SBA awards Syracuse University’s IVMF $135,000 grant for female veteran entrepreneurship program

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Syracuse University’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) will use a federal grant of $135,000 for the veteran women igniting the spirit of entrepreneurship (V-WISE) program.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) awarded the funding, the agency said in a news release.

The V-WISE program is an “intensive,” three-phase program, the SBA says. It includes a 15-day, online-preparatory course; a two-day residency program; and post-training technical support.

IVMF also offers an accelerated version of the course called “IGNITE.” Both programs are open to applicants nationwide.

The SBA grant to Syracuse’s IVMF is part of $300,000 in grant funding for women’s veteran entrepreneurship-training programs.

The funding from the SBA’s office of veterans’ business development supports each organization’s entrepreneurial training programs for women who are veterans, service members, and spouses of veterans and service members.

The SBA chose each awardee based on their “demonstrated history of and commitment” to providing training programs and resources to women, the agency said.

“Increasingly, women small business owners are contributing in a major way to the growth of the U.S. economy, and women veterans bring a unique and valued skill set to entrepreneurship,” SBA Administrator Linda McMahon said in the release. “Funding these organizations involved in helping women veterans and military spouses establish successful businesses will go a long way towards securing the future for these women and their families.”

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com

PHOTO CREDIT: Eric Reinhardt / BJNN file photo