EBV welcomes 23 new members to the VeteraNole family!!

It has been almost an entire month since our 5^th annual EBV program has come to an end and our graduates are putting what they’ve learned to good use. This class has been very tech savvy and up to speed on social media since the start of the program! With that being said, they keep our FSU EBV Facebook site thriving with new stories about their businesses and words of encouragement each day! The 2012 class is an outstanding group of men and women and we could not have asked for a better group to celebrate our 5^th year of EBV! A special thanks to all who came out and made this such an incredible event!

Some may wonder...how was this year any different from the others?

Well let me just say, I am so glad you asked!

It started like any normal EBV, 23 participants came from all over the country to take part in FSU’s Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities. They arrived in Tallahassee on Tuesday, June 19^th, to start their nine day bootcamp. Arrival day is always exciting because up until this point the veterans have had online communication, but have yet to meet any of their classmates face-to-face. Our 2012 Opening was a highly anticipated event as J.R. Martinez, a 2008 FSU EBV Graduate, as well as, an actor and Dancing with the Stars Champion, was the keynote speaker. His motivational speech was exactly what the veterans needed to hear as their weeklong bootcamp was starting the next day whether they were ready or not! The night's festivities quickly came to an end and the veterans were on their way back to the hotel to get a good night’s rest.

Wednesday, June 20^th, marked the first day of classes and we were up and running! Our speakers were flying and driving in to share their knowledge about business. Every aspect of business was discussed during the week. Some major topics included Marketing, HR, Government Contracts, and Financing. Classes started at 8:30 and ended around 5:00 each day; and, every night, each participant could be found busy at work on their business plan and presentations they would be giving on the final day of EBV.

Each day had a similar schedule but with different speakers, so let's fast forward to Saturday night. The veterans had a welcome change when they learned they did not have to work on their business plan but instead had the opportunity of a lifetime! Everyone piled onto a bus but had no idea where they were heading. The excitement was building as the bus drove around campus and finally stopped at Doak Campbell Stadium where several student athletes awaited. After throwing footballs around and just hanging out with some of the athletes, it was time to head out...to the President’s Box that is for a delicious dinner overlooking the field. The Tailgate gave our participants a chance to unwind, relax, and enjoy the reality of being at FSU with some people that they would soon call friends for life!

Sunday morning came too early for some but it was time to get back to work. However, the day dragged on as it proved to be a very rainy one. We were facing the fact that there was a tropical storm heading in our direction. All staff members worked hard on figuring out a plan of action if the storm kept coming towards us. On Monday, we had to move classes from Turnbull Conference Center to the hotel to keep everyone dry while outside the torrential downpour continued. It wasn't looking good and we had to have a back-up plan implemented ASAP. As the path of Tropical Storm Debby was directed right at Tallahassee, we decided for the safety of the participants, we would cancel the Closing/Graduation Ceremony and get everyone out of Tallahassee and back home as soon as possible.

It was an unfortunate event, but a necessary one. Tuesday morning the veterans gave their Venture Pitch presentation to a panel of judges. Upon completion, they were given their certificate and several headed home which concluded our 2012 EBV Program.

As you can see, our 5^th year had a few twists and turns, but all in all, it was an unforgettable 8 days! It flew by and it's still hard to believe that another year of FSU EBV is in the books. We are so grateful for the veterans who participated and the friends that we have all made! Not to mention, we are so proud of our VeteraNoles as they have been excelling in their business ventures and being recognized for it! Several of our graduates have already been featured in articles from local press. If you would like to read any of these pieces, check them out below!! Once again, congratulations to all of our graduates this year...you did it and we are proud to have 23 new members of our VeteraNole family!

Article on Trisha Hartman: http://www.libertytribune.com/community_living/article_b1b31f61-af4c-532d-94aa-3905bf22de48.html

Article on Mark Cosby and Tammy Foster-Knight: http://www.wtsp.com/rss/article/260440/19/Ex-soldiers-take-on-a-boot-camp-for-their-brains

2012 FSU EBV-F Program

It’s been a while since my last blog which only means one thing…a lot has happened since we last spoke and there are several new updates! Let’s start with EBV-F which took place April 10^th – 18^th!

Our very first EBV-F class has officially graduated from Florida State. The participants included 14 women and 1 man. These caregivers came from several different states and represented all branches of the military. It was a packed week full of classes, work, and presentations about their business ideas.

The backbone of EBV-F is quite similar to EBV which means the scheduling, pace, and classes all revolve around the same information as EBV with minor changes directed towards being a caregiver to a disabled veteran instead of being a disabled veteran. With this being said, the week began with an Opening Ceremony which was located at the Residence Inn Marriott with several guests who support our program. This evening was an intimate event where the ladies and gentleman had the opportunity to talk to their fellow classmates and get to know one another. The Opening was a relaxing night filled with good food and good conversation before the real work began the following day.

The participants hit the ground running with classes starting early that morning and continuing throughout the day and into the night. Guest speakers spoke on different specific topics pertaining to the caregivers. Once nightfall hit, each participant was working hard on their Commercialization Plan and the Venture Pitch they would present to a panel of judges on their last day of bootcamp.

With all the hard work being accomplished, we knew it was time to let the participants have a well-deserved break for one night. We surprised them with a Spa Night at Aveda where each participant received a manicure or pedicure, as well as, a massage or facial. They were beyond thrilled and in much need of a relaxing night. Even the one male participant decided to take one for the team and join the women at the spa. All in all, this night was a huge success and thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended. We would like to thank Aveda for helping us create such an experience for the participants and for completely donating their services that night. Aveda’s support is greatly appreciated and we couldn’t have done it without them!

The days following were just like the first filled with hard work and nerves beginning to run high as everyone started realizing how fast Venture Pitch day was approaching. The presentations were presented one by one and every participant’s nerves diminished knowing that the hardest part of the week was over. When it was all said and done, they could breathe a sigh of relieve knowing that they had just survived a week of intense entrepreneurial bootcamp.

The Closing Ceremony took place after Venture Pitches and was the perfect way to celebrate the week! It was located at the Alumni Center where all the caregivers participated in a graduation ceremony.  Kimberly Hill, 2012 EBV-F graduate, spoke at the ceremony about the program and the experience she was engulfed in while attending. As the night came to an end, everyone said their goodbyes knowing that the following morning the newly graduated EBV-F class of 2012 would find themselves on their way back home to put their newly gained knowledge to work.

The 2012 inaugural EBV-F Program was a great success and we would like to thank all of the participants, supporters, sponsors, and donors for helping make this program a reality.  We would also like to thank all of the restaurants which either donated or provided food during EBV-F. A special shout-out goes to Momo’s, Harry’s, and The Cake Shop for fully donating their services! We are grateful for your support.

Last but not least, EBV is just a little over a month away and we are in full swing getting ready as the online portion begins on the 21^st. Make sure you keep a look out on our Facebook pages as we continually update you with information about the 2012 program.  

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year bloggers! It is finally 2012 and there is no time like the present to be setting those New Year’s resolutions and hopefully not breaking them! From all of us here at the Center for Veteran Outreach, we hope you had a relaxing and family-filled holiday season. Speaking as a student, it was extremely nice to be able to relax, not stress about classes, and enjoy time with family and friends. However, that time is over and it is time to get back into the full swing of things. This week starts the first official whole week of classes and the professors are taking no time to get straight into teaching all kinds of different materials. As this New Year starts, I am energized and ready to take on that challenge!

Let’s dive right in to what’s going on here at the CVO. We are taking this time now to get everything prepared and ready for EBV-F -- which is only a few months away. Schedules are being prepared, speakers will be decided soon, and applications are coming in as I type. It’s an exciting time for us as we see the event come together. We are gathering volunteers to help and holding meetings to get everything organized. Before we know it, EBV-F will be up and running!

As time goes by, I will have more to update you on. I will be blogging as much as possible in order to give you a behind the scenes glance of what the volunteers and organizers see when putting together such a large event. Trust me…you won’t want to miss this! 

As always, tell all your friends about us and I hope to see you all back soon!