How does your organization support entrepreneurship among military families?
CAMEO’s WOVEN program—Women Veteran Entrepreneurship Network—offers year-round community events to foster new businesses. Veterans Day is an excellent time to promote your business development classes and special programs for veterans, military spouses and caregivers.
Join us for tips on how to engage more military-connected business owners in time for Veterans Day and Veteran’s Small Business Week (November 5-9).
Hint: many people who served in the military do not identify as “veterans”—find out what to ask instead!
About the Presenters
Melanie Rae’s mission is to inspire disadvantaged heads of households to seek economic independence through entrepreneurship. She developed the GUIDED Business Plan™ entrepreneur education platform to provide “instructions to build a better business.” Her award-winning books and classroom training materials have become the cornerstone of some of the largest business development centers in the U.S. In reverence to her grandfather, uncle and cousin who were honored for their decades of military service, she is cultivating communities of military-connected entrepreneurs. She leads CAMEO’s WOVEN program that includes WOVEN Meetups for Military Women Entrepreneurs, WOVEN Connect, WOVEN Instant Income workshop and WOVEN Online Q&A for Start-Ups (wovenmeetup.com).
Melissa A. Washington, a Navy Veteran is the President and Founder of Women Veterans Alliance. She is a disabled veteran small business owner, speaker, author, and award winner who is passionate about connecting women veterans across the nation. Melissa proudly served in the Navy and rather than shoulder the burden of a dual-service family, she decided to leave the military early to pursue a career while her husband spent 21 years on active duty in the United State Marine Corps. She earned her bachelor’s degree in business management and transitioned into a successful career in recruiting and human resources for more than 10 years working for both boutique agencies and global Fortune 500 companies.
Mike McGrane is the NorCal Lending Director of Veteran Launch, based in the Sacramento area. His duties are mainly as a Business Development Officer and Underwriter. Mike works with small business owners or their spouse who are U. S. Veterans to help choose the best type of financing for their growing business. He has extensive experience understanding comprehensive business goals and solutions needed to assist in business lending. Mike has earned the trust and respect of his clients over his 28-year career in the banking and credit industry. His wealth of knowledge allows him to provide the superb personal service and financial perspective to veterans.