Hillsborough Community College is striving to help push veteran entrepreneurs to new heights in Tampa Bay.
HCC has partnered with Syracuse University Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) to develop and launch STRIVE, or the Startup Training Resources Inspiring Veteran Entrepreneurship program. It will be a six-week accelerated course for active military members, veterans and their families and is free to the participants.
Andy Gold, co-founder of the HCC Center for Entrepreneurship and Operation Startup, said he hopes the program either accelerates an existing business to the next level or validates a business idea, and allows program participants to attend Syracuse's Veteran EDGE conference, which will be held in Dallas in 2020.
"We've always done a lot of programming geared toward veterans," Gold said. "We've had an annual symposium, we've run similar boot camps like this for years, then [Syracuse] reached out to me saying, 'You're doing amazing stuff.' It took a year to co-create the program and it's a great program and a huge feather in our cap for Tampa Bay."
Participants also have the chance to receive up to $25,000 in funding from a seed fund.
"The hope is, knocking down the barrier to having access to capital will help immensely," Gold said. "People can take action beyond the training they go through. Whether you're a veteran or non-veteran, accessing capital is very difficult. A lot of people get a good idea, have some validity but can't get funding. So what is that person to do? We solved that one."
HCC is the first community college in the nation to partner with Syracuse and Gold hopes after the program is kicked off in Tampa Bay, the college will help other community colleges join the program.
"It's unusual for IVMF and Syracuse to partner with a community college," Gold said. "But we have a great working relationship and STRIVE will become a feeder into Syracuse. Our plan is to run STRIVE cohorts in Tampa Bay, then work with IVMF to deploy a national program for community colleges throughout the U.S."
And he believes veterans are the perfect entrepreneurial candidates in the community.
"The thing about entrepreneurship is, in order to be good at it you have to deal with two primary conditions which is a ridiculously amount of uncertain environment and resource constraint," Gold said. "Because veterans have this rigorous training in those two areas, that helps a lot. And then there is their inherent desire to collaborate and have a positive impact on society. All those traits lend themselves to be entrepreneurs."
Applications for the program close Aug. 23. Gold estimates roughly 25 applicants will be accepted into the first round of the program. To apply and view the program requirements, click here.
