Xavier’s Entrepreneurial Center is turning its instructors into drill sergeants and offering a free entrepreneurship boot camp for local military veterans. Push-ups and obstacle courses aren’t required, though. Rather, participants train in business plan development from marketing and finance to accounting and operations management. They also engage in simulation training and participate in a roundtable with veterans who are successful small business owners/executives. 

“The center wants to support veterans,” says director Daewoo Park. “As part of our social entrepreneurship mission, we will help veterans learn techniques and interact with veterans who are successful entrepreneurs.”

To help recruit participants, the Entrepreneurial Center is working with veterans Drew Meyers, an alumnus and CEO of RecruitMilitary in Loveland, Ohio, and David Keszei, director for the Corporate Connections program in the Williams College of Business. Future plans include extending the entrepreneurship boot camp program to women and minorities as well.