IVMF SURPASSES 100,000 ENTREPRENEURS SERVED, BECOMING ONE OF THE LARGEST PRIVATE-SECTOR VETERAN ENTREPRENEURSHIP ORGS

Screen centered in image with the words 100,000 Strong. People seated in dark room in front of the screen.

100,000 served recognition during the Vet100 awards dinner at the IVMF's 19th annual Veteran EDGE conference.

Group of people in front of brown wall with the word EDGE printed in big letters. Some group members holding signs and celebration items.

This year's Vet100 recipients celebrating the 100,000 served recognition during the Vet100 awards dinner during the IVMF's 19th annual Veteran EDGE Conference.

Presenter stands at podium with a screen next to the stage showing the presenter's face.

IVMF Deputy Executive Director, Ray Toenniessen, speaking during the Vet100 awards dinner during the IVMF's 19th annual Veteran EDGE conference.

Syracuse University’s entrepreneurship training grows from small summer program to nationally renowned programs, services for military-connected entrepreneurs

A milestone like this only matters if it raises the bar for what comes next. Our focus is helping more veteran entrepreneurs move from ideation to launch, and from launch to growth”

— Ray Toenniessen, IVMF Deputy Executive Director

SYRACUSE, NY, UNITED STATES, March 13, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The D'Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) at Syracuse University has surpassed 100,000 veteran and military spouse entrepreneurs served nationwide, establishing itself as one of the largest private-sector veteran service organizations focused on entrepreneurship in the United States.
Businesses supported through IVMF programs have generated over $2.63 billion in total alumni revenue and created more than 9,000 jobs nationwide. In 2025, more than $60 million in business deals were reported as a result of relationships formed at the Veteran EDGE Conference.

The milestone formally launched at the Ninth Veteran EDGE Conference, held March 4-6 in Dallas, TX, and will anchor national engagement efforts throughout 2026.

The organization's work began in 2007 with the launch of the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans (EBV), founded by Air Force veteran and Syracuse University's 13th Chancellor-elect Dr. Mike Haynie to address systemic barriers veterans faced in accessing business education and capital. In 2011, the initiative formally expanded into the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families, establishing a national platform integrating entrepreneurship programs, career preparation, applied research, and policy engagement.

Since its founding, IVMF has served more than 236,000 veterans and military family members across its full portfolio of programs nationwide, including entrepreneurship, career preparation, and community engagement initiatives.

"Veteran and military-connected business founders bring discipline, problem-solving, and leadership into the marketplace. When we help them launch and grow small businesses, we strengthen the economy and expand the pool of mission-driven leaders in business," said U.S. Army Veteran Ray Toenniessen, Deputy Executive Director of the IVMF. "A milestone like this only matters if it raises the bar for what comes next. Our focus is helping more veteran entrepreneurs move from ideation to launch, and from launch to growth, with the training, networks, and resources that the D'Aniello IVMF and its partners are uniquely positioned to provide."

IVMF's applied research enterprise, including the National Survey of Military-Affiliated Entrepreneurs (NSMAE), has informed five congressional testimonies before House and Senate committees, ensuring veteran business owners' experiences are reflected in federal policy discussions. Research continues to document capital access barriers and resource navigation challenges facing veteran-owned businesses.

"Entrepreneurship is one of the most reliable pathways to long-term economic mobility for veterans and military families. It is not just about starting a business. It is about building generational stability," said Retired Air Force Colonel Barb Carson, Managing Director of Programs and Policy at the IVMF. "100,000 participants represent significant generational impact, especially when multiplied across communities nationwide. Our responsibility is to ensure the programs and networks we deliver continue to meet the scale of this community's ambition."

Veteran-owned businesses generate approximately $1.3 trillion in annual revenue and employ 4.4 million Americans nationwide.

About the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families
Syracuse University's D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) delivers no-cost career training and entrepreneurship programs across the U.S. and globally, while also conducting actionable research, policy analysis and program evaluations for corporations and a multitude of other veteran service organizations. We help ease the transition after service back into communities for service members, veterans, and their families as we prepare them for successful careers or business ownership. We've impacted more than 240,000 transitioning service members, veterans, and military family members to date.

Charlie Poag
Syracuse University
cpoag@syr.edu

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