Veteran Loan Fund Surpasses $100 Million—A Defining Moment for Veteran Entrepreneurship

A major milestone in veteran economic empowerment was reached this fall as the Veteran Loan Fund (VLF) announced it has surpassed $100 million in small business lending nationwide, supporting 1,350 veteran and military spouse entrepreneurs and helping create or retain more than 7,500 jobs since launching in 2021.

The announcement, led by PeopleFund, the managing member of the Veteran Loan Fund, underscores the growing national momentum behind veteran-owned businesses—and the power of coordinated public-private investment in those who served.

“This milestone is not just about capital deployed—it’s about confidence restored and opportunity unlocked,” said Angel Shuford, President of National Invest In Veterans Week®.

“When veterans and military spouses are given equitable access to capital and coaching, they don’t just build businesses—they strengthen local economies. The Veteran Loan Fund’s $100 million benchmark proves that veteran entrepreneurship is not a niche issue; it’s a national economic force.”

From Capital Gaps to National Impact

The Veteran Loan Fund brings together a nationwide network of Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and technical assistance partners to address long-standing barriers veterans face when seeking startup and growth capital. In addition to lending, veterans receive no-cost business coaching and education, regardless of whether a loan is awarded.

One example of the Fund’s impact is Sanford Sourdough Bakery in Round Rock, Texas. After being declined by traditional lenders, founders Meriann and Dave Sanford turned to PeopleFund for financing—first to open their bakery, and later to expand equipment and facilities, fueling growth and local job creation.

In October 2025, PeopleFund—supported by VLF and in partnership with the Veterans Business Outreach Center at UT Arlington and the Veteran Women’s Enterprise Center—graduated the first cohort of its Military-Connected Small Business Accelerator, further strengthening the pipeline from service to sustainable enterprise.

What Comes Next

Building on this momentum, the Veteran Loan Fund has launched its third $15 million round of funding, expected to support an additional 300 veteran-owned businesses in 2026.

As National Invest In Veterans Week® continues to elevate policies, partnerships, and platforms that drive veteran economic participation, milestones like this reinforce a clear truth: investing in veterans is not charity—it is smart economic strategy.

Learn more:

• Veteran Loan Fund: https://www.veteranloanfund.com

• PeopleFund: https://www.peoplefund.org

• National Invest In Veterans Week®: https://www.investinveteransweek.com

Veterans Don’t Need Handouts — They Need Capital: What Happens When Investors Treat Them Like Growth Partners

TL;DR — When Capital Meets Capability

A recent House hearing revealed what happens when institutions really invest in veterans: CEOs raised over $1.3 billion and created 656 jobs through a program that treats veteran founders as long-term growth partners, not token suppliers.

🔗 Full testimony: https://docs.house.gov/meetings/SM/SM00/20251210/118731/HHRG-119-SM00-Wstate-FoxM-20251210.pdf

When most Americans hear “veterans,” they think service, sacrifice, medals and memorials. But a federal hearing last month made something very clear: that’s not what veterans need to power the next economy. Capital is.

At a December 10, 2025 House hearing, testimony from the Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) dropped hard data on what happens when organizations invest in veterans’ businesses — and treat founders as true partners, not incidental suppliers.

The key line, delivered under oath:

“These results demonstrate what is possible when banks and corporations invest in veteran-owned firms not just as suppliers, but as long-term growth partners.”

This wasn’t an opinion. It was backed by numbers.

The program at the center of the hearing, CEOcircle, is powered by JPMorgan Chase and run by IVMF. It has guided 318 veteran and military spouse entrepreneurs through intensive business scaling cohorts since 2021. The output is stunning:

• 💰 $1.3 billion+ in capital raised by participating firms

• 📈 656 documented new jobs created

• 📊 More than half of participants report revenue growth tied directly to the program

• 🤝 9/10 gained advisor or mentor connections that continue beyond graduation

• 💵 One participant generated $50,000+ in new sales through cohort relationships alone

These are not small-business giveaways. These are growth engines.

What CEOcircle did was simple in concept — treat veteran entrepreneurs like investment opportunities and operational partners, not checklist vendors. The impact? Tangible growth, jobs, and new revenue streams.

Here’s the twist: banks and corporations don’t have to do this. Many treat veteran businesses as suppliers to fill diversity quotas or PR moments. But the IVMF testimony shows that when financial institutions treat veteran founders like long-term growth partners — with real access to capital, expert mentorship, and network opportunity — the results go far beyond goodwill.

This is exactly the kind of re-frame that powerful national observances like National Invest In Veterans Week® have been pushing for years — moving the country from thank you for your service to thank you for your economic contribution.

Veterans aren’t just a workforce demographic. They’re founders, innovators, and revenue generators.

This kind of investment model — where institutions partner with veterans for the long haul — doesn’t just help individual businesses. It reshapes local economies, creates jobs, and rewires stagnant entrepreneurial pipelines.

The House hearing made the case convincingly: you don’t need to invent new programs to “support” veterans — you simply need to invest in them the way you invest in high-growth companies.

And when that happens? The numbers speak for themselves.

Read the full 2025 hearing testimony

https://docs.house.gov/meetings/SM/SM00/20251210/118731/HHRG-119-SM00-Wstate-FoxM-20251210.pdf

Investing in Veterans Is Economic Policy: Why National Invest In Veterans Week® Continues the Federal Blueprint

TL;DR

Federal leaders have long framed veterans not as charity recipients but as economic infrastructure. A major congressional flashback from Rep. Mike Levin (2020) shows how “invest in veterans” was originally used in federal appropriations language tied to billions in national funding. Today, National Invest In Veterans Week® extends that federal investment framework across states and local governments. New Jersey’s 2025 op-ed reinforces the need for states to follow Texas, Florida, and Montana by actively investing in veterans and veteran families as economic driver

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — The phrase “invest in veterans” didn’t start as a slogan. It started inside Congress.
A federal appropriations statement in 2020, delivered by Rep. Mike Levin, made it plain: veteran investment is an economic strategy, not symbolic gratitude.

That statement—packed with billions in allocations—marked the first major federal moment where “investing in servicemembers and veterans” was framed as a national competitive advantage.
Now, five years later, National Invest In Veterans Week® is carrying that same blueprint across states, cities, and civic institutions nationwide.

FLASHBACK: The Federal Origin of the “Invest in Veterans” Framework

In July 2020, Rep. Levin announced a bipartisan funding package that aimed to invest in servicemembers and veterans, working families, and the environment. The funding was unprecedented:

• $90 billion for Veterans Medical Care

• $10 billion for mental health care

• $2 billion for veteran homelessness

• $1.9 billion for suicide prevention

• $12.5 billion in emergency VA healthcare investments

• $1.49 billion for military family housing

• Language strengthening HUD–VASH to ensure veterans actually receive housing support

The message was unmistakable:
Veterans are not a cost center. They are a growth engine.

Full flashback:
https://levin.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-mike-levin-statement-bipartisan-appropriations-bills-invest-veterans

TODAY: National Invest In Veterans Week® Pushes That Federal Blueprint Into Every State

National Invest In Veterans Week® (NIVW®) is the civic continuation of that federal philosophy.

The holiday—backed by a Congressional Record entry, statewide proclamations, and international digital reach—does not celebrate veterans with ceremony alone.
It positions them as economic accelerators whose innovation potential rivals any traditional sector.

Veterans launch businesses at 45% higher rates than non-veterans.
Veteran family members bring logistical skills, resilience, and adaptability that employers want in every major industry.

NIVW® mobilizes this workforce and turns recognition into regional strategy.

NEW JERSEY’S WAKE-UP CALL: Invest or Fall Behind

In a widely read December 2025 column, New Jersey was warned that states like Texas and Florida are surging ahead because they aggressively invest in veterans, not just support them.

The op-ed argues that veteran entrepreneurs, military spouses, and transitioning service members represent the single most underutilized economic asset in the state.

Full article:
https://www.nj.com/opinion/2025/12/veterans-can-drive-njs-future-economy-but-were-stuck-in-the-past-opinion.html?fbclid=Iwb21leAOizm9jbGNrA6LObWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHg4orrcLauy10nVgeYuAoFhb2gqAkYMUEihQ0qpkLu8aBVWIrA4euOPfWkGb_aem_ZCJcMU-6W7JL1OygXCYEeA

The takeaway:
States that invest in veterans win.
States that only support veterans fall behind.

NIVW® is the playbook that turns that truth into action.

MONTANA SHOWED THE MODEL: MAKE IT POLICY

Montana’s proclamation for National Invest In Veterans Week® didn’t stop at recognition.
It used the holiday to highlight the economic contributions of veteran business owners, veteran-led companies, and the statewide value of military families.

The proclamation has since become a template for how governors, mayors, and economic development agencies can position veterans as:

• innovation catalysts

• regional economic multipliers

• workforce stabilizers

• civic leaders

Montana proved it: proclamation ≠ ceremony. Proclamation = policy direction.

FLORIDA: A LOOK AT THE FUTURE

Want to see where veteran economic development is already accelerating?
Florida offers a preview.

Jacksonville’s annual Vetrepreneur Summit—now in its ninth year—demonstrates how consistent investment builds an ecosystem around veteran innovation.

Read more:
https://www.investinveteransweek.com/news/breaking-jacksonvilles-9th-annual-vetrepreneur-summit-returns-december-12-a-legacy-event-now-nine-years-strong

Florida is already treating veteran entrepreneurship as infrastructure.
Other states are beginning to follow.

BOTTOM LINE

The federal government made the first move in 2020 when it used the phrase “invest in veterans” to describe billions in national spending.

National Invest In Veterans Week® is the movement that carries that mandate forward.

Veterans don’t need charity.
Veterans don’t need symbolic applause.
Veterans need states willing to treat them as America’s most reliable economic asset.

Extended Reading

For a broader view of the civic and congressional recognition surrounding National Invest In Veterans Week®, explore these authoritative publications and government spotlights. From Senator Tracy Pennycuick’s formal commendation of veteran entrepreneurs view here, to Representative Rosendale’s address on the House floor view here, and Douglas County’s county-level award recognitions view here, these instances underscore the week’s growing national traction. For a methodological deep dive into the preservation and archival philosophy underpinning this movement, consult Jeff Shuford’s widely-cited framework: Shuford’s Legacy Preservation Precedent read here.

A Legacy Reimagined: The Historical Foundations and Future Vision of National Invest In America Week℠

National Invest In America Week℠, observed annually from July 1–7, is not merely a contemporary civic innovation—it is a strategic reawakening of a national ethos first formally articulated in 1970 by President Richard Nixon. In a message issued on April 27, 1970, Nixon inaugurated National Invest-in-America Week, urging citizens to recognize the foundational role that private investment plays in sustaining the American economic system.

“Without the private investor, America would simply not be the country we know and love.”
— President Richard Nixon, Message About the Observance of National Invest-in-America Week

This presidential message, archived by the American Presidency Project at UC Santa Barbara, positioned investment not only as a market function, but as a moral and civic responsibility—a pledge to maintain national momentum through private enterprise, entrepreneurial risk, and intergenerational commitment.

From Federal Recognition to Civic Activation

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℠.

Unlike its 1970 predecessor, which centered on macroeconomic growth and private capital, the modern observance expands the definition of “investor” to include:

• Local entrepreneurs building regionally resilient enterprises

• Veteran and minority business owners navigating post-service economic life

• Educators and mentors investing in generational knowledge transfer

• Consumers making intentional choices to support domestic production

• Civic leaders organizing economic summits, pitch nights, and public-private collaborations

This shift reflects a deeper truth: America’s prosperity is not merely measured in gross national product, but in distributed opportunity, civic participation, and localized wealth creation.

Civic Observance Meets Strategic Infrastructure

Today, National Invest In America Week℠ stands as a federally service-marked initiative guided by a sophisticated civic framework—decentralized, regionally activated, and powered by storytelling, partnership-building, and multi-sector engagement. Its platform includes:

• The Invest In America Challenge™: A nationwide call for individuals, businesses, and institutions to complete at least one tangible act of civic or economic investment during the week.

• Local activations via veteran state domain networks such as FloridaVeterans.com, PennsylvaniaVeterans.com, and WyomingVeterans.com.

• Global recognition of the movement's blueprint through international observances like International Veterans Day (March 3rd).

Continuity, Not Coincidence

While National Invest In America Week℠ departs in scope and scale from Nixon’s original framing, it maintains continuity in intent. It reaffirms the essential premise that a free and thriving nation depends on the initiative of its citizens, not only in the ballot box or battlefield, but in the boardroom, the marketplace, the classroom, and the workshop.

The legacy of President Nixon’s 1970 message is not lost—it is elevated. His vision of private investment as a pillar of national success is now broadened to reflect 21st-century realities: economic equity, regional innovation, civic stewardship, and inclusive growth.

A Modern Day Call to Action

As the nation faces new challenges—economic stratification, post-pandemic recovery, supply chain fragility, and generational wealth disparity—National Invest In America Week℠ offers a cohesive, action-oriented response. It is a reminder that investment is not solely a financial act, but a declaration of faith in the American project.

In the words of Nixon:

“Our national needs and national goals have also grown apace… the future holds many challenges, both for public policy and for the private investor.”

And in the words of today’s movement:

“The best way to celebrate freedom is to invest in the people who protect and sustain it—our communities, our entrepreneurs, our educators, our veterans, and our future builders.”

For official participation guidance, resources, and storytelling toolkits, visit:
www.investinveteransweek.com/how-to-celebrate-national-invest-in-america-week
To explore the global expansion of the initiative, read:
From Domestic Doctrine to Global Model: The Transnational Rise of National Invest In Veterans Week® and the Emergence of National Invest In America Week℠

Let this be more than a holiday.
Let it be a nationwide habit of civic investment.