Nonprofit Aims to Support Veteran-Owned Businesses
A new veterans business group brings together former service members to share ideas and support each other's ventures. Organizers hosted a veterans networking event for veteran-owned businesses at a South Minneapolis coffee shop on Saturday morning.
Micah Jane, a founding board member of the Minnesota Veterans Chamber of Commerce, initiated the group, targeting veterans aspiring to own their businesses. She noted that some veterans transition from military to entrepreneurship, while others move from corporate to self-employment, and some simply prefer running their own show.
Army veteran Rob Phillips, who drove from Chisago County, expressed his immediate interest when he heard about the chamber's launch. Phillips, working on an agricultural drone company, shared his entrepreneurial insights with fellow veterans and expressed his desire for more events like this in the future.
"I will bend over backwards... to help another veteran," Phillips said. "Where that same level of camaraderie or willingness to give time, effort, and support to other veterans trying to build their businesses... it just doesn’t exist outside of the veteran community."
According to a 2024 study by the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans, 84% of veterans surveyed had incomes at or below half of their area's median income. Jane encouraged veterans to ask for help, emphasizing that seeking assistance is not a sign of weakness.
"Ask for help because it is so humbling, but it is worth asking for help," Jane said, "whether it be struggles financially, personally, or even just trying to get your business going and not knowing where to start or transitioning out of the military."