Veterans Entrepreneurship Program

HCC offers veterans an opportunity to pursue their college degrees or certificates and have advisors and experts to help them through the process. This session will introduce local college resources who will share program information and processes for admission. 

Please refer to the Program Timeline and Calendar. 

Register for the Panels

Past Recordings:

Watch the YouTube recording

Effectively managing risk, operating under pressure, and being resourceful are just a few qualities needed in both business and the military. Hear from a panel of local business owners who will share insightful tips and experiences to help aspiring veteran entrepreneurs.

Register for the Panels 

Past Recordings:

Watch the YouTube recording

Veteran Business Pitch Competition to launch businesses, selected by a panel of distinguished judges, for a chance to win seed capital and investment prizes!

Register for Stage 3 Competition

PITCH COMPETITION RUBRIC:

CASH PRIZES AWARDS

VALUE CREATION:  The business focuses on value creation in the context of creating better value for customers and for shareholders who want to see their stake appreciate in value.

GLOBAL MARKET OPPORTUNITY ATTRACTIVENESS:  The company has examined and is realistic about the total and addressable market size, market growth/velocity, competitors, product/service prices and margins, and scalability.

COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE:  The team articulated why their product/service is superior to other customer choices.  The product/service is what the customer truly wants/needs/loves.  The value proposition was apparent, and the company can generate demand for their product/service, especially compared to competitors.

OPERATIONAL AND TECHNICAL VIABILITY:  The "go to market" approach is realistic, and the strategy to execute and scale the enterprise was laid out clearly.  The team demonstrated they have leveraged current technology in their proposal.  If appropriate, they showed intellectual property (IP) and/or patent considerations in their presentation or had viable technical and operational "moats" to maintain/grow their acquired market.

MANAGEMENT TEAM CAPABILITY:  The leadership is credible and acts as a high-performing team today and can grow the organization by attracting additional talent.  They have a plan to leverage advisors, mentors/coaches, and partners.

RAISE & EXIT STRATEGY AND FINANCIAL ACUMEN:  The team has duly considered the right options for raising capital and then using it.  They have considered an exit plan at the appropriate time.  The financials were solidly laid out credibly, and the team has a strong/detailed understanding of their financials.

PRESENTATION STRENGTH:  The team demonstrated a well-organized flow and presented their venture logically, influencing, with accurate and impactful materials. Presentation planning was apparent, resulting in good persuasion skills by team members during the presentation and the Q&A session.

INVESTMENTS RUBRIC (Only for startups seeking Investments Funding)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:  The 1–2-page document containing a credible statement of the problem, the solution, key background information, concise analysis, and market plans.  The executive summary contains a brief market/industry analysis, key financial information, and use of funds.

TERM SHEET:  This non-binding agreement shows the basic terms and conditions of an investment into the startup company. The term sheet is a template and basis for more detailed, legally binding documents. Once the parties involved agree on the details laid out in the term sheet due to the VEP initiative, a binding agreement that conforms to the term sheet details is drawn up.

FINANCIALS:  The company's financials (typically including P&L, Balance Sheet, and Cashflow Statement) are easy to understand and address, running the business in a financially prudent manner.  Data for past periods (actuals) are well laid out, and future periods (projections) are based on reasonable assumptions and are achievable.