Wright State’s Entrepreneurship Bootcamp helps veterans turn ideas into businesses

Twenty veterans spent a week at Wright State learning the fundamentals of entrepreneurship. (Photos provided by Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans)

Veterans from across the region gathered at Wright State University to embark on a new mission — launching and growing a business.

The Reynolds and Reynolds Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans (EBV), hosted by the Raj Soin College of Business, welcomed 20 veterans to campus from Aug. 8–15 for a residential program focused on entrepreneurship fundamentals, business development and growth strategies.

“I was looking forward to learning how to take ideas and technical capabilities and turn them into sustainable, scalable businesses,” said Gerald Lorenzetti, a former Air Force security forces senior airman and founder of Miami Valley Digital. “I wanted to better understand everything from identifying the right customer to developing a stronger business model — ultimately creating something that could grow beyond me.”

The bootcamp consists of three phases: a 30-day online course covering entrepreneurship fundamentals, a nine-day residential bootcamp and 12 months of continued mentorship and support focused on small business creation and growth.

Throughout the residential phase, participants connected with faculty, alumni, industry professionals and prior bootcamp participants who shared business insights and real-world entrepreneurship experiences.

Gerald Lorenzeeti, Air Force veteran, alongside Jasmin Hurley, Army veteran and leader of the Legal Issues in Entrepreneurship session.

Gregory Pray, former master sergeant in the Air Force, enrolled in the bootcamp to learn how to apply the knowledge he acquired in the military to his company, PAREXO Safety Management Solutions.

“I came into the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp with more than 40 years of experience, but experience alone doesn’t build a business,” Pray said. “Being able to learn from mentors was invaluable. They helped me sharpen my business model and pointed out exactly what I needed to do to set my company up for success.”

Jeremy Turner, a 2019 Wright State alum and partner at Sky Contracting, served as a mentor at this year’s bootcamp. Turner served nine years in the Army as a specialist in logistics before transitioning to the business world.

“It’s always nice to give back, especially to those serving our nation through military service,” he said. “My piece of advice to veterans looking to start their own business is to network as much as you can and leverage your veteran identity — use it in your marketing, search for and take advantage of resources and create strategic partnerships with other veterans.”

Throughout the residential phase, participants connected with faculty, alumni, industry professionals and prior bootcamp participants who shared business insights and real-world entrepreneurship experiences.

A $3 million gift from Reynolds and Reynolds in 2022 established an endowment to permanently support the entrepreneurship bootcamp at Wright State. Travel, meals, accommodations, curriculum, resources and networking opportunities are all provided at no cost to participants.

During its four years at Wright State, the program has evolved with curriculum updates and new sessions designed to address emerging business needs, including the growing role of artificial intelligence in business.

This year’s sessions covered topics such as marketing and visual storytelling, business banking and small business technology. Interactive panel discussions focused on topics including finance, human resources and building credibility as a founder.

Networking events were also built into the schedule. Attendees worked with mentors, visited Reynolds and Reynolds and explored the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.

NaKia Bradley, who served as a staff sergeant in the Air Force Reserve, is the founder and CEO of Veritas ClearPath Solutions, a nurse-led healthcare support company. Bradley credits the program’s networking and pitching opportunities for pushing her outside of her comfort zone.

“As an entrepreneur, I realized that it’s not enough to know my business inside and out,” she said. “I also have to be able to walk into a room, approach someone I’ve never met, confidently introduce myself and clearly explain why my business matters.”

A $3 million gift from Reynolds and Reynolds established an endowment to permanently support the bootcamp at Wright State.

Wright State is part of a national consortium of higher education institutions hosting Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans programs, an effort that began at Syracuse University’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families.

The consortium has seen major success since its inception in 2009. Among program graduates, 79% have started or continued to grow their businesses, and 83% of those businesses remain active.

“The veterans who have been through the bootcamp have achieved so much since completing the program,” said Elizabeth Harding, program manager of Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans at Wright State. “They’ve gone on to start businesses, expand internationally, win grants, participate in highly acclaimed leadership programs, secure government contracts, speak at conferences and so much more.”

Harding shared one example of the program’s lasting impact.

“Just a few months ago, a past participant called me to share that she had won a grant to expand her business,” Harding said. “I was deeply honored to learn that I was the first person that she called, and we both cried some happy tears on the phone.”

The program is designed for veterans whose businesses have launched within the last two years or those with a strong concept and are preparing to launch.

Post-9/11 veterans with honorable discharge, active-duty service members within 180 days of separation and active-duty National Guard and Reserve members with a letter of Good Standing and Statement of Service are eligible to apply. Veterans do not need to attend Wright State to apply.

Learn more at wright.edu/EBV.