The New Face of Entrepreneurship in America: Returning Army Veterans
WASHINGTON, DC, February 29, 2012
A new frontier for growth and opportunity awaits our returning veterans - entrepreneurship.
As our armed men and women reintegrate into civilian life they’re realizing times have changed and the economy is nowhere near as bountiful as the past decade. Out of this challenge arose a unique need for a bridge between soldier’s specialized expertise and a global platform that could provide necessary exposure to business owners seeking independent and hard working employees. Enter Entrepreneur Week.
In partnership with the United States Army and Entrepreneurs Organization, Entrepreneur Week was cordially invited to recruit entrepreneurs from its community to attend a once-in-a-lifetime "Fly-in" visit at the Pentagon. The "Fly-in" is a two-day event featuring a tour of the House of Representatives (including Speaker of the House, John Boehner’s private balcony) as well as specialized Army briefings, which provide personal insights into our nation at war and other challenging issues confronting America's Army.
Today’s events will include a 5-hour itinerary of substantive briefings from Senior Army leaders, a " Boots on the Ground" panel with soldiers who have recently returned from Iraq or Afghanistan, a guided Pentagon tour (including the Pentagon 9/11 memorial site and chapel), and a private lunch in the Pentagon Dining Room.
As the Army continues its active role in promoting the path of entrepreneurship to veterans, earlier this month a jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics contained positive news for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars as the unemployment rate for veterans of those two wars fell from 15.2% a year ago to 9.1% last month. The report also showed a big drop for the entire veteran population, as the unemployment rate fell from 9.9% to 7.5%, which is lower than the national average.
The schedule for the Entrepreneur Week “Fly-in” can be found here alongside commentary from the event on twitter via @NYEW and its corresponding hashtag #EWflyin
ABOUT ENTREPRENEUR WEEK
Entrepreneur Week is a global event series bringing seasoned entrepreneurs, accomplished thought leaders, and early-stage investors to local entrepreneurial ecosystems. Through its international network, Entrepreneur Week develops opportunities and creates solutions for entrepreneurs in local communities by providing a global perspective, entrepreneurial best practices, and an action plan for implementation.
Entrepreneur Week continues to bridge connections between stakeholders around the world, building a global portal of access and collaboration for communities to embrace the opportunities entrepreneurship and innovation foster.
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