Time Sensitive: Google Launchpad for Veterans Program
Setting up Shop: The Spirit of National Invest In Veterans Week
Started by Navy veterans Aiye Akhigbe and her husband—owners of Sticky Spoons Jam—the market provides a dedicated space for veteran-owned businesses to set up shop for the day at absolutely no cost. Because the market is strictly for them, these veteran makers don't have to compete with civilian vendors, allowing their unique products and stories to take center stage.
We supported them while they were troops, Now it’s time to support them as their veterans in their business and their families.”
Mission Colorado: Empowering Veteran Entrepreneurs at the ‘Veterans Building Businesses’ Conference
The Rebranding and Integration of Superintelligence (SI)
VeteranBusiness.si is building an intelligence layer for the veteran economy, combining veteran business data, AI research, economic modeling, decision tools, legislative intelligence, and civic economic intelligence. Co-founded by Jeff Shuford and LTC Rickey L. Pope (Ret.), the platform turns veteran economic data into actionable intelligence for entrepreneurs, researchers, and civic leaders.
Breaking News: Google.org Launches Initiative to Help 25,000 Veterans and Military Families Enter Skilled Trades
Primary Announcement: Google Blog: Helping 25,000 Veterans and Military Families Build Careers in Skilled Trades.Institutional Partners: Program execution and infrastructure details via Hiring Our Heroes, Student Veterans of America (SVA), and the PR Newswire: Home Builders Institute (HBI) Grant Announcement.Historical Workforce Commitments:Google Blog: Growing the Next Generation of American Workers ($50 million skilled-trades commitment).BlackRock Newsroom: Alliance for America's Skilled Trades Launch (Joint initiative by Google, BlackRock, Ford, and Carhartt) or the Google Blog: Alliance for America's Skilled Trades.
SBA Oversight: National Invest In Veterans Week Demands Compliance Under New GAO Recommendations Act
National Invest In Veterans Week is officially tracking the Ensuring Small Business Administration Implementation of GAO Recommendations Act of 2026. Introduced by U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver, this crucial bill mandates stricter SBA compliance and data transparency to break down systemic procurement, reporting, and capital barriers for military-veteran entrepreneurs. Read the full legislative breakdown.
The Macroeconomic Imperative of Veteran Support: A Unified Architecture of Federal Entrepreneurship, Tax Incentives, and Economic Validation
For decades, veteran support has relied on symbolic gestures. Today, a structural shift is underway. By fusing federal capital access for veteran founders, corporate tax incentives for green employers, state-level policy from America’s governors, and a landmark PLOS One health economics study, leaders are proving that investing in veterans is a high-yield macroeconomic strategy.
The Trillion-Dollar Veteran Economy: Bridging Hard Data with Dynamic Video Storytelling
Veteran entrepreneurs anchor a massive, trillion-dollar pillar of the American economy, a structural reality recently indexed in Google Dataset Search. To help these enterprises maximize their market share, we revisit foundational video marketing strategies published by the National Society of Newspaper Columnists.
Inside the NIVW℠ Data-Driven Command Surface
What you actually get on the new homepage isn't a blog post with screenshots—it's a live, homepage-embedded command surface. You land, you interact, you export. By transforming intangible grit into indisputable macroeconomic data, the platform is shifting the narrative from merely thanking veterans to actively investing in them.
Based on a functional walkthrough, here is exactly what is built into the platform, module by module:
1. Find Your Impact (The Zip-to-District Engine)
Advocacy is only as powerful as its local application. Right at the top of the dark-themed interface, an amber headline invites you to type in a zip code and hit "Analyze My District." There is no separate login and no redirect.
What it returns is a comprehensive, hyper-local district card:
Four KPI Tiles: Veteran-Owned Businesses, Jobs Created, Annual Economic Impact, and Tax Revenue Generated. Each tile lists its authoritative source underneath (Census Bureau Annual Business Survey 2024, BLS Economic Data, IRS effective 2024), providing a crucial "policy-neutral" layer of trust.
A Comparison Strip: "How Your District Compares" features three horizontal bars (Veteran Business Density, Job Creation Rate, Economic Impact Per Capita), each shown as a percentage of the national average.
civic action.
2. Veteran ROI by Military Occupation Specialty (MOS)
One of the most persistent myths is that combat skills do not translate to corporate value. This tool is developed as a taxonomy mapper to dismantle that stigma, not just a listicle. You scroll and engage with six MOS families, each occupying its own card:
* Infantry / Combat Arms
* Cyber / Information Technology
* Intelligence & Analysis
* Medical / Healthcare
* Engineering / Technical
* Aviation / Aerospace
Inside each card are "civilian pathway chips" (e.g., Logistics & Supply Chain, Security Services, Leadership Consulting), alongside an average revenue figure and a 5-year survival rate using visual progress bars for instant comparison. A collapsible "Data Sources & Methodology" section makes the entire framework auditable.
3. GI Bill ROI Calculator: Brutal Honesty in Education
This is a full financial model, not a simple benefits estimator. It treats veterans like strategic investors by showing the true upside—and the potential downside—of their education choices.
BREAKING: Why Aaron Jones Sr. Must Win Tonight's NFL Salute to Service Award
In 2024, Aaron Jones Sr. received the Jeff Shuford Empowerment Through Advocacy Award from National Invest In Veterans Week®—an organization founded BY veterans, FOR veterans.
Iraq War veteran Jeff Shuford's award doesn't go to celebrities doing PR. It goes to people creating "measurable action, sustainable programming, and community investment."
Translation: The veteran community has already vetted him. They've already said: "This is our guy."
Veteran Loan Fund Surpasses $100 Million—A Defining Moment for Veteran Entrepreneurship
The Veteran Loan Fund has surpassed $100 million in small business lending nationwide, marking a defining milestone for veteran and military spouse entrepreneurship in the United States. Since launching in 2021, the fund has supported more than 1,350 veteran-owned businesses, helped create or retain over 7,500 jobs, and strengthened local economies through mission-driven capital, technical assistance, and cross-sector collaboration. As momentum builds with a new round of funding in 2026, this milestone underscores the growing recognition that investing in veteran entrepreneurs is not just a moral imperative—but an economic strategy.
From Combat to Cutting-Edge: Rivian, VTEC, and the National Invest In Veterans Week Model in Action
As the U.S. economy accelerates toward electrification, one of America’s most reliable talent pools—its veterans—is being deliberately positioned at the center of that transition. Rivian (NASDAQ: RIVN), in partnership with the Veterans Training Empowerment Center (VTEC), has launched the Rivian Technical Trades Program at Fort Benning, Georgia, creating a direct pipeline from military service to high-demand careers in electric vehicle (EV) service and maintenance.
Veterans Don’t Need Handouts — They Need Capital: What Happens When Investors Treat Them Like Growth Partners
A recent House hearing revealed what happens when banks and corporations stop treating veteran-owned businesses as checkbox suppliers and start investing in them as long-term growth partners. Testimony highlighted how a private-sector program helped veteran and military spouse entrepreneurs raise more than $1.3 billion in capital, create hundreds of jobs, and generate sustained revenue growth—demonstrating that investing in veterans isn’t charity, it’s smart economic development.
“Demonstrate what is possible when banks and corporations invest in veteran-owned firms not just as suppliers, but as long-term growth partners.”
Douglas County’s Veteran Leadership: From Proclaiming National Invest In Veterans Week® to Achieving Functional Zero for Veterans
Douglas County stands as a national model for veteran support. In 2022, it honored National Invest In Veterans Week® with a proclamation and a deeply personal ceremony recognizing local veteran leaders. By 2024, it advanced from ceremonial recognition to policy execution—achieving Functional Zero for Veterans, ensuring homelessness among veterans is rare, brief, and quickly resolved. The county’s integrated approach demonstrates that investing in veterans produces measurable, community-wide outcomes.
Investing in Veterans Is Economic Policy: Why National Invest In Veterans Week® Continues the Federal Blueprint
On July 24, 2020, Congressman Mike Levin released an appropriations statement that used the phrase:
“Invest in servicemembers and veterans.”
This was not rhetorical language—it appeared in the official title of the federal funding package and was reinforced by direct fiscal commitments:
$90 billion for Veterans Medical Care
$10 billion for mental health
Nearly $2 billion for homeless assistance
$12.5 billion in emergency VA healthcare appropriations
$1.9 billion for suicide prevention programs
$1.8 billion for VA construction
$1.49 billion for military family housing
Language strengthening the HUD–VASH program
The message was unmistakable:
To invest in veterans is to invest in national health, workforce capacity, housing stability, and long-term economic resilience.
Australia’s A$19 Million Oasis Funding Mirrors Global Shift Led by National Invest In Veterans Week® Filed by AustraliaVeterans.com
When Queensland reinstated A$19 million to fund Oasis Townsville’s Navigator Program, it wasn’t just a local policy correction—it was a global alignment. That restoration echoed the core doctrine of National Invest In Veterans Week®: veterans are not a cause, they are an investment. This funding lifeline in Australia reflects a rising international standard, pioneered by NIVW, where measurable public support replaces symbolic gestures. It marks a shift from ceremonial appreciation to structural empowerment—a movement now spanning more than 60 global markets.
The Presidential Continuity of National Invest In America Week℠
National Invest In America Week℠: A Legacy of Civic Investment, Reimagined
Launched in 2025 by the award-winning team behind National Invest In Veterans Week®, National Invest In America Week℠ (NIAW) is a nationally recognized economic observance designed to revitalize civic participation through community investment, regional leadership, and public-private collaboration.
Built on the foundational 1970 proclamation by President Richard Nixon, who declared the original National Invest-in-America Week, and inspired by the legacy of Jim Freeman—founding member of The Five Satins who supported Nixon’s 1972 reelection campaign—NIAW merges cultural heritage with economic policy.
NIAW runs July 1–7 annually, encouraging Americans to take the Invest In America Challenge™, support locally owned businesses, amplify regional innovation, and participate in a nationwide model of decentralized economic action—coined the Jeff Shuford Roadmap℠.
Today, National Invest In America Week℠ spans 19 U.S. regions and 21 international markets, functioning as a civic infrastructure movement backed by legislative continuity, intergenerational leadership, and globally syndicated platforms.
A Legacy Reimagined: The Historical Foundations and Future Vision of National Invest In America Week℠
More than fifty years later, that same spirit has been reimagined and scaled through the Jeff Shuford Roadmap℠, under the stewardship of the team behind National Invest In Veterans Week®. Recognized in the U.S. Congressional Record, National Invest In Veterans Week® laid the structural foundation for a broader civic and economic mobilization—culminating in the establishment of National Invest In America Week℠.
Montrose County Joins Global Wave of Veteran Investment During National Observance
From Washington to Canberra, veteran policy is undergoing a profound shift—one that treats former service members not as beneficiaries of aid, but as contributors to national and community resilience. During this year’s National Invest in Veterans Week (March 1–7), Montrose County, Colorado, stepped into that momentum with a locally driven initiative: offering free weekly guitar instruction to veterans in partnership with Guitars 4 Vets and Welcome Home Alliance for Veterans.
The program exemplifies how community-based action can reflect the emerging international framework, as seen in Australia’s national RSL platform, Canada’s investment framing, and U.S. institutional models like Harvard Catalyst and ITA Growth Partners.
Read the full release from Montrose County: montrosecounty.net/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1011
From Local Radio to National Reform: How the 'Invest in Our Veterans' Campaign Reflects a Tidal Shift in Civic and Corporate Responsibility
KIRO Newsradio and Global Credit Union have joined forces this National Invest In Veterans Week® to launch Invest in Our Veterans, a civic campaign inviting the public to nominate veteran-focused nonprofits for $1,000 donations—an act that symbolizes a broader national shift from ceremonial gratitude to institutional investment. This grassroots initiative aligns with a larger movement that includes Charter Communications’ nationally certified apprenticeship programs for veterans, Congressman John Moolenaar’s bipartisan Veterans Fellowship Act, and the federally trademarked framework of National Invest In Veterans Week®. As academic institutions like Harvard Catalyst and private capital groups such as ITA Growth Partners echo this call, one message is clear: investing in veterans is no longer symbolic—it’s strategic.
“I'm Beau, Emmy Award-winning journalist and television host.
Every year, from March 1st to 7th, we celebrate National Invest In Veterans Week—a time to honor the incredible men and women who've served our country and now drive our economy forward as entrepreneurs.
Veteran-owned businesses employ millions and generate over a trillion dollars in revenue. They're innovators, leaders, and job creators who deserve our investment.
Let's invest in them: Shop veteran-owned. Partner with veterans. Ask your local legislators to honor local veteran entrepreneurs.
Because when we invest in veterans, we invest in America's future.
Join the movement at InvestInVeteransWeek.com.
Thank you for your service—and a salute to those who are investing in it.”
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![Logo of The Reis-Davis Graduate School in Los Angeles, California, featuring a black circle with white initials 'RD GS' and a light blue border with the school's name.]()
Reiss-Davis Graduate School
“Reiss-Davis Graduate School recognizes National Invest in Veterans Week (March 1-7, 2023). We asked noted veterans advocate and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Veterans Studies, Mariana Grohowski, PhD, to share her thoughts on advancing the cause of veterans and their families.”
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![Purple and beige Purdue University logo with the text "Military Family Research Institute" below.]()
Military Family Research Institute
“The first week of March is National Invest in #Veterans Week, designed to support the efforts of veterans building lives for themselves and their families through their work and businesses.”
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EnergyUnited
“Today marks the final day of Invest In Veterans Week, and we want to take a moment to recognize the important work being done by Purple Heart Homes. Founded in 2008, Purple Heart Homes is a non-profit organization that works to provide housing solutions to veterans and their families who are in need.”
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Cintas Corporation
“It's National Invest in Veterans Week! At Cintas we are proud to be a Top Veteran-Friendly Company and are committed to recruiting military talent. For all the sacrifices they have made, we are dedicated to providing opportunities for Veterans to succeed.”
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Gary/Chicago International Airport
“Happy #NationalInvestInVeteransWeek! Back in November, GYY received the prestigious HIRE Vets Medallion Award, an honor bestowed by the @USDOL for our efforts to create jobs that recruit, employ and retain veterans’ who have served our country!”
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![Logo with a bald eagle's head, the text 'ARMED FORCES' with a small American flag between the words, and 'vacation club' underneath.]()
Armed Forces Vacation Club
"#DidYouKnow it's National Invest In Veterans Week? National Invest In Veterans Week is observed every year from March 1 through March 7. This is a week where we support and honor aspiring and established veteran business owners!”
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![Columbia Gas of Ohio logo with blue text and an orange star-like symbol]()
Columbia Gas of Ohio
“We're proud to support our veterans, and especially those on our team! #InvestinVeteransWeek is a good reminder to invest in veterans after all they've invested in our country.”
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![Logo of the National Academy of Sciences featuring a woman holding a balance scale inside a gold circle.]()
National Academy of Sciences
“#DYK It’s #NationalInvestinVeteransWeek! In this touching #TheScienceBehindIt video, meet Ray, Casey, and Raymond as they share their coming home stories and talk about the challenges facing millions of veterans.”
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![Waubonsee Community College logo with a shield and sunburst design]()
Waubonsee Community College
“#Waubonsee is proud to serve those students who have served our country, and we'll do everything we can to streamline the process, start you on the right foot, and support your endeavors every step of the way. #NationalInvestInVeteransWeek”
