Entrepreneurship Bootcamp to Native American Veterans 

The University of New Mexico is partnering with Hesperus and Syracuse University D’Aniello Institute for Veterans & Military Families to bring an Entrepreneurship Bootcamp to Native American Veterans (EBV-NAV) in New Mexico and the Southwest Region of the United States.

The week-long in-person event takes place in Albuquerque on April 17-21, at the Lobo Rainforest Building and is open to Native American Veterans from New Mexico and the Southwest Region of the United States with a passion for business ownership. For best consideration, applicants are encouraged to apply by Friday, Feb. 24.

Virtual information sessions to answer questions and to provide program details will be held as follows:

• Monday, Feb. 6
• Wednesday, Feb. 8
• Monday, Feb. 13
• Wednesday, Feb. 15
• Wednesday, Feb. 22

All sessions will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. (MST).

For additional information and registration or to join one of the above information sessions, contact Brandon Lorenzo at brandonlorenzo1@unm.edu, call (505) 377-3181 or visit EBV-NAV.

This one-of-a-kind program was created to leverage higher education skills, resources, and infrastructure via cutting-edge, experiential training in entrepreneurship and small business management. The Bootcamp is provided at no cost through the generous support of Hesperus and The University of New Mexico. Covered expenses for the program include transportation, lodging, food, and course meals. The program does not require use of GI bill or VOC-Rehab benefits.

“I am excited and proud that UNM will host the first Native American veteran’s entrepreneurs boot camp,” said UNM Regent Sandra Begay, who was instrumental in bringing the Bootcamp to UNM. “This event is a great partnership to support our Native American veterans, and I imagine this event will continue annually into the future.”

The Entrepreneurship Bootcamp will be conducted in three phases. Phase 1 includes a four-week instructor-led online course focused on entrepreneurial opportunity recognition, innovation, and small business management. Participants will test the feasibility of their business idea or recently launched venture and develop a foundation of skills and abilities in the areas of creation, marketing, sales, personal branding, value delivery and finance. Phase 1 must be completed by April 1, ahead of Phase 2, the in-person five-day residency scheduled April 17-21.

In Phase 2, participants will be exposed to accomplished entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial educators from across the U.S. and will discuss topics including financing, legal issues, marketing, design thinking, business model canvas, idea recognition, operations, profit models supply chains, personal selling, and leveraging technology.

Phase 3 provides ongoing support and mentorship for the life of the proposed business delivered and provided by Syracuse University’s D’Aniello Institute for Veterans & Military Families Post Program Support (IVMF PPS) as well as various programming provided by UNM Rainforest Innovations.

The IVMF is higher education’s first interdisciplinary academic institute, singularly focused on advancing the post-service lives of the nation’s military veterans and their families to those who have served. Hesperus is an organization dedicated to investing in the next generation of Native American leadership and help solve issues affecting Native Americans and other tribal communities.