The VeteranCrowd Spotlight: Recent Episodes
VeteranCrowd
The VeteranCrowd Spotlight - where citizen soldiers who are making a difference step into the Spotlight twice each week.
Join your host, Bob Louthan, and guests with skills and discipline forged in the crucible of the US Military.
The VeteranCrowd Network brings businesses, veterans, and military spouses together with the resources they need to prosper.
In this episode of the Mission Oriented Podcast, host Bob Louthan sits down with Mike Sherbakov — Marine veteran, venture capitalist, and Managing Partner of The Veteran Fund — to explore how service, gratitude, and purpose can shape the next generation of veteran entrepreneurs.
Born in Russia, Mike immigrated to the United States at the age of five, watching his parents rebuild their lives from the ground up. That journey instilled in him both humility and drive — lessons that would later guide his military service and entrepreneurial career. After 9/11, an 18-year-old Mike felt called to serve, enlisting in the U.S. Marine Corps and spending five years on active duty in San Diego.
Following his service, Mike discovered his passion for entrepreneurship — building HMS Fitness, a franchise business inspired by his Marine Corps training, and later founding Karuna Towels, a social venture that merged profit with purpose. His ventures taught him not just how to build companies, but how to build communities.
Now, as Managing Partner of The Veteran Fund, Mike invests in founders who share that same mission-driven mindset. His work through Founder Institute's Veteran Cohort and Bunker Labs helps bridge the gap between veterans and venture capital — empowering leaders who combine discipline, resilience, and innovation.
Throughout the episode, Mike reflects on finding alignment through Ikigai — the Japanese philosophy of purpose — and his daily reminder to "Stop. Breathe. Be grateful." at 11:11.
This conversation is a powerful blend of entrepreneurship, gratitude, and the belief that veterans are uniquely equipped to lead America's next wave of innovation.
🎙️ Listen now to Episode 201 of the Mission Oriented Podcast — available on YouTube and all major streaming platforms.
In this milestone 200th episode of the Mission Oriented Podcast, host Bob Louthan sits down with General Darren McDew, U.S. Air Force (Ret.), to reflect on a lifetime of leadership, service, and perspective shaped by 36 years in uniform.
General McDew’s story begins at the Virginia Military Institute (VMI), where the values of teamwork, integrity, and resilience first took root. From there, his career path took him to the skies as an “accidental pilot” — thanks to an ROTC scholarship that set him on course for an extraordinary journey. Over time, he commanded at every level, culminating in his role as Commander of U.S. Transportation Command, one of the nation’s most critical joint commands.
Throughout the conversation, General McDew shares insights that go beyond military service:
- Beware of the Test – why life’s toughest challenges aren’t written on paper but show up unexpectedly, testing integrity and character.
- Power, Not Politics – how true leadership transcends divisions and focuses on responsibility to those you lead.
- Cyber, Drones, and New Frontiers – why today’s threats keep him up at night, and what Americans should understand about vulnerabilities that affect us all.
He also reflects on his personal philosophy, distilled into three words: Beware. Decide. Be. A framework that guided him through decades of command and continues to shape how he mentors the next generation of leaders.
This episode is more than a conversation about military milestones. It’s about values, responsibility, and the enduring need for leaders who walk the walk every single day. As General McDew puts it, “Decide the kind of person you’re going to be — and be it, not when it’s convenient, but every day.”
🎙️ Tune in to this landmark episode of the Mission Oriented Podcast to hear General Darren McDew’s journey, wisdom, and lessons for both the military community and civilians alike.
In this episode of the Mission Oriented Podcast, host Bob Louthan sits down with Tim Jensen — Marine veteran, Chief Brand Officer at Grunt Style, and President of the Grunt Style Foundation.
Tim shares his remarkable journey from enlisting in the Marine Corps in 1997, serving in Iraq with 2/24 Marines, to helping grow Grunt Style into one of the most recognizable patriotic apparel brands in America. Along the way, he reflects on the culture of military service, the challenges of transition, and how a “t-shirt folding job” turned into a career shaping brand identity and community.
We dive into the origins of Grunt Style, its iconic ethos “This We’ll Defend,” and how the company exploded from a niche veteran brand into a cultural movement. Tim also opens up about his work with the Grunt Style Foundation, tackling issues like toxic exposure, suicide prevention, food insecurity, and how veterans can reclaim a sense of mission after service.
This conversation is raw, thoughtful, and inspiring — blending stories of Marine Corps grit, entrepreneurship, and a call to never forget the sacrifice of the veteran community.
In this episode of the Mission Oriented Podcast, host Bob Louthan sits down with Air Force veteran Chad Fulkerson, a former B-1 bomber weapons systems officer who successfully transitioned into entrepreneurship as a Firehouse Subs franchise owner in Texas.
Chad shares his unique journey from growing up in a military family to joining the Air Force at age 28, earning his call sign “Henway,” and navigating combat missions with his B-1 crew. He talks candidly about the challenges of leaving military life after 10.5 years, the lessons learned in leadership and discipline, and how those skills transferred into running a thriving restaurant business.
We also dive into why Firehouse Subs’ values and Public Safety Foundation resonated with him, how the culture helped him find a sense of mission after service, and what it was like to steer a business through the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic. Chad reflects on the importance of community, supporting first responders, and the lasting impact of military camaraderie.
This episode is a mix of humor (including the story behind his call sign), resilience, and insight into how veterans can translate military experience into business success.
Paul Habenicht - Marine Veteran Applying Military Principles to Entrepreneurial Success
Paul Habenicht, a U.S. Naval Academy and Darden MBA graduate successfully built and exited a veterinary services business called VetEvolve.
Paul shared his journey from the Marine Corps to entrepreneurship, highlighting how his military experience shaped the culture and operations of VetEvolve. As Paul and his co-founder Nick acquired and integrated veterinary clinics across the country, they intentionally applied principles from the Marine Corps playbook - things like mission-type orders, empowering frontline teams, and an "officers eat last" mentality.
"We really understood that it's all about your people," Paul explained. "The best captain in the world is supported by 20 sergeants and they do the work and they drive your plan." This people-first approach allowed VetEvolve to scale while maintaining a strong culture.
Paul also offered insights on the emotional and practical aspects of exiting an entrepreneurial venture. While the financial upside was rewarding, he found the transition out of the day-to-day business to be bittersweet. "It doesn't feel exactly like you think it does," he said. "There's a tremendous amount of work that leads up to that sort of a transaction or that sort of process."
Now, Paul is turning his attention to helping other entrepreneurs through his new venture, Range Control. He's eager to share the lessons he learned - from navigating acquisitions to building a cohesive culture - with the next generation of founders.
"I'm looking to transfer some of the skills I've learned," Paul said. "I can help them see where they need to go and provide them some of the advice and guidance and investment support that people have provided us."
To hear the full interview and learn more about Paul's entrepreneurial journey, check out the latest episode of the Mission Oriented podcast.
Erik DeGiorgi is a Marine veteran that is the founder and CEO of NetSpeek. Erik shared how his background as a Marine infantryman during the early days of the Afghanistan war helped prepare him for the rigors of entrepreneurship. "Endurance is probably the single most necessary trait for a founder," he said, noting that the ability to push through challenges is critical.
After leaving the Marines, Erik co-founded a family business in the digital signage industry, gaining valuable experience in building and scaling a tech company. This led him to identify a major pain point in the pro-AV industry - the complexity of managing disparate technologies from multiple vendors in enterprise environments.
This insight inspired the creation of NetSpeek and its flagship product, Lena. Described as a "central nervous system" for AV networks, Lena uses artificial intelligence and natural language processing to monitor, diagnose and even automatically resolve issues across an organization's collaboration and audiovisual systems.
"We've built Lena to really mimic human workflows," Erik explained. "Lena has instant access to every support ticket that's ever been, the technical manuals for every device, and can communicate directly with the equipment to take corrective action."
With Lena's commercial launch scheduled for January 21st, Erik is excited to bring this innovative solution to the pro-AV market. NetSpeek will be showcasing the product at the Integrated Systems Europe trade show in Barcelona in early February.
"We're really focused on the meeting room right now," said Erik. "There's more technology in those spaces than ever before, and a zero tolerance for when it doesn't work. That's where we're laser-focused on making a difference."
Listeners can connect with Erik and the NetSpeek team at erik@netspeek.com and visit them at www.netspeek.com
Leadership Lessons from Doug Moran: A Journey of Resilience and Empowerment Doug Moran is a seasoned executive coach, author, and former Capital One CIO. Doug shared his inspiring leadership journey, which has been shaped by his experiences in business, politics, and personal reflection. His book, If You Will Lead, distills these experiences into valuable leadership insights, with a focus on empowering others to reach their potential. He covers sixteen historical figures as he highlights leader characteristics.
Doug’s journey to leadership started early, shaped by his upbringing as a "Navy brat" and his father’s influence. Although he didn't follow in his dad's military footsteps, Doug’s passion for leadership grew throughout his career. After working in telecom and politics — including a key role in Governor George Allen’s administration — Doug transitioned to Capital One, where he spent a decade honing his leadership and coaching skills.
A pivotal moment came when Doug discovered the power of coaching. Through coaching, Doug learned that leadership isn’t about being the smartest person in the room but about enabling others to perform at their best. This philosophy became a cornerstone of his work as a coach.
A central theme of Doug’s leadership approach is resilience, and this idea was inspired by Rudyard Kipling’s poem "If". His father’s frequent quoting of the poem instilled in Doug the importance of treating both success and failure with equanimity. In the book, Doug draws on this principle of steady leadership to help readers navigate their own leadership challenges, from dealing with setbacks to managing high-pressure situations.
The spark for writing If You Will Lead came from Doug’s realization that many leaders need a practical framework for developing their leadership skills. He wanted to offer a guide that not only shared his personal lessons but also provided actionable advice for leaders at every stage of their journey. The book reflects Doug’s deep belief in the power of coaching and the ability to bring out the best in others — an approach that has been the core of his career and coaching philosophy.
Whether you’re a seasoned executive or just starting your leadership journey, Doug Moran’s insights offer a wealth of wisdom for anyone looking to grow as a leader and empower others along the way.
For more insights on Doug’s leadership philosophy, check out the full interview on the Mission Oriented podcast and grab a copy of If You Will Lead to dive deeper into his practical approach to leadership.
Learn More Buy "If You Will Lead" here
Website: https://www.ifyouwilllead.com
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch.
by VeteranCrowd Network Why do thousands of merchants put us through a bootcamp to join their loyalty program? Why do they make checkout an obstacle course?
It’s embarrassing. Time consuming. Intrusive. Cumbersome. Broken.
Why?
Because no one ever built a simple & secure way to validate our veteran status at checkout.
Until now.
Want to be recognized at select merchants simply by swiping your existing Visa card?
Join our waitlist and be one of the first veterans to have this power in your wallet.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Dave Esra - Veteran Entrepreneur Tackles Maternal Health Crisis
Dave Esra is the founder and CEO of Bobi Health. Dave is a veteran who served in both the Navy and Army, and he is now using his entrepreneurial skills to tackle a critical issue - the high rates of maternal mortality and morbidity.
Dave shared his personal connection to this problem - his wife had a high-risk pregnancy that was ultimately successful, but he saw firsthand the challenges and risks that many women face. This experience inspired him to found BobiHealth, a startup that is using technology to improve maternal health outcomes.
The statistics around maternal health are sobering. Dave noted that 94% of maternal mortality is avoidable, and that every two minutes, a woman dies from maternal health complications. In the U.S. alone, there are over 50,000 cases of severe maternal morbidity each year, costing the healthcare system billions of dollars.
BobiHealth's approach is to leverage wearable devices and predictive analytics to identify risk factors and complications early on. By continuously monitoring key biometrics like heart rate, breathing, and activity levels, the platform can alert healthcare providers to potential issues before they become serious. This allows for earlier intervention and treatment, potentially preventing devastating outcomes.
As an entrepreneur, Dave has drawn heavily on his military experience to guide BobiHealth's development. He spoke about the importance of defining a clear mission and vision, establishing core values, and building a culture of accountability. These are all lessons he learned during his time in the service.
Learn More Dave Esra Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveesra
BobiHealth LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bobihealth
Website: https://www.bobihealth.com
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch.
by VeteranCrowd Network Why do thousands of merchants put us through a bootcamp to join their loyalty program? Why do they make checkout an obstacle course?
It’s embarrassing. Time consuming. Intrusive. Cumbersome. Broken.
Why?
Because no one ever built a simple & secure way to validate our veteran status at checkout.
Until now.
Want to be recognized at select merchants simply by swiping your existing Visa card?
Join our waitlist and be one of the first veterans to have this power in your wallet.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Nick Smith - Navy Veteran & Partner, 37th & Moss
From a young age, Nick had a desire to take to the skies, inspired by his Great Uncle's job of flying F-86s during the Korean War and his Grandfather's service in the Air Force. Opting for the Navy, he fulfilled his passion for flying as an F-18 test pilot during his active duty service. Post-military life, Nick set his sights on entrepreneurship, gaining valuable experience in small businesses at a bank. This journey led him to join forces with a business school colleague, giving birth to 37th and Moss – a dynamic search fund dedicated to empowering entrepreneurs in acquiring and running small businesses.
37th & Moss 37th & Moss, a search fund, supports entrepreneurs in acquiring and operating a single business. Through defined criteria, networking, due diligence, and negotiation, the fund aims to acquire a business, actively participate in operations, and honor the legacy of the previous owner. The focus is on a smooth transition, cohesive operations, community impact, and continuous improvement while respecting the business's mission and values.
Learn More Nick Smith Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-b-smith/
37th & Moss LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/37th-and-moss/
Website: https://www.37thandmoss.com/
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch.
Discount Heroes by VeteranCrowd Network Why do thousands of merchants put us through a bootcamp to join their loyalty program? Why do they make checkout an obstacle course?
It’s embarrassing. Time consuming. Intrusive. Cumbersome. Broken.
Why?
Because no one ever built a simple & secure way to validate our veteran status at checkout.
Until now.
Want to be recognized at select merchants simply by swiping your existing Visa card?
Join our waitlist and be one of the first veterans to have this power in your wallet.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Sherman Williams & Emily McMahan - Academy Investor Network, Helping Service Academy Graduates Invest in Venture-backed Startups
Sherman Williams is a Naval Academy graduate. After serving as a Naval Intelligence Officer, he headed to Chicago’s Booth School to study finance and landed himself in investment banking. While in banking he started investing and advising startups. This was a perfect segue to co-founding Academy Investor Network.
Emily McMahan is a WestPoint Academy graduate. After her time in the Army as a Military Police Officer, she has always been focused around community and working with entrepreneurs. She has a passion to work with startup companies and founded Capitol Post, which taught military veterans how to start and grow businesses, a great foundation for beginning the Academy Investor Network. She is also the Deputy Director at the Common Mission Project, an international platform supporting mission-driven entrepreneurs.
Academy Investor Network Academy Investor Network was founded in 2020. From Sherman’s and Emily’s own academy experience they personally saw the unique population that made up the graduates. They wanted to offer an investment syndicate for U.S. Service Academy graduates to invest in venture-backed startups. “We enable every Service Academy graduate to connect, learn and invest in the venture asset class.”
Learn More Sherman Williams Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherman-williams/
Emily McMahan Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilymcmahan/
Academy Investor Network LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/academy-investor-network/
Website: https://academyinvestor.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AIN_members
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you.
by VeteranCrowd Network Why do thousands of merchants put us through a bootcamp to join their loyalty program? Why do they make checkout an obstacle course?
It’s embarrassing. Time consuming. Intrusive. Cumbersome. Broken.
Why?
Because no one ever built a simple & secure way to validate our veteran status at checkout.
Until now.
Want to be recognized at select merchants simply by swiping your existing Visa card?
Join our waitlist and be one of the first veterans to have this power in your wallet.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
David Jones - Co-Founder & General Partner at Bull City Venture Partners
After attending the United States Naval Academy and graduating with a BS in Electrical Engineering, David Jones served as a Naval Aviator and a Weapons and Operations Officer. It was his military background and experience in technology that laid the groundwork to co-found Bull City Venture Partners in 2012. Bull City Ventures is a venture capital firm investing in $250K to $2M in bold founders building software and tech-enabled companies. Serving mostly the East coast, they value the power of teamwork in identifying and investing in high-potential founders.
Learn More Bull City Ventures Website: www.bcvp.com
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch.
Discount Heroes by VeteranCrowd Network Why do thousands of merchants put us through a bootcamp to join their loyalty program? Why do they make checkout an obstacle course?
It’s embarrassing. Time consuming. Intrusive. Cumbersome. Broken.
Why?
Because no one ever built a simple & secure way to validate our veteran status at checkout.
Until now.
Want to be recognized at select merchants simply by swiping your existing Visa card?
Join our waitlist and be one of the first veterans to have this power in your wallet.
About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Brandon Shelton - Removing the Barriers to Capital for Veterans, TFX Capital
Brandon grew up in rural Virginia. He was part of a long line of military service. This led him to utilize the ROTC program and attend the University of Richmond. After being commissioned as an Airborne Infantry Officer in the U.S Army. and serving for eight years he landed himself on Wall Street. This was the beginning of Brandon’s experience in the financial realm. He worked hard and received his MBA from Duke University.
It was through these years that Brandon began the passion and desire to remove the barriers to capital for veterans. He firmly believes that Veterans make great startup founders because of their experience in service. According to the Small Business Administration, 1 in 10 small businesses in the United States are owned and operated by Veterans. This is despite that less than half a percent of the the U.S. population has served in the military. Knowing this in 2015 Brandon founded TFX Capital
Task Force X Capital Management Started in 2015, TFX Capital “invests in service driven, high performing and commercially tested former military and national security leaders.”
Learn More Visit Brandon Shelton's LinkedIn Profile Visit Task Force X Capital Management Check out their Instagram @taskforcexcap
Email: bshelton@tfxcap.com
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch.
Discount Heroes by VeteranCrowd Network Why do thousands of merchants put us through a bootcamp to join their loyalty program? Why do they make checkout an obstacle course?
It’s embarrassing. Time consuming. Intrusive. Cumbersome. Broken.
Why?
Because no one ever built a simple & secure way to validate our veteran status at checkout.
Until now.
Want to be recognized at select merchants simply by swiping your existing Visa card?
Join our waitlist and be one of the first veterans to have this power in your wallet.
About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Brendan Aronson - USMC Veteran, Co-Founder & CEO The Military Veteran
Brendan attended the United States Naval Academy for his undergraduate degree and commissioned as an infantry officer in the United States Marine Corps. He served for six years before starting his entrepreneurial journey. He is the co-founder and CEO of The Military Veteran and has a passion to help transitioning veterans. He is a big proponent of in person events and the compound effect that networking can have on the business builder and the job seeker.
The Military Veteran
The Military Veteran works with employers looking to hire veterans and holds conferences to help veterans network. Each event allows participants to network in person. Whether looking for employment or looking to build your company these events help you build your professional network. This year they have their MilVet Startup conference in San Francisco, February 8th-9th. Following that, April 25th - 26th, they are hosting The Military Veteran Career Conference in Austin, Texas. Check out The Military Veteran events here.
Learn More Brendan's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derrenburrell/
The Military Veteran Website: https://www.themilvet.org/
MilVet Startup Conference: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/military-veteran-startup-conference-2024-tickets-528521832027
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch.
Discount Hereoes by VeteranCrowd Network Why do thousands of merchants put us through a bootcamp to join their loyalty program? Why do they make checkout an obstacle course?
It’s embarrassing. Time consuming. Intrusive. Cumbersome. Broken.
Why?
Because no one ever built a simple & secure way to validate our veteran status at checkout.
Until now.
Want to be recognized at select merchants simply by swiping your existing Visa card?
Join our waitlist and be one of the first veterans to have this power in your wallet.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Ryan Micheletti - The Veteran Fund & Founder Institute
Ryan Micheletti served in the California State Military Reserve for six years. He would tell you that he learned leadership, resilience and the value of a team during his time in service. This laid the foundation for his journey as an entrepreneur. He began by starting a security company with his brother. This grew from just the two of them working overtime to now being the 2nd largest veteran owned business in the San Francisco bay area. They focus on hiring veterans. Ryan has also helped to found Vet-Tech, which works with startups by providing “advanced mentorship, traction with corporate partners and access to our international investor network.” Ryan’s most recent endeavor was co-founding The Veteran Fund in 2021. He truly believes that “a veteran founder, is one of the most powerful change agents that we have to actually drive positive impact in the world.” In addition to the Veteran Fund Ryan is the Head of Global Operations for Founders Institute, the world's largest pre-seed start up accelerator. For the last 10 years, he's been leading the operations team there as head of operations to help us scale to 7,000 portfolio companies across 200 cities with a mentor network of 35,000 mentors.
“The Veteran Fund is an early stage venture capital firm based in Silicon Valley that invests in top military veteran-led technology startups. The Veteran Fund finds, funds and scales top performing startups within the military veteran and spouse community by leveraging our unique access to the global startup ecosystem and our partners' experience launching thousands of startups worldwide.”
Learn More Ryan Micheletti LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanmicheletti
Website: https://veteran.fund
Veteran Startup: fi.co
Applying for Funding: veteran.fund.startup
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch.
Discount Heroes by VeteranCrowd Network Why do thousands of merchants put us through a bootcamp to join their loyalty program? Why do they make checkout an obstacle course?
It’s embarrassing. Time consuming. Intrusive. Cumbersome. Broken.
Why?
Because no one ever built a simple & secure way to validate our veteran status at checkout.
Until now.
Want to be recognized at select merchants simply by swiping your existing Visa card?
Join our waitlist and be one of the first veterans to have this power in your wallet.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Derren Burrell - Air Force Veteran, Founder Veteran Ventures Capital
Derren is back on the Mission Oriented podcast sharing an update on Veteran Ventures Capital, his advice for entrepreneurs in the current economy and about his excitement connect with others at the upcoming MilVet Startup Conference next month.
Derren Burrell’s father was a Citadel graduate of 1964. It was an indoctrination that began young but led Derren to graduate from The Military College of South Carolina, class of 1994. He hadn’t planned on commissioning but upon graduation did in the Air Force. He served 21 years as a financial management officer. This laid the ground work for his work in the civilian sector. Immediately upon retirement from the Air Force he went to work for TAG Resources, a financial services company. He would attribute his success at TAG Resources to his military experience. He was able to help the company grow exponentially. This led to him being tasked to raise 2 million dollars. It was this specific experience that eventually led him to found Veteran Ventures Capital. He realized the struggle of raising capital but especially for veteran entrepreneurs.
Veteran Ventures Capital Veteran Ventures Capital founded in 2015 is an investment and consulting firm focused on scaling veteran-owned businesses. Derren is the founder and president. He “oversees all aspects of the company operations and fund management of Veteran Fund I which invest in early stage / growth companies.” Find more information below.
Learn More Darren’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derrenburrell/
Veteran Ventures Capital Website: https://www.veteranventures.us/
Matthew Carter - Navy Rear Admiral (Ret.), Chairman of NOVA Vets
Matthew Carter a retired Navy Rear Admiral, who spent 34 years serving in the military continues his service as the recently elected chair of the board for the Northern Virginia Veterans Association (NOVA Veterans). Carter previously served as a board member.
While he served in the Navy, Carter flew the P-3C Orion maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft. After retiring in 2019, Carter joined Booz Allen Hamilton and assumed a leadership role overseeing operations in the western Pacific for a three-year tenure. In addition to his involvement with NOVA Veterans, Carter also contributes his expertise to the board of directors for the Maritime Patrol Association and is a dedicated member of the Japan US Military Program.
NOVA Veterans Association
Northern Virginia Veteran Association is “one point of entry for comprehensive support”. This unique approach helps the whole veteran get care. “We are the only local veteran nonprofit that performs a comprehensive veteran intake, determines priority of needs, case manages, coordinates with multiple potential service providers, advocates, and provides continual follow up to ensure services are received and continued as needed.”
Learn More Website: www.novavets.org
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cartermattj
VeteranCrowd Network
Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch.
by VeteranCrowd Network Why do thousands of merchants put us through a bootcamp to join their loyalty program? Why do they make checkout an obstacle course?
It’s embarrassing. Time consuming. Intrusive. Cumbersome. Broken.
Why?
Because no one ever built a simple & secure way to validate our veteran status at checkout.
Until now.
Want to be recognized at select merchants simply by swiping your existing Visa card?
Join our waitlist and be one of the first veterans to have this power in your wallet.
About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Gregg F. Martin - Army Major General (Ret.), Author, Bipolar Survivor & Thriver
Gregg Martin is a retired major general and a distinguished 36-year Army combat veteran who has left an indelible mark on the military. Throughout his illustrious career, he commanded various military units, including an engineer company, battalion, and the 130th Engineer Brigade in combat.
Beyond the battlefield, he held esteemed positions such as the president of the National Defense University, commander of Ft. Leonard Wood, and commandant of the Army War College. What makes Gregg's journey truly remarkable is his unwavering resilience in the face of bipolar disorder, a personal battle he openly shares about in his book BIPOLAR GENERAL: My Forever War with Mental Illness.
Gregg Martin's journey exemplifies an indomitable spirit that offers hope and inspiration to others confronting challenges in their lives.
BIPOLAR GENERAL: My Forever War with Mental Illness "This memoir serves as both an education and a source of inspiration, aiming to dispel the stigma around mental illness, alleviate suffering, and save lives, aligning with my personal mission. It tracks my journey through the ups and downs of bipolar disorder. In sharing my story, I hope to offer a beacon of hope, a spark of inspiration, the power of love and faith, and knowledge that could be life-saving.”
Learn More Website: www.bipolargeneral.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregg-f-martin-222735aa/
VeteranCrowd Network
Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch.
by VeteranCrowd Network Why do thousands of merchants put us through a bootcamp to join their loyalty program? Why do they make checkout an obstacle course?
It’s embarrassing. Time consuming. Intrusive. Cumbersome. Broken.
Why?
Because no one ever built a simple & secure way to validate our veteran status at checkout.
Until now.
Want to be recognized at select merchants simply by swiping your existing Visa card?
Join our waitlist and be one of the first veterans to have this power in your wallet.
About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Brendan Duebner - Army Veteran, Founder & CEO of Life Skills for Soldiers
***"We know that when service members are more financially secure, there's less issues at home, there's less issues with food insecurity, stress, there's less security clearance revocations, less missed work time. There's more productivity, there's more retention, there's just more readiness."*** This is the driving force for Life Skills for Soldiers. Brendan Duebner, founder and CEO, served on active duty as an Army Artillery Officer before continuing his service in the Army Reserves. During his active duty time, he realized that the majority of problems were generated from personnel problems and finances or money played a large role. Taking this into account he worked to create classes to teach his soldiers basic financial literacy and saw a huge impact. This led to founding Life Skills for Soldiers. Brendan is continuing his service in the Army Reserve's 75th Innovation Command. He has a passion for leveraging personal finance to better the lives of service members. **Life Skills for Soldiers** "Life Skills for Soldiers is a 501c3 nonprofit that is solving the military’s personal finance problem by providing Commander's tools to stand up unit programs. Specifically LSFS creates content and software tailored for military audiences that leverages the train-the-trainer methodology to improve the financial lives of service members’ and their families, build better leaders, and increase readiness."
**Learn More** Email: info@lifeskillsforsoldiers.org
Website: LifeSkillsforSoliders.org
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/brendan-duebner-34737197
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch.
by VeteranCrowd Network Why do thousands of merchants put us through a bootcamp to join their loyalty program? Why do they make checkout an obstacle course?
It’s embarrassing. Time consuming. Intrusive. Cumbersome. Broken.
Why?
Because no one ever built a simple & secure way to validate our veteran status at checkout.
Until now.
Want to be recognized at select merchants simply by swiping your existing Visa card?
Join our waitlist and be one of the first veterans to have this power in your wallet.
About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Brent Bowers - Teaching Real Estate Investors How to Buy & Sell Vacant Land
With over 8 years of service as an Army Officer, Brent Bowers realized he needed a change to spend more time with his family. His interest in real estate, sparked by his first home purchase in 2007, led him to explore real estate investing as a way to support his family and be present for them. Quickly expanding his business, Brent now focuses on buying and selling vacant land, finding great success in this strategy. He shares his expertise through his online coaching course, The Land Sharks program, embodying the belief that putting others' interests first is the key to true influence, and he's passionate about helping others find success, especially in land investment.
**The Land Sharks** "Build an income generating “machine” that generates passive income on autopilot, like clockwork, each and every month. Attract an avalanche of sellers practically BEGGING you to take their property off their hands and ease their burdens…with no money out of your own pocket. Dominate this “hidden” Real Estate niche which has virtually NO COMPETITION and eliminate the need to compete with other wholesalers and investors who are always trying to steal your deals." Learn more by visiting the website below.
**Learn More** Email: Brent@TheLandSharks.com
Website: TheLandSharks.com
Phone Number: 863-801-6959
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/brent1
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch.
by VeteranCrowd Network Why do thousands of merchants put us through a bootcamp to join their loyalty program? Why do they make checkout an obstacle course?
It’s embarrassing. Time consuming. Intrusive. Cumbersome. Broken.
Why?
Because no one ever built a simple & secure way to validate our veteran status at checkout.
Until now.
Want to be recognized at select merchants simply by swiping your existing Visa card?
Join our waitlist and be one of the first veterans to have this power in your wallet.
About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
David Cain - President & CEO of Heroes Home Advantage
David Cain, an individual with a passion for giving back and empowering our everyday heroes. As the President and CEO of Heroes Home Advantage, David leads a network of realtors, lenders, attorneys, and more who are dedicated to supporting those who protect, serve, and care for our communities. For over 12 years, Heroes Home Advantage has provided military personnel, law enforcement officers, firefighters, healthcare professionals, emergency personnel, and teachers with substantial discounts or rebates when purchasing real estate, giving back over $20 million to our heroes. Beyond his role with the program, David also boasts an impressive 24-year career as a top-producing mortgage lender, earning him recognition in the top 1% of mortgage lenders nationwide. His heart is to use his expertise and the "Heroes Home Advantage" network to give back and recognize those heroes in our country.
Heroes Home Advantage "Heroes Home Advantage is a network of Realtors, lenders, attorneys, home inspectors, title companies and more that wanted to do something to give back to those that protect, serve and care for our country and community: military, law enforcement, firefighters, health care, emergency personnel and teachers by offering a real estate discount program."
Learn More HeroesHomeAdvantage.com
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch.
by VeteranCrowd Network Why do thousands of merchants put us through a bootcamp to join their loyalty program? Why do they make checkout an obstacle course?
It’s embarrassing. Time consuming. Intrusive. Cumbersome. Broken.
Why?
Because no one ever built a simple & secure way to validate our veteran status at checkout.
Until now.
Want to be recognized at select merchants simply by swiping your existing Visa card?
Join our waitlist and be one of the first veterans to have this power in your wallet.
About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Originally episode 43
Recon Marine and Navy Seal Mike Sarraille talks Leadership and The Talent War on today's podcast.
Mike Sarraille is co-author of The Talent War and founder of Talent War Group.
"Talent War Group is a leadership development and executive search firm focused on helping our clients optimize the people side of their businesses."
Mike Sarraille is a talented speaker and author whose life lessons and leadership training draw upon the best leadership training in the world, that offered in the US Military.
Sarraille says, "The military taught you everything you need to know to lead organizations. It's just your responsibility to now apply it and uphold the proud tradition of our veterans in the private sector."
Links Mike’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelsarraillemba/
Talent War Group Website: https://talentwargroup.com/
About your host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper. You can learn more about Bob Louthan on LinkedIn.
Brandon Shelton - Removing the Barrier to Capital for Veterans, TFX Capital
Brandon grew up in rural Virginia. He was part of a long line of military service. This led him to utilize the ROTC program and attend the University of Richmond. After being commissioned as an Airborne Infantry Officer in the U.S Army. and serving for eight years he landed himself on Wall Street. This was the beginning of Brandon’s experience in the financial realm. He worked hard and received his MBA from Duke University.
It was through these years that Brandon began the passion and desire to remove the barriers to capital for veterans. He firmly believes that Veterans make great startup founders because of their experience in service. According to the Small Business Administration, 1 in 10 small businesses in the United States are owned and operated by Veterans. This is despite that less than half a percent of the the U.S. population has served in the military. Knowing this in 2015 Brandon founded TFX Capital.
Task Force X Capital Management Started in 2015, TFX Capital “invests in service driven, high performing and commercially tested former military and national security leaders.”
Learn More Visit Brandon Shelton's LinkedIn Profile Visit Task Force X Capital Management Check out their Instagram @taskforcexcap
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch.
by VeteranCrowd Network Why do thousands of merchants put us through a bootcamp to join their loyalty program? Why do they make checkout an obstacle course?
It’s embarrassing. Time consuming. Intrusive. Cumbersome. Broken.
Why?
Because no one ever built a simple & secure way to validate our veteran status at checkout.
Until now.
Want to be recognized at select merchants simply by swiping your existing Visa card?
Join our waitlist and be one of the first veterans to have this power in your wallet.
About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
France Hoang - Army Veteran & Entrepreneur, Helping Afghan Allies
France and his family were evacuated from Vietnam when he was just a child. That experience has impacted every area of his life. He wanted to payback the opportunities he was given. He chose to go to West Point and serve in the United States Army. His service continued as he worked in the White House and was eventually called to go back on active duty in the Army. It was this latter service where he deployed to Afghanistan and laid the foundation for his work on helping Afghan allies. France is a entrepreneur many times over, has over 20 years of national security experience and serves on several boards but has a true passion to help his Afghan allies. Over this past year and a half he has worked with many organizations but specifically Allied Airlift 21 to help evacuate Afghan allies.
Allied Airlift 21 “Allied Airlift 21 operates the Afghan Ally Registry - a secure list of individuals and families under threat who are seeking evacuation from Afghanistan. Coordinating with their U.S. sponsors, we assist in validating and completing documentation for State Department review, and work with partnering organizations assisting in this effort.”
Learn More Allied Airlift 21: alliedairlift21.org
France LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francisqhoang/
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch.
Discount Heroes by VeteranCrowd Network Why do thousands of merchants put us through a bootcamp to join their loyalty program? Why do they make checkout an obstacle course?
It’s embarrassing. Time consuming. Intrusive. Cumbersome. Broken.
Why?
Because no one ever built a simple & secure way to validate our veteran status at checkout.
Until now.
Want to be recognized at select merchants simply by swiping your existing Visa card?
Join our waitlist and be one of the first veterans to have this power in your wallet.
About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Robert Williscroft, Navy Veteran & Author of "Operation White Out"
Robert has been a guest on the podcast before, but this time is talking about his latest book, Operation White Out. Tom Clancy might have said; “The only way to do all the things you'd like to do is to read” but he never met Robert Williscroft. Robert has spent a lifetime taking adventures most to us only read about. Have you spent 22 months underwater or a year at the South Pole? Robert has and so much more. His love for adventures has led him to author over 17 books and hundreds of articles, both fiction and nonfiction.
Adventurer He has a degree in Marine Physics and Meteorology and a doctorate “for developing a system to protect SCUBA divers in contaminated water.” From the Arctic to the South Pole and a year at the equatorial Pacific are just a few of the many places Robert has been.
Author Robert’s journey as an author began as a young kid. He shares, “When I was a teenager, I wrote a science fiction story, the editor, bless his heart, wrote me a letter back and said, you got a ways to go kid, but keep at it.” That is what he did! His bestseller, "Operation Ivy Bells" blends his own personal experience on that mission with fictional characters. The fourth book in the Mac McDowell Series, Operation White Out was released this year.
Curious to see who else has been in the VeteranCrowd Spotlight? Check them out here.
Learn More Website: http://www.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/argee/
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch.
by VeteranCrowd Network Why do thousands of merchants put us through a bootcamp to join their loyalty program? Why do they make checkout an obstacle course?
It’s embarrassing. Time consuming. Intrusive. Cumbersome. Broken.
Why?
Because no one ever built a simple & secure way to validate our veteran status at checkout.
Until now.
Want to be recognized at select merchants simply by swiping your existing Visa card?
Join our waitlist and be one of the first veterans to have this power in your wallet.
About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Daniel Gade - Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Veterans Services
Daniel Gade, a veteran and retired Army lieutenant colonel, currently serves as the Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Services for the state of Virginia. Gade dedicates his career to serving his country, both in the military and in his civilian life. He advocates for veterans' rights and works to ensure that all veterans have access to the services and resources they need to thrive.
Gade grew up in a family with a long line of military service. After attending West Point, Gade spent over 20 years in the military, serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Gade received the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart for his bravery in combat, where he was wounded twice.
After retiring from the military, Gade continued to serve his country in a different way. He became a professor of public policy at American University and worked on veterans' issues. Gade has also authored the book, Wounding Warriors: How Bad Policy Is Making Veterans Sicker and Poorer. "It is a transformational effort of research into the Department of Veterans Affairs and the US military."
As the Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Services, Gade oversees the delivery of services and benefits to Virginia's veterans and their families. He works closely with veterans' service organizations, state agencies, and community partners to ensure that veterans have access to the resources they need.
Learn More Daniel's LinkedIn
Wounding Warriors Book
Virginia Department of Veterans Services
VeteranCrowd Network
Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch.
by VeteranCrowd Network Why do thousands of merchants put us through a bootcamp to join their loyalty program? Why do they make checkout an obstacle course?
It’s embarrassing. Time consuming. Intrusive. Cumbersome. Broken.
Why?
Because no one ever built a simple & secure way to validate our veteran status at checkout.
Until now.
Want to be recognized at select merchants simply by swiping your existing Visa card?
Join our waitlist and be one of the first veterans to have this power in your wallet.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Flawless Acceleration: Black Veteran Entrepreneur “Iron” Mike Steadman is Empowering the Next Generation of Business Leaders
As a black veteran entrepreneur, Steadman has made it his mission to empower others to achieve their highest potential in the business arena. Steadman's journey to entrepreneurship began at the Naval Academy, where he discovered his love for boxing and leadership. He went on to become a three-time National Collegiate Boxing Champion. He then commissioned as a Marine Corps Infantry officer and serving until 2015.
After leaving the military, Steadman turned his attention to serving inner-city youth through teaching boxing and leadership. He co-founded IRONBOUND Boxing, a non-profit that provides free boxing and fitness classes to underprivileged youth in Newark, New Jersey. Steadman's passion for mentoring and coaching others led him to co-found Flawless Acceleration, a coaching business that provides accountability and support to help individuals achieve their highest potential in the business world.
Steadman's entrepreneurial spirit doesn't stop there. He recently published a book titled, Black Veteran Entrepreneur, which explores the challenges and triumphs of being a black entrepreneur in today's society. Steadman hopes his book will inspire and encourage other aspiring entrepreneurs to pursue their dreams, no matter the obstacles they may face.
“YOU DON’T NEED MORE BULLSHIT BUSINESS ADVICE. YOU NEED AN ACCELERATION COACH.”
Flawless Acceleration This statement encapsulates the philosophy behind Flawless Acceleration. The company recognizes that there is no shortage of generic business advice available today, but that what business owners and entrepreneurs really need is personalized guidance and support. The company's approach is centered around accountability, building a battle rhythm, and performing at the highest levels of business ownership.
Learn More “Iron” Mike Steadman LinkedIn
Flawless Acceleration
VeteranCrowd Network
Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch.
by VeteranCrowd Network Why do thousands of merchants put us through a bootcamp to join their loyalty program? Why do they make checkout an obstacle course?
It’s embarrassing. Time consuming. Intrusive. Cumbersome. Broken.
Why?
Because no one ever built a simple & secure way to validate our veteran status at checkout.
Until now.
Want to be recognized at select merchants simply by swiping your existing Visa card?
Join our waitlist and be one of the first veterans to have this power in your wallet.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Kit Lisle - Former Military Intelligence Officer & Founder of TheOperators.pe
An influential history teacher and a retired Colonel for a dad, paved the way for Kit to join the Army. Kit was an Army intelligence officer. After spending years reading battlefield maps he translated that skill to reading marketing maps and carved out a niche for himself in the private equity arena. He is the founder of Acclaro Growth Partners, a growth strategy consulting firm for the Middle Market M&A Ecosystem, and of TheOperators.pe, a community for PE-backed executives. Lyle is a seasoned strategist, researcher, and analyst who has a natural talent for identifying growth opportunities and executing successful strategies.
TheOperators.pe Executives of PE-backed portfolio companies often find themselves faced with "Private Equity Culture Shock". To help them work through this TheOperators.pe was created. The mission is to "empower Operators in their roles as executives of PE-backed portfolio companies, by enabling them to find the answers they need, succeed in their value creation quests more easily and efficiently, gain enhanced peace of mind and contentment by making their jobs easier, and facilitate ways for them to find their next role more quickly and efficient."
Learn More Kit Lisle's LI: www.linkedin.com/in/kit-lisle
Website: TheOperators.pe
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch.
by VeteranCrowd Network Why do thousands of merchants put us through a bootcamp to join their loyalty program? Why do they make checkout an obstacle course?
It’s embarrassing. Time consuming. Intrusive. Cumbersome. Broken.
Why?
Because no one ever built a simple & secure way to validate our veteran status at checkout.
Until now.
Want to be recognized at select merchants simply by swiping your existing Visa card?
Join our waitlist and be one of the first veterans to have this power in your wallet.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Phil Dana - LinkedIn Expert, Helping Veterans Network & Transition
Phil Dana grew up in a long line of veterans and when Desert Shield came around he knew he was ready to get in the fight. He enlisted in the Navy right out of high school. He later attended the United States Naval Academy and commissioned as a Surface Warfare officer. After the military he landed in Human Resources all across various industries. Along the way he has spent a lot of time becoming an expert at LinkedIn. Perfecting how to best utilize it effectively and efficiently. He loves to share his experiences and teach other veterans how to successfully network and transition specifically using LinkedIn
LinkedIn Tips 1. Bring your profile to life. Include hobbies and passions. Tell a story with your profile and pictures. This allows you to share a piece of your culture and attract companies and others you will align with. 2. Take time to follow and engage with others in the industries you are passionate about. 3. Use it for the following: efficiently learn and grow as a professional, help others and create a solid network
Learn More Phil Dana LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/militarytalent/
Honor Foundation: a transition institute created exclusively for the U.S. Special Operations community; https://www.honor.org/
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch.
Discount Heroes by VeteranCrowd Network Why do thousands of merchants put us through a bootcamp to join their loyalty program? Why do they make checkout an obstacle course?
It’s embarrassing. Time consuming. Intrusive. Cumbersome. Broken.
Why?
Because no one ever built a simple & secure way to validate our veteran status at checkout.
Until now.
Want to be recognized at select merchants simply by swiping your existing Visa card?
Join our waitlist and be one of the first veterans to have this power in your wallet.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Ryan Micheletti - Co-Founder & General Partner of The Veteran Fund
Ryan Micheletti served in the California State Military Reserve for six years. He would tell you that he learned leadership, resilience and the value of a team during his time in service. This laid the foundation for his journey as an entrepreneur. He began by starting a security company with his brother. This grew from just the two of them working overtime to now being the 2nd largest veteran owned business in the San Francisco bay area. They focus on hiring veterans. Ryan has also helped to found Vet-Tech, which works with startups by providing “advanced mentorship, traction with corporate partners and access to our international investor network.” Ryan’s most recent endeavor was co-founding The Veteran Fund in 2021. He truly believes that “a veteran founder, is one of the most powerful change agents that we have to actually drive positive impact in the world.”
“The Veteran Fund is an early stage venture capital firm based in Silicon Valley that invests in top military veteran-led technology startups. The Veteran Fund finds, funds and scales top performing startups within the military veteran and spouse community by leveraging our unique access to the global startup ecosystem and our partners' experience launching thousands of startups worldwide.”
Learn More Ryan Micheletti LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanmicheletti
Website: https://veteran.fund
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch.
Discount Heroes by VeteranCrowd Network Why do thousands of merchants put us through a bootcamp to join their loyalty program? Why do they make checkout an obstacle course?
It’s embarrassing. Time consuming. Intrusive. Cumbersome. Broken.
Why?
Because no one ever built a simple & secure way to validate our veteran status at checkout.
Until now.
Want to be recognized at select merchants simply by swiping your existing Visa card?
Join our waitlist and be one of the first veterans to have this power in your wallet.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Mike Hutchings - Army Veteran & CEO of Combined Arms
Mike’s dad was class of 1977 at Virginia Military Institute. It was a natural path for Mike to follow his legacy both at VMI and in his military service. Upon graduation Mike commissioned as Parachute Infantry Officer with the 82nd Airborne Division. He served 5 years before transitioning into civilian life. His first landing spot was at General Electric. He would tell you it was a great job but while working there and being selected as a Veteran Presidential Scholar with the Bush Institute he wanted to do more, especially in the veteran space, and thus began the idea of Combined Arms.
Combined Arms Mike knows first hand the challenges veterans face especially in transitioning out of the military. There are so many resources and amazing service organizations but where does a veteran even start? This is where Combined Arms comes in; supporting a veteran in two areas. First they are a one-stop-shop to find the services needed but on the backend they have done their homework and researched and vetted these service organizations to ensure they are organizations of integrity. Interested in learning more, check them out below.
Learn More Mike Hutchings LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mbhutch/
Website: https://www.combinedarms.us/
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch.
Discount Heroes by VeteranCrowd Network Why do thousands of merchants put us through a bootcamp to join their loyalty program? Why do they make checkout an obstacle course?
It’s embarrassing. Time consuming. Intrusive. Cumbersome. Broken.
Why?
Because no one ever built a simple & secure way to validate our veteran status at checkout.
Until now.
Want to be recognized at select merchants simply by swiping your existing Visa card?
Join our waitlist and be one of the first veterans to have this power in your wallet.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
John Glen Weaver - Air Force Veteran Running for U.S. Senate
John Glen Weaver grew up on a grain and livestock farm in Nebraska. He didn’t know anything other than hard work and discipline. After graduating high school he went to study animal science and Russian. A wild combination but he had a passion for both. He joined the Air Force in1999 and served for over 22 years. He was deployed 11 times across the world and served through the entire Afghanistan war. It was the United State’s withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 that propelled Weaver to continue his service, this time in a different capacity.
Weaver for Senate Weaver has the opportunity to run for an open U.S. Senate seat in Nebraska. The primaries will take place May 2024. He has a passion to continuing serving the country even out of uniform. He believes he offers a unique perspective to bring to the Senate as a service member. Check out his campaign below.
Learn More John Glen Weaver’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnglenweaver/
Campaign Website: www.weaverforsenate.com
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch.
Discount Heroes by VeteranCrowd Network Why do thousands of merchants put us through a bootcamp to join their loyalty program? Why do they make checkout an obstacle course?
It’s embarrassing. Time consuming. Intrusive. Cumbersome. Broken.
Why?
Because no one ever built a simple & secure way to validate our veteran status at checkout.
Until now.
Want to be recognized at select merchants simply by swiping your existing Visa card?
Join our waitlist and be one of the first veterans to have this power in your wallet.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Charlie Eadie - West Point Graduate, Founder, General Partner, CMD Capital
Some trouble in high school ultimately led Charlie to join the military. It ended up being exactly what he needed. It changed the trajectory of his life. This highly regimented lifestyle was a perfect fit and soon Charlie was awarded the “Engineer Solider of the Year.” He continued his training at Ranger school and then decided to attend West Point. He took an unconventional route, attending West Point Prep to improve his grades and eventually landed at West Point, class of 2007. After commissioning as an infantry officer, Charlie was selected as a Marshall Scholar. He completed his post graduate work in the United Kingdom and spent 14 years serving in the Army.
His Army career didn’t end the way he intended but it was part of his journey of discovering his struggle with mental health. Despite these difficulties, Charlie continued to find success in the small business and leadership arena. It wasn’t until 2020 that Charlie was diagnosed with BiPolar 1 Disorder and PTSD. It was a long journey but Charlie now has a passion to bring light to mental health. He desires that the stigma around mental health change and the access to care becomes more accessible. Mental health is one of the four focuses of investment for his latest endeavor, CMD Capital.
CMD Capital CMD Capital, also called “Command” Capital was just launched this year. Charlie and two other West Point graduates founded it with the following mission,.“We feels compelled to serve and believe that we can best serve society by investing in National Security, Infrastructure, Mental Health and Social Impact - which will bring about a more sustainable, healthy, connected and safe society.” Find out more below.
Learn More CMD Capital
Charlie's LinkedIn
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Derren Burrell - Air Force Veteran, Founder Veteran Ventures Capital
Derren Burrell’s father was a Citadel graduate of 1964. It was an indoctrination that began young but led Derren to graduate from The Military College of South Carolina, class of 1994. He hadn’t planned on commissioning but upon graduation did in the Air Force. He served 21 years as a financial management officer. This laid the ground work for his work in the civilian sector. Immediately upon retirement from the Air Force he went to work for TAG Resources, a financial services company. He would attribute his success at TAG Resources to his military experience. He was able to help the company grow exponentially. This led to him being tasked to raise 2 million dollars. It was this specific experience that eventually led him to found Veteran Ventures Capital. He realized the struggle of raising capital but especially for veteran entrepreneurs.
Veteran Ventures Capital Veteran Ventures Capital founded in 2015 is an investment and consulting firm focused on scaling veteran-owned businesses. Derren is the founder and president. He “oversees all aspects of the company operations and fund management of Veteran Fund I which invest in early stage / growth companies.” Find more information below.
Learn More Darren’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derrenburrell/
Veteran Ventures Capital Website: https://www.veteranventures.us/
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Lawrence Land - Lawyer, Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Suit Expert
Lawrence Land, is a personal injury and wrongful death attorney out of Norfolk, Virginia. He has over 35 years of experience practicing injury law. He has a passion to help people and their families. It's people’s stories and personal experiences that have motivated him to keep fighting for justice. He currently helps Marines and families that have been affected by the Camp Lejeune water contamination from over 35 years ago.
Camp Lejeune “What happened at Camp Lejeune between 1953 and 1987 is a travesty.”; says Lawrence. He has spent much of his recent time becoming an expert in what happened there and how to best help those families that were affected. Many Marines have passed away and never new what might have caused their death. Lawrence wants to get the word out to almost a million Marines and their families that lived on Camp Lejeune during that time to find out if they were affected by this toxic wasted. The unimaginable chemicals that were being dumped, led to the drinking water contamination and have resulted in cancer diagnoses, limb loss and death. Find Lawrence’s contact information below.
Learn More Contact Lawrence Land
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Charlie Eadie - West Point Graduate, Founder, General Partner, CMD Capital
Some trouble in high school ultimately led Charlie to join the military. It ended up being exactly what he needed. It changed the trajectory of his life. This highly regimented lifestyle was a perfect fit and soon Charlie was awarded the “Engineer Solider of the Year.” He continued his training at Ranger school and then decided to attend West Point. He took an unconventional route, attending West Point Prep to improve his grades and eventually landed at West Point, class of 2007. After commissioning as an infantry officer, Charlie was selected as a Marshall Scholar. He completed his post graduate work in the United Kingdom and spent 14 years serving in the Army.
His Army career didn’t end the way he intended but it was part of his journey of discovering his struggle with mental health. Despite these difficulties, Charlie continued to find success in the small business and leadership arena. It wasn’t until 2020 that Charlie was diagnosed with BiPolar 1 Disorder and PTSD. It was a long journey but Charlie now has a passion to bring light to mental health. He desires that the stigma around mental health change and the access to care becomes more accessible. Mental health is one of the four focuses of investment for his latest endeavor, CMD Capital.
CMD Capital CMD Capital, also called “Command” Capital was just launched this year. Charlie and two other West Point graduates founded it with the following mission,.“We feels compelled to serve and believe that we can best serve society by investing in National Security, Infrastructure, Mental Health and Social Impact - which will bring about a more sustainable, healthy, connected and safe society.” Find out more below.
Learn More CMD Capital
Charlie's LinkedIn
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Randal Wimmer - Navy Veteran, Government Contracting Academy Founder
Randal Wimmer is a Naval Academy graduate. It was his father’s service in the Navy and influence that led to that decision. He didn’t know the impact that decision would have on his life. It truly set Randal on a new trajectory. He served 10 years as a surface warfare officer. Little did he know the training that the military provided, set him up for a successful path of entrepreneurship.
He originally began as an entrepreneur to help support his growing family. His first attempt to launch Analytic Strategies LLC, a FedGov contracting company failed. This only fueled Randal to learn more and find various jobs to teach him how to navigate the world of government contracting. It eventually led to a very successful relaunch after yet another failed attempt. “He has led proposal efforts culminating in over a billion dollars in awarded government contracts and has led multiple successful FedGov contracting companies to rewarding acquisitions.”
Government Contracting Academy His entire entrepreneur journey has led Randy to found the Government Contracting Academy. He has now over 30 years of military, contracting and entrepreneurial experience which he is ready to share with others to help set them up to success. “Government Contracting Academy, a social-impact company that provides aspiring entrepreneurs a comprehensive training and support program to launch a company in the FedGov contracting market. Government Contracting Academy is unique in that it lays a trail of breadcrumbs that can lead aspiring entrepreneurs from working on a laptop at their kitchen table to successfully starting a company that taps into the trillions of dollars the US Federal Government spends.”
Learn More Randy's LinkedIn
Government Contracting Academy
Randy's Podcast: Entrepreneur Sound Off
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Joe Swider - Navy Veteran, VP & Chief Operating Officer Terravive
Joe didn’t grow up in a family of entrepreneurs, but watching his dad get laid off left a lasting impression on him. He knew one day that he wanted to take the path of entrepreneurship. Joe was ready to enlist out of high school but his Mom’s persistence landed him at the Virginia Military Institute as a compromise. After graduation he joined the Navy as a surface warfare officer serving his four year commitment. Since Joe has spent over 25 years in a variety of markets including mining and metals, oil and gas and energy. His unique experience has paved the wave for his current position as Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Terravive.
Terravive It was originally started by Juliann Kelling back in 2015. They currently make biodegradable single use products, items that are typically made with plastic or styrofoam. “Terravive utilizes home compostable and ocean degradable materials. Terravive’s products are built to perform just like plastic, but they truly break down like plants.” Terravive is continuing to spread its market throughout the United States and oversees.
Learn More Joe’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeswider/
Terravive Website: https://www.terravive.com/
Terravive Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/terravive_products/
Terravive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TerraviveProducts
Terravive LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/terravive/
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster, US Army (Ret.) - Former U.S. National Security Advisor
H.R. McMaster is a West Point graduate. After 34 years of service, he retired as a Lieutenant General in 2018. He is currently a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. His experience as a former U.S. National Security Advisor, assistant professor of history at West Point, multiple deployments and PhD in military history has led him to become an expert on foreign policy.
He showcases his knowledge as the host of Battlegrounds, each episode is “a one-on-one conversation with a senior foreign government leader to allow Americans and partners abroad to understand how the past produced the present and how we might work together to secure a peaceful and prosperous future.” McMaster is also a regular on the Hoover institutions, Goodfellows show, “a weekly Hoover Institution broadcast, features senior fellows John Cochrane, Niall Ferguson, and H.R. McMaster discussing the social, economic, and geo-strategic ramifications of this changed world.”
Author H.R. McMaster is a New York Times best selling author of two books. His first, Dereliction of Duty: Lyndon Johnson, Robert McNamara, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Lies that Led to Vietnam, is an analysis of the United States involvement in the Vietnam war. His most recent book was is Battlegrounds: The Fight to Defend the Free World, published just this past year. It is an honest assessment of America’s place in the world, intended to help the reader understand foreign policy better.
Learn More H.R. McMaster's LinkedIn
Goodfellows Program
Battlegrounds Podcast
Books Dereliction of Duty: Lyndon Johnson, Robert McNamara, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Lies that Led to Vietnam,
Battlegrounds: The Fight to Defend the Free World
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Eli Crane - Navy Veteran Running for U.S. Congress
Eli has five war time deployments, three of them to the Middle East with SEAL Team 3 and served our country for 13 years. Many of the lessons he learned in the service set him up for success in the entrepreneurial world and now for his journey running as a congressional candidate.
Congress Eli wants to take his veteran and entrepreneurial experience to capitol hill. He’s frustrated with the direction of this country and lack of leadership. He wants his kids to grow up with the same freedom and prosperity that he did. “I'm hoping that stepping up, stepping out and being willing to lead, encourages and gives others courage to go do the same thing.” Whether serving on the battlefield, running a business or now running for congress, nothing is done by yourself. Eli is looking for your support in this next election.
Bottle Breacher Bottle Breacher is veteran owned and operated. “We aim to provide the best hand crafted, personalized man-gifts, groomsman gifts and corporate/promotional products on the market." Being a "Made in America" brand is important to Bottle Breacher. It creates local jobs and gives back to the community. Due to their success they donate to over 100 non-profits.
Learn More Instagram: @EliCrane_CEO
www.eliforarizona.com
www.bottlebreacher.com
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Todd Connor, is a Navy Veteran, small business owner and cofounder of Veterans for Political Innovation. Todd has a passion for entrepreneurs, especially veterans. He founded Bunker Labs in 2014. Bunker Labs helps veteran entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses. Along with his passion for entrepreneurs he desires political reform and knows veterans are primed to lead the charge.
Veterans for Political Innovation
Todd has a passion to help change the political playing field. He found most people are dissatisfied with the current political system but are unsure of the solution. His experience as a business owner and veteran has given him a unique perspective on the two party system. A solution he found, states should go to a "final five" voting system and much of the current frustrations would be eliminated. He is looking to his fellow veterans to help spark this political innovation. With over half of veterans registered as Independents, most miss out on voting in a primary. The "final five" voting system would remedy this problem. Veterans for Political Innovation’s mission is to “make our political system less toxic and more competitive by mobilizing military veterans to fight to preserve democracy through election innovations.”
Learn More
Website: www.veteransforpoliticalinnovation.org
Todd’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddconnor/
Book Recommendation: The Politics Industry
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Todd Connor, is a Navy Veteran, small business owner and cofounder of Veterans for Political Innovation. Todd has a passion for entrepreneurs, especially veterans. He founded Bunker Labs in 2014. Bunker Labs helps veteran entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses. Along with his passion for entrepreneurs he desires political reform and knows veterans are primed to lead the charge.
Veterans for Political Innovation Todd has a passion to help change the political playing field. He found most people are dissatisfied with the current political system but are unsure of the solution. His experience as a business owner and veteran has given him a unique perspective on the two party system. A solution he found, states should go to a "final five" voting system and much of the current frustrations would be eliminated. He is looking to his fellow veterans to help spark this political innovation. With over half of veterans registered as Independents, most miss out on voting in a primary. The "final five" voting system would remedy this problem. Veterans for Political Innovation’s mission is to “make our political system less toxic and more competitive by mobilizing military veterans to fight to preserve democracy through election innovations.”
Learn More Website: www.veteransforpoliticalinnovation.org
Todd’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddconnor/
Book Recommendation: The Politics Industry
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch.
About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Mike Cantwell is a United States Naval Academy graduate. After serving in the Navy, he has continued his career of service as a federal government employee at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. It was the presidential elections of 2016 that led Mike to dive into politics and ultimately begin his journey as a political reformist.
He knows that our political system is broken and the way to fix it is at the state level. Two key components he feels are vital; Rank Choice Voting and Final Five Voting. These issues are multi-partisan and can help create better elections across the whole system. Mike has been involved with Fair Vote Virginia and also Veterans for Political Innovation. Both these organizations have a passion for political reform at the grassroots level.
Fair Vote Virginia "We're a single issue, local chapter of the national FairVote movement, a non-partisan, non-profit champion of ranked choice voting. Our members cover the entire political spectrum and come together from across the Commonwealth, united by a shared mission to revive real, representative democracy."
Veterans for Political Innovation Their mission is to “make our political system less toxic and more competitive by mobilizing military veterans to fight to preserve democracy through election innovations.
Learn More LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/michael-cantwell-9bb5282/
Fair Vote Virginia: www.fairvoitvirginia.org
Veterans for Political Innovation: www.veteransforpoliticalinnovation.org
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch.
About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Eric graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1997. He served eight years as a Naval Flight Officer. After service he practiced law and had a successful real estate business. In early 2019 Eric served as board president for “Show Me Integrity”, a political reform organization. It was this experience and his own desire to get involved in politics as an independent that led his desire to find a platform for nonpartisan reform. He founded the nonprofit, Veterans for Political Innovation in 2021 to start this work.
Veterans for Political Innovation Their mission is to “make our political system less toxic and more competitive by mobilizing military veterans to fight to preserve democracy through election innovations.” To accomplish this, VPI is focused on supporting the following nonpartisan innovations: Top Five Open Primaries, Ranked Choice Voting, and Final Five Voting. “Veterans for Political Innovation will mobilize one of America's most trusted institutions, veterans, to help restore one of our least-trusted institutions, the politics industry."
Learn More Website: https://www.v-pi.org
Upcoming Events:
Wisconsin Veterans Business Conference
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch.
About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Monica Fullerton - Creating an Online Market Place for Military & First Responder Families
Monica Fullerton got her Masters and planned to pursue a job as a news anchor, but as an Air Force spouse that was not an easy career path to navigate. Instead Monica found work with a logistics company. It provided the ground work for her entrepreneurial journey. Monica has had an entrepreneurial spirit her whole life, but was waiting for the right business idea that provided purpose. She had an epiphany while riding in a car with some fellow spouses about the amount of talent spouses have to offer from things they make to the services they provide. Unfortunately military spouses are often underemployed or can’t find employment due to the military lifestyle. With that motivation, Spouse-ly was born.
Spouse-ly Spouse-ly is an online marketplace where you can shop for products and services all created by military or first responder families. Monica likens it to “Etsy” and“ Angie’s List” colliding with a purpose of supporting our nation’s heroes. This platform provides a place for spouses to create and earn money in the midst of the demanding lifestyles. Monica has hit the ground running, she was named “a Trailblazer in Tech by Military Spouse Magazine, Forbes Next 1000 List, and recently named on the MIGHTY 25 list as one of the most influential leaders supporting the military community.”
Learn More www.spouse-ly.com
FB: fb.com/spousely
Instagram: @spouse.ly
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Matt Butler - Air Force Veteran, Inventor of Rollors, an Award Winning Outdoor Yard Game
Matt didn’t plan to spend a career in the Air Force, but after 9-11, he felt called to continue serving past his initial 4 year commitment. He spent his career flying surveillance aircraft all over the world. It was during one of his many deployments that the idea for Rollors was sparked. Often during deployments you think of home, family and friends. Matt was thinking of Minnesota and his desire for friends and family to hang out and socialize. When he got back state-side he began working on a prototype and people started to get interested. He sold his first 50 sets and realized he might have started something. Matt would tell you his experience in the Air Force has helped him as an entrepreneur and when he has time he loves to pass that knowledge along to other veteran entrepreneurs.
Rollors Started with a desire to get people together, off their phones and enjoying the outdoors, Rollors has done that and more. Rollors is a mash up of other traditional games like Bocce Ball, Bowling and Horseshoes. It takes the best parts of those and adds in easy transport and set up. Rollors is an award-winning and unique game that is sure to be a hit at your next outdoor gathering or family event. Get one today!
Check out who else has stepped into the Veteran Crowd Spotlight.
Learn More www.rollors.com
FB: fb.com/rollors
Instagram: @rollors
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Cameron Cruse - Cofounder of R. Riveter, Making Handbags to Hire Military Spouses
Due to her husband's military orders, Cameron Cruse landed herself in the middle of nowhere Georgia in 2011. She had just graduated with her Master’s in architecture but the hopes of building that career slowly faded. Soon after, Cameron met Lisa Bradley, her now business partner. Together they realized the challenge that they faced, finding meaningful employment as a military spouse. They knew this challenge was not unique to them. They set out to build a company that would first provide some kind of income opportunity to military spouses, R. Riveter was born.
R. Riveter The mission came first and the product was decided afterwards. And today R. Riveter has grown its network of spouses or “Riveters” that are employed across the United States. Together they started created handbags, but that has grown to candles, gifts and more. They even offer an “heirloom” collection to transform your old military uniform, blanket or something else into a beautiful memory bag. In 2015 they opened a storefront in North Carolina. Shortly after they were featured on Shark Tank where they were able to gain an investor. The company continues to scale and grow to ultimately hire more military spouses.
Check out who else has stepped into the Veteran Crowd Spotlight.
Learn More www.rriveter.com FB: @rriveterbags
Instagram: @rriveterbags
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Don Bentley - New Book Release...Former Apache Helicopter Pilot, Now New York Times Best Selling Author
Don Bentley was previously a guest on the VeteranCrowd spotlight, but is back to share the releases of two new books. Don Bentley has loved writing since he was a little kid. He started working on his first book in 3rd grade. In high school, his English teacher told him he had talent, but he wasn’t quite ready to pursue writing full-time. Instead he landed himself at Ohio State working on an Electrical Engineering degree. Winning an Army ROTC scholarship, Don commissioned and became an Army Apache helicopter pilot, following his family’s legacy of serving.
This was just the first of many careers. Following his time in the military Don worked as an FBI Special Agent and eventually was a member of the Dallas Office Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team. After law enforcement Don continued to work with several companies that develop technology for the U.S. Special Operations Community.
Author Don’s entire career helped shape and mold him into the writer he is today. His characters are born out of his own experiences and those he served with. He is the author of the Matt Drake thriller series, including Without Sanction and The Outside Man. The most recent one, Hostile Intent was just released this month. Don was also asked to write a Tom Clancy Jr. book, Target Acquired landing himself on the New York Times best selling list. The next in this series, Zero Hour, comes out the first week of June.
Newest Books Hostile Intent, available now.
Zero Hour, coming June 7th
Check out who else has stepped into the Veteran Crowd Spotlight.
Learn More Twitter: https://twitter.com/bentleydonb
FB:https://www.facebook.com/bentleydonb
https://donbentleybooks.com/
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Emily Miller and Kim Jung went to the West Point Military Academy, they were eventually connected to Keith Alaniz, a Texas A&M graduate while stationed at Ft. Leonard Wood. They served in Afghanistan together as Combat Engineers and eventually their friendships led to to founding Rumi Spice. Their time in Afghanistan and working with the Afghan people, gave them an idea for creating “sustainable rural economic development in Afghanistan and providing countless jobs to Afghan farmers and women who harvest and process the spice.”
Rumi Spice Founded in 2014, Rumi Spice hit the ground running with their mission of providing a market for Afghan saffron. They work directly with close to 1000 Afghan farmers to provide the world’s highest quality saffron. Three years after their inception they appeared on Shark Tank, which opened doors to continue grow and expand their market. They are currently sold nationwide and are the first nationally distributed product from Afghanistan.
Interested in trying out some spices? Check them out below.
Learn More Website: https://www.rumispice.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rumispiceco
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rumi_spice
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you.
About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Daniel started his military service in the Army. After over 28 years serving he retired from the United States Marine Corps. During the transition into the civilian world, he knew he wanted to “chart his own course”. He utilized the program boots to business, an entrepreneurial education program for transitioning service members. At the time popcorn wasn’t on the horizon. He was looking to use his experience as a combat cameraman to launch a real estate photographer business, but as he pursued this he knew it wasn’t the right path.
In the meantime some close friends encouraged both he and his wife, Priscilla to contact a fellow veteran, who owned a popcorn store owner in Fredericksburg, VA. It was through this mentorship they were able to launch Popcorn Friday. Between Daniel’s passion and Priscilla’s, personal finance background and BS in Business Management they have continued to persevere through the challenges of being entrepreneurs and found great success.
Popcorn Friday The name was inspired by a PTA event at Crossroads Elementary on Marine Corps Base, Quantico. Priscilla had volunteered when the kids were young and the name stuck in her head. So when the business was launched there was no question what it would be named. Popcorn Friday opened its doors in 2014 in Spring Branch, Texas. Just a few years it began being sold online, which paved the way for the success they have achieved today. They offer a wide variety or popcorn flavors from savory to sweet and anything in between.
Interested in trying some out for your own popcorn Friday, fundraising need or your next corporate event. Check them out below.
Learn More Website: https://www.popcornfriday.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PopcornFridaySanAntonio
Instagram: @popcorn_friday
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you.
About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Lynn was serving overseas, in the Army when he first began writing. He had travelled to Greece for fun and decided to write an article about his time there. He submitted it to the military newspaper, Stars and Stripes. They decided to publish it. He continued to write about his travels while overseas but decided he didn’t want to stop as he was transitioning out of active duty. Now over 40 years later, Lynn continues to travel with his wife, Cele. Together they have now co-authored two books. Lynn began to delve into writing fiction not too long ago and just signed a deal for the sequel to his first fiction novel.
Books & Articles Lynn and Cele Seldon have published hundreds of articles in magazines such as Cruise Travel, Southern Living and Trailblazer and continue to do so. Lynn published his first novel, Virginia’s Ring in 2014 and the sequel, Carolina’s Ring is in the works. In addition together Lynn and Cele have written 100 Things to Do in Charleston Before You Die and 100 Things to Do in Savannah Before you Die.
If you are traveling soon, check out their website and publications!
Learn More Website: SeldonInk.com
LinkIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynnseldon/
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you.
About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Robert Garland grew up listening to his dad tell stories and knew he wanted to follow in his footsteps serving as a police officer and then detective. Robert spent 14 years in the NYPD retiring as a decorated detective. He started Fund the First in 2020 when he wanted to help a close friend with medical expenses from his daughter’s rare illness. This experience showed him there were problems with the current crowdfunding sites and Robert wanted to build a better one.
Fund the First Fund the First has a unique partnership with ID.Me. This allows donors to know that their money is going to a true, honest and verified source. Fund the First has launched 350 fundraisers and their campaigns have raised almost four million dollars in donations.
Learn More Website: fundthefirst.com
Robert Garland: rgarland@fundthefirst.com; 201-431-5685
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertgarland27/
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you.
About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Mike Cantwell is a United States Naval Academy graduate. After serving in the Navy, he has continued his career of service as a federal government employee at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. It was the presidential elections of 2016 that led Mike to dive into politics and ultimately begin his journey as a political reformist. He has even thrown his hat in the ring of candidates and ran for the Arlington County Board.
He knows that our political system is broken and the way to fix it is at the state level. Two key components he feels are vital; Rank Choice Voting and Final Five Voting. These issues are multi-partisan and can help create better elections across the whole system. Mike has been involved with Fair Vote Virginia and also Veterans for Political Innovation. Both these organizations have a passion for political reform at the grassroots level.
Fair Vote Virginia "We're a single issue, local chapter of the national FairVote movement, a non-partisan, non-profit champion of ranked choice voting. Our members cover the entire political spectrum and come together from across the Commonwealth, united by a shared mission to revive real, representative democracy."
Veterans for Political Innovation Their mission is to “make our political system less toxic and more competitive by mobilizing military veterans to fight to preserve democracy through election innovations.”
Learn More LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/michael-cantwell-9bb5282/
Campaign Website: www.cantwell4countyboard.com
Fair Vote Virginia: www.fairvoitvirginia.org
Veterans for Political Innovation: www.veteransforpoliticalinnovation.org
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you.
About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Owen Waits has a long family history of military service. It was a natural choice to attend West Point. Upon graduating he was commissioned and served for more than eight years in the Army before joining J.P. Morgan. He is currently an Associate Banker in the Atlanta, Georgia office of J.P. Morgan Private Bank, where he serves high net worth individuals across their entire balance sheets and provide “boutique white glove” service. He especially likes working with veterans who have transitioned into business leadership.
Veteran Advocate When transitioning from the Army to a the civilian sector Owen realized the challenges of translating his time in the service to civilian related work. He attended the UNC Kenan-Flagler
Business School which provided a great network to help with this transition as he earned his MBA. He has a passion to help others transition smoothly from service to a civilian job. J.P. Morgan has their own forum to connect service members; “Voices of Employees That Served (VETS) which Owen is a part of. J.P. Morgan has hired over 16,000 since 2011. He also volunteers as a transition coach with the Four Block Foundation.
Learn More LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/owen-waits/
Email: owen.c.waits@jpmorgan.com
Carry the Load event in Georgia: https://www.carrytheload.org/site/DocServer/Georgia_NC_2022.docx__2_.pdf
Four Block Foundation: https://fourblock.org/
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you.
About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Joshua Hood grew up loving books. Some of his earliest memories were listening to his dad read, “The Hobbit”. He remembers the pictures he would paint in his head as the words were read. Joshua graduated college with an English degree, but didn’t immediately put that degree to use. He decided to serve in the 82nd Airborne Division. It was during a deployment that the ideas for a book were beginning to form, but he pushed the idea of becoming an author away.
It took a former fellow solider he served with publishing his own book that compelled Joshua to do the same. After the Army, Joshua continued serving on the SWAT team in Memphis, Tennessee. It wasn’t until about five years ago, after his son was born, that he become a full-time author. Both his combat and SWAT experiences have laid the groundwork for the stories he continues to write.
Books Joshua Hood is the USA Today and Publishers Weekly Bestselling Author of The Treadstone Series, Clear by Fire and Warning Order. The latest Treadstone book, The Treadstone Transgression is set to release 4/5. You won’t want to miss this international thriller. Find at your local bookstore or online at Amazon.
Learn More Website: www.joshuahoodbooks.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/joshuahoodbook
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you.
About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Carl and Lori met while Carl was serving in the U.S. Army. He enlisted at the age of 17 and retired in 2006 as a Lieutenant Colonel after serving 21 years. Not long after retirement, Lori was running a successful corporate massage therapy business and Carl was a partner in the tech world. They both already had an entrepreneurial spirit and they wanted to do something different. Carl was driven to build a company that could give back specifically to the veteran community but also beyond. They were inspired by their brother-in-law. At the time he had recently won “roaster of the year” in his hometown in Washington state. Being avid coffee drinkers Carl tossed the idea out to start a coffee business. Lori agreed and they dove right into growing an online coffee business out of their basement in 2010 and Alpha Coffee was born.
Alpha Coffee Awesome coffee that gives back! One of Alpha Coffee's primary focus is giving back. It gives back at least 10% of all profits to non-profits focused on veterans, the planet, and community. They regularly donate coffee to troops with over 20,000 bags of coffee sent to date. Alpha Coffee has grown from $17k in revenues its first year to over $2.4M this past year. It has two brick and mortar locations in Utah, Big Cottonwood Canyon and West Jordan, with a third coming to downtown Salt Lake City. They are also currently working on building a distribution center. Looking to support this amazing veteran owned business? Alpha Coffee is available online for subscription or individual purchase. It also is available via Amazon Prime and will soon be on Walmart.com.
Learn More Website: www.alpha.coffee
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bejetclean/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6-y2wMNk24Fi-J2qbTTYQA
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you.
About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Ryan grew up watching his dad fly fighter jets. At the time he didn’t know that he’d end up following in his footsteps, but the events of 9-11 solidified his desire to serve. Ryan flew the F-15E, but also spent a tour flying the Thunderbirds. He traveled the world to showcase the Air Force’s “pride, precision and professionalism” through air shows and flyovers. Even during his active duty career Ryan was pursuing entrepreneurship. Originally he helped found, Flying Scarfs, a nonprofit offering an online market for Afghan products to help women in Afghanistan create an income in 2011. This endeavor also gave him the passion to make sure all “profits had purpose”.
Be Jet Clean Be Jet Clean was originally thought of during a deployment to Afghanistan. His fellow flight-mates had the same dislike for their current grooming products. Ryan didn’t like that his research showed him that “mainstream soaps have the same ingredients as car wash soaps.” Upon returning from this deployment he set to work creating over 2,000 products in his kitchen with the help of his now, co-owner, Dale Wood. When those items sold in just 3 months they knew they were on to something. Be Jet Clean continues to have the mindset of “profits for purpose” as they give 10% to help support and empower other veterans and veteran service organizations.
If you listened to the podcast and are curious about Ryan’s call-sign of “Neo”, check out the origins here.
Learn More Website: www.bejetclean.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bejetclean/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6-y2wMNk24Fi-J2qbTTYQA
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you.
About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Eric graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1997. He served eight years as a Naval Flight Officer. After service he built a successful real estate business. But, in early 2019 Eric served as board president for “Show Me Integrity”, a political reform organization. This became the springboard to combine his interest in politics and military service to found the nonprofit, Veterans for Political Innovation in 2021.
Veterans for Political Innovation Their mission is to “make our political system less toxic and more competitive by mobilizing military veterans to fight to preserve democracy through election innovations.” To accomplish this, VPI is focused on supporting the following nonpartisan innovations: Top Five Open Primaries, Ranked Choice Voting, and Final Five Voting. “Veterans for Political Innovation will mobilize one of America's most trusted institutions, veterans, to help restore one of our least-trusted institutions, the politics industry."
Learn More Website: https://www.veteransforpoliticalinnovation.org
Upcoming Events:
March 16th; Nevada Launch
March 30th; Cape Girardeau Roundtable and Happy Hour
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you.
About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Billy’s earliest memory as a kid was tagging along with his dad while golfing. He really doesn’t ever remember not loving the game. His dad taught him how to play and it became a passion growing up. He remembers getting his first par at the age of 11. He doesn’t remember what triggered the decision, but he decided to he wanted to attend the United States Naval Academy. In 2004 he graduated and continued serving for five years as a Surface Warfare Officer. After leaving the Navy, Billy has played golf as a professional career. He is currently the only veteran playing on the PGA tour.
Billy Hurley III Foundation About five years ago he and his wife decided to found the Billy Hurley III Foundation. Its sole purpose is to "support, honor, and enhance the lives of military families; serving those who serve along side."
Check out their upcoming fundraising event: The Brave Golf Tournament, May 16th at the Naval Academy Golf Course.
Learn More
Website: www.billyhurley3.com
Brave Golf Tournament: www.bh3.golf
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you.
About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Nicole began her work in broadcasting and film almost 20 years ago, volunteering with the local National Public Radio. She has a passion for it and received her Master’s Degree in Journalism and Public Relations in 2013. It was her experience as a military spouse that brought her the desire to highlight the struggles that the service members go through. Finishing up in 2018, she filmed, directed and produced the documentary, “The Journey Back to Normal - A Look at Complementary Therapies to Combat PTSD”. This was her second documentary but first sharing about the military experience. She is continuing this journey as she is currently working on; “HiddenWounds: The Documentary”.
Nate Brookshire is an active duty Provost Marshall with over 31 years of service in the Army . He has been a longtime advocate for facilitating long-term mental health care for veterans and their families and has been brought onboard to assist in the production of the documentary, “Hidden Wounds.” In 2010, he co-authored the book, “Hidden Wounds: A Soldier’s Burden”. “Its fictional characters discuss the complex topics of suicide, survivor’s guilt, addiction and moral injury.” The book has been instrumental in sharing about the non-profit Hidden Wounds, whose soul mission is to help reduce barriers to accessing mental health care.
Hidden Wounds: The Documentary is set to release early 2023. Its purpose is to highlight the “raw story of life after combat.” The trailer is available to preview, and has currently be nominated for; “Best Trailer at the Raleigh Film and Arts Festival” in October 2021. Production is still in the fundraising stages and you can check out how to support it below.
Learn More Watch the Trailer
Website: https://www.hiddenwoundsdocumentary.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hiddenwoundsdoc/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Amelio-Media-LLC-presents-Hidden-Wounds-The-Documentary-100722049020490/
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you.
About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Sean Lanier is a veteran Army helicopter pilot. About 8 years ago he realized there was a problem. ROTC scholarships were seeing just over half of their recipients graduate and commission. How can the armed services find the right candidates, get them matched with a college that fits them and have their success rate improve?
Sean found building relationships with high school guidance and career counselings was the perfect place to start. Helping graduating high schoolers find a school that fits their personality and still offers an ROTC program has allowed the success rate to improve dramatically. This coupled with continued coaching and mentoring in the transition process.
Resolve Solutions Resolve Solutions, founded in 2018, has dedicated its mission to placing talented candidates in schools that fit with ROTC scholarships. They also are committed to “providing educational and financial support along with early college preparation.” That is honestly just the beginning. They hope to help students create generational wealth by capitalizing on coming out of college with little to no debt, learning the benefits of the GI bill for furthering their education, the VA loans to become home owners and more. It will have a life long impact.
Learn More Sean LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/e-sean-lanier-297ab87/
Resolve Solutions
Website: https://resolvesolutions.org/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/resolvesolutionsinc/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/resolvesolutio2?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ResolveSolutionsInc/
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you.
About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Todd Connor, is a Navy Veteran, small business owner and cofounder of Veterans for Political Innovation. Todd has a passion for entrepreneurs, especially veterans. He founded Bunker Labs in 2014. Bunker Labs helps veteran entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses. Todd owns his own business, the Emerson House and recently set his sights on political office.
Veterans for Political Innovation Todd has a passion to help change the political playing field. He found most people are dissatisfied with the current political system but are unsure of the solution. His experience as a business owner and veteran has given him a unique perspective on the two party system. A solution he found, states should go to a "final five" voting system and much of the current frustrations would be eliminated. He is looking to his fellow veterans to help spark this political innovation. With over half of veterans registered as Independents, most miss out on voting in a primary. The "final five" voting system would remedy this problem. Veterans for Political Innovation’s mission is to “make our political system less toxic and more competitive by mobilizing military veterans to fight to preserve democracy through election innovations.”
Learn More Website: www.veteransforpoliticalinnovation.org
Todd’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddconnor/
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you.
About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Sports have been a major part of Will Huff’s life. Growing up playing football and lacrosse, he was recruited to play for West Point Military Academy. After graduation Will served for over 23 years as an Army Officer. He learned life long lessons from serving in the military but also from his coaches. After his Army career, Will returned to athletics working in the Towson University Athletic Department and then also for the Chesapeake Bayhawks, a Major League lacrosse team. With his background and experience he decided to join Soldiers to Sidelines in June 2020. He felt it was the perfect combination helping veterans and military spouses find a passion and opportunity in the athletic coaching world.
Soldiers to Sidelines Soldiers to Sidelines was founded in 2014 by Harrison Bernstein, who had been coaching high school, NCAA, and NFL football for over 14 years. He was coaching high school football at the time and decided to invite a few veterans to practice. This was the small seed that has grown into Soldiers to Sidelines. They offer service members and military spouses a pathway to coaching athletics, from the community level all the way up to the professional level. This past year it has seen exponential grown when they leveraged the aspect of virtual courses. This has allowed them to reach service members and spouses around the globe, some still active duty.
Learn More Website: https://soldierstosidelines.org/
Will Huff’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-huff-3a699593/
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you.
About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Mike Morgan launched Flags of the Fallen on Veterans Day this past year. After the tragic losses of 13 military members in the Afghan withdrawal of August 2021, Mike had an idea. Mike made a connection with 13 service members lost and the 13 stripes on the American flag that these brave men and women were defending. He thought, “How can I show my gratitude?” Not being a veteran himself, Mike consulted several veteran friends to make sure he created these 13 flags with proper protocols and insignia. During those conversations it was impressed on Mike to create these for others too. He found that every veteran he spoke with knew someone that gave that ultimate sacrifice. This was a way to honor and remember them and show gratitude to their families.
Flags of the Fallen Flags of the Fallen was founded to “remember those we lost by caring for those they left behind by building wooden flags for their families and loved ones.” They build wooden flags for the families of both fallen military members or first responders. You can visit Flags of the Fallen website to donate to the cause or nominate a family.
Learn More
Website: https://www.flagsofthefallen.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flagsofthefallen
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flagsofthefallen/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Flagsof_Fallen
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you.
About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Drew Everett and Nick Wyatt have known each other since grade school. As they got older they knew they wanted to go into business as a team. Nick headed to the Marine Corps and Drew went to the Army. After both serving in their respective branches it was time to take the next step toward entrepreneurship.
Nick’s dad was about to retire and had a shoe insole business. It seemed like a natural handoff. That is where Apex Gear Co. started. As they learned about e-commerce and web development there came a time when someone approached them about adding a product to their website. Long story short they essentially wanted to create and “Amazon experience” but featuring all Veteran made products. They have worked hard on getting this process automated and have since added over 80 veteran brands.
They are continuing to grow and are looking for new vendors to be added. It’s a marketplace featuring all veteran companies and goods, most made right here in the United States.
Learn More Website: www.apexgearcompany.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/apexgearcompany
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apexgearcompany/
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you.
About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Jay Jackson spent 15 year serving in the Air Force. He started out in security forces and ended up in air traffic control. His transition out was not what he planned, but took the challenge head on harnessing his entrepreneurial spirit. He first started, Serve, Impact and Prosper, a consulting agency and later was introduced to buying businesses. This led to the launch of Galaxy Group. He would tell you he’s always had entrepreneurship in his bones. Even while on active duty he had a food truck and a lawn care business. Once hanging up the uniform it was a natural path to continue to follow.
Serve, Impact and Prosper helps coaches and consultants scale their business without the complicated ads and sales funnels. Jay’s experience of 15 years starting, buying and growing businesses will help you in your own business. He is looking to grow his community in the Tampa, FL area.
Galaxy Group has acquired three different companies over the last two years and they’re not stopping there. Their goal is to have over 20 million dollars in revenue. In addition Jay is on a mission to transform 1 billion lives.
Learn More
Website: tableofceos.com
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/li/jay-jackson-coaching
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you.
About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Marjorie K. Eastman, Army Veteran, Running for U.S. Senate in North Carolina
Marjorie, compelled by the events of 9-11 enlisted in the Army Reserves. After just two years she received a direct commission and continued her service as an intelligence officer and commander. She had two combat tours. Her 10 years of military service laid the ground work for her desire to serve this country. It was recent events this past August, the fall and withdrawal out of Afghanistan that made her decide to run for North Carolina’s U.S. Senate seat.
Marjorie shares, “We’re not going to get different results if we don't send different people.” She feels the career politicians are no longer serving the American people. She is looking to the people of North Carolina to send her to Washington to make a difference. From veteran, to military spouse, to mom, to author, her titles are many and her list of accomplishments are even more, but ultimately Marjorie just wants to continue serving the constituents of North Carolina and make a positive impact in their lives.
Learn More Website: https://marjoriekeastman.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjoriekeastman/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marjoriekeastman
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marjoriekeastman/
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
T.C. Beckett, a retired Chief Petty Officer in the Navy, met a homeless veteran. It was this encounter that wouldn’t let T.C. rest knowing there were others like this gentleman out there. Estimates of anywhere from 40-80 thousand veterans are homeless not knowing where their next meal is coming from. T.C. had to do something. He didn’t just want to feed homeless veterans, he wanted to empower them. Veterans Produce was founded in 2018. Since they have built a team to help them fulfill their mission. Kenny Smith joined the team as the, Marketing Executive. He is a Navy veteran with a passion for marketing and helping others see and understand what Veterans Produce does.
Veterans Produces is a veteran-owned 501(c)(3) non-profit organization created to feed homeless veterans. They help break the cycle of food insecurity by empowering Veterans to provide for themselves. Veterans Produce builds local community gardens, that provides access to healthy food year round. Veterans learn how to farm, growing their own food. They build skills that will allow them future work and contribute to producing Building local community gardens enables 365-day access to healthy organic food. They do this using aquaponic gardens, as they are highly efficient and produce up to 8-10 more food per square foot. This process can be replicated in other communities across the United States.
Learn More Website: http://www.veteransproduce.org
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tangocharlie/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/veteransproduce
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to pros
Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson are a coauthor team of multiple action-adventure thriller series. They met up the year they both debuted as authors and found the common ground of being veterans in an organization called International Thriller Writers.
Both Navy veterans, but coming from very different career paths. Brian was a submarine officer with a psychology degree. Jeffrey on the other hand was a combat surgeon in the US Navy. Each of them continued to add to their resume with a variety of careers before making author a full-time gig.
They love to share their passion for writing books as a business and a career. That has been a mission and career of writing books that are entertaining but also share stories to honor those men and women that have served and are still serving in the military. They have multiple series that are bound to keep you reading.
Their most recent release, Rogue Asset, a W.E.B Griffin, Presidential Agent novel, just hit the shelves December 7th. There are so many other books on the horizon. Book two of the the Shepherd Series, Dark Angel comes out in April. Sons of Valor, book two comes out in June. The third book of the Shepherd Series, comes out in October of next year. And for those following the Tier One series. It is not over, book seven is coming next winter. Check out more at their links below.
Learn More Website: http://www.andrews-wilson.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/andrewsandwilson
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/andrewsandwilson
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
When Aaron decided to enlist in the Navy he knew he wanted to become a chef. After just a few years he had found success and enjoyed a four year stint in Italy, cooking for many senior leaders. It was during this time he wanted to do more to fight the war that was waging in the Middle East. He soon realized the EOD techs had the coolest gear and were often the first to the fight. He transferred to the Army to become an expert Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) technician. During his second deployment his life changed as an IED exploded in his face in Afghanistan.
It took years to rehabilitate, but Aaron was motivated. He began running marathons, kayaking, and climbing mountains despite being left blind from his injuries. It was in 2015 he came down with bacterial meningitis, after another brush with death, he was now left deaf. During this entire time Aaron was getting reacquainted with a family friend, McKayla. She soon became his life line, helping him communicate before finally having success with cochlear implants.
As Aaron rehabbed, his favorite holiday, Thanksgiving, was coming up. He began preparing a menu and inviting friends. McKayla saw a new spark in Aaron that she knew she had to keep going. It was dessert that Aaron created that launched their successful business. Aaron had made fudge for that Thanksgiving meal and soon people started requesting it. E.O.D. Fudge was born, but this time E.O.D was for Extra Ordinary Delights.
Aaron and McKayla have enjoyed the success that E.O.D Fudge has brought as they raise their family of boys and endeavor into another passion, real estate.
Check out their famous fudge at the links below, get it before it’s gone.
Learn More Website: http://www.eodfudge.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EODconfections
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/EODconfections
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Zach and Tricia were high school sweethearts. Little did they know when they started dating where life would take them. Zach joined the Air Force and that dictated their lives for 20 years before retiring, just this past year. The military not only let them experience the world, but taught them perseverance. About 5 years before retirement they decided they wanted to start a business. Already handy, Zach had started dabbling in woodworking, matched with Tricia's accounting and business background TFTWood was born.
TFTWood TFTWood, which stands for "The Family Tree Woodworking" is an online retailer that specializes in kitchen gifts, gadgets and accessories made of wood. This two-fold business also offers unique customized, luxury furniture and cabinets. The “Herbie”, an herb stripper is currently their most popular product. This little kitchen helper makes using herbs a breeze. Find this and more wood products like cutting boards and ornaments at the link below.
Listen to the podcast as they share their journey, what’s next for TFTWood and some marketing tips for entrepreneurs and small businesses.
Learn More
Website: http://www.tftwood.com
Facebook & Instagram: @tftwoodworking
Book Recommendation: Get Different by Mike Michalowicz
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Raised by two Navy veterans, Cutler was destined for the Navy. Their influence led him to the Naval Academy. He thought that he’d go to make his parents happy but could get out if he didn’t like it. Thirty eight years later and he finally retired as a Vice Admiral. Immediately after retirement he worked as the president for Navy Federal Credit Union. Fourteen years he spent transforming Navy Federal into one of the most successful financial institutions in the country, quadrupling its size and making it an industry leader in customer service. It was ranked by Fortune magazine as a Best Place to Work for eight years in a row.
Author After encouragement from his wife to share his “sea stories” in a book. Cutler wrote a book in 2019 titled, “From the Sea to the C-Suite: Lessons Learned from the Bridge to the Corner Office”. He walks his reader through lessons he learned in the Navy that have carried him through his leadership as the president of Navy Federal for fourteen years.
Learn More LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cutler-dawson-732b815/
Find the book on Amazon
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Dana Spain describes herself as a serial entrepreneur. She gets bored easily and every five years or so is looking for a new endeavor, but the past 10 years she’s loved what she’s been doing. Volumetric Building Companies was started over 10 years ago, focused on the construction of residential modular construction. Dana and her family originally started with retail chains before progressing into real estate and development. Dana is currently the director of community relations for Volumetric Building Company. VBC is the “largest and most experienced multifamily modular company in the industry”. Philanthropy is close to Dana’s heart, so the VBC Giving Foundation was a natural overflow for the company.
VBC Giving Foundation This nonprofit is dedicated to providing affordable housing for vulnerable populations. Their first project is Veteran Village in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is a 47 unit new construction, modular building for veterans. Veterans are more likely to suffer homelessness than any other demographic. Veteran Village will provide a place for those veterans coming out of sheltering or transitional environments or really any veteran that needs an affordable place to live. Learn more below.
Learn More Website: www.VBCGivingFoundation.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=vbc%20giving%20foundation
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vbc-giving-foundation/?viewAsMember=true
Dana Spain's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dana-spain-8a0b6425/
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Phil Capron, served as a Naval Special Warfare Combatant Craft Crewman. Upon getting out of the military, Phil found his passion for real estate. It was during this venture he noticed that he couldn’t include his veteran and military brothers and sisters due to regulations surrounding net worth or income. He decided he was going to level the playing field and fix that. Mission First Capital was born. His next mission, is to create 1000 veteran-owned small businesses in the next 10 years. He continues to share his real estate knowledge through his book “Your VA Loan and How it Can Make You a Millionaire”, podcast and conferences.
Mission First Capital Phil founded Mission First Capital earlier this year to allow veterans and military members to invest by partnering with Mission First on real estate deals. He has since acquired over 500 properties and wants to continue to grow. This is the very first 100% veteran owned and operated fund backed by real estate.
Learn More Website: https://missionfirstcapital.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-capron-mission-first-capital/
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Julie Waters - Voice Actor & JAG Officer in the Army Reserves
Julie Waters started her time serving as a military police officer in the Army. An opportunity to go to law school came and she couldn’t pass it up. She continues serving in the Army Reserves now as a JAG officer. Julie will tell you that her time in the Army taught her the attributes needed to be a small business owner. She took her love of acting and drama coupled with her work ethic and discipline to become a voice actor.
Voice Actor Starting in 2018, Julie has grown her voice over business exponentially. Julie does voice overs for a variety of companies, from commercials to politics to narration and anything in-between. She will take any copy you give her, bring it to life with the voice and emotion that best fits your business and make it stand out.
Learn More Website: www.juliewatersvo.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliewaters_vo/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-waters/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/juliewaters_vo
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Mark Delaney- Founder of The Veteran Professional, Helping You Crush it After the Military
Mark joined the Army in 2011. He spent 8 years serving and then decided to get out. It was this transition into the civilian world that laid the groundwork for founding The Veteran Professional. There were an overabundance of resources, all resources focused on just getting a job, and little information about applying to graduate schools. These three frustrations led him to create his website and start his podcast to continue his service to others.
The Veteran Professional “While veteran unemployment is for sure an issue, so is veteran underemployment. Veterans have an immense amount to contribute to society and we are leaving some of what we have to offer on the table.” Mark’s goal is to help the transitioning service member “access higher education, pursue professional careers, and most importantly find meaning and purpose in your life after the uniform.”
Learn More
Website: https://theveteranpro.com/
Podcast:
:
Social Media: @theveteranprofessional
Email: mark@theveteranpro.com
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
LIVE: Jerry & Tracy Flanagan, Founders, JDog Brands, New Reality Show "Operation Hidden Treasures" Jerry and Tracy Flanagan join Bob Louthan LIVE to chat about the debut of Operation Hidden Treasures. Jerry and Tracy are the founders of JDog Brands, the largest veteran franchise in the nation. Learn the beginnings of the reality show and the details of where to watch. Imagine American Pickers meets Storage Wars. You won't want to miss it.
Charlie Moyer - Coast Guard Veteran, Founder & CEO of Badass Beard Care
Charlie Moyer went into the Coast Guard straight out of high school. It was an experience that ultimately helped him become an entrepreneur. He learned discipline and how to adapt to whatever job was put before him. This set the groundwork for, Badass Beard Care, founded in 2014 after being medically discharged from the Coast Guard. Charlie started growing his own beard and making beard products for himself. Soon he shared them with his friends while going to school and they quickly wanted more. A website was created and that was just the beginning.
Badass Beard Care
Badass Beard Care specializes in men’s grooming products. Their products use all-natural and organic ingredients. They offer oils, butters, waxes, washes and deodorants. Their mission is simple: “inspire men to unleash their inner Badass by providing inspiring content and premium products that promote healthy skin and beard hair growth.”
Learn More
Website: https://badassbeardcare.com/
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/badassbeardcare/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Badassbeardcare/
YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNUo9-b1t7Zk7TeWiMhSPrw
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Matt “Griff” Griffin was a 2001 West Point graduate. Like many, his life quickly transformed after September 11th of that year. Little did he know it was that day that would give him the opportunity to later co-found Combat Flip Flops. Griff became an Army Ranger and spent four deployments in the Middle East. His time in Afghanistan really shaped his world-view. Eventually he wanted to take his lessons of teamwork and leadership to the entrepreneurial world.
Combat Flip Flops A trip to a combat boot factory in Kabul is what compelled Griff to start Combat Flip Flops. He saw the impact that employment had on a community and wanted to continue to positively impact the country of Afghanistan. Eventually the footwear production had to be moved to Colombia, another war-torn country that could benefit from a manufacturing plant. It is this calling that keeps Combat Flip Flops going. A mission to manufacture products in conflict and post conflict areas, creating jobs, funding women’s education and ultimately improving people’s lives.
Check out who else has stepped into the Veteran Crowd Spotlight.
Listen on Libsyn Watch on YouTube Learn More Combat Flip Flops: https://www.combatflipflops.com
Griff’s Thoughts on Afghanistan: https://www.combatflipflops.com/blogs/combat-flip-flops/written-in-taliban
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Gretchen Pace - Former Army Intelligence Officer & Founder of Goose & Willow
Gretchen Pace graduated from the University of Virginia and knew she wanted to serve. She joined the Army as an intelligence officer. She shares “The military changed the trajectory of my life. It was the most incredible thing I've ever done. I'm so glad that it just occurred to me that I needed to serve and, and pursue that for eight and a half”After her service Gretchen wanted to have more ownership in what she was spending her time on. Growing up in a family of entrepreneurs, she decided to make that career pivot. She is currently attending Darden Business School, upon graduation she will a be full-time entrepreneur.
She founded Goose & Willow this past summer. It is a Americana-themed home goods startup. Gretchen has a passion for art and America and decided to put those together, taking her own art pieces along with others and printing them on home goods. Her grandmother helped her learn to sew to get started. At Goose & Willow everything is made in the USA. Its purpose according to Gretchen is to “unify us in a very polarized society against something we can all stand behind. America is a place that we all love and it offers so much opportunity. And I just really want to celebrate the goodness that, that the country brings to so many people.”
Learn More Gretchen’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gretchen-pace/
Goose & Willow
Coupon Code “America” for 10% off
Website: https://gooseandwillow.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goose.and.willow/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/the.goose.and.willow
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Jason Williscroft - Navy Veteran, Founder of Tribify & RingKnocker
Jason Williscroft enlisted in the Marine Corps, but eventually attended the Naval Academy and served in the Navy for five years. His love of engineering developed over that time and set the trajectory for his career. Jason successfully began developing software for data management for global financial institutions. He used these skills to launch Tribify and Ringknocker.
Tribify & Ringknocker Jason started a Facebook group to offer a place to mentor active duty Naval Officers transitioning out of the service. There was such overwhelming support to help, Ringknocker was born. It provides a network for active duty and former military officers. Simultaneously Tribify, an “enterprise-grade, AI-enhanced data management system that leverages the power of the social network to find your future customers, capture their attention, and engage with them at scale” was launched. It helps you find the right people to connect with to build your customer base. Find out more below
Learn More Ringknocker Thursday evenings 8:00pm EST 90 minutes of networking
https://ringknocker.net/
Tribify https://tribify.me/
Robert Williscroft Podcast https://veterancrowdnetwork.com/2021/01/robert-g-williscroft-retired-submarine-officer-and-real-life-jack-ryan/
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Eli Crane - Navy Seal Veteran, Bottle Breacher CEO & Congressional Candidate
Eli has five war time deployments, three of them to the Middle East with SEAL Team 3 and served our country for 13 years. Many of the lessons he learned in the service set him up for success in the entrepreneurial world. It all started when he decided to make a bottle opener out of a 50-caliber shell. As it gained popularity, Eli turned his garage into his studio. After making 500 of them in the garage the company was gaining traction and at a pivotal point. Eli and his wife pitched to Shark Tank and continue to grow, now a multi-million dollar company.
Bottle Breacher Bottle Breacher is veteran owned and operated. “We aim to provide the best hand crafted, personalized man-gifts, groomsman gifts and corporate/promotional products on the market." Being a "Made in America" brand is important to Bottle Breacher. It creates local jobs and gives back to the community. Due to their success they donate to over 100 non-profits.
Congress Eli now wants to take his veteran and entrepreneurial experience to capitol hill. He’s frustrated with the direction of this country and lack of leadership. He wants his kids to grow up with the same freedom and prosperity that he did. “I'm hoping that stepping up, stepping out and being willing to lead, encourages and gives others courage to go do the same thing.” Whether serving on the battlefield, running a business or now running for congress, nothing is done by yourself. Eli is looking for your support in this next election.
Learn More Instagram: @EliCrane_CEO
www.eliforarizona.com
www.bottlebreacher.comt
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan - VeteranCrowd[/caption]
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Jay Collins - Army Special Forces Combat Veteran & Congressional Candidate
Jay Collins would say he’s an average guy that wants to make a difference. He has made that difference, spending more than 20 years of his life serving this nation. He is a highly decorated, purple heart recipient, Army Special Forces combat veteran. Even following the amputation of his leg, he continued to serve on active duty for five years.
After the military he stepped into overseeing the distribution of millions of meals to veterans, first responders, and those in need. It was this non-profit work across the country that gave him a glimpse into the hearts of Americans. He saw most Americans want the same things: “they want their families to succeed, their children to have better lives than them, and to improve their communities.”
Jay is ready to fight for those things, using his experience in the military and with non-profits to serve the constituents of Florida’s 14th district.
Learn More Website: https://www.jaycollinsforcongress.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarrid-collins-b737aa58/
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Brian Castner - Former EOD Officer, Author and War Crimes Investigator
Brian Castner wanted to be an astronaut in the Air Force but landed himself in the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) community. He said he would’t trade it for the world. His experience during his multiple deployments shaped him as the writer he is today. He has written two military books, one about his own combat experience in Iraq and the other about a friend who died in Afghanistan.
After writing these books Brian wanted to write something different. He loves history and travel and pursued that genre with Disappointment River. A book about Alexander Mackenzie, a fur trader and his attempt to cross North America 14 years before Lewis and Clark. His most recent book, Stampede, gives a glimpse into the true realties of the history of the 1897 Klondike Gold Rush.
In addition to an author, Brian is a War Crimes Investigator for Amnesty International. Spending recent time in Afghanistan to investigate civilian casualties. Brian continues to write in both avenues and is currently looking for ideas for his next book. Stay tuned for what’s to come.
Learn More Website: https://briancastner.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/briancastnerwriter/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/brian_castner
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Pete Fretwell & Taylor Kiland - Co-Authors of "Lessons from the Hanoi Hotel"
Pete was doing a some work for his graduate class when he read Good to Great a business management book by James Collins. The book referenced Admiral James Stockdale and his imprisonment as a POW in the Hanoi Hilton. It wasn’t until 2005 that Pete saw a discussion panel on C-SPAN that included several POW’s and Taylor, a former naval officer and military history author of over 18 books. Pete contacted her and their project started.
For seven years the pair researched to create the book; Lessons From the Hanoi Hilton: Six Characteristics of High Performance Teams. It took all that time to answer the question: "Why are so many of those that were imprisoned, abused, and tortured in the North Vietnamese prison camp so resilient and successful in subsequent years?" The answer would be Admiral James Stockdale and his example of leadership.
Pete is looking to expand his research to include Stockdale's farming background as a foundation of leadership. Taylor is working on several writing projects. You’ll want to keep tabs on both of them for future books.
Learn More Pete Fretwell
pfretwell@gmail.com
Taylor Kiland
LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylor-kiland-9b4a101/
Website: https://taylorkiland.com/
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Kim Mitchell - Navy Veteran & Nationally Recognized Veteran Advocate
Kim would tell you it was her past that has defined her purpose in life. Rescued as a baby from an orphanage in Vietnam by a US Air Force Sergeant, she grew up in Wisconsin. This upbringing shaped Kim’s approach to life. She attended the Naval Academy and served 17 years as a Surface Warfare Officer. But her service didn’t stop there. She has incredible passion for veterans, military members and their families and has dedicated her entire career serving this community. She is on the board of numerous nonprofit boards including the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund and Woody Williams Foundation. Kim is currently the Senior Vice President for Military Veteran and Government Affairs for National University.
About National University Founded 50 years ago by a retired Navy captain who saw a need for a different model for higher education. He created a 30 day course, which allowed at the time for those deploying to Vietnam the ability to take a class prior to deploying. This is still the model followed today. “National University is among the largest, private, nonprofit universities in California. With more than 180,000 alumni, National University is dedicated to making lifelong learning opportunities accessible, challenging, and relevant to a diverse population of students.”
Learn More
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberly-mitchell-306b0b2b/
National University: https://www.nu.edu/
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Valerie Lavin - Retired Army First Sergeant & CEO of Luminary Global
An epiphany while watching Private Benjamin originally led Valerie to enlist in the Army. Little did she know it would turn into a 21 year career. Retiring as a first sergeant, the Army taught her many life lessons and helped her become the entrepreneur she is today. Upon leaving the Army the transition was hard, it was through the struggle that Valerie started working with many organizations that help veteran entrepreneurs. Valerie’s passion led to to co-founding Action Zone, an organization that provides education and advocacy for Veteran entrepreneurs. It doesn’t end there, Valerie also works with Bunker Labs, another organization that helps military businesses grow and thrive. Though all of that she started her own entrepreneurial journey with Luminary Global.
Luminary Global Luminary Global was founded in 2016 because Valerie saw a need and wanted to continue to serve those that serve. Its mission is “to provide Emergency Medical Service (EMS), Fire Law Enforcement, Military personnel and Citizens with the equipment and supplies they need to save lives at home and abroad”. They provide emergency tactical gear, prepper gear and more to law enforcement, first responders, military and everyday people. Their specialty is in customized kits.
Learn More LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/valerieellis7/
https://luminaryglobal.com/
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Don Bentley - From Apache Helicopter Pilot to NY Times Best Selling Author
Don Bentley has loved writing since he was a little kid. He started working on his first book in 3rd grade. In high school, his English teacher told him he had talent, but he wasn’t quite ready to pursue writing full-time. Instead he landed himself at Ohio State working on an Electrical Engineering degree. Winning an Army ROTC scholarship, Don commissioned and became an Army Apache helicopter pilot, following his family’s legacy of serving.
This was just the first of many careers. Following his time in the military Don worked as an FBI Special Agent and eventually was a member of the Dallas Office Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team. After law enforcement Don continued to work with several companies that develop technology for the U.S. Special Operations Community.
Author Don’s entire career helped shape and mold him into the writer he is today. His characters are born out of his own experiences and those he served with. He is the author of the Matt Drake thriller series, including Without Sanction and The Outside Man. Two more Matt Drake books are in the works. Don was also asked to write a Tom Clancy Jr. book, Target Acquired landing himself on the New York Times best selling list. Writing full-time now, you can expect many more books coming from Don.
Learn More Twitter: https://twitter.com/bentleydonb
FB:https://www.facebook.com/bentleydonb
https://donbentleybooks.com/
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
John Payne - Retired Army, Vietnam Veteran & Mystery Author
John Payne was originally set to go to medical school, but decided to commission into the Army Medical Corps. His 20 year career took him all over the world, including serving in Vietnam. He has done many things, including teaching as an adjunct professor in business at several universities, working in the field of health care administration, running three small businesses and before deciding to write. It was during his recovery in a Veterans Affairs hospital from agent orange that he started writing with the encouragement of his wife.
Books John has written eight books, two series. He has primarily written mystery books and has used his medical background as a backdrop for many of them. He has also written a historical romance novel, “In Defense of Patch Schubert”. This particular book took many hours of research to accurately depict the Civil War time period set in Texas. He is currently working on re-editing some previous books to give them new life.
Learn More Website: https://www.johncpayne.com
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
George Wallace - Retired Navy Commander & National Best-Selling Author
George Wallace served 22 years in the Navy as an officer on nuclear submarines. It was his time in the service that led him to become a National best-selling author, taking his knowledge and experience to craft submarine stories. During his time in the Navy he commanded the Los Angeles class attack submarine, the USS Houston, working exclusively with the SEAL community. A few years after retirement in 1999, George teamed up with Don Keith to begin writing the Hunter Killer Series. He has written seven books in this series, with more in the works, and independently authored Operation Golden Dawn.
Hunter Killer Series The first of the series, Final Bearing became a best-selling novel. It was their next book, Firing Point, that was used to produce the major motion picture, Hunter Killer, staring Gerard Butler and Gary Oldman. There are now six books published in this series, with the seventh, Silent Running coming in 2022, which is currently available for pre-order.
Learn More Website: https://wallace-keith.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WallaceandKeith/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgeawallace/
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Chris Anthony - Army Veteran, Founder & CEO TeamWorx Security
Chris Anthony grew up in Texas. He started out as a successful business executive but knew he wanted something different. At the age of 23 he decided to enlist in the Army and attend Ranger School. After 12 years as a communicator and later an analyst in the Army he was medically retired. He started working for the Department of Defense and was later recruited by John Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab. In this job Chris “developed solutions to improve our nation’s ability to defend itself from advanced cyber threats”. It was this experience that laid the groundwork for launching, TeamWorx Security.
TeamWorx Security It was founded in 2016 by a team that met at the Applied Physics Lab. "TeamWorx Security is a commercial software and technology business helping to integrate people, processes, and technology. We currently work with defense cyber, intelligence, healthcare, and critical infrastructure industries. Simply put, we help organizations streamline their processes, data, tasks, and projects while reducing the cost of your enterprise. We bridge the gap between decision makers at all levels of the organization all at the speed of need.”
Check out who else has stepped into the Veteran Crowd Spotlight.
Learn More Website: https://www.teamworxsecurity.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/teamworx-security/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teamworxsec
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Jeff Schloesser -Retired Army Major General, Author of "Marathon War"
Jeff Schloesser is a retired Army Major General. Born into an Army family he didn’t know if enlisting in the Army would become a career, but it did after serving thirty-four years. His career has taken him across the globe with his wife and two children. He commanded the 101st Airborne Division for thirty-three months. It was this command, specifically the fourteen months in combat, that had an instrumental impact on his leadership and understanding of the Afghanistan War. He started journaling his daily tasks and takeaways and knew they needed to be shared. He wrote Marathon War: Leadership in Combat in Afghanistan, that was published earlier this year.
Marathon War: Leadership in Combat in Afghanistan Jeff might not call himself an author, but his book will tell you otherwise. He offers rare insight and reflection on his time as the 101st Airborne Division commander. A candid account of command in combat sharing his thoughts of critical national decision-makers and the leadership lessons he learned. This book will help its reader understand leadership in the toughest of environments and a unique perspective on the complexities of the Afghan War.
Learn More Website: www.jeffschloesser.com
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you. www.veterancrowdnetwork.com
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Sherman Williams & Emily McMahan - Academy Investor Network, Helping Service Academy Graduates Invest in Venture-backed Startups
Sherman Williams is a Naval Academy graduate. After serving as a Naval Intelligence Officer, he headed to Chicago’s Booth School to study finance and landed himself in investment banking. While in banking he started investing and advising startups. This was a perfect segue to co-founding Academy Investor Network.
Emily McMahan is a WestPoint Academy graduate. After her time in the Army as a Military Police Officer, she has always been focused around community and working with entrepreneurs. She has a passion to work with startup companies and founded Capitol Post, which taught military veterans how to start and grow businesses, a great foundation for beginning the Academy Investor Network. She is also the Deputy Director at the Common Mission Project, an international platform supporting mission-driven entrepreneurs.
Academy Investor Network Academy Investor Network was founded in 2020. From Sherman’s and Emily’s own academy experience they personally saw the unique population that made up the graduates. They wanted to offer an investment syndicate for U.S. Service Academy graduates to invest in venture-backed startups. “We enable every Service Academy graduate to connect, learn and invest in the venture asset class.”
Learn More Sherman Williams Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherman-williams/
Emily McMahan Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilymcmahan/
Academy Investor Network LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/academy-investor-network/
Website: https://academyinvestor.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AIN_members
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions a
Jose Suarez - Navy Veteran, CEO of JS Consulting, Provides Insight on Electric Cars
Jose Suarez graduated from Virginia Military Institute with a civil engineering degree. Upon graduation he commissioned as an officer in the United States Navy. He served seven years before starting his civilian career that varied from engineering and construction to the mining industry.
JS Consulting It was his experience that led him to found JS Consulting in 2019. He consults on a wide range of topics to companies around the world but has a passion about green energy. His knowledge of mining, particularly lithium has made him an expert on electric cars and wind turbines.
Learn More LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josejsuarez/
Articles:
The Inconvenient Truth About Electric Cars: https://twitter.com/Jose38802347/status/1380202814668955657
Lessons in Leadership: What I learned from the US Military from Chief Petty Officers and the Troops:
https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/review?uri=urn%3Aaaid%3Ascds%3AUS%3A735a574b-c528-4266-b2f9-e20523268404#pageNum=1
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Travis Wilson - Retired Green Beret, Founder & CEO of Alpha Elite Performance
Travis Wilson served in the Army for 21 years. He spent time as a Green Beret and in the Special Forces. He has always had an interest in health and fitness, but a parachuting accident pushed him to take that a step further. As he healed from his injury Travis created a muscle performance product that started his entrepreneurial journey in the supplement industry. He eventually founded Alpha Elite Performance, creating his own supplement line.
Alpha Elite Perfomance Alpha Elite Performance is a “sports nutrition company focused on supporting the superior performance and recovery of every customer as they pursue their athletic goals”. It was founded in 2015 and has continued to grow. They are continually adding new products and hold all products to strict standards, setting the gold standard for superior quality. Their newest product, Alpha Immune, is coming out soon. It was created with board certified physician, Dr. Lindley to combine eight immunity boosting ingredients to keep you healthy.
Learn More Website: https://alphaeliteperformance.com/
Use code ELITE15 for 15% off your purchase
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alphaeliteperformance/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alphaeliteperformance/
Travis LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/traviswilsongreenberet/
VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Sharee Ashford - Army Reserve Veteran, Mosquito Squad Franchisee in East Atlanta
Sharee Ashford was born with an entrepreneurial spirit. Even in her youth, she was always looking for ways to earn extra money, from selling on E-bay to being the candy girl at school. So it’s not surprising that after serving in the Army Reserves she is now an owner of a Mosquito Squad franchise in East Atlanta. Her time in the Army helped build resilience and leadership skills that have been essential to her success in launching her Mosquito Squad business. Sharee enjoys building relationships with her customers in East Atlanta and looks forward to continuing to grow her client base.
Mosquito Squad Started in 2005, Mosquito Squad is the leading franchise in the mosquito control industry. All are locally owned and operated. Their mission to “provide the locals of the immediate and surrounding areas with the mosquito and tick control services needed”. From regular treatments to be able to enjoy your backyard or just for a big event they have you covered.
Learn More Website: www.mosquitosquad.com/eastatlanta
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MoSquadofEastATL
The VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community, a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch, or consider if Individual or Corporate Membership in the Network is a fit for you.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Tim Doelger- Navy Veteran, Founder and CEO of TruFishing
Tim Doelger is a Navy Veteran, serving for over 7 years as a submariner. He would tell you he’s no stranger to entrepreneurship. At a young age he had paper route and was always looking for creative ideas to earn extra money. His love for technology and fishing coupled with his entrepreneurial spirit eventually led to the founding of TruFishing Inc. The journey has had its ups and downs, but Tim would tell you it’s the humility of knowing that your first idea isn’t always the right one that has kept him falling forward and ultimately finding success in TruFishing.
TruFishing TruFishing was founded in 2017 after sitting down with some fishing industry leaders and asking how they could get more people to participate? Together with his wife, Sharon, they have a mission "to provide the world with a platform where people can share their fishing experiences through contests from organizations that they trust and support." This increases participation in the fishing arena and helps people create memories that will be with them for a lifetime.
Learn More E-mail: tim@trufishing.com
Website: https://www.trufishing.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trufishing/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6MNkIw1VUou5sMb_zzd29A
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoTruFishing
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/trufishing/
Father’s Day Contest: https://trufishing.lndg.page/ndKWJ3
VeteranCrowd Partner Severn River Leadership Group: We are a Veteran-owned small business committed to the development and success of military veterans, first responders, and our community. We invest in each with our time, talent, and treasure through small business investing, coaching, and consulting.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Julie Cane & Rick Rikoski - Promoting Democracy Through Impact Investing
Rick Rikoski and Julie Cane are partners of Democracy Investments. Julie began her career as a U.S. Naval Aviator flying the SH-3 Sea King helicopter. She has over 20 years of experience in financial services. As a Captain in the California State Guard, Julie continues to serve. She does this in addition to being the CEO of Democracy Investments. Rick is the chief economist at Democracy Investments and also the chief scientist at Hadal. Hadal is a marine robotics company, which he co-founded in 2009. Having spent over 20 years developing probabilistic algorithms, Rick was well prepared to implement the Economist’s Democracy Index for financial products.
Democracy Investments Democracy Investments is a “mission-driven asset manager”. It was formed because of the "frustration with the global rise of authoritarianism and the financial vehicles that passively invest in authoritarian countries”. A discussion between Rick and Julie about ways to help shift capital away from authoritarians sparked the idea for founding Democracy Investments. During the pandemic, Rick was already using the Economist’s Democracy Index for modeling coronavirus and thought why don’t they use that as an overlay for weighting democracy in the investment world. They launched Democracy Investments in 2020.
Learn More Website: www.democracyinvestments.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/democracy-investments
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DemocracyDmcy
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/democracyinvestments/
VeteranCrowd Partner Severn River Leadership Group: We are a Veteran-owned small business committed to the development and success of military veterans, first responders, and our community. We invest in each with our time, talent, and treasure through small business investing, coaching, and consulting.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Sean Matson is a former Navy SEAL. He spent almost 10 years serving before becoming an entrepreneur. His time in the military has helped him build his team, create a positive work culture and given him the foundation to keep pushing when challenges arise. He is currently the CEO of Matbock and the Co-Founder of Cardomax. As he continues on this entrepreneurial path, he wants to build an empire of brands, helping other military members transition out of the service and become entrepreneurs too.
Matbock & Cardomax Matbock's mission is to design lighter and more practical equipment for every environment. We constantly strive to provide our warriors with the most effective and efficient gear possible.
Cardomax is committed to producing the highest quality, liquid-based single serve supplements featuring clean ingredients
Learn More LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-matson
Matbock: https://www.matbock.com/
Cardomax: https://www.cardomax.com/
VeteranCrowd Partner Severn River Leadership Group: We are a Veteran-owned small business committed to the development and success of military veterans, first responders, and our community. We invest in each with our time, talent, and treasure through small business investing, coaching, and consulting.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Wayne Phelps - Retired USMC LtCol & Author of "On Killing Remotely”
Wayne Phelps is a retired Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel. He spent his time in the service with a variety of deployments and assignments, but it was his last one that laid the groundwork for becoming an author. His last assignment was as the Commanding Officer of Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron Three (VMU-3) in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. While serving in this position he wanted to dig deeper and understand “What truly was the impact “On Killing Remotely”?
Author The actual interest in this topic comes originally from Dave Grossman’s book “On Killing”. He read this as a young lieutenant and it left an impact. Grossman’s book was written well before the implementation of drones. Wayne wanted to provide a version that would speak to this new era. He explores the “ethics of remote military engagement, the misconceptions about PTSD among RPA operators, and the specter of military weaponry controlled by robots”.
Learn More Website: https://www.waynephelps.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WaynePhelps.Author
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/waynephelps/
Article: https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-psychic-toll-of-killing-with-drones-11622865660
VeteranCrowd Partner
Severn River Leadership Group: We are a Veteran-owned small business committed to the development and success of military veterans, first responders, and our community. We invest in each with our time, talent, and treasure through small business investing, coaching, and consulting.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
John Schwartz - Retired FBI Agent, Army Veteran on a Mission to Combat Elder Financial Abuse
John graduated from West Point in 1986 and served in the Army until 1995. He continued his service to his country of over three decades as a a Special Agent in the FBI. Upon retiring he had a desire to start combating elder financial abuse. It was a collaboration with his wife’s uncle Jim’s Gallagher in 2017 that began this journey. This passion has continued and he has now founded the Center for Combating Financial Abuse.
Center for Combating Financial Abuse The Center for Combating Elder Financial Abuse was officially founded this year on, February 8, 2021.
Its mission is to “lead the way in protecting the elderly and their families from predators who commit elder financial abuse.” Their unique approach focuses on the predator, their tactics, their perspective and helps identify them as a threat before they act. Elder abuse costs over $40 billion dollars a year and it’s the centers hope reduce that by over half as they begin their work.
Learn More Website: endefa.org
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jrs111222
Articles
"Financial Elder Abuse Costs $3 Billion a Year. Or Is It $36 Billion?"
https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/consumer-protection/financial-elder-abuse-costs--3-billion-----or-is-it--30-billion-
Why Elder Financial Abuse Is Such A Slippery Crime
https://www.forbes.com/sites/nextavenue/2015/02/13/why-elder-financial-abuse-is-such-a-slippery-crime/?sh=5a7a9e586f90
Netflix Movie: “I Care a Lot”
VeteranCrowd Partner Severn River Leadership Group: We are a Veteran-owned small business committed to the development and success of military veterans, first responders, and our community. We invest in each with our time, talent, and treasure through small business investing, coaching, and consulting.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Heather Earles - Military Spouse, Author, Blogger and Podcaster of Herb ’N Wisdom
Heather grew up an old soul. Early on learning how to can and the ins and outs of a self-sustainable lifestyle. She has decided to share that knowledge with those around her. As a blogger and podcaster, she regularly shares about nutrition, a holistic lifestyle and dives into helping you realize your God-given gifts. Her hope is that her audience and reader can reach a higher level of success. In addition to all of that and running a small self-sustainable farm, Heather is an author.
Journey as an Author Heather started writing back in 2015 with her first novel, To Know Her Calling. She is currently working a book entitled Prisoner Within. It is the first book of a four part series, called Ordinary Heroes. Part of writing this book also includes creating a cookbook that features the favorite recipes of fallen heroes. Be sure to contact her if you know a family that would want to be featured. She also has a children’s book coming out soon called, A Busy Morning on the Farm.
Learn More Blog: www.heatherearles.com
Podcast:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heatherlearles
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatherearles/
MeWe: https://mewe.com/group/60026273f57b6043da0a262b
Gab: https://gab.com/groups/20459
VeteranCrowd Partner
Severn River Leadership Group: We are a Veteran-owned small business committed to the development and success of military veterans, first responders, and our community. We invest in each with our time, talent, and treasure through small business investing, coaching, and consulting.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Martha LaGuardia-Kotite - Coast Guard Veteran, Leader, TEDx Speaker & Author
Martha spent 29 years serving in the Coast Guard. Her time in the service took her around the world and she rose to the senior rank of captain. This time shaped her into the leader and story teller she is today. She served in many capacities from natural disasters to public relations. She also served as one of the first female officers aboard Coast Guard cutters with all male crews.
"Be Bold, Be First & Be You." Author Martha always loved stories and sharing them, but it wasn’t until she heard about a rescue swimmer making a cave rescue and nearly losing their life that she was inspired to become an author. Now an award-winning author of five books and one in the works. It has been writing these stories about Coast Guard heroes and women serving in the military that empowered her to dream bigger. She shares this vision with audiences across the nation as a keynote speaker too.
Learn More Leadership Books:
So Others May Live - from the Coast Guard to your team, lessons learned rescuing lives, defying death
Changing the Rules of Engagement -from the military to the boardroom courageous leadership profiles
My Name Is Old Glory- Unifying us! -The story of the power and passion of our flag (with Trish Marx)
Innovators: Rock Stars of Science Technology Engineering and Math (Medical) / STEM
Legacy: A History of the Coast Guard Foundation**
Website: www.marthakotite.com
VeteranCrowd Partner
Severn River Leadership Group: We are a Veteran-owned small business committed to the development and success of military veterans, first responders, and our community. We invest in each with our time, talent, and treasure through small business investing, coaching, and consulting.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Jarrod H. Smith - Navy Officer, Military Transition Expert & Founder of Liberty Accelerator Program
Jarrod H. Smith is a U.S. Naval Officer, "Military Transition" Expert, and the founder of the Liberty Accelerator Program. Jarrod is an active duty U.S. Navy Commander. His supply chain and logistics career and leadership experience has taken him around the world with the submarine force and naval aviation, and resulted in a unique perspective on this topic, because the military doesn't transition, people do. His operational experience and two masters degrees led to the realization that "We're doing transition all backwards!" He created a new paradigm to plan for transformation from the mindset of service members (and milspouses), and to begin from the earliest days in service. After watching others transition out, and using his own life experiences, he has become a "military-to-civilian" transformation expert.
Liberty Accelerator Program This is a military transition program that helps a military service member start thinking about being ready to transition out of service from the beginning of their career. It focuses on health, self, wealth and relationships and how they pertain to transition. It offers a guide “to proactive, intentions and informed planning for life and liberty during uniformed service and in preparation for far beyond.”
Learn More Website: https://www.jarrodhsmith.com
OPREP Newsletters https://jarrodhsmith.substack.com/
Services List: https://prezi.com/i/qrq7kkmch5sw/
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnC2taXyiF-wr31JFFQiB8A
VeteranCrowd Partner Severn River Leadership Group: We are a Veteran-owned small business committed to the development and success of military veterans, first responders, and our community. We invest in each with our time, talent, and treasure through small business investing, coaching, and consulting.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Jeff Minch - Army Veteran, Entrepreneur and CEO Advisor
Jeff was from a military family so serving in the Army as a Combat Engineer was a natural career path. The Army prepared him to be a founder, entrepreneur, President, CEO and Director for over 33 years following his service. It’s this experience that he now share’s with current CEO’s. The Wisdom of the Campfire was created to assist CEO’s to reach their highest potential. All CEO’s need someone in their court with the wisdom to know what they’re going through and be able to advise.
The Musing of the Big Red Car Jeff is the author of “The Musing of the Big Red Car”. This blog shares Jeff’s passion of entrepreneurship and consulting. It also offers a healthy dose of politics, military wisdom and other various topics. A wealth of information and guidance for any CEO.
Learn More Website: https://themusingsofthebigredcar.com/
Cell Phone: 512-656-1383
Email: jminch2011@gmail.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreylminch/
VeteranCrowd Partner Cardomax: Committed to producing the highest quality, liquid-based single serve supplements featuring clean ingredients. Use coupon code VeteranCrowd to receive Buy one, get one free on your first order.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Eric Johnson - Naval Academy Graduate takes on Cold Brew Coffee, Founding Trident Coffee in San Diego
Eric Johnson spent seven years as a civil engineer officer in the United States Navy. After serving he knew he wanted to work for himself. Eric already had a passion for cold brewing coffee. This interest and the shock that not many were in this market gave him a challenge he was ready to pursue and Trident Coffee was founded. With health as a focus, Trident Coffee offers healthy coffee and keto friendly baked goods.
“Good tasting” and “healthy” belong in the same sentence. We are here to prove it to you.
Trident Coffee It’s a brand that inspires people to “craft their own legacy.” It was created to support those with an active lifestyle and works hard to help everyone that drinks their coffee know they are part of something bigger. It’s a unique coffee store that offers both roasted coffee and nitro cold brew. They have two locations in San Diego county.
Learn More: Website: https://tridentcoffee.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tridentcoffee/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/trident-coffee-roasters/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tridentcoffee
VeteranCrowd Partners: Cardomax: Committed to producing the highest quality, liquid-based single serve supplements featuring clean ingredients. Use coupon code VeteranCrowd to receive Buy one, get one free on your first order.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
“Iron” Mike Steadman - Shares About Boxing, Entrepreneurship, Leadership and Making an Impact in Your Community
Mike Steadman didn’t grow up boxing, but found his love for it at the Naval Academy. He became a three-time National Collegiate Boxing Champion during his time there. After graduation he was commissioned as a Marine Corps Infantry officer and served until 2015. His experience gave him a passion to serve the inner city youth, teaching both boxing and leadership.
“There’s no better way to unleash your inner bad-ass than training like a boxer. You’ll build the grit, confidence, and discipline that will enhance and improve every aspect of your well-being, personal development, and job performance.”
Ironbound Media As a self-proclaimed renaissance man, Mike is a successful entrepreneur and founder of Ironbound media. He produces his own podcasts and helps other businesses do the same. “I feel like podcasting is the future of publishing, writing the book and stuff is awesome, but there is nothing like hearing your guests' voices and sharing it to the universe. I think it's really powerful.”
Ironbound Boxing After visiting boxing gyms in various cities, Mike felt “the kids didn't have any options outside the ring, that it was either turn pro or go back to the streets. In the inner city, that's what a boxing gym does.” This frustration led to the creation of Ironbound Boxing, a reproduction of Mike's own training at the Naval Academy. “Our goal is to use the transformative powers of boxing to create champions both inside and outside of the ring. As an organization, we’re committed to providing free amateur boxing training, entrepreneurial education, and employment opportunities to inner-city youth & young adults.”
Curious to see who else has been in the VeteranCrowd Spotlight? Check them out here.
Learn More:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iron-mike-steadman-3387586a/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ironmikesteadman/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NativeSonSpeaks
Ironbound Media Website: https://ironboundmedia.com/
Ironbound Boxing Website: https://ironboundboxing.org/
Podcasts:
About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Mark Mhley - Navy Veteran, Founder and CEO of Re4ormed
Mark knew in the eighth grade he wanted to be an astronaut. Knowing at the time the Naval Academy produced the most astronauts that’s where he headed. He didn’t end up on the moon, but he did land himself as a Flight Officer in the Navy. He loved his 22 years in uniform and still misses it today. Privileged to serve with great leaders during challenging times shaped him as a leader and eventual entrepreneur. It was after his Naval career that he launched into entrepreneurship. He struggled and ended up seeing some ways he could help others on the same path. R4formed was born.
Re4ormed Founded in 2017 out of realizing two specific things were missing on his own entrepreneurial journey. First, a national community of other veterans and spouse entrepreneurs that could support each other. Second, a go-to family of vetted business services that were provided by other veterans and spouses. Re4ormed is “a veteran-owned small-business in Maryland that serves the ecosystem of veteran and military-spouse owned businesses by partnering with businesses eager to deliver value back into that ecosystem.”
Learn More: * Website: www.Re4ormed.com * Register for All Call Series: https://re4ormed.com/4allcall/ * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/re4ormed/ * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/re4ormedandresilient/ * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Re4ormedandResilient/
VeteranCrowd Partners:
Cardomax: Committed to producing the highest quality, liquid-based single serve supplements featuring clean ingredients. Use coupon code VeteranCrowd to receive Buy one, get one free on your first order.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Alisa Johnson - USMC Veteran Aviator & Co-Founder of Dogs on Deployment
Alisa served in the US Marine Corps as a KC-130J transport pilot. She and her husband were both on active duty. It was early in their careers they realized that orders and service schools were preventing them from taking care of their dog for a period time. Luckily they had family nearby, but knew others weren’t as fortunate. This launched Dogs on Deployment in June of 2011. Alisa would tell you her time in the military helped prepare her to be a non-profit owner.
"Our mission is to give military members peace of mind concerning their pets during their service commitments by providing them with the ability to find people and resources able to help them."
Dogs on Deployment DoD is a non-profit organization that provides a network for military members to find volunteers willing to board their pets while they are deployed or have other service obligations. They also offer financial assistance for emergency veterinarian services and advocate for pet owners on military installations.
Learn More:
- Website: https://www.dogsondeployment.org/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DogsonDeployment
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dogsondeployment/
VeteranCrowd Partners: Cardomax: Committed to producing the highest quality, liquid-based single serve supplements featuring clean ingredients. Use coupon code VeteranCrowd to receive Buy one, get one free on your first order.
*About Your Host*
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Laura Renner - Air Force Veteran, Founder & President of Freedom Makers Virtual Assistants
Laura Renner, founder and president of Freedom Makers, grew up as an Army brat and then decided to serve in the United States Air Force. She graduated from the Air Force Academy and commissioned as a Public Affairs Officer. After her service she attended business school and knew wanted to start her own business. She started a couple different businesses, but they just weren’t the right fit. She learned from each one and then hit her stride with her third and current business, Freedom Makers.
Freedom Makers Freedom Makers was born out of the desire to help small business owners and military families. It helps the small business grow and focus on their business, providing virtual assistants when hiring onsite employees might not be an option yet. All these virtual assistants are military spouse, who in turn are being helped by allowing them to “take their jobs” with them where ever the military sends them.
Learn More: * Website: www.freedom-makers.com * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FreedomMakersVirtualAssistantServices * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freedommakersvirtualassistants/ * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/freedommakers-virtual-assistant-services/
VeteranCrowd Partners: Cardomax: Committed to producing the highest quality, liquid-based single serve supplements featuring clean ingredients. Use coupon code VeteranCrowd to receive Buy one, get one free on your first order.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Michael Arrowsmith - Franchise Expert & Chief Development Officer of Pinch a Penny Pools Franchises
Michael has spent over 25 years growing franchise brands and has been with a variety of franchises from Denny’s to Captain D’s to now Pinch a Penny Pools. He has a passion to help potential entrepreneurs find their business dreams as franchisees. Although not a veteran himself, he has a passion to help veteran’s become franchise owners. He knows that the discipline, experience and independence of a veteran translates to a success as a franchisee.
“I think franchising is one of the best, if not the best business model.” -Michael Arrowsmith Pinch a Penny Pool Patio Spa Pinch a Penny, founded in 1975 currently has 260 locations across Southeastern US and Texas. Pitch a Penny is a family owned business with a vision to offer that same model to its franchisees. “Pinch A Penny provides its customers, franchisees and employees with all the necessary resources to carry on its tradition of quality, reliability and expertise in a fun, family-oriented atmosphere.” They also have a heart to help Veterans by offering 50% off their franchise fee to get started.
Learn More: * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PinchAPennyPool * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pinchapennypool/ * Website: https://pinchapenny.com/ * Veteran information: https://pinchapennypoolfranchise.com/veterans/
VeteranCrowd Partners:
Cardomax: Committed to producing the highest quality, liquid-based single serve supplements featuring clean ingredients. Use coupon code VeteranCrowd to receive Buy one, get one free on your first order.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Ryan Meehan - Army Veteran, Managing Partner of Aviano Capital & Looking to Buy a Business
Ryan Meehan didn’t set out to join the military, but after 9/11 felt compelled to serve in the Army. He went to West Point and was commissioned as an infantry officer. He spent two tours in Afghanistan and served with the 173rd Airborne Brigade out of Vicenza, Italy. After leaving the military in 2012, Ryan went to Wharton Business School and then spent time in the financial world as a trader and with a portfolio company before starting his own business.
The military taught Ryan how to lead people and develop teams. He is pursing this now with Aviano Capitol. It got its name after the air base Ryan served at in Italy. It is on a mission to “acquire, own and operate one profitable business while maintaining a focus on people, stewarding he legacy of the seller, and upholding the highest stands of integrity, during the transaction and beyond.”
Check out who else has stepped into the Veteran Crowd Spotlight.
Learn More: Ryan's LI: https:///www.linkedin.com/in/rtmeehan/
Aviano Capital Website: https://avianocapital.com
VeteranCrowd Partners: Cardomax: Committed to producing the highest quality, liquid-based single serve supplements featuring clean ingredients. Use coupon code VeteranCrowd to receive Buy one, get one free on your first order.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Steve Maconi - Naval Aviator, MIT Graduate & CEO of VMI Alumni Agencies
Steve Maconi grew up in a small town in New Hampshire. He went to MIT on a Navy scholarship and graduated in 1977. Steve was commissioned in the Navy and served 21 years as a naval aviator, flying the P-3 aircraft. After retirement Steve joined the U.S. Naval Academy Foundation. This was just the beginning of a now over 20 years of experience in development expertise in the non-profit sector.
In 2017 Steve was named as the CEO of the VMI Alumni Agencies. He has been instrumental in “reorganizing the management of the VMI Alumni Agencies.” Steve helped the VMI endowment account for 25% of their operating budget. He shares “it’s transformational, VMI would be a shell without philanthropy. Despite not being a VMI graduate himself, he has learned to appreciate the “magic” that happens at VMI after living and experiencing it himself.
Learn More: Steve LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-maconi-b546247b
VMI Alumni Agencies: https://vmialumni.org
VeteranCrowd Partners: MATBOCK: Our mission is to design lighter and more practical equipment for every environment. We constantly strive to provide our warriors with the most effective and efficient gear possible. Use coupon code VeteranCrowd to receive 10% off your order
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Scott Wachenheim played football for the Air Force. Even before serving as an Air Force officer, he was an offensive coordinator for the Air Force junior varsity squad. After serving his active duty commitment he went right back to coaching football. With over 30 years of experience in the college and professional ranks, Scott landed at VMI in 2014. He has steadily turned the VMI football. This season they went out with a bang winning the Military Classic of the South and the Southern Conference Championship, leading the Keydets to their first-ever FCS playoff appearance and earning the Bobby Ross Coach of the Year award.
Congratulations to Coach Wachenheim and the VMI Football team!
Learn More:
VeteranCrowd Partners: Cardomax: Committed to producing the highest quality, liquid-based single serve supplements featuring clean ingredients. Use coupon code VeteranCrowd to receive Buy one, get one free on your first order.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Steve Maconi - Naval Aviator, MIT Graduate & CEO of VMI Alumni Agencies
Steve Maconi grew up in a small town in New Hampshire. He went to MIT on a Navy scholarship and graduated in 1977. Steve was commissioned in the Navy and served 21 years as a naval aviator, flying the P-3 aircraft. After retirement Steve joined the U.S. Naval Academy Foundation. This was just the beginning of a now over 20 years of experience in development expertise in the non-profit sector.
In 2017 Steve was named as the CEO of the VMI Alumni Agencies. He has been instrumental in “reorganizing the management of the VMI Alumni Agencies.” Steve helped the VMI endowment account for 25% of their operating budget. He shares “it’s transformational, VMI would be a shell without philanthropy. Despite not being a VMI graduate himself, he has learned to appreciate the “magic” that happens at VMI after living and experiencing it himself.
Learn More: Steve LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-maconi-b546247b
VMI Alumni Agencies: https://vmialumni.org
VeteranCrowd Partners: MATBOCK: Our mission is to design lighter and more practical equipment for every environment. We constantly strive to provide our warriors with the most effective and efficient gear possible. Use coupon code VeteranCrowd to receive 10% off your order
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Gretchen Evans - Retired Army Command Sergeant Major, Author & Athlete
Gretchen Evans spent 27 years in the Army. Her final deployment ended her career after injuries from a mortar round left her deaf. She was not ready to finish her service in the Army but didn’t have a choice. This didn’t stop her from continuing to serve.
After an admittedly rough transition Evans decided to put her efforts into writing a book. The book “Leading From the Front” is a compilation of stories of the men and women Evans served with. Evans loved her military career and continues to serve as a mentor to young soldiers through her work with Veteran Service Organizations. One of those organizations is No Barriers. They help “improve the lives of veterans with disabilities through curriculum-based experiences that help veterans reconnect with purpose, rediscover identity and find community.
As a way to help her own mental battles, Gretchen has a passion for running, hiking and just pure adventure. In 2019 she competed in the “Eco-Challenge”, the world’s toughest race. She created her own team called “Unbroken” that was made up of military veterans, each with their own war scars. They raced through Fiji facing extreme terrain and harsh conditions despite their own physical challenges.
Learn More:
Eco Challenge Article: https://screenrant.com/worlds-toughest-race-eco-challenge-gretchen-evans-army/
Gretchen LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gretchen-evans-369a26195/
VeteranCrowd Partners: Cardomax: Committed to producing the highest quality, liquid-based single serve supplements featuring clean ingredients. Use coupon code VeteranCrowd to receive Buy one, get one free on your first order.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Gretchen Evans - Retired Army Command Sergeant Major, Author & Athlete
Gretchen Evans spent 27 years in the Army. Her final deployment ended her career after injuries from a mortar round left her deaf. She was not ready to finish her service in the Army but didn’t have a choice. This didn’t stop her from continuing to serve.
After an admittedly rough transition Evans decided to put her efforts into writing a book. The book “Leading From the Front” is a compilation of stories of the men and women Evans served with. Evans loved her military career and continues to serve as a mentor to young soldiers through her work with Veteran Service Organizations. One of those organizations is No Barriers. They help “improve the lives of veterans with disabilities through curriculum-based experiences that help veterans reconnect with purpose, rediscover identity and find community.
As a way to help her own mental battles, Gretchen has a passion for running, hiking and just pure adventure. In 2019 she competed in the “Eco-Challenge”, the world’s toughest race. She created her own team called “Unbroken” that was made up of military veterans, each with their own war scars. They raced through Fiji facing extreme terrain and harsh conditions despite their own physical challenges.
Learn More:
Eco Challenge Article: https://screenrant.com/worlds-toughest-race-eco-challenge-gretchen-evans-army/
Gretchen LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gretchen-evans-369a26195/
VeteranCrowd Partners: Cardomax: Committed to producing the highest quality, liquid-based single serve supplements featuring clean ingredients. Use coupon code VeteranCrowd to receive Buy one, get one free on your first order.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Louise Valentine - Military Spouse, Competitive Athlete, Author & Wellness Expert
Louise Valentine had created her dream job working with professional athletes. But, as every military spouse knows those jobs are hard to hold onto when moving is inevitable. Louise had developed a passion to empower others to live healthy and vibrant lives. This along with her own health diagnosis, led Louise to continue to pursue her education and career options in health at each duty station. She is currently the director for the innovative Vheda Health disease management platform. Check out a special offer from Vheda Health below.
Team Valentine Project Louise created, the Team Valentine Project website as a platform that would be with her no matter where she moved. Louise shares “simple and realistic ways to make wellness work”. In addition to her website, she recently published "The Art of Breaking Through: Five Simple Steps to Take on Any Challenge & Tackle Self-Doubt” book. This best-selling book walks the reader through five steps to overcoming any challenge they face.
Louise wants you to feel empowered and educated to achieve your health goals. Learn how to connect with Louise below.
Learn More:
Website: https://www.teamvalentineproject.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TeamProjectValentine
Instagram: www.instagram.com/teamprojectvalentine
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/louise-valentine-mph/
PURCHASE The Art of Breaking Through: Five Simple Steps to Take on Any Challenge
& Tackle Self-Doubt on Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/Art-Breaking-Through-
Challenge-Self-Doubt/dp/B08L3XBW5J
All proceeds from the book go to support my father’s on-going cancer treatments and medical bills.
You can also gift The Art of Breaking Through to others in a Care Crate Co. Corporate Care Package: https://www.thecarecrateco.com/corporate-gifts/
Link to FREE "The Art of Breaking Through Worksheet": https://www.teamvalentineproject.com/products
Link to Vheda Health: https://vheda.com/friends-and-family/ Use coupon code, vetcrowd15 to receive 15% off
VeteranCrowd Partners: Cardomax: Committed to producing the highest quality, liquid-based single serve supplements featuring clean ingredients. Use coupon code VeteranCrowd to receive Buy one, get one free on your first order.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Bill Watkins - West Point Graduate, Serial Entrepreneur & CEO of The Lions Pride (Part 2 of 2)
Bill Watkins spent the first half of his life doing everything he wanted. He was a West Point graduate and decorated Army Veteran. Bill had started and sold several companies and learned a lot of life lessons. It was on his 59th birthday that he had an idea. He was at the peak of his life. He loved his family, was in great shape, and had had much success, why couldn’t others do the same? How could he help other’s reach their peak in life, excited, invigorated and not exhausted by the journey. How could he help other’s at the top be fueled by a team around them? This was the beginning of The Lions Pride.
“High-Achievers aren’t born. They are made and we make them better.”
A New Type of Network “The Lions Pride is an invite-only cohort filled with trailblazers who reject the status quo.” It is filled with high-performing individuals that are driven to get more out of life. It “is a powerful network of high-performance leaders”. It is for those seeking professional support, tools to help them succeed and want to be prepared for the next challenge.
Learn More: Bill Watkins LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/willambcwatkins/
The Lions Pride
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thelionspride/
Weekly Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/geHUuX
Free Workshops: https://www.thelionspride.com/free-business-workshops
Website Resources: https://www.thelionspride.com/situation-room-resources
Listen on Libsyn: Watch on YouTube: VeteranCrowd Partners:
Matbock: Lighter faster warriors
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Bill Watkins - West Point Graduate, Serial Entrepreneur & CEO of The Lions Pride
Bill Watkins spent the first half of his life doing everything he wanted. He was a West Point graduate and decorated Army Veteran. Bill had started and sold several companies and learned a lot of life lessons. It was on his 59th birthday that he had an idea. He was at the peak of his life. He loved his family, was in great shape, and had had much success, why couldn’t others do the same? How could he help other’s reach their peak in life, excited, invigorated and not exhausted by the journey. How could he help other’s at the top be fueled by a team around them? This was the beginning of The Lions Pride.
“High-Achievers aren’t born. They are made and we make them better.”
A New Type of Network “The Lions Pride is an invite-only cohort filled with trailblazers who reject the status quo.” It is filled with high-performing individuals that are driven to get more out of life. It “is a powerful network of high-performance leaders”. It is for those seeking professional support, tools to help them succeed and want to be prepared for the next challenge.
Learn More: Bill Watkins LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/willambcwatkins/
The Lions Pride
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thelionspride/
Weekly Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/geHUuX
Free Workshops: https://www.thelionspride.com/free-business-workshops
Website Resources: https://www.thelionspride.com/situation-room-resources
Listen on Libsyn: Watch on YouTube: VeteranCrowd Partners:
Matbock: Lighter faster warriors
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Melissa Stockwell - Army Veteran, US Paralympian & CoFounder of Dare2tri
Melissa Stockwell is an Army Veteran and US Paralympian. She graduated from University of Colorado at Boulder in 2002 and was commissioned in the United States Army. Just a month after deploying to Iraq, Melissa’s vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb. She was the first female American soldier to lose her limb in active combat. This injury didn't stop her. Melissa would say “Once an athlete always an athlete” and her journey continued.
Athlete While at Walter Reed, Melissa listened to a presentation about the US Paralympic team. Previously a gymnast with dreams of being on the US Olympic team this seemed like a perfect second chance. Just four years after her accident she qualified to compete in swimming at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games. After the games Melissa shifted her focus to becoming a triathlete. In 2016 Melissa competed in the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio, on the US paratriathlon team, earning a bronze medal.
Olympic Training Melissa is currently training full time as a triathlete at the US Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO. When she’s not training she is busy being a wife, mom, sharing her story with others and inspiring others to do the same. She is the co-founder of Dare2tri Paratriathlon Club. A club helping others compete in triathlons for the first time. You can find ways to follow her and her training below. And last but not least she is also a prosthetist, helping others fit and wear prosthetics.
Learn More: Website: www.melissastockwell.com
Twitter: @m.stockwell01
Instagram:@m.stockwell01
Facebook: @MStockwell01
VeteranCrowd Partners: Matbock: Lighter faster warriors
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Scott Patterson - USMC Veteran Revolutionizing the World of Laundry
Scott Patterson grew up in Northern California and always dreamed of being a fighter pilot. Being six foot five, that wasn’t quite in the cards. Instead he decided to join the infantry in the United States Marine Corps. Scott served for eleven years. Upon getting out, a job fell through and he found himself on his friend's couch for several months. This sequence of events led him to realize that community laundry needed help, thus launching his journey as an entrepreneur.
Entrepreneur
Ironically Scott never wanted to be an entrepreneur. He had watched many friends and family members try and fail and didn't want to go down that path. But he knew he had a problem that needed a solution. Community laundry needed to be done better and Tumble was born. Scott and his team are solving a multi-trillion dollar problem surrounding how laundry is done.
Tumble Finally laundry is brought into the 21st century. “Tumble machines leverage innovative technology like IoT, digital interfaces, machine learning, and other patent-pending solutions to provide customers with an unmatched user experience.” Check out below if you want Tumble in your town.
Learn More:
Scott’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tristan-scott-patterson/
Website: www.tumble.to
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tumblelaundry/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tumblelaundry
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/tumblelaundry/
VeteranCrowd Partners: Fund the First: Crowdfunding for our Nation's Heroes
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Sean Matson & Katilyn Hernandez - Breaking World Records While Raising Awareness for the EOD Community
Sean Matson is a former Navy SEAL and founder of Matbock. A company whose mission is to design lighter and more practical equipment for every environment. Katilyn Hernandez is currently the Company Commander of the 717th OD CO (EOD). She is a self-proclaimed homebody and passionate Cross Fitter.
Both of these individuals will be running a mile on Saturday, April 3, 2021. It’s not just any mile, it’s a mile in an EOD bomb suit. They are currently working to break both the male and female world records. They will be putting on an 80+ pound EOD bomb suit to take on this pursuit. The mission is to raise support for the Head Strong Project. Head Strong was founded in 2012, to provide confidential, cost-free, and frictionless mental health care treatment for military veterans and their families that works.
You can support them by purchasing a t-shirt or tuning on on Saturday to the live feed, which will be shared on the VeteranCrowd Facebook page.
Barker Squire - USMC Veteran Entrepreneur Shares his Experience Buying Craneworks, Inc.
Barker Squire served for four years as an infantry officer in the United States Marine Corps. He has always had a desire to lead people and organizations. His time in the USMC solidified this and pushed him to want to become a business owner. After leaving the Marine Corps, Barker received his MBA from Darden School of Business. He planned to open his own business. As business school was coming to an end and some incredibly internships, he still couldn’t quite find his niche. It was then that he determined his path to entrepreneurship would be through purchasing a business.
Buying Craneworks, Inc It took about a year and a half of searching through over a thousand of companies, but Barker would tell you it was worth the wait. He had finally found a great fit. A business that was close to where he wanted to live, but also worked with the military. It was this, along with his heart to carry on the legacy of the previous owners that led this to be a successful match. He purchased the company in 2019 and the rest is history. “Craneworks, Inc, specializes in crane inspections, maintenance, repairs and engineering for the United States Navy and Marine Corps.”
Learn More:
Barker Squire: barker@vacraneworks.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barkersquire/
Craneworks, Inc Website: https://www.vacraneworks.com/
VeteranCrowd Partners: Fund the First: Crowdfunding for our Nation's Heroes
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
April Mitchell - Military Spouse, Inventor, Owner of 4A's Creations LLC
April Mitchell is a mom of four and military spouse. Inventing was not something she sought out to pursue, but grew up in a problem-solving home. It was ingrained in her at a young age to find a solution to any problem that she was faced with just like her dad did. Her first taste began after realizing that the bathroom hand towel always ended up on the floor. This led to too much laundry and a necessary solution. She invented the towel belt. This was just the beginning of her journey as an inventor.
Inventions One or her more recent inventions is the Right Height adjustable over the door hook. Again this was a result of landing in a house that didn’t have many closets, and the door hooks were too high for her children to reach. It is available in major retailer and provides easy access to the whole family. She is now a two time patent holder.
Family Affair April continues to invent and design products in the houseware industry, but has also dived into the toy and game industry. This is where is has become a family affair. She has found her kids playing with things that weren’t toys that they tweaked to be a new toy. Her kids have become an integral in the process of creating. She shares her journey, "I knocked on the door of the toy & game industry for about 2 years before signing a license agreement and I have just signed my 4th in less than 6 months."
She continues to have new ideas so who know's what might be next. April also loves to help others with the process of inventing, she is a licensing and product coach with inventRight. Find her contact information below.
Check out who else has stepped into the Veteran Crowd Spotlight.
Learn More: Email: april@4ascreations.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/april-mitchell-7132295b/
Articles: https://editions.mydigitalpublication.com/publication/?m=60492&i=693676&p=10
Book Recommendation: "One Simple Idea" by Stephen Key
VeteranCrowd Partners: Fund the First: Crowdfunding for our Nation's Heroes
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Linda Maloney - Former Naval Aviator & CEO of Veteran Women Speakers
Linda Maloney enlisted in the Navy at 17, but that was just beginning of her 20 year career. It was a career that continued to blaze the trail for women aviators. She was the first woman to eject from a Martin Baker ejection seat from her A-6 aircraft in 1991 over the Atlantic Ocean. She has a passion to give a voice to veteran women’s stories. Her book “Military Fly Mom”s and business Veteran Women Speakers exemplify this.
Author It might have been an eight year process but the results were well worth it. After interviewing over 100 women, 70 were chosen to be featured in the coffee table style book, Military Fly Mom. It offers a collection of inspiring stories of women, who all shared the same two dreams, becoming aviators in the military and being moms. It was awarded the Military Writers Society of America 2012 Creative Nonfiction Gold Medal Award and 2012 Stars and Flags Literary Award.
In addition Linda is the Project Director for the Proudly She Served project. This is another coffee table book that highlights women who have served in all different branches of the military. It tells their stories but also raises awareness of the challenges they face in transitioning out of the military.
Women Veteran Speakers Linda founded, Women Veteran Speakers in 2015 as the first speaker’s agency of its kind. It is a place to connect exceptional women military veterans as event speakers, trainers, coaches and facilitators to paid speaking engagements, conferences, webinars, panels and forums.
Check out who else has stepped into the Veteran Crowd Spotlight.
Learn More: Women Veteran Speakers
Website: WomenVeteranSpeakers.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/women-veteran-speakers/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/womenvetsspeak
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/womenvetsspeak
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenvetspeak_lindamaloney
Proudly She Serves
Website: ProudlySheServed.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProudlySheServe
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/proudlysheserved/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/proudly-she-served/
VeteranCrowd Partners: Fund the First: Crowdfunding for our Nation's Heroes
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Garrett Cathcart - Mission Roll Call, Giving Every Veteran a Voice
Garrett’s military career started as a student at West Point. After graduation he served until 2012 in the United States Army. He spent time in both the Iraq and Afghan wars and ended his time as a Cavalry Troop Commander. There are many lessons he took from his time in service but his greatest lesson was how to take care of people.
Upon separating from the Army, Garrett wasn’t sure where to land. After a stint with a medical device company he knew he needed to find purpose in his work. It was this drive that led him to get plugged into veteran organizations. He has for worked for Vetlanta, Bunker Labs, Team Red, White and Blue and now Mission Roll Call. The idea of Mission Roll Call came from a conversation around a campfire in Montana.
Mission Roll Call: Mission Roll Call was born out of the realization that almost half of all veterans are unaffiliated with the Department of Veterans Affairs or any veteran service organization. They give all veterans a voice on issues impacting their lives. "This unified voice is getting the attention of our nation’s leaders and communities so change can happen."
“A community where veterans, their spouses, families, and caregivers can share their stories, concerns, hopes, wins, and voice their issues."
Learn More:
Garrett Cathcart LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garrett-cathcart-386319a3/
Mission Roll Call Website: https://www.missionrollcall.org/
Mission Roll Call LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mission-roll-call/
Mission Roll Call Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MissionRollCall
Mission Roll Call Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/missionrollcall/
Mission Roll Call Twitter: https://twitter.com/missionrollcall
VeteranCrowd Partners: Fund the First: Crowdfunding for our Nation's Heroes
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Nicole Malone - Air Force Veteran and Nutrition Coach Helping Others Achieve a Healthy Lifestyle
Nicole is a 14-year Air Force veteran and Precision Nutrition Certified coach. She has always had a love for fitness. After leaving the service and its very structured environment she struggled with her own health. She encountered a lot of fad diets and short term success but didn’t know how to get fit for life. A furlough as an intel analyst due to Covid helped her take that final leap and found Dark Horse Nutrition, where she merged her passion for fitness and desire to serve others
“I have come to realize that weight loss and living a healthier lifestyle is so much more than just the foods you eat and what you do in the gym.”
Dark Horse Nutrition Dark Horse Nutrition LLC takes a holistic approach to help each client find their optimal health. As a client you receive individualized nutrition plans and customized fitness programs. Nicole walks you through changing unhealthy behaviors and managing stress. She takes it one step at a time. Her goal is to create a long-term sustainable healthy lifestyle for each client.
Sneaky Fit Podcast Another avenue to educate others about health and fitness is Nicole’s Sneaky Fit podcast. The podcast drops each Sunday and helps to dispel the health myths out there. Nicole wants to reach as many people as she can to share the truth about weight loss and healthy lifestyles.
Check out who else has stepped into the Veteran Crowd Spotlight.
Listen on Anchor: Watch on YouTube: Learn More: Website: https://www.darkhorse-nutrition.com/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/nutritiondark
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dark-horse-nutritionllc
Podcast: Sneaky Fit Podcast (podbean.com)
VeteranCrowd Partners: Fund the First: Crowdfunding for our Nation's Heroes
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Bill Militello - Providing Veteran Entrepreneurs a Fast & Easy Way to Raise Capital
Bill Militello is no stranger to entrepreneurship, after three successful companies he recently founded his fourth, Localvest. He knows what it takes to create a thriving business. After graduating from the Naval Academy, Bill served as a Marine Corps Signals Intelligence Officer. His service created a passion to help the veteran entrepreneur. Bill began his career on Wall Street in 2001. This led to founding Militello Capital in 2011. "Militello Capital guided the wave of registered investment advisors “RIAs” to think beyond Wall Street and challenge the conventional allocation model". This was just the stepping stone needed to launch Localvest in 2019.
Localvest “The success of an entrepreneur, if they need to raise capital, is largely dependent on the size of the wallet of their personal network”, Bill shares. It is this struggle that drove him to create Localvest. Their mission is helping veteran entrepreneurs raise the capital they need with ease. Localvest is a SaaS (Software as a service) solution, that “goes beyond simply displaying your offering. It works in such a way that investors can easily communicate with you, schedule meetings, request more information, and much more".
Learn More:
Localvest LI: www.linkedin.com/company/localvest
Localvest FB: https://www.facebook.com/LocalvestPlatform
Localvest Twitter: https://twitter.com/localvest
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Ben Biles - American Veterans Group, Helping Veterans While Doing Business
Ben Biles is a Naval Academy graduate and Navy veteran. He shares how his upbringing and service in the Navy paved the path for entrepreneurship. He founded the American Veterans Group, Wall Streets only Public Benefit Company. “We've incorporated as a public benefit corporation. It’s been a great way for us to align ourselves with our mission, which is to provide great business service to our clients and increase shareholder value, but also help as many veterans as we can."
Navy Officer At 6’9” Ben played basketball at the Naval Academy. Juggling being a student athlete and the demands of the academy taught him how to better manage his time. It set him up for success not only as a supply corps officer but later an entrepreneur. “There are a lot of parallels that I could talk forever about how the military experience has been helpful in this entrepreneurial endeavor.”
American Veteran Group American Veteran Group is an investment bank and broker dealer. It specializes with municipal clients and corporate clients, helping them find capital through capital markets. “We add value to both our clients and our communities through fusing the military values of selfless teamwork, uncompromising integrity, and unwavering accountability with industry leading knowledge and experience. We believe success isn't just measured by growing profitability, but also by the social impact our firm delivers.”
Learn More: Ben Biles LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benbiles/
American Veterans Group: https://www.americanvetsgroup.com/
About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Jerry Flanagan of JDog Brands launched his first company because he was simply tired of making a lot of money for the guy who owned the company.
"Of course, I quickly fell flat on my face."
He went back to the old job, then he and his wife ventured out again, creating a birthday party business and gaining six franchisees in the first two years. But 2008 happened, and the "Moon bounce" went flat.
They say the third time's a charm...
So in 2011, seeking a "recession proof business," Jerry started hauling junk. That business, "JDog" now has 230 franchise contracts and continues to expand.
So we asked Jerry to step into the VeteranCrowd Spotlight.
Jerry is an Army Veteran and entrepreneur who, along with his wife Tracy, have created a national Veteran brand dedicated to empowering Veterans through entrepreneurship. Rooted in the Military values of Respect, Integrity, and Trust, the JDog®️ Junk Removal & Hauling and JDog®️ Carpet Cleaning franchise systems have become a nationwide movement, creating business and employment opportunities for Veterans and Veteran family members.
They launched the first JDog Junk Removal & Hauling franchise in 2011. It was a two-person operation – Jerry hauled junk and Tracy managed the back office. As a Veteran, Jerry gained trust and credibility with customers quickly, and referrals came easy. Within a year, he had more business than one person could handle and began hiring local Veterans who embodied the brand’s values.
Through Jerry’s vision and leadership, JDog Junk Removal & Hauling has since grown to hundreds of locations, 90 percent of which are Veteran owned. To date, the company has created more than 1,000 job opportunities across the United States.
Jerry also founded the JDog Foundation, whose mission is to support Military Veterans and Military Veteran-related causes – with a particular focus on suicide prevention, PTSD and higher education programs.
You can follow the JDog Family in multiple ways:
Reach out to Jerry on LinkedIn
JDog Brands
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/jdogbrands
Twitter https://twitter.com/JDogBrands
And on Linkedin
Junk
On Facebook https://www.facebook.com/jdogjunkremoval
On Twitter https://twitter.com/JDogjunkremoval
On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/j-dog-junk-removal/
And on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jdogjunkremoval/
Carpet
On Facebook https://www.facebook.com/jdogcarpetcleaning
On Twitter https://twitter.com/JDogcc
On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/jdog-carpet-cleaning
And on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jdogcarpetcleaning/
Check out other veterans and veteran spouses who are making a difference in their communities that have stepped into the Spotlight.
Dave Gillespie - Virginia Technical Academy Providing Hands-On Technical Training
Dave joined the Coast Guard at the age of 17. He spent 20 years on active duty. Called back to active duty from retirement after 9/11 Dave served again from 2003-2005. He came to realize that his hands-on training was unique in learning to be an electrician. After his second retirement he opened the Blue Crab Appliance and then the TruBlue Appliance Repair company. He saw the need for more skilled technicians in the technical fields. He started teaching repair classes out of his retail store. The demand for these classes continued to grow. As a result, the Virginia Technical Academy was founded.
Virginia Technical Academy “On August 14, 2018, Virginia Technical Academy was established as a post-secondary education school, approved and certified by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia as a post-secondary educational facility.” The Virginia Technical Academy provides hands-on technical training. It also provides a network of support for HVAC technicians, electricians, plumbers, appliance technicians and facilities management technicians. The unique curriculum is over 50% hands-on. This approach sets students up for success in their new fields. Dave’s goal “is to have the best trade school and make it available for all with or with out a high school degree.” Out of the first graduating class of 110 students, 99 of them had a job before graduation. They are working on getting certified to be able to accept the GI Bill.
Curious to see who else has been in the VeteranCrowd Spotlight? Check them out here.
Learn More:
Virginia Technical Academy: https://vtacademy.com/
Phone Number: 757-260-3351
About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Sultan Camp - Veteran and Military Spouse Recruiter for Newport News Shipbuilding
Sultan Camp joins the VeteranCrowd podcast to share the value of hiring veterans and military spouses. He is the Veteran and Military Spouse Programs Leader for Newport News Shipbuilding, a Division of Huntington Ingalls. It is the nation’s “only industrial designer, builder and re-fueler of Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carriers and one of only two shipyards capable of designing and building Nuclear-Powered Submarines”.
Navy Career He spent his first career serving in the Navy. What started out as an attempt to join the Army, a late recruiter caused him to head to the neighboring Navy recruiter’s office. Sultan was a sonar technician. He says, “My time in the Navy was a complete blast”. It set him up with the leadership skills and disciplines needed to be successful in any job after his service.
Recruiting Veterans & Military Spouses He actively recruits veterans and military spouses to work at the Newport News Shipbuilding facility. Huntington Ingalls has a commitment from the top that makes the company military and veteran friendly. It won recognition from Military Times as one of the nation’s best places to work for veterans. Sultan knows the deep network of military spouses. It is this network that allows the shipyard the confidence they need to hire a military spouse. They know that the military spouses’ network can often fill their position before they even leave it vacant.
Learn More:
Email: sultan.t.camp@hii-nns.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sultancamp/
Jobs & Internships at Huntington Ingalls
Hampton Road Military Affairs Committee
Article: Congratulations on Your Military Service…Now Here are 9 Reasons Why I Won’t Hire You
About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Kevin Black - Army Veteran, Podcaster and Leadership Expert of Unconventional Strategies
Kevin Black, a Virginia Military Institute graduate and former Army military infantry officer steps into the spotlight today. He is a leadership expert, Forbes coach and host of the Black Market Leadership podcast. His military experience drove him to become an entrepreneur. He wanted to offer businesses an unconventional leadership education.
Black Market Leadership Kevin saw a distinct difference between how the military and civilian sectors train their people in leadership. He decided to take his computer war gaming experience from the military and create a unique leadership education for the private business world. He has helped create over half a billion dollars of value for his clients, through the training and coaching of their executives, directors and frontline managers. His clients can “gain new insights from a non-traditional perspective, connecting leadership to strategy and management, and diving deep into history, military history, and philosophy.”
“In leadership, there's really two major pillars, people and mission, if you can balance both, you can be a success.”
Black Market Podcast His podcast is an extension of his leadership training. It’s an opportunity to gain a “leadership education usually reserved for billon-dollar companies”. Kevin will teach you the "art and science of leadership the way military leadership and elite Fortune 500 leaders do". He gives you the insights and knowledge that help you excel in your field, business and life.
Curious to see who else has been in the VeteranCrowd Spotlight? Check them out here
Learn More: Email: kevin@blackmarketleadership.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kevinblack1999
Website: https://blackmarketleadership.com/
Podcasts: https://blackmarketleadership.com/podcast/
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
“Iron” Mike Steadman - Shares About Boxing, Entrepreneurship, Leadership and Making an Impact in Your Community
Mike Steadman didn’t grow up boxing, but found his love for it at the Naval Academy. He became a three-time National Collegiate Boxing Champion during his time there. After graduation he was commissioned as a Marine Corps Infantry officer and served until 2015. His experience gave him a passion to serve the inner city youth, teaching both boxing and leadership.
“There’s no better way to unleash your inner bad-ass than training like a boxer. You’ll build the grit, confidence, and discipline that will enhance and improve every aspect of your well-being, personal development, and job performance.”
Ironbound Media As a self-proclaimed renaissance man, Mike is a successful entrepreneur and founder of Ironbound media. He produces his own podcasts and helps other businesses do the same. “I feel like podcasting is the future of publishing, writing the book and stuff is awesome, but there is nothing like hearing your guests' voices and sharing it to the universe. I think it's really powerful.”
Ironbound Boxing After visiting boxing gyms in various cities, Mike felt “the kids didn't have any options outside the ring, that it was either turn pro or go back to the streets. In the inner city, that's what a boxing gym does.” This frustration led to the creation of Ironbound Boxing, a reproduction of Mike's own training at the Naval Academy. “Our goal is to use the transformative powers of boxing to create champions both inside and outside of the ring. As an organization, we’re committed to providing free amateur boxing training, entrepreneurial education, and employment opportunities to inner-city youth & young adults.”
Learn More: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iron-mike-steadman-3387586a/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ironmikesteadman/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NativeSonSpeaks
Ironbound Media Website: https://ironboundmedia.com/
Ironbound Boxing Website: https://ironboundboxing.org/
Podcasts:
The Transition
Confessions of a Native Son
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Jake Hutchings - RecruitMilitary Connecting Employers With High-Quality Veteran Talent
Jake Hutchings is the Senior Vice President of Enterprise Sales for RecruitMilitary. It was in 2001, after 9-11 that Jake felt the call to serve in the military. He accepted an ROTC scholarship and four years later found himself in the Army. His own personal experience has given him a desire to help his fellow veterans find the right employment after serving. RecruitMilitary helps both veterans find the right job, but also companies learn how hiring veterans can be beneficial.
RecruitMilitary “RecruitMilitary is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bradley-Morris, Inc. (BMI), the largest military-focused recruiting company in the U.S. Together, BMI and RecruitMilitary offer employers access to more than one million military job seekers via services that include contingency recruiting, military job fairs, a job board, employer branding, a military base publication, and more.”
Businesses Seeking Veterans Businesses are often overwhelmed by what seem like nontransferable skills a veteran might have coming out of the military. RecruitMilitary seeks to help businesses learn what veterans bring to the table in areas that are often overlooked. It offers the “nation’s largest single-source veteran database with over one million members.”
Veteran Seeking Jobs For any veteran looking for a job after their service it can be a daunting task. RecruitMilitary is there to offer free job search support. It will help a veteran learn how to transfer their military skills into the civilian workforce and find a fulfilling job.
Learn More
RecruitMilitary Website: https://recruitmilitary.com/
RecruitMilitary LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/recruitmilitary
Jake Hutchings LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jchutchings
About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Angela McConnell - Founder of NOVA Veterans Association, a Comprehensive Veteran Care Organization
Angela McConnell’s entrepreneurial work, 22 years in the military and experience within the military and civilian health care systems has given her a passion to help veterans. While working with various veteran service organizations she found many are singularly focused and could only help one type of veteran. She wanted to know why there wasn’t a “one stop shop” to offer comprehensive care for veterans. She saw many veterans just didn’t know where to get their resources. This ultimately led to the founding of NOVA Veterans Association in 2015
NOVA Veterans Association Northern Virginia Veteran Association is “one point of entry for comprehensive support". This unique approach helps the whole veteran get care. "We are the only local veteran nonprofit that performs a comprehensive veteran intake, determines priority of needs, case manages, coordinates with multiple potential service providers, advocates, and provides continual follow up to ensure services are received and continued as needed."
Success Story McConnell shares about one veteran in particular. It shows how NOVA Veterans Association is truly meeting the needs of the veterans in their community. Arthur, was a veteran in need of transportation. McConnell was able to connect him with a service to meet this need, but that was just the beginning of this relationship. As Arthur continues to get his needs met he in turn has been able to volunteer himself and serve other veterans.
Curious to see who else has been in the VeteranCrowd Spotlight? Check them out here.
Learn More
Nova Veterans Website: https://www.novavets.org/donation/
Upcoming Events: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/veteran-health-needs-in-the-pandemic-moving-toward-innovative-solutions-registration-132463793773
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/novavets
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angela-mcconnell-497915a/
About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Jason Van Camp - Unique Leadership Training and Veteran Entrepreneur Support
Jason Van Camp is a West Point graduate and decorated Green Beret. He took this foundation and hasn’t stopped building. From successful business owner to author to nonprofit founder. He is honored to be the founder of Warrior Rising as well as the CEO of Mission 6 Zero. His passion to serve the veteran community is unstoppable.
Veteran Entrepreneur Support Described as his passion project, Jason launched Warrior Rising in 2015. This organization set out to create an opportunity for veterans “to create something sustainable, where they can do it for themselves and build something. It gives them purpose.” Warrior Rising helps veteran entrepreneurs to start or accelerate their businesses.
Deliberate Discomfort Being an author was always on his bucket list, but after creating a successful company it seemed a natural next step. His story telling ability matched with leadership wisdom are paired beautifully in this hard to put down leadership book. “Deliberate Discomfort” is the ultimate book on leadership and self-improvement, pushing you to get out of your comfort zone.
Curious to see who else has been in the VeteranCrowd Spotlight? Check them out here.
Learn More Mission 6 Zero Website: http://www.missionsixzero.com
Warrior Rising Website: https://www.warriorrising.org/
Justin Clapsaddle Knives:https://www.facebook.com/clapsaddleknives/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-van-camp-076a5339/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5oRLrXJyLR_63embDN8UcQ
About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Dr. Kendra Lowe - Air Force Veteran, Military Spouse and Author of “Wake Up, Kick Ass, Repeat"
Dr. Kendra Lowe’s own unique journey has given her a passion to help military spouses. She started her military journey at the Air Force Academy. Kendra loved her time on active duty, but decided to hang up her uniform and let her husband continue to wear his. From active duty to military spouse she had a “front row seat to some of the traumas, setbacks, successes, discrimination and celebrations that military families experience.”
Military Spouse Dr. Kendra continued to pursue her education. Working on her master’s and doctorate she researched the topic of military spouse stress. She wanted to answer her question: “Was I the only one experiencing it, or were there more military spouses out there that were experiencing significant stress?” Her research showed her she wasn’t alone. This fueled her desire to help others in the same boat.
Author She determined she wanted to meet spouses where they were “in their living room” and the best way to do this was with a book. “Wake Up, Kick Ass, Repeat” has become an invaluable tool to help military spouses face the unique challenges of a military spouse. “Dr. Kendra has expertly woven research, personal anecdotes, powerful stories from other military spouses, as well as practical principals of Rational Behavioral Therapy to help individuals work through stressful situations while maintaining better emotional control.” This books is indispensable for all military and first responder spouses.
Curious to see who else has been in the VeteranCrowd Spotlight? Check them out here.
Learn More Website: https://drkendralowethriveonllc.com/
Email: drkendra@icloud.com
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Wake-Up-Kick-Ass-Repeat-113845850043144/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drkendralowe_thriveon/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-kendra-lowe-97294986/
About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Robert G. Williscroft- Retired Submarine Officer and the “Real Life” Jack Ryan
Tom Clancy might have said; “The only way to do all the things you'd like to do is to read” but he never met Robert Williscroft. Robert has spent a lifetime taking adventures most of us only read about. Have you spent 22 months underwater or a year at the South Pole? Robert has and so much more. His love for adventures has led him to author over 17 books and hundreds of articles, both fiction and nonfiction.
Adventurer He has a degree in Marine Physics and Meteorology and a doctorate “for developing a system to protect SCUBA divers in contaminated water.” From the Arctic to the South Pole and a year at the equatorial Pacific are just a few of the many places Robert has been.
Author Robert’s journey as an author began as a young kid. He shares, “When I was a teenager, I wrote a science fiction story, the editor, bless his heart, wrote me a letter back and said, you got a ways to go kid, but keep at it.” That is what he did! His bestseller, "Operation Ivy Bells" blends his own personal experience on that mission with fictional characters. It's sequel, “Operation Ice Breaker” is already available. Also be watching for the third book in the Mac McDowell Mission series, “Operation Arctic Sting”. It's in the final editing stage and will be released soon.
Learn More
Website: https://argee.net/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/argee/
About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Dennis has over 20 years of experience as a Naval Officer. From the highs of commanding a ship to a grounding mishap off the coast of Turkey, he has seen both success and failure. Personal experience drove Dennis to write his book "Transition on Purpose". Dennis would tell you, “It’s not a unique story, but it is a personal one."
Transition on Purpose The book was written to help others. “Transition on Purpose is a personal story illustrating success, failure, and resilience. If you want to live a resilient life, Transition on Purpose will have you thinking differently, behaving differently, and doing life differently!”
Performance Coach Dennis’ coaching career may have started with rugby, but he is now an ICF Professional Certified (PCC) Performance and Transition Coach. Every day he challenges and empowers his clients with insight, perspective and accountability. Dennis says “Coaching gives me the opportunity to provide informed insights and different perspectives to my clients.
Learn more Website:https://transitiononpurpose.com
LINKEDI:https://www.linkedin.com/in/djvolpe/
About your host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Jen Amos – Award Winning Podcaster of Holding Down the Fort
Jen Amos is an award winning podcaster and online entrepreneur. Growing up as a Gold Star Daughter and later becoming a military spouse has taught her the importance of community. Podcasting has not only given her the ability to build a community across the country but also an avenue to battle depression.
Her podcast, Holding Down the Fort is “dedicated to curating knowledge, resources and relevant stories for military spouses, so they can continue to make confident and informed decisions for themselves and their families.” Jen covers a wide variety of topics, but her preferred ones involve military families, entrepreneurs, women, and mental health.
With over 300 episodes under her belt, she has a passion to get to know her guests. She truly appreciates the unique story each one shares. As a podcaster her favorite thing to do is learn what she has in common with her guests. Jen shares, “I think podcasting has been the perfect medium to find community in anyone you interact with, we all come from different walks of life, but we're more alike than different. My primary goal when I interview people is to find out what do I have in common with this person."
Learn more
Website: https://www.holdingdownthefortpodcast.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/holdingdownthefortpodcast/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/hdtfpodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/holdingdownthefortpodcast/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKKFDnb9OPV2LMcvBbJFW4Q
About your host Bob Louthan - VeteranCrowd
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Elise Woodworth – Small Town Indiana Girl to Executive Coach in the DC Metro Area
Elise’s fear of not making something of herself, led this small town girl to follow in her father’s footsteps attending the Virginia Military Institute (VMI). This decision, along with a four year stint in the Air Force, laid the foundation she needed to pursue entrepreneurship.
Entrepreneurship Elise says her time at VMI and in the Air Force gave her the leadership skills and “opportunity” to fail, which made her into the person she is today. She shares; ”One of the things I think people need to understand is that all you need to overcome obstacles, recognize problems and find solutions in business and in your personal life is the right mindset.”
Woodworth Enterprises She founded Woodworth Enterprises in 2014. Their mission is to “ignite tomorrows leaders, inspire today's, and help develop teams that will shape history.” One way of achieving this goal is by evaluating the culture of a company, then giving their leadership insight on what values are shared and a clear picture of their workforce’s heartbeat. This evaluation becomes a tool that leadership can use to decide if they want to make any “tweaks or edits” in their management approach.
Learn more Website: https://www.betterwithwe.com/
LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisewoodworth/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/betterwithwe
About your host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Mike Sformo, Founder and CEO of Operation Backbone is our guest in this episode of the Spotlight on the VeteranCrowd Network. Sformo grew up in the Buffalo area and joined the Navy right out of high school.
"I learned so much, it was such a blessing. Where I am today is because of the Navy - the friendships, the connections, it was the greatest thing ever."
Founded almost ten years ago, Operation Backbone performs thousands of skull and spine surgeries for our nation's warriors.The problem is significant - traumatic brain injuries and serious spine problems can develop after repeated blows, and one can never predict the tipping point.
In addition, our warriors are prone to tough out the injuries - it's a part of the culture. They have careers at risk, security clearances, retirement, benefits. Thus they endure the pain until problems compound or reach the breaking point. Many of these injuries are career ending, but the warriors would rather die than quit.
"It's hard to accept and it's devastating. The mental side of things is crushing. It's depressing." Says Sformo
There are many challenges, and Operation Backbone has made great progress with active duty personnel, but veterans lag behind. The VA was created to serve a certain type of disabled veteran, but lacks the structure to support the needs identified by Operation Backbone. And identifying the incident that leads to a long term injury is so much more difficult with the veteran.
Sformo credits the military for instilling the disciplines and grit to be a successful business person. "Everything, everything, everything, it's. It took my life and went and it put me in line."
Listen on Spotify
Watch on YouTube
Learn more Website: https://operationbackbone.org/mike
LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/operation-backbone-llc-disabled-veteran-sdvosb-mike-sformo-15444a172/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/mike.sformo/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikesformo/
About your host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Doug Spitz - US Army Chemical Corps to i2Pure CEO
When Doug Spitz took on the challenge of going through VMI, little did he know how difficult it would be. He suffered a serious injury late in the first semester of the Rat Line.
"I went home with a broken sternum and I did the worst thing I could have possibly done - laying down for two weeks. And because I was breathing very shallow and I developed pneumonia and I couldn't return."
So he had to start all over ...walking the Rat Line twice.
Spartan Experience Spitz credits the Spartan experience and the full day for his drive, work ethic and stamina.
After graduation, he chose the Army Chemical Corps, in part because chemical weapons were becoming the 'third world nuclear arsenal." And he learned many lessons in the military that have served him well in business.
"I think that the military education and military experience gives you a degree of confidence, capability, and a stick-to-it-iveness that I don't believe our peers in the civilian colleges possessed."
Venture Capital and Techstars Spitz has been an advisor to Bay Area venture capital firms and an advisor to Techstars. Focused on startups selling to the Federal Government, Spitz believes there is a lot of money on the sidelines for the right technology and the right business model.
And now he serves as the CEO of i2Pure, which is manufacturing and marketing products internationally using molecular iodine to solve the toughest anti-microbial problems. And though not available yet in the US, i2Pure products are very effective in Covid-19 prevention in three foreign countries including India.
So we asked Doug Spitz to step into the Spotlight on the VeteranCrowd Network.
More about our Guest
Doug Spitz on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglas-spitz-4b7b169/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/i2cure/
Website: https://www.i2cure.com.sg/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/i2cure
Twitter: https://twitter.com/i2cure
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxAzelNlf_fl5ZYTQB7mNFg
About your host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Brent Gleeson - Embrace the Suck - The Navy SEAL Way to an Extraordinary Life An award winning entrepreneur, best selling author and acclaimed speaker, Brent Gleeson forged his skills in the crucible of the military. He is stepping into the Spotlight to share an inside look at his new book Embrace the Suck - The Navy SEAL Way to an Extraordinary Life.
The book is a treasure. Brent has woven tales from the military and business into the fabric of the book, sharing actionable steps to change your personal and professional life. Instead of running from discomfort, Brent encourages the reader to embrace the hard things. For it is in struggle and through failure that we make real progress.
Brent is the Founder and CEO of Taking Point Leadership, a leadership and organizational development consulting firm building high performance teams and resilient cultures.
A combat veteran, Brent says the entrepreneur's world is tough and scary - so he is helping others inject leadership skills to drive better results, and navigate change successfully. And this is his second book. His first, Taking POint: A Navy SEALs 10 Fail-Safe Principles for Leading Through Change, became the foundation for his business.
More about our guest Personal LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brentgleeson-takingpoint/
Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brent_gleeson/
Taking Point Website: https://takingpointleadership.com/
Taking Point Twitter: https://twitter.com/takingpointL
Taking Point LI: https://www.linkedin.com/company/takingpointleadership/
Taking Point Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/takingpointleadership/
Taking Point YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrUm7le3H5ehmEyD1RgsMfw
Taking Point FB: https://www.facebook.com/TakingPointLeadership/
Embrace the Suck Book: https://www.amazon.com/Embrace-Suck-Navy-SEAL-Extraordinary/dp/0306846330#ace-2342880709--
About your host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
An award winning entrepreneur, best selling author and acclaimed speaker, Brent Gleeson forged his skills in the crucible of the military. He is stepping into The Spotlight to share an inside look at his new book Embrace the Suck - The Navy SEAL Way to an Extraordinary Life.
James Patrick - Special Forces veteran on entrepreneurship, transitioning and giving back
James Patrick attended Cornell on an Army ROTC Scholarship, a detour from the University of Michigan, his family school. And until a mentor convinced him to "give the Army one more chance," he was ready to leave after his initial tour.
But stay he did, and selection to Special Forces led to command and a path he would never surrender.
No regrets. A great experience.
Now an executive managing risk in San Antonio, Patrick is also the Chairmen of the Board of Sound Off, a non-profit whose mobile application allows individuals in a mental health crisis to see an anonymous path to help.
In this episode, Patrick shares his wisdom as an entrepreneur, military transition mentor, and volunteer.
On Entrepreneurship
Founding a business, Patrick said, "Running my own company was probably the most stressful event I've ever had to come across - more so than being in combat."
On Transitioning
Patrick gives three points: 1) Use your network, ask for help 2) Know your true North and why and 3) Know your passions.
Why Volunteer?
Patrick says he was blessed and fortunate all of his life, so called to pay it forward. Relying on his fiath in God, he knows we are not in this alone - we all need one another. He lives by the Golden Rule, doing unto others as he hopes they will do with him. And he emphasizes "being kind, gracious and loving."
His story about the calling to Sound Off is divinely inspired.
Patrick is our second guest from Sound Off. We previously aired an episode with William Negley, Founder and CEO.
About our guest
James Patrick LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamestpatrick/
SWBC LI: https://www.linkedin.com/company/swbc/
Sound Off website: https://sound-off.com/
Sound Off LI: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sound-off-inc/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soundofforg/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/soundofforg/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SoundOFF
About your host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
When William Negley returned from Afghanistan in 2013 after serving in the CIA, he felt called to a new mission. Hegley recognized that individuals in mental health crises, especially veterans and military personnel, don't reach out for help for fear of the consequences. Mental health carries a stigma, asking for help is perceived as weakness, and seeking help can sideline career aspirations. So upwards of 47% of military personnel returning from Iraq and Afghanistan in a mental health crises never seek professional help. But Negley's story is more tragic. On June 9, 2017, Negley's brother-in-law took his own life. Bill Mulder had retired 127 days earlier after twenty years as a Navy SEAL. "Bill did not feel safe accessing mental health support or effectively engaging with mental health support for exactly the reasons that I had started Sound Off." Negley said. "I mean, we're already suffering in silence as a society, but the military in particular, pushes seeking help underground." Sound Off is an elegant solution. Drawing on military tactics, Sound Off allows individuals in crisis ANONYMITY. By Simply assigning a call sign and never tracking the individual, Sound Off becomes a safe gateway for individuals to seek and find the help they need. And the current pandemic, with job loss, financial pressures, and isolation makes the mental health need more acute. So we asked William Negley to step into the Spotlight to help other step out of the shadows. More about Sound Off and our guest Sound Off website: https://sound-off.com/ Sound Off LI: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sound-off-inc/ William Negley on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wwnegley/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soundofforg/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/soundofforg/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/SoundOFF About your host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
55 - Thomas Brennan - Marine turned Journalist - Founder of The War Horse
The road to journalism began on November 1, 2010. Thomas Brennan was a Marine Infantryman in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan. He says it was the worst day of his life - a rocket propelled grenade took down four Marines, Brennan among them.
A year later and in the process of medical retirement, the photos an embedded journalist took of that day were crucial to Thomas's recovery.
Wrestling with the loss, Brennan had little recollection of the events, and having difficulty expressing in speech, he picked up a journal and began to write. An acquaintance at the New York Times agreed to help Thomas polish his grammar, but three hours later was asking if they could publish his story.
That was 2011.
Inspired by the stories from WWII veterans and seeking a new call to service, Brennan founded non-profit The War Horse in 2015 with a $50,000 Kickstarter campaign. Today The War Horse boasts a growing staff and a reputation for serious investigative reporting. And they are master storytellers, refreshing in a day when most for-profit journalism is sensationalized opinion disguised as news.
The Spotlight
We asked Thomas Brennan to step into the Spotlight on the VeteranCrowd Network.
Links
Visit The War Horse Newsroom online at https://thewarhorse.org/
Follow Thomas J. Brennan on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasjamesbrennan/
About your host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.
Mike Sarraille steps into the Spotlight - Mike is the CEO of EF Overwatch, a Senior Leadership Instructor at Echelon Front, Co-author of The Talent War and Founder of Talent War Group. EF Overwatch is a special kind of executive search firm placing a very special kind of client. The company finds senior officers and NCOs and places them in leadership positions primarily in small to medium sized businesses. And Mike Sarraille is a talented speaker and author whose life lessons and leadership training draw upon the best leadership training in the world, that offered in the US Military. Sarraille says, "The military taught you everything you need to know to lead organizations. It's just your responsibility to now apply it and uphold the proud tradition of our veterans in the private sector." Links Mike’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelsarraillemba/ EFO Website: https://www.efoverwatch.com EFO LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ef-overwatch/ EFO Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/efoverwatch/ EFO Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/efoverwatch EFO YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUD4ce1nN98cWEGoWXDaF6w EFO Twitter: https://twitter.com/EfOverwatch About your host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper. You can learn more about Bob Louthan on LinkedIn.
Navy EOD Veteran to Indoor Skydiving - Bob Pizzini elevates your leadership
Bob Pizzini says Navy EOD is the "Nation's best kept secret and most lethal weapon." And all this time I thought that title went to the Army Combat Engineers.
Pizzini enlisted in the Navy at 18 and began a 26 year first career that included Navy diving and "about a thousand jumps" from aircraft. Training all over the country, he realized Virginia Beach needed and did not have a vertical wind tunnel. The location seemed perfect - a combination of high density military and a resort destination for civilians.
That began a six year marathon culminating in the opening of iFly Virginia Beach in 2015 in the heart of the oceanfront.
Pizzini seems to be a natural entrepreneur - but admits he knew nothing when he started. He sought the training he needed to succeed in business for himself, but when he sought the kind of leadership training for his staff he had experienced in the military, it just wasn't there.
So Pizzini has launched Elevate Your Leadership to bring military style leadership education to the private sector.
"Leadership is a perishable skill." says Pizzini
So he teaches the critical traits of a leader and the art and science of leadership. He discusses his "verses" ...
Lead vs. manage, culture vs. climate, voice vs. vote, performance vs. behavior - a great play on words.
You will enjoy his style and manner, and you should consider a trip to iFly Virginia Beach and the Elevate Your Leadership training for your team.
Links:
For more about Bob Pizzini and Elevate Your Leadership and on Linkedin and on FacebookWant to visit iFly Virginia Beach - click here
About your host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper. You can learn more about Bob Louthan on LinkedIn.
How will we look back on 2020? In a year of great political unrest, a global pandemic, contested elections, it is hard to tally the cost, even harder to see the silver lining.
But we believe in this country. As in hard times before, it is resilient and spawns new and creative innovation.
Bobby Garland, John Eichorn, Michael LaLuna, Kevin Darcey, and Mitch Weinstein co-founded and launched Fund the First this summer. Fund the First is the only crowdfunding site that certifies the identity of the first responder, medical and military beneficiaries.
As an active first responder, Bobby Garland has seen firsthand the hardships that the brave men and women who serve their communities face both on and off duty. As CEO and Founder of Fund the First, his sole mission is to provide a trustworthy platform where fellow first responders, members of the military and their families can get financial support in times of need.
The inspiration for Fund the First came when Bobby set out to help his superior officer who was facing mounting medical expenses related to his daughter’s rare illness. As he researched the best ways to raise money, he realized his brothers and sisters in blue were skeptical of existing crowdfunding sites. It was then, Bobby made the decision to build a better platform that all first responders and military can trust.
Beyond Fund the First, Robert is a decorated Detective with the New York City Police Department where he specializes in complex investigations. During his 12 years in law enforcement, Robert has worked in various roles and the NYPD’s Narcotics Division which included various joint interagency operations with the Department of Homeland Security and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
About Fund the First and Bobby Garland
On Instagram
On Facebook
On Twitter
On LinkedIn
On YouTube
On TikTok
Parler - @fundthefirst
And visit the website FundtheFirst.com
About your host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper. You can learn more about Bob Louthan on LinkedIn.
This video episode is dedicated to Philip Christian Dederer - VMI Class of 1982.
It really did happen... On September 18, 1981, five VMI cadets and one savvy sister launched an operation that has become a legend. They are Checca's Raiders.
Over thirty-nine years later, we drew them together for a reunion to tell the story, as best they can recall it, one more time.... Steve Checca, Jane Checca, Dave Shutt, Gray Scott, and Jeff Modisett.
Their story unfolds on a dark night on the grounds of the United States Military Academy at West Point, and plays out "Somewhere in Long Island." And one other important detail...
Final Score VMI 14 Army 7
Rah Virginia Mil
Founder"s Day 2020 - 181 years young...
Watch the episode on YouTube - Checca's Raiders - The Great Army Mule-napping Caper and the VMI Class of 1982
Guy Snodgrass, Commander, USN (Retired) is a former US Naval Aviator, Top Gun Instructor, and FA 18 Fighter Pilot.
A speechwriter in the Pentagon for the Chief of Naval Operations, and later for GEN Mattis as Secretary of Defense. Guy (call sign “Bus”) is also the author of two books including Top Gun’s Top Ten: Leadership lessons from the cockpit.
A 1998 graduate of the US Naval Academy at Annapolis, Snodgrass developed a love and interest in aviation at a young age through the Boy Scouts. While at Annapolis, he spent one semester in enemy territory studying at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. Upon Graduation, he was one of fifteen to be sent to graduate school, earning the first of three masters degrees from MIT.
After flight school and selection for jets, his first tour took him to Oceana and Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was selected to attend theUS Navy Fighter Weapons School (Top Gun), and upon completion was selected to a “rush ride” and offered the chance to remain as an instructor. He went on to be a squadron commander on a second tour in Japan, before serving as speechwriter to the SECDEF. Snodgrass is also the CEO of Defense Analytics, a consulting firm he founded after retirement from the Navy in 2018.
The Spotlight
We asked Guy to step into the Spotlight to share some of the lessons from his book.
TopGun’s Top Ten is a great collection of stories that have a moral. In each chapter, Snodgrass draws the reader in with a real life experience that makes his point on topics like staying calm under pressure, and leading in times of crisis. A speechwriter, his skills with the written word are apparent, and he says a lot without needing to write a lot.
About our guest
Learn more about Guy Snodgrass on LinkedIn Check out his book Top Gun's Top Ten: Leadership lessons from the cockpit
About your host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper. You can learn more about Bob Louthan on LinkedIn.
Three things I know I have ever said in the same sentence: "pro football, rocket science and Green Beret." But our guest Lee Harvey is, literally, all three!
Lee Harvey is the Crisis Innovation Lead for Team Rubicon. Founded in 2010, Team Rubicon deploys volunteers to provide relief to disaster areas the world over. Its "gray shirts" are forward deployed right now helping the victims and survivors of Hurricanes Laura, Sally, Delta and Zeta.
And almost 70% of those gray shirts are military veterans.
So we asked Lee Harvey to step into the Spotlight.
The Spotlight
Lee grew up in Missouri in a vulnerable community and with a challenging home life. So enlisting in the military seemed like a path out.
"The military became a father figure for me because it taught me discipline, esprit de corps and leadership - it became a father figure for me." Harvey says.
When it came time to re-enlist, "I felt that at that point in my life I had reached is as far as I can go in my current position, I was like, you know what? I've always wanted to be an educated man. So I got out and I decided to go to college and step out on that branch of faith."
Harvey attended Texas Southern University and played D-1 college football. He also majored in engineering - one of only two players on the team to do so. (Author's - sarcasm: Was the other engineer the kicker?).
The NFL scouts noticed, and the Vikings and the Eagles came calling. He ended up with the New Orleans Saints, "probably where I was the most dedicated to anything ever in my life."
When that ended, as all football does, he returned to Houston. A college acquaintance had once offered him a shot interviewing for NASA - so he called back.
Lee became a satellite tracking engineer communicating with the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station and working with the flight director.
Then one day he saw a parachute team out the window - he had to ask. The path to Green Beret laid before him. Afraid of heights, but sure he wanted to be a part, Harvey overcame his fear- he has over three hundred jumps himself.
This is a fascinating story about a man who took some difficult paths and triumphed, but not without tragedy. PTSD, and heartbreak.
About our Guest
Lee Harvey on LinkedIn
Team Rubicon
About your host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper. You can learn more about Bob Louthan on LinkedIn.
Mark Casper, a former Marine, had lost touch with the veteran community until December 17, 2015.
Then he walked into Tech for Troops.
“I was asked by the Founder to come in, visit Tech for Troops and see if I wanted to be on the Board. Absolutely, I will do that – it’s veterans I want to help out; it’s my brothers and sisters. And when I walked in the door God smacked me upside the head and said, “You’re home.””
It has been a hard a winding road since that day almost five years ago, but Mark's passion for the mission is evident.
Tech for Troops helps veterans who have fallen on hard times. Without a computer, you can accomplish little these days, especially in the midst of a pandemic. Tech for Troops gifts refurbished donated laptops to veterans in need and trains them to arm them with computer skills to be effective.
Some localities have staggering statistics. In Los Angeles, 13% of the estimated 55,000 homeless are thought to be veterans. Tech for Troops reaches nationwide.
Marshall is one such veteran. On the verge of suicide and mired in total hopelessness. Tech for Troops was able to provide Marshall a computer, skills and hope. And...introductions to employers. Marshall lost his first job to the pandemic, but found another with their help and is on the verge of a six figure income.
Having a computer can make all of the difference.
And sponsors like Altria, Carmax, and Dominion are stepping up in support.
Hack for Troops is coming up on November 14th - a 24 hour online contest you need to check out. Contestants are coming the world over.
About our Guest and Tech for Troops
Mark Casper on LinkedIn.
Web page - https://techfortroops.org/
FB - https://www.facebook.com/Tech4Troops/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/TechForTroopsVA
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/4794466/admin/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/techfortroops/
Get the Hack for Troops Flyer - click here
About your host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper. You can learn more about Bob Louthan on LinkedIn.
When Kevin Seiff was twelve years old, he discovered the Navy and decided he wanted to become a Navy SEAL. His quest successful, Kevin entered BUD/S in Coronado..... Fifteen years later. Kevin Seiff steps into the Spotlight Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Seiff learned about the Naval Academy through his grandfather, father, uncles and cousins that served. "I didn't know the difference between an officer and enlisted, or much of the differences between the branches other than the Army fought on the ground and the Navy was on the water." At Annapolis, Seiff played water polo and boxed well enough to make his mark in the Brigade Championships. But the competition was stiff for SEAL slots. The Class of 2008 attracted a large number of serious midshipmen in a wartime footing. Fewer than 26 slots were available to a class of over a thousand. Sief would have to wait. But he did not relent. Seiff commissioned and served as a Marine for almost four years, applying twice before success and orders for BUD/S at 27 years of age. Kevin shares his journey, the challenges and trials. Residing in Encinitas, CA has recently transitioned, attended the Honor Foundation, and is currently Head of Business Development - Biotech for Theery, where he sources professional talent for the Life Sciences industry. About our guest Kevin Seiff on LinkedIn Theery on LinkedIn The Honor Foundation About your host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper. You can learn more about Bob Louthan on LinkedIn.
The path from Army ROTC to Pharma is one less traveled. Stan Miele, the President of Aqualung Therapeutics, stepped into the VeteranCrowd Spotlight.
Miele entered Army ROTC at the University of Dayton, and selected the Army Medical Service Corps with an eye to the post-military applicability. That turned out to be the first step in a career in the pharmaceutical industry spanning over 35 years and leading to his role at Aqualung.
Aqualung Therapeutics is developing promising monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of unchecked inflammation. Their leading product has wide potential applications with specific benefits in acute lung injuries. Addressing trauma induced inflammation, the product helps regulate the cytokine storm and dampen runaway inflammation. Aqualung believes the product will have a significant mortality benefit, and is condusting trials to complete FDA certification.
Miele credits his military experience as a foundation for success in his career.
"You don't know how to become an effective leader until you have that baptism by fire." he says.
A motorcycle enthusiast, Stan Miele now resides in Payson, AZ, a small town he discovered northeast of Phoenix. Passing through on the Harley, he and his wife fell in love with the town and choose to make it home.
About our guest
Stan Miele on LinkedIn
Aqualung Therapeutics company page on Linkedin
Follow Aqualung Therapeutics on Facebook
About your host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper. You can learn more about Bob Louthan on LinkedIn.
You trust your bank to be private, accurate and secure. So how is Blockchain technology the next evolution in trust, privacy, accuracy and security? Stephanie Vaughan, VP Corporate Development at Equa, stepped into the VeteranCrowd Spotlight to tell us how. A 2007 graduate of the US Naval Academy at Annapolis, she commissioned into the Marine Corps. After five years of active duty, she earned her MBA at Columbia and entered investment banking. Her career path includes venture debt, venture lending, and now blockchain technology. Blockchain and digital currencies continue to evolve. But blockchain applications are not limited to digital currency like Bitcoin. Equa is developing blockchain applications for the tokenization and digital forms of securities. So imagine a new way to compensate employees with stock, only digital. This technology allows even small business to have an efficient, verifiable, secure means of issuing incentives. And blockchain does not stop there - Equa will be applying it to a wide variety of applications where accuracy and security are required. But enough about that. Stephanie also shares her thoughts on military business leaders, and we discussed the evolving role and acceptance of women at the Academies and on active duty. About our guest You can learn more about Stephanie Vaughan on LinkedIn or Follow her on Twitter And learn more about Equa https://www.equa.global/ About your host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper. You can learn more about Bob Louthan on LinkedIn.
Fear as your ally - that is the theme of everything Brian Muka does these days.
Brian Muka is the Founder of Fear Sherpa and the author of Your Secret Superpower - Tame Fear to Thrive. A special operations officer in the US Navy, Brian learned to harness his fear and use it as an ally. Now he is sharing these lessons through his books and business.
So we asked Brian to step into The Spotlight.
About our guest
Book your free breakthrough call here
Download "Your Secret Superpower, Tame Fear to Thrive!" on Amazon, Your roadmap to thrive when it matters the most:
Learn more about Brian Muka on LinkedIn
Two short videos from Brian Muka - Fear can be an amazing tool and Fear Sherpa
About your host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded VeteranCrowd to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper. You can learn more about Bob Louthan on LinkedIn.
And consider Joining the VeteranCrowd Network today
Tim Mobley learned a valuable life lesson at US Army Ranger School. “I had the choice to take one more step or fall over,” he said.
And life as an entrepreneur is much the same way.
In 2008 when Mobley’s boss handed him an outsourcing book, saying “Read this and do something,” that meant India. So Mobley did, and in the process learned all of the tools he would need to launch a company of his own.
In the Spotlight
Tim Mobley is the Founder and President of Connext Global Solutions, a business process outsourcing company located in Honolulu. BPO is broadly defined as contracting the operations and responsibilities for a certain process to a third-party service provider.
Mobley is a 1993 graduate of the US Military Academy at West Point. He branched Medical Services upon graduation, only to be assigned to an Infantry Battalion and sent to Ranger School.
An economist at heart and interested in business, Mobley long planned for business school and attended Harvard. Not to be left out, Mobley’s wife decided to attend business school too, and got accepted first!
An Army connection invited Mobley to Hawaii to work in hospital management, and he and his wife have lived there ever since.
Business Process Outsourcing
Mobley founded Connext Global Solutions in 2014 with a partner, personal savings and one customer. Today that business has grown to 170 employees and is continuing to expand. Connext sources talent in the Philippines and focuses on staff augmentation for clients primarily in the medical field. The company has plans to expand from Hawaii to offer services in the contiguous forty states.
About our guest
You can learn more about Tim and Connext Global Solutions with the following links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/connextglobalsolutions
Website: https://www.connext.solutions/
ShareShop (Web Development) Website: https://shareshop.connextglobal.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/connextglobalsolutions
About your host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded
VeteranCrowd to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper. You can learn more about Bob Louthan on LinkedIn.
And consider Joining the VeteranCrowd Network today