Center for Women Veterans (CWV) – In the Spotlight – Entrepreneurship

Dear Veteran/Supporter,

The Center for Women Veterans (CWV) is sharing this month’s “In the Spotlight” with those who have signed up for resources updates.

Visit our Resources page for information on other resources and opportunities for women Veterans, grouped by categories including economic opportunity, health, housing stability, legal assistance, MST, state resources, entrepreneurship, VSOs, and volunteering/civic engagement.

In the Spotlight … Entrepreneurship

Of 2.4 million Veteran-owned small businesses, more than 380,000 are small businesses owned by women Veterans.  There are a number of resources available to help women Veterans interested in joining their ranks:

  • VA’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) works to enable Veterans to gain access to economic opportunity by leveraging the federal procurement system and expanding participation of procurement-ready small businesses.
  • The Small Business Administration has numerous resources specifically targeting Veterans and women, and just announced awarding grants to three organizations offering small business development resources to women Veterans:
    • Veteran Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship (V-WISE), a training program in entrepreneurship and small business management that helps women Veterans and female military spouses/partners learn business skills,
    • Bunker Labs for their Entrepreneurial Program for Innovation and Collaboration (EPIC) and Bunker in a Box programs, and
    • The San Antonio Lift Fund, a 7-week Texas-based women Veteran entrepreneurship program.
  • Boots to Business Reboot is a two-step entrepreneurship training program offered by the U.S. Small Business Administration in partnership with IVMF, The American Legion, and other partners.
  • The Coalition for Veteran Owned Business supports the success of Veteran, service member, and military spouse-owned businesses by connecting them with entrepreneurial education and training, small business resources and solutions, and commerce and supplier opportunities, including both business-to-business and business-to-consumer models.
  • Women as Veteran Entrepreneurs (WAVE) provides a forum for Veteran woman-owned small businesses to meet prime contractors to discuss business teaming, sub-contracting and mentoring opportunities, information on strategies for doing business with the government, networking, and more.