About

Almost 50 percent of World War II veterans and 40 percent of Korean War veterans owned or operated their own companies, according to Syracuse University. Today, just 4.5 percent of the more than 3.6 million men and women who have served in the U.S. armed forces since September 11, 2001, have launched their own businesses.

We seek to raise that figure through the Veterans Entrepreneurship Training (VET) program. NYC-centric entrepreneurs, industry leaders, and our team at the Veterans Future Lab offer a curriculum that features a capstone project, hands-on experiential learning, and mentorship. You’ll graduate able to leverage learned entrepreneurial skills into new ventures and career opportunities. Graduates of VET-I are eligible to enroll in an upcoming Veterans Entrepreneurship Training - Level II (VET-II) program.

Curriculum

VET-I consists of virtual classes held weekly for 10 weeks every Fall and Spring. The course is split into 3 parts:

Week 1: Program Orientation, Introduction to Business Model Canvas. Weeks 2–7: Class lectures from 6–8:30PM ET on Wednesdays Week 8: Showcase of participants’ capstone projects to partners of the Veterans Future Lab community. The capstone provides participants with their first real-world, consequential experience presenting their business ideas.

Classes touch on prototyping, customer channels, business models, legal and accounting matters for startups, and more. Upon completion of the program, students are awarded a VET certificate from the NYU Tandon Future Labs.

Graduates of VET-I are given priority access to the follow-on entrepreneurship training program, VET-II, held every summer.

Costs

All course fees for admitted students will be subsidized.

Certificate Requirements

Participants must attend all classes, complete all coursework, pitch a venture/idea in class a minimum of three times, and submit a capstone project.

Updates

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