaker’s trade, and built one of the most successful businesses in the city, as a Black man, in a nation that still enslaved most people who looked like him.
As the United States marks 250 years, the story of American service cannot be told only through battlefields, presidents, and policy. It must also be told through the lives of those who came home from war and built something lasting.
In less than a calendar year, Johnson’s family received Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders twice. Each move required her to resign from a position and re-enter the job market in an unfamiliar location, a cycle that exacts both professional and psychological costs.
Two military-connected entrepreneurs: military spouse Nicole Brown and Air Force veteran Dylan Jones attended the Walmart’s Road to Open Call, where small business owners had the opportunity to pitch their products, receive feedback, and connect with one of the world’s largest retailers.
What does a nation owe the people who serve it? More than two centuries later, that question remains at the center of veteran policy, military family support, and the ongoing work of helping those who serve successfully transition into civilian life.
Before she married into the Coast Guard, Belverly Cutchins had been accepted to the University of Louisville’s engineering program. She had the grades, the scholarships, and the trajectory. What she did not have was a labor market designed to move with her. “I’ve been told that gaps in my resume are a liability.”
The D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) is proud to introduce the selectees of our 2026 IVMF Ambassador Program! After a rigorous selection process, we’ve chosen 42 individuals dedicated to helping veterans and military spouses navigate their entrepreneurship journey. These selfless volunteers connect IVMF entrepreneurs to local mentors, resources, and opportunities so their businesses can thrive.
On behalf of the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) at Syracuse University, I write to express our strong support for the Commissary Healthy Options and Servicemember Welfare (CHOW) Act, and to commend Senators Warnock and Marshall for their bipartisan leadership on this critical issue.
Kathleen went to Boston and attended V-WISE with 200 other veteran and military spouse entrepreneurs. What she found there would change the trajectory of the company she and her daughter had spent years building against systems that repeatedly failed to recognize what they were already qualified to do.
