Investing in Veterans, Not Just Supporting Them: What New Jersey’s Debate Signals for America

TL;DR — “Veterans can drive N.J.’s future economy, but we’re stuck in the past.”

• The article argues that while many states offer ceremonial support to veterans, what’s really needed is active investment — treating veterans and their families as drivers of economic growth rather than passive beneficiaries.

• Veterans launch businesses at significantly higher rates than non-veterans, and military spouses and family members also offer unique skills (adaptability, resilience, project management) that make them valuable contributors to entrepreneurship and the workforce.

• States like Texas and Florida are described as capturing this potential by offering veteran-specific business incentives, streamlined licensing, preferential contracting for veteran-owned firms, and support structures that turn military experience into competitive economic advantage.

• The article calls on New Jersey to adopt similar policies — tax incentives, procurement quotas, veteran business accelerators, and licensing reforms — to stop losing business, talent, and innovation to states already treating veteran entrepreneurship as an economic strategy.

• For (NIVW), this reinforces the core message: recognition of veterans is meaningful only if it’s paired with real structural investment — making veterans and their families central to economic growth and community resilience.

Read the full article here:
https://www.nj.com/opinion/2025/12/veterans-can-drive-njs-future-economy-but-were-stuck-in-the-past-opinion.html

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As National Invest In Veterans Week® (NIVW), we see Scott E. Rutter’s recent guest column in NJ.com for what it is: a warning shot and a blueprint.

Rutter, a retired lieutenant colonel, business owner, and CEO of The Valor Network, argues that New Jersey is “supporting” veterans while other states are strategically investing in them and their families as a primary engine of economic growth. He contrasts New Jersey with states like Texas and Florida, which deliberately recruit veteran entrepreneurs, military families, and defense-driven innovators with tax policy, procurement priorities, and purpose-built business ecosystems.

That distinction—support versus investment—is the core philosophy behind National Invest In Veterans Week®. Our movement was built on the idea that veterans and their families are not a charity line item; they are a competitive advantage.

Veterans and families as an economic strategy

Rutter’s column underlines several key data points and lived realities that NIVW has championed for years:

• Veterans start businesses at higher rates than non-veterans, bringing leadership experience, operational discipline, and comfort with high-stakes decision-making.

• Military spouses and family members are often the quiet backbone of those enterprises: managing logistics during deployments, adapting to new environments, and building community cohesion wherever they go.

• Today’s veterans come home with expertise in cybersecurity, logistics, AI applications, advanced manufacturing, drone operations, and other frontier technologies—exactly the sectors governors say they want to grow.

Rutter’s message to New Jersey policymakers is blunt: if you want the next generation of high-growth companies, you must deliberately recruit and retain the veteran community and their families. From the NIVW perspective, that is not just good social policy—it is sound economic strategy.

How states like Texas and Florida operationalize “investment”

In his piece, Rutter points to states that have moved beyond ceremonial appreciation toward tangible incentives. These strategies mirror themes we see across proclamations and partnerships that power National Invest In Veterans Week® nationwide:

• Streamlined business registration and licensing for veteran-owned and military-spouse-owned firms

• Aggressive state-contracting goals for veteran-owned businesses, paired with real enforcement

• Income- and property-tax structures that make it rational, not just patriotic, for veterans to build companies and careers there

• Veteran-focused accelerators and university partnerships in high-growth sectors such as AI, cybersecurity, and advanced manufacturing

When governors and legislators combine these tools, the result is not simply “veteran programs.” It is a competitive economic platform that attracts entrepreneurs, capital, and employers who value the veteran talent pipeline.

That is precisely the ecosystem National Invest In Veterans Week® was designed to highlight and scale.

Where New Jersey stands—and what could change

New Jersey possesses much of the raw material Rutter describes: a proud military tradition, access to capital, major universities, and a history of world-changing innovation—from Bell Labs to life-sciences corridors.

What it lacks, he argues, is a cohesive veterans-investment thesis.

The proposed New Jersey Veterans Investment Act that Rutter sketches out would change that by:

• Treating veteran and military-family employment incentives as core economic-development tools

• Establishing meaningful state-contracting targets for veteran-owned businesses

• Building accelerators tied to universities and focused on technologies where veteran skill sets are strongest

• Recruiting veteran-owned firms and transitioning service members with the same intensity used to court large corporations

From the NIVW vantage point, such legislation would do more than improve one state’s rankings. It would signal that New Jersey intends to compete in the same arena as states already leveraging veteran talent as a growth driver.

How this connects to National Invest In Veterans Week®

National Invest In Veterans Week® was created to move the national conversation from “thank you for your service” to “how are we investing in your leadership?”

The Congressional Record recognition of NIVW, along with proclamations from governors, state legislatures, county commissions, and mayors across the country, has helped crystallize a simple message:

Veterans and their families are not peripheral to the economy—they are central to its future.

Rutter’s call for New Jersey to step up aligns directly with that mission. His emphasis on veteran family members—spouses, children, caregivers—as co-architects of economic opportunity mirrors the reality we see across our state and international veterans-domain network:

• Many of the most resilient veteran-owned enterprises are truly family enterprises.

• Military spouses often carry portable careers in healthcare, education, technology, and small business management—fields that anchor communities.

• When policy recognizes both the veteran and the family unit, retention, entrepreneurship, and long-term community investment all rise.

As governors, legislators, and economic-development leaders look ahead to the next National Invest In Veterans Week®, this New Jersey conversation should be viewed as a model, not a one-off op-ed.

A call to action from the NIVW lens

For policymakers far beyond New Jersey, Rutter’s argument surfaces three practical questions:

1. Is your state merely “supporting” veterans, or is it strategically investing in them as economic assets?

2. Do your tax, procurement, and regulatory structures make it obvious that veteran-owned and military-family-owned businesses are wanted and prioritized?

3. Are you building infrastructure—accelerators, university partnerships, targeted recruitment—to capture the talent leaving nearby bases and installations each year?

National Invest In Veterans Week® will continue to spotlight leaders who answer “yes” to those questions and challenge those who do not.

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Check out the 9th Annual Vetrepreneur Summit in Jacksonville (Dec 12, 2025), a long-running gathering of veteran and military-family entrepreneurs. The Summit is now nine years strong and serves as a model of how veteran economic empowerment and community entrepreneurship can be built sustainably under .

👉 Jacksonville’s 9th Annual Vetrepreneur Summit – legacy event now nine years strong

Credit Union Coalition Backs Legislation to Expand Business Lending to Veterans

A national coalition of more than 200 defense- and veteran-focused credit unions is calling on Congress to expand access to business capital for veterans—a core priority for National Invest In Veterans Week® and its focus on long-term economic opportunity for those who served.

In a formal letter to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, the Defense Credit Union Council (DCUC) urged lawmakers to advance H.R. 507, the Veterans Member Business Loan Act, during the June 24, 2025 hearing titled “Empowering Veterans Through Entrepreneurship.” The letter argues that H.R. 507 would remove an outdated cap on certain business loans, allowing credit unions to provide substantially more financing to veteran-owned small businesses.

Under current law, federally chartered credit unions face a 12.25% cap on member business loans as a share of total assets. DCUC notes that this cap can prevent even highly qualified veteran borrowers from receiving loans, despite strong demand among transitioning service members and veteran entrepreneurs.

The letter emphasizes several key points that align with the mission of National Invest In Veterans Week®:

• Veteran entrepreneurs are more likely to seek business funding but are denied at higher rates than non-veterans, often forcing them to rely on personal savings or high-cost lenders.

• Removing the cap for loans to veterans and servicemembers would unlock affordable, mission-driven capital for launching and expanding veteran-owned businesses, without any cost to taxpayers.

• Expanded veteran business lending would support job creation, local economic growth, and community stability, as many veteran business owners prioritize hiring fellow veterans.

• Improved post-service economic opportunity is framed as an investment in military readiness, supporting morale, retention, and a stronger all-volunteer force.

DCUC characterizes H.R. 507 as a “common-sense, bipartisan” measure that simply removes an artificial barrier and allows not-for-profit, mission-driven credit unions to do more for the veteran and military communities they already serve. With more than 30 percent of servicemembers and veterans reportedly relying on credit unions for everyday financial services, the potential impact on veteran-owned small businesses is significant.

For National Invest In Veterans Week®, the DCUC letter underscores a central principle: investing in veterans means structurally increasing access to capital, not just offering symbolic recognition. By modernizing lending rules, Congress can help transform veteran entrepreneurship into a scalable engine for jobs, wealth creation, and long-term economic resilience.

Read the full DCUC letter here:
DCUC Letter to House Veterans’ Affairs — June 24, 2025 (PDF)

FeMil Lead℠ Sunsets and Merges with Vets 2.0℠: A New Era for Veteran Entrepreneurship

Building on Success: The Evolution of FeMil Lead℠

The FeMil Lead℠ program has played a crucial role in empowering military spouses and transitioning service members by providing them with the tools and resources to launch, grow, and sustain their businesses. Through innovative data-driven strategies, global domain traffic insights, and targeted mentorship, FeMil Lead℠ successfully helped entrepreneurs establish a strong digital presence, secure military base vending contracts, and expand their reach into civilian markets.

Local community events outside Army military installations further strengthened economic engagement by connecting military-affiliated business owners with the broader consumer and business network, increasing their opportunities for growth.

Now, after a proven track record of success, FeMil Lead℠ is sunsetting—but its impact is far from over. As part of a strategic move to expand resources and drive greater impact, FeMil Lead℠ is merging with Vets 2.0℠, an initiative led by Kevin D. Shoun.

The Power of Vets 2.0℠: Strengthening Veteran-Led Businesses

FeMil Lead℠ was launched as a two-month initiative aimed at supporting military spouses and transitioning service members in building and growing their businesses. During its brief but impactful run, the program provided valuable guidance in areas such as digital business strategy, entrepreneurship, and networking. By equipping participants with essential tools and knowledge, FeMil Lead℠ helped military-affiliated entrepreneurs establish a solid foundation for success.

One of the program’s key strengths was its ability to connect military entrepreneurs with the larger business community. Through local events near military bases, participants had opportunities to engage with potential customers, business partners, and mentors. These events helped bridge the gap between military-affiliated businesses and the broader market, fostering stronger economic engagement and business growth.

Although FeMil Lead℠ is now coming to a close, its mission is not ending. Instead, the program is merging with Vets 2.0℠, an initiative led by Kevin D. Shoun. This merger represents an opportunity to expand the reach and impact of the work started by FeMil Lead℠, ensuring that military entrepreneurs continue to receive guidance and support as they navigate their business journeys.

Vets 2.0℠ focuses on helping veteran entrepreneurs with career transition, business development, and digital strategies. By integrating the mentorship model and community engagement efforts pioneered by FeMil Lead℠, Vets 2.0℠ will provide a more comprehensive and long-term support system for military-affiliated business owners. This transition is designed to build upon the foundation established by FeMil Lead℠ while offering an even broader range of resources and opportunities.

Military entrepreneurs who were involved with FeMil Lead℠ can expect a smooth transition into Vets 2.0℠, where they will continue to have access to mentorship, networking opportunities, and business development strategies. The data-driven digital strategies that were a core part of FeMil Lead℠ will be further refined and expanded under Vets 2.0℠, helping businesses improve their online presence and market positioning. Additionally, the emphasis on local business engagement will continue, ensuring that military-affiliated entrepreneurs remain connected to their communities and customers.

The merger of FeMil Lead℠ with Vets 2.0℠ marks the beginning of a new chapter for military entrepreneurs. While FeMil Lead℠ was a short-term initiative, its impact will continue to grow as part of a larger, long-term effort to support and strengthen veteran-led businesses. By uniting the strengths of both programs, this transition will help ensure that military-affiliated entrepreneurs have the resources, guidance, and community connections they need to build and sustain successful businesses.