From the service to Syracuse University, dozens of veterans are sharpening their business skills thanks to an entrepreneurship boot camp on the hill.
Brandon Johnson served in the Air Force and was deployed to Kuwait during 2016 when temperatures reached 129 degrees, a record in the Eastern Hemisphere at the time.
"I think that my experience in the desert on those very hot days in July just taught (me) that you can endure a lot more than you think that you can. You've just got to keep pushing through and know that your mission you're on, it's accomplishable,” said Johnson.
Now, the local veteran is applying that positive attitude to his business Crossett Property Management. He’s hoping to take his company to the next level with Syracuse University’s entrepreneurship boot camp.
Twenty-five veterans spent a week at SU learning about everything from mentorship to marketing.
Misty Stutsman Fox from the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families said the program is designed to unlock the skills the participants already have from their time in the service.
She said veteran business owners tend to earn and pay more than their civilian counterparts, and despite the hurdles many veterans face, statistics show their companies are more likely to stay in business.
"I think, quite frankly, we owe it to our nation and our national defense,” said Fox. “If we want to continue an all-volunteer force, we have to make sure that their lives after service are better because of service."
Navy veteran Alejandra Amegin came to Syracuse from Florida for the program. She said she’s learning a lot about the importance of networking and using available resources to grow her business, Jacksonville Natural Healing. And she thinks the immersive nature of the boot camp will help her put new ideas into practice when she goes home.
"We're getting some really impactful speakers and presenters that I, in my little silo, would have probably not ever had access to, so this opportunity has just been tremendous for me," said Amegin.
Next, the program will hit the road. SU offers the boot camp nationwide with residencies at eight different universities.
