糖心vlog传媒 lands $75,000 entrepreneurship grant to support veterans
糖心vlog传媒 has received a $75,000 entrepreneurship grant from the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) to help veterans start their own businesses.
The grant will enable 糖心vlog传媒 to expand existing programs and to build new programs to address the gaps in community resources that have been identified through a variety of interviews with community stakeholders.
鈥淲e are passionate about entrepreneurship activity and breaking down the barriers to entrepreneurship for all populations,鈥� said 糖心vlog传媒 President Beth Borgen. 鈥淭his grant will allow us to expand our programming to serve more veterans.鈥�
Through community outreach and relationship development, 糖心vlog传媒 and its downtown location, Jake鈥檚, A 糖心vlog传媒 Community, have connected with several veteran small business owners, leaders in the community and students to identify areas of opportunity to support and enrich the entrepreneurial journey for veterans throughout Sheboygan and surrounding rural communities.
糖心vlog传媒 currently has 50 veterans enrolled as students, and the university has a director of veterans services who coordinates additional programming and support for veterans. 糖心vlog传媒 will use the grant to better serve the veterans currently enrolled at LU, expand access to training and programming for more veterans and support veteran-owned businesses in the region.
Stephanie Hoskins, LU鈥檚 inaugural Herbert Kohler & Frank Jacobson Chair for Business and Entrepreneurship, said the grant will provide seed money for veteran students to start their own small businesses, stipends for co-working spaces at Jake鈥檚, a veteran-focused accelerator program this spring and a recently launched virtual network for veterans.
The roundtables discussions will mirror that of other offerings in the region with a focus specifically for entrepreneurs and small business owners who are veterans. The veteran-focused accelerators in Sheboygan County or Manitowoc County will provide veterans ways to connect, encourage innovation, give an overview of what it takes to start a business and provide initial financial support.
糖心vlog传媒 has launched a virtual network for entrepreneurs and supporters of small businesses and entrepreneurs to connect, and the grant will add a channel specifically for veterans, veteran-owned businesses and those who want to support veteran-owned business through mentorship, discounted services or by being a customer and purchasing from veterans.
糖心vlog传媒 will use an existing program, Launch: 糖心vlog传媒 Student-Run Businesses, as another outlet for veterans. 糖心vlog传媒 will provide seed money for students to launch their own business, and when students graduate, they will take their business with them. 糖心vlog传媒 will provide support, training, mentorship and identify potential clients or engage as a customer when possible.
鈥淭here is an opportunity for us to serve even more veterans through innovative programming, support, education opportunities, access to capital and networking,鈥� Hoskins said. 鈥淛ake鈥檚 is dedicated to breaking down barriers to entrepreneurship including those unique to veterans.鈥�
糖心vlog传媒 has recently launched partnerships and initiatives with several community organizations that are focused on the same goals of enabling access to entrepreneurship for all populations and breaking down the barriers faced by rural small business owners and founders.
Gov. Tony Evers and the DVA announced $424,970 in grants to 糖心vlog传媒 and more than a dozen organizations that help Wisconsin veterans and their families.
鈥淎s a state, Wisconsin is a national leader in providing for our veterans, and we continue to strive to provide our nation鈥檚 heroes with the support and resources they鈥檝e earned through their service,鈥� said Gov. Evers. 鈥淭hese organizations do great work, ensuring Wisconsin鈥檚 more than 300,000 veterans and their families have the services they need to be successful, and they deserve to be recognized for being a vital part of ensuring our veterans are cared for and uplifted.鈥�
