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Richard Lester: The bootcamp principle is really to put people together
into a common setting and let 'em form some common bonds on a common cause.
Pam Curry: We're getting a chance, I think, to give these
Veterans an opportunity to actually do something that they feel like is useful for them. Because
when they've come back, many of them have talked about they feel like they need a place to be
plugged in now. So, I mean, we're giving them all the aspects of beginning a new business not only
from the idea of beginning stages of what you want, down to how do we make it work.
Richard Lester: The other thing that we bring to this project
is a everyday focus on working and living with disabilities. So we have disability experts.
We have Veterans Administration Affairs. We have work force commission people. All of
those are coming in this week to be able to lend them a hand.
Anthony Morales: The EBV program is important because it prepares
a Veteran for the civilian life. So, you know, getting educated before you get out is-is defiantly a
plus. The numbers on Veterans with issues after they get discharged from the service is phenomenal. 1/3
of all the homeless folks in the United States are Veterans. So we have a really at risk population.
That's why Syracuse and Florida State, UCLA and Texas A&M have join the consortium to
try to get the ball rolling on this problem.
Pam Curry: I think that within Mays Business School,
we pull in our finance, our management, our marketing, all of those are great faculty
already and so we don't have to go outside to pull in. Texas A&M already has all that
they need, so it's a perfect match for this group
Bob Starnes: We owe these men and women a whole lot. We
owe 'em more than we could ever give back monetarily. I think that when you invest in
a program like this, you are investing into a person's future.
Pam Curry: They've left their families. They've left
their children. They've left their jobs and they've gone and fought for our country. And
I think when they come back, what a better way to give back to them then to be able to
put on a program like this. For them to be able to get them started in a business.
Richard Lester: We started off with a program on what is entrepreneurship
and how entrepreneurship can be important.
Pam Curry: We've had people come in that have helped
them with the finance end of what their learning.
Toni Williams: We've been studying everything from budgeting.
You know, initial setup start. We've talked about marketing. We've talked about different business plans.
Natasha Espinoza: I've learned a lot of the basics on small
business start-ups. And a lot of tax issues, marketing strategies.
David Kiel: In this eight days, I've learned more than
I had probably in the last ten years when it comes to the civilian side of doing business.
Toni Williams: Now I am in the middle of a business plan.
I now have a board of directors. I am applying for my 5013C.
Orlando Casta–eda: Actually we've taken home a CEO and a chief
marketing director that-that actually I could confide in them in my product. I can actually say
now that-that there is people out there that do love their troops and do care for 'em and God
bless every single one of y'all that does this for us.