2 Veteran Owned Businesses (Veteran Entrepreneurs) to Know
Veteran-Owned Businesses You Need to Know About
These 3 veteran-owned businesses are relatively young (founded within the past five years) and have all found success because there’s an obvious need in the United States as a whole or they filled a specific void in the military community. We think they are worth knowing about & supporting if you are looking to patronize veteran-owned businesses…
Millie
Founded by Ken Robbins, U.S. Army, Armor & Jason Dempsey, US Army Infantry.
Ken Robbins and Jason Dempsey teamed up in early 2015 after completing their twenty-year Army careers. It should be no surprise that their business venture’s mission is to support and help the military community. Robbins & Dempsey are the co-founders of MILLIE, a real estate marketplace that connects military and veteran movers with trusted resource providers.
Over 200,000 service members exit the military each year. An additional 260,000 are given orders to PCS to a new duty station. The military will ship a family’s personal property, but deciding where to live & how to navigate the moving process is largely left to the service member or their spouse.
Because of this, these moves are a significant source of stress for military families. Unfortunately, few quality resources are available to assist with the moving process. It’s difficult to find an agent military families can trust when buying a house.
Robbins & Dempsey’s goal is to make MILLIE a one-stop shop and the most visible and trusted resource for veterans and military families that are PCSing.
Black Rifle Coffee Company
Founded by Evan Hafer, Green Beret
At 20 years old, Evan Hafer was consumed with the desire to serve his country. He joined the Washington National Guard after high school and later became a Green Beret.
He served the United States for twenty years. Before each of his 40 different deployments, he would always roast ten pounds of coffee to take with him. He says that what he roasted himself was always better than anything he could ever get while on deployment.
Hafer separated from government service in 2015, and it didn’t take long for him to figure out what his next step was. Black Rifle Coffee Company is owned and operated by U.S. military veterans and headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, where it roasts and distributes premium coffee blends.
No Longer Operating: Sword and Plough
Founded by Emily Núñez Cavness, active duty officer in the U.S. Army Military Intelligence Corps & Betsy Núñez
Sword & Plough founders, sisters Emily Núñez Cavness and Betsy Núñez, grew up in a military family. Emily’s experiences serving in the Army inspired her to start Sword & Plough with the mission to strengthen civil-military understanding, empower veteran employment, and reduce waste.
Before the operation closed, the brand repurposed military surplus and incorporated that material into bags and accessories. They worked with U.S. manufacturers that are owned or partially operated by veterans. They also donated 10% of profits to veteran organizations. Sword & Plough created American-made products that promote social and environmental impact.
RELATED:
- 6 Degree Programs Being Hired Like Crazy
- Getting a Degree in Business Administration for Military & Veterans
- Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) for Military Veterans
- How to Determine if Business School Is Right for You?
About the author
Joe Wallace is a 13-year veteran of the United States Air Force and a former reporter/editor for Air Force Television News and the Pentagon Channel. His freelance work includes contract work for Motorola, VALoans.com, and Credit Karma. He is co-founder of Dim Art House in Springfield, Illinois, and spends his non-writing time as an abstract painter, independent publisher, and occasional filmmaker.
