Practical Business Skills

At the heart of the Veterans Entrepreneurship Program (VEP) is an intense, immersive, rigorous, practical STRIVE Program. The STRIVE Program is a program offered through Syracuse University Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF). STRIVE provides Veterans that have a nascent (budding) early-stage business, or idea for a business with an opportunity to act. By stress testing the business with a rigorous business modeling, design thinking, effectuation, and cohort-based curriculum, participants will develop their entrepreneurial competency and interact with an array of subject matter experts that help support aspiring entrepreneurs. This program will help to identify, overcome, and mitigate trouble spots within the business model, leading to increased potential for success.

 Complete all modules to be a IVMF STRIVE Graduate!

Register for the STRIVE Program

Timeline & Calendar

STRIVE Program Instructor

Charles Pulliam is the CEO and Senior Partner of Solushiens (Solushiens is a Texas based professional services company specializing in workforce performance consulting). In collaboration with Solushiens’ partners and advisors, his diplomatic personality and Socratic leadership helps to provide calm and clarity to every engagement.  

Charles is a patriotic United States Air Force veteran. His diverse business perspective and passion for people is sought after by organizations to help architect systems for the realization of mission critical objectives. Because of personable and inspirational communication style, he is often a featured speaker on a wide range of topics related to helping people and companies reach their full potential.  He is a Talent Optimization expert with emphasis on quantitative and qualitative people-data gathering and analysis. He uses a growth mindset to teach leadership attributes as part of an acclaimed multi-discipline leadership development program. His practical thinking led to the development of a "Pivot Planning" framework, which is changing the way progressive companies plan and execute strategies. His experience with and ability to work with all people has brought him notoriety as a diversity, equity, inclusion, and access thought leader. He utilizes a systems approach, unique frameworks, and customizable methodologies to improve mastery and performance-based staff development outcomes. Charles earned his Bachelor of Business Management degree from LeTourneau University and his MBA from Dallas Baptist University. His workforce performance industry experience includes: consulting, professional services, application development, healthcare, health information systems, legal information systems, warehousing and distribution, retail, oil & gas, nonprofit, and K-12 education (public, charter, and private schools). He is a Certified Personnel Consultant (CPC), A certified behavioral specialist, and a certified Texas educator. 

Veterans Entrepreneurship Program

STRIVE Program

Learn more about Stage 2 of the Veterans Entrepreneurship Program.

Center for Entrepreneurship - Southwest Contact