The Challenge
Transition to civilian employment is often fraught with challenges, especially for those looking to pursue entrepreneurship. Last fall, ACP launched an entrepreneurship program to address the barriers for Veteran entrepreneurs. However, we needed help finding the Veterans who needed this assistance.
The Solution
The generous team at VA’s VEO office offered to help by announcing the program launch in their weekly Vet Resources blog post and newsletter. They coined the program “groundbreaking,” and with their assistance, we received nearly 900 Veteran applications. We had a goal of 500 Veterans paired with a mentor within a year of launching, but with their help, we almost doubled that goal in a few months.
Resources
Promising Practice
Promising Practice Implementation
To address these needs, ACP developed ACP Ventures, a first-of-its-kind program specifically designed to support Veteran entrepreneurs at all stages of their business journey.
ACP Ventures is committed to empowering Veteran entrepreneurs with a transformative blend of a 1-on-1 year-long mentorship with an industry expert, on-demand resources, and the ACP Village of like-minded supporters. Our mission is to cultivate a legacy of informed Veterans who venture their entrepreneurial journey with intention, creating enduring impact for themselves and their communities.
With VA’s help, ACP Ventures has 940 Veterans paired with a mentor working to launch or grow a small business. Also, ACP Village now has more than 1,500 supporters to help Veteran entrepreneurs with their journey while our corporate partners supplied more than on-demand 130 courses.
Promising Practice Sustainment
ACP hired a vice president to oversee the successful launch of the program and a staff of operations associates to facilitate and nurture the mentorships throughout the year. Through ACP Village, entrepreneurs find connections with other entrepreneurs in real time. Featuring a variety of discussion spaces, the ACCP Village provides opportunities to share weekly wins, questions, or past successes. The ACP Village also regularly hosts meet and greet events, round-table discussions, a resource library, and on-demand advice.
Positive Outcomes
Today, ACP has 940 Veterans paired with an entrepreneur mentor to help navigate the ups and downs of their journey.
“Having a mentor from ACP has been outstanding. I leave our meetings more confident because I’ve had the chance to talk through the decisions I’m considering. Beyond that, my mentor has connected me to folks who could dramatically improve my business. Getting connected through VA has boosted my confidence as a startup CEO; I’ve gained peace of mind and a trusted person to run ideas by. Thank you, VA and ACP.” — Ryan Hansen, Army Veteran
