UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) recently announced a grant to establish a Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC) at Penn State University that will enhance training and counseling services to new and existing veteran and military spouse small business owners across the state.
“Veterans own nearly 55,000 businesses in Pennsylvania, and more service members are leaving the military and returning to civilian life each month looking to start a business,” said Robert Yanuzzi, deputy director of the SBA Veterans Business Development Office. “We selected Penn State for our Veterans Business Outreach Center because of its existing connections to the veteran community and strong entrepreneurial support throughout the state. Penn State’s VBOC will further the overall SBA VBOC mission of being a one-stop shop for veteran and military spouse entrepreneurs, no matter where they are in their business ownership journey.”
More than $1 million in awards were announced, with organizations in Puerto Rico and Ohio also receiving awards to establish VBOCs.
VBOC offers a variety of business support services, including business planning, assistance with accessing capital, government contracting guidance, marketing and outreach, and training for military members, veterans and military spouses.
“Penn State is proud to be an institution that recognizes veterans’ contributions to our nation, honors their service and sacrifice, and supports their education and continued success,” said Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi. “The establishment of this new Veterans Business Outreach Center continues Penn State’s longstanding commitment to both supporting entrepreneurs and serving veterans. As I often say, we are the land of the free because we are the home of brave men and women.”
VBOC’s signature entrepreneurial programs include Boots to Business (B2B), a key component of the Department of Defense Transition Assistance Program, Boots to Business Reboot, and the Military Spouse Pathways to Business program. Penn State’s VBOC participates in all Penn State B2B programs, including quarterly B2B classes held at the U.S. Army Carlisle Barracks in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
The opportunity to establish this center would not have been possible without the support and leadership of Congressmen GT Thompson and Chrissie Houlahan, and Senators Bob Casey and John Fetterman.
“With more than 720,000 veterans living in Pennsylvania, the fifth-largest veteran population in the nation, the demand for entrepreneurial training services is overwhelming,” Thompson and Houlahan wrote in their support letter. “(…) Penn State’s VBOC will provide the resources and expertise needed to effectively facilitate the transition from military members to business owners and increase the success rate of new businesses across Pennsylvania.”
“With 96 percent of Pennsylvanians living within 30 miles of one of 21 Invent Penn State LaunchBox business services locations, we believe the University is uniquely positioned to reach veteran entrepreneurs and military families in every region of the state,” Fetterman and Casey wrote in their letter of support.
Annie Hughes, statewide coordinator for Invent Penn State LaunchBox & Innovation Network, will serve as interim director of VBOC until a full-time position is hired. The center will be housed in the Penn State Office of Entrepreneurship and Commercialization in the Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor for Research and will be located in the heart of Penn State’s Innovation Park. VBOC will be integrated into Penn State’s ecosystem of entrepreneurial support resources, including the Small Business Development Center, Women’s Business Center, SCORE and Penn State’s statewide entrepreneurial resource network coordinated through the Invent Penn State initiative.
“We are excited to get this center up and running quickly, and by leveraging the many valuable resource partners and LaunchBox and Innovation Network locations already rooted in communities across the state, we can ensure these valuable VBOC resources reach the areas where they are needed most,” said James Delattre, vice chancellor for research and director of the Office of Entrepreneurship and Commercialization. “We are excited to provide this additional layer of business support to Pennsylvania’s veteran community.”
More details about the centre’s official opening will be announced soon.
In celebration of National Veterans Small Business Week, the Penn State Small Business Development Center (SBDC) will host the Boots to Business Reboot program as part of Penn State Global Entrepreneurship Week. The one-day course will be held on Friday, November 15, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Room 612 of the Eric J. Barron Innovation Hub. More information and registration available here.
About the Veterans Business Outreach Center
The Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC) Program is an initiative of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Veterans Business Development Office with 31 VBOC locations nationwide. This small business program has many success stories and offers business plan workshops, concept evaluations, mentorship and training to eligible veterans. Find a center near you.
About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of being a business owner a reality. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the power of the Federal Government, the Small Business Administration provides entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their business or recover from a declared disaster. The SBA delivers its services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. For more information, visit www.sba.gov.
