Disabled American Veterans will welcome its first cohort of new entrepreneurs in the military and veteran community for a DAV Patriot Boot Camp at the organization’s national headquarters Oct. 20-22.
DAV, the congressionally chartered voice of America’s disabled veterans, acquired Patriot Boot Camp in January 2022 and hosted alumni for its first boot camp as a DAV program.
Now DAV is hosting 50 new entrepreneurs from across the country for an expanded three-day event.
“The overwhelming success of the first DAV Patriot Boot Camp is a testament to the dedication of the program’s community of alumni and mentors,” said National Adjutant and CEO Marc Burgess. “DAV leaders got to see firsthand just how special this program is and how much potential there is to change the lives of countless veterans. We’re even more excited to grow this community with a new class of innovators and look forward to what they’ll bring to the organization.”
Around 50 mentors and business leaders, including more than a dozen from the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky area will provide participants invaluable advice, insight and one-on-one guidance.
Each day will include presentations by world-class experts covering an array of topics, including common legal startup mistakes, marketing and sales, and pitching.
The event will culminate in a live pitch competition among 10 selected entrepreneurs. Three chosen finalists will later compete to win cash prizes.
Patriot Boot Camp alumni, many of whom return as mentors and presenters, have said the skills and connections made over just a few days helped them secure financing and rapidly grow their businesses.
Among alumni, nearly 70% have a service-connected disability, more than 20% are women, and nearly 30% identify as being racially diverse.
Since the program’s founding, more than 1,000 alumni have raised over $150 million in venture capital and employ over 1,900 individuals.
To learn more about DAV, visit dav.org.