NEW YORK (February 9, 2018) – Inc. magazine announced today a partnership with the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University (IVMF) to create Vet50 powered by corporate partner First Data, which is a list of the nation’s fastest growing veteran-owned businesses. The list is built from the Inc. 5000, Inc. magazine’s prestigious list of the fastest-growing private companies based in the U.S., a hallmark of entrepreneurial success highlighting small or medium-sized businesses that have become essential to our everyday lives, such as Dell, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Pandora, Yelp, and Zipcar.

The Vet50 list will be announced on Saturday, February 17, 2018 at the Vet50 Awards dinner during the first-ever IVMF Veteran EDGE national conference (February 15 – 18, 2018). The dinner will feature keynote speaker NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, Captain (USN Retired), and guest speaker Medal of Honor recipient Jack Jacobs, Colonel (US Army Retired).

Both the conference and awards ceremony will bring together stakeholders, veteran business owners, regional and national veteran services organizations, as well as founding member First Data and other corporate partners of the Coalition for Veteran-Owned Business (CVOB). EDGE is the first-of-its-kind coalition of large companies supporting the success of veteran-owned businesses, connecting them with entrepreneurial education, training, resources, and networking opportunities.

“Business growth is a real economic driver in this country and the fact is that most of the new jobs in the economy—over 87 percent—are created by private businesses,” says Eric Schurenberg, CEO of Mansueto Ventures, publisher of Inc. Magazine. “Veteran entrepreneurs contribute their share to the job story, employing over 5.5 million. They deserve to be recognized for their continued service to the country.”

“Veteran business owners bring unconventional leadership and grit to succeed. They have a history of entrepreneurship that goes back decades. This list will not only inform but it will inspire other entrepreneurs – veteran and civilian,” said Vice Chancellor of Strategic Initiatives and Innovation and IVMF Founder, Executive Director Mike Haynie.

Original source: 

Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University. (2018, February 9). Inc. Magazine’s New Vet50 List to Shine a Light on 50 Fastest-Growing Veteran-Owned Businesses and Inspire More Veterans to Join Their Ranks [Press release]. Retrieved from https://ivmf.syracuse.edu/2018/02/09/inc-magazines-new-vet50-list-shine-light-50-fastest-growing-veteran-owned-businesses-inspire-veterans-join-ranks/