Oklahoma State University accepting applications for veterans' entrepreneurial training program
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Statistically, disabled veterans have more barriers to success than the average entrepreneur
because it is more difficult for them to access resources and networks when they start
a business, said Michael Morris, the head of OSU’s School of Entrepreneurship and
the founder of the VEP. Morris, who is a veteran himself, said the VEP is specifically
geared to provide them with the practical, focused training and the strong support
networks they need to create and grow a new venture.
“Like a military bootcamp, this program is intense, rigorous and challenging,” Morris
said. “Building upon key elements of OSU’s comprehensive entrepreneurship curriculum,
the program consists of a series of training modules designed to assist [veterans]
in creating a business that can be profitable. We make this program available to service
distinguished veterans as a way to say ‘thanks’ for all they have done.”
The VEP is presented by the Riata Center for Entrepreneurship and School of Entrepreneurship
in OSU’s Spears School of Business and offers a three-stage learning experience. Participants
complete an online self-study session and an intense eight-day on-campus bootcamp,
followed by 10 months of mentoring and support from successful entrepreneurship educators
from around the country, VEP faculty members and volunteer entrepreneurs.
The entire VEP program – transportation, accommodation, books, food and instruction
– is provided free of charge to participants. OSU alumni and supporters have rallied
around the program and donated thousands of dollars to help make the program possible.
“I believe we owe it to these veterans who have paid such a high price to serve our
country,” Morris said. “The whole idea is to empower veterans and to show them a path
forward that centers on entrepreneurship.
Cynde Collins-Clark, the mother of one of last year’s participants, said the VEP
was a wonderful experience for her son, Joe Collins, who has suffered from a case
of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder so severe that he barely left his bed for three
years. Even with Collins’s terrible illness, Collins-Clark said he recognized the
VEP program as an opportunity for growth.
“It was extremely difficult for him because of the degree and severity of his illness,
but he said it was one of the most awesome and unbelievable programs he has ever attended,”
Collins-Clark said. “I attended on ‘graduation night,’ which was the final day of
the week on campus, and it was one of the most honoring events I have ever been to
for veterans. I would strongly encourage you to share this opportunity with any disabled
veteran. It is state of the art, amazing, and their follow through is as excellent
as the program itself.”
The deadline for application is Oct. 1, and participants will be selected by Nov.
1. The online self-study session will be available to participants from Dec. 5 to
Jan. 13, 2012, and the eight-day bootcamp will be held Feb. 4 - 11, 2012, on OSU’s
campus in Stillwater, Okla.
For more information about the VEP 2012, visit the VEP website at http://entrepreneurship.okstate.edu/vep, send an email to VEP@okstate.edu or call 405-744-7552.