By Laura Roloff
June 25, 2026
Photo by Nicholas Andrusisian
Post-9/11 veterans with service-connected disabilities recently completed an intense, eight-day residency at the University of Missouri focused on starting and growing entrepreneurial ventures.
Mizzou has hosted residencies for veterans since 2015 as a member of a nine-university consortium that helps deliver the national Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans (EBV) program based at D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) at Syracuse University. Veterans United Foundation has sponsored Mizzou’s program since it began.
EBV is more than a weeklong training — it is part of a broader commitment to helping veterans translate their skills into sustainable businesses that have an economic impact.
Each university partner contributes its own network of mentors, business leaders, investors, alumni and entrepreneurial resources during EBV residencies. Veterans can immerse themselves in environments built around research, academic rigor, mentorship and cross-sector collaboration.
“The EBV program is one of the most special things we are fortunate to be part of at Mizzou,” Kelsey Raymond, executive director of entrepreneurship programs, said. “The learning and growth that happens in one short week is truly incredible. And the community that is built between the veterans themselves and with our incredible experts from Mizzou and Columbia, Missouri, is even more impressive.”
A hallmark of Mizzou’s EBV program is the depth of expertise veterans can access, from marketing and human resources to research and industry analysis.
In the classroom, presenters focus on giving participants practical tools they can use immediately. For example, one session introduces high-level research databases and local library resources to support market analysis and business planning. Others emphasize real-world business challenges.
Research conducted through IVMF’s National Survey of Military-Affiliated Entrepreneurs continues to show strong business survival, revenue growth and job creation among veteran entrepreneurs. Internal EBV reporting also has shown that approximately 79% of EBV graduates go on to either launch or continue growing a business, and more than 80% of those businesses remain operational years later.
“As the EBV network surpasses 4,000 alumni nationwide, a meaningful part of that story runs through Columbia, Missouri,” Ray Toenniessen, IVMF deputy executive director, said. “Eleven years later, the impact is reflected in the graduates, businesses and success stories that continue to emerge from EBV Mizzou cohorts. We are proud to have Mizzou as a valued partner in the EBV consortium.”
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