Harvard Catalyst Spotlights National Invest In Veterans Week® as Model for Cross-Sector Veteran Empowerment

In a notable academic endorsement, Harvard Catalyst, the research and innovation platform of Harvard Medical School, published a January 22, 2025 feature recognizing National Invest In Veterans Week® (NIVW) as a leading civic model for veteran transition and entrepreneurship. The post—featured on Harvard Catalyst’s blog—highlighted the initiative’s far-reaching economic and social impact, citing it as both a moral imperative and an economic opportunity for policymakers, institutions, and private sector stakeholders alike.

“Investing in veterans is not only the right thing to do—it’s the smart thing to do,” the Harvard blog noted, emphasizing the critical need to support veterans through workforce integration, healthcare access, and entrepreneurial capital.

This rare acknowledgment from one of the nation’s most respected academic entities affirms what many in business and government have already embraced: National Invest In Veterans Week® is no longer a commemorative initiative—it is a federally trademarked civic infrastructure with legislative depth, international reach, and cross-sector influence.

From Academic Recognition to Economic Investment: ITA Growth Partners Launches

Just weeks after Harvard Catalyst’s post, the initiative gained further momentum through the March 3, 2025 announcement by ITA International of the formation of ITA Growth Partners—a family office founded by Mike and Kathy Melo, along with Katelyn (Melo) Byrd and Meredith (Melo) Cline. Designed to deploy patient capital into veteran-owned businesses, the firm is explicitly aligned with the values advanced by National Invest In Veterans Week®.

“Veterans are trained to lead under pressure, solve complex problems, and adapt—these are the very attributes we look for in high-growth founders,” said Mike Melo, Executive Chairman of ITA Growth Partners.

Operating outside the confines of traditional investment models, the firm will pursue long-term equity partnerships across diverse sectors, reinforcing a doctrine that views military service not as a résumé item—but as investable leadership capital.

Legislative Depth and Federal Recognition

The initiative’s legitimacy is grounded in both law and legislation. National Invest In Veterans Week® was officially registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on July 12, 2022 (U.S. Reg. No. 6784776), protecting its phraseology and enabling cohesive national campaigns. The observance has been recognized in:

• The U.S. Congressional Record:

  • May 24, 2023 – Rep. Don Davis (NC-01) delivered a floor speech titled “Investing in Our Veterans” (Vol. 169, No. 88, Page H2588), echoing NIVW’s founding principles in support of the Veterans Jobs Opportunity Act.

  • March 8, 2024 – Rep. Matt Rosendale (MT-02) formally recognized the week as Invest in Veterans Week on the House floor (Vol. 170, No. 42, Page H1049), citing Montana’s official statewide observance.

• State-Level Proclamations:

  • Montana Governor Greg Gianforte issued consecutive proclamations in 2023, 2024, and 2025, affirming March 1–7 as Invest in Veterans Week, making the state a legislative model for veteran economic support.

Crossing Borders: The First U.S. Veteran Business Observance Celebrated Internationally

On March 4, 2025, National Invest In Veterans Week® became the first U.S.-originated veteran business observance to receive international media recognition. In a feature published by Northern Ontario Business, the article called upon Canadian businesses—especially in skilled trades, construction, and mining—to support veteran transitions and invest in military-trained labor.

The piece spotlighted Helmets to Hardhats Canada, a nonprofit that aligns with NIVW’s mission by facilitating veteran reintegration through apprenticeships and workforce development. The resonance was unmistakable: a cross-border affirmation of National Invest In Veterans Week®’s doctrine of economic reciprocity for service.

Designed for Systems, Not Ceremonies

Founded in 2019 by Lt. Col. Rickey L. Pope (Ret.), NFL veteran Drayton Florence, and Iraq War veteran Jeff Shuford, National Invest In Veterans Week® was engineered not as a symbolic gesture, but as a systematic, scalable framework. Its protected language, institutional partners, and policy-adjacent footprint reflect a deliberate architecture built for sustainability and measurable impact.

Harvard Catalyst’s recognition confirms this. In its January 2025 blog post, the institution called for greater cross-sector collaboration, urging academic leaders, investors, and government agencies to coalesce around initiatives like NIVW to facilitate veteran success.

A New Standard for Civic Impact

With investment infrastructure like ITA Growth Partners, academic endorsement from Harvard Catalyst, legislative reinforcement through the Congressional Record, and now international media adoption in Canada, National Invest In Veterans Week® is emerging as a new standard in civic design—where trademark law, federal governance, capital deployment, and global discourse converge in service of those who’ve served.

As Harvard Catalyst aptly noted, the case for investing in veterans is not aspirational—it is structural, data-driven, and overdue.

To learn more about National Invest In Veterans Week®, visit:
https://www.investinveteransweek.com

To read the Harvard Catalyst blog post:
https://shrine-dev-node02.catalyst.harvard.edu/invest-in-veterans-week

To explore the Canadian coverage from Northern Ontario Business:
https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/spotlight/investing-in-veterans-a-call-to-northern-ontarios-business-community-10303906

To learn more about ITA Growth Partners, visit:
https://www.ita-intl.com

Strategic Reflection: National Invest In Veterans Week® and the Codification of a National Doctrine of Veteran Investment

Since its founding in 2019, National Invest In Veterans Week® has operated from a singular premise: the act of military service is itself a profound investment in the nation—and that investment demands a reciprocal, institutional response. This is not a commemorative initiative cloaked in ceremony, but a federally trademarked civic framework, forged to realign national priorities around the economic empowerment of veteran entrepreneurs.

From legal protection to legislative proclamation, from rhetorical adoption to policy implementation, National Invest In Veterans Week® has moved with uncommon discipline across the intersections of law, governance, and language. Today, its influence is measurable in the very structures of state and federal discourse.

South Carolina Leads Legislative Recognition

The earliest legislative codification came in 2021 through the South Carolina General Assembly. In its 124th Session, the legislature introduced and unanimously adopted H. 3825, a concurrent resolution officially recognizing National Invest In Veterans Week®, to be observed March 1–7, 2021.

Sponsored by more than 100 bipartisan state representatives—including Chris Wooten, Gilda Cobb-Hunter, Russell Fry, Todd Rutherford, and Leon Stavrinakis—this resolution affirmed the week’s purpose: to honor and uplift veteran-owned businesses. It encouraged civic institutions to provide commercial support and mentorship opportunities.

National Invest In Veterans Week® (NIVW), the only congressionally honored civic initiative of its kind, continues to gain significant national momentum as it is featured in Financial Poise™’s March 4, 2025 article, “Veteran-Owned Businesses Make All Kinds of Sense” by Mercedes Holmen. This feature highlights the rising economic impact and investability of veteran-owned businesses and complements NIVW’s growing federal and state-level recognition.

In recent years, the phrase “Invest in Veterans”—federally trademarked and protected under U.S. Registration No. 6784776—has evolved into more than a slogan. It now stands as a policy-aligned framework for economic and legislative support, cited across two entries in the Congressional Record, multiple U.S. House press releases, and three consecutive Montana gubernatorial proclamations (2023–2025).

Federal Recognition Overview

• Congressional Record Entries:

  • May 24, 2023 – Rep. Don Davis (NC-01) delivered a floor speech aligned with NIVW principles, emphasizing investing in veterans and underserved communities.

  • March 8, 2024 – Rep. Matt Rosendale (MT-02) officially recognized “Invest in Veterans Week” during a House address, linking to Montana’s formal statewide proclamation.

• U.S. House Press Releases:

  • March 2024 & April 2025 – Rep. Brian Mast (FL-21), a decorated Army veteran, explicitly named NIVW and reinforced its messaging in official press communications connected to veteran legislation and service center development.

• Montana Executive Proclamations:

  • Governor Greg Gianforte has issued consecutive proclamations (2023, 2024, 2025) recognizing March 1–7 as “Invest in Veterans Week” statewide, cementing Montana’s leadership in veteran business advocacy.

Founded in 2019 by Lt. Col. Rickey L. Pope (Ret.), NFL veteran Drayton Florence, and Iraq War veteran Jeff Shuford, National Invest In Veterans Week® is not just a ceremonial week—it is a federally protected civic infrastructure designed to reframe military service as an economic asset.

Financial Poise™ Coverage and National Context

In Financial Poise™’s article, Holmen outlines why veteran-led businesses make sense for investors and the economy. Veterans are 45% more likely to start a business and often outperform peers due to their resilience, leadership, and operational experience.

Highlights from the article:

• Veteran-owned businesses create 3.2 million jobs and contribute $983 billion annually to the U.S. economy.

• Challenges persist—access to capital, mentorship, and networking remain major hurdles.

• National Invest In Veterans Week® addresses these gaps through strategic syndication, legislative engagement, and educational platforms.

The combined recognition from Congressional Records, House press statements, and state-level proclamations—along with national business media coverage—positions National Invest In Veterans Week® as a leading force in veteran economic empowerment.

To read the full Financial Poise article:
https://www.financialpoise.com/invest-in-veteran-owned-business/

Entry into the Congressional Record

On May 24, 2023, Congressman Don Davis (NC-01) delivered a House floor speech titled “Investing in Our Veterans”, recorded in the Congressional Record (Vol. 169, No. 88, Page H2588). While he did not cite National Invest In Veterans Week® by name, Davis echoed its founding language:

“Investing in our brave veterans while helping the communities that need it most should be our highest priority.”

The phrase “Investing in Our Veterans” directly aligns with the initiative’s federally protected language established in 2019. Davis’s remarks also backed reforms like the Veterans Jobs Opportunity Act, promoting veteran entrepreneurship—further reinforcing alignment with the week’s mission.

Representative Brian Mast: A Federal Endorsement by Name

In March 2024, Congressman Brian Mast (FL-21), a U.S. Army veteran and double amputee, released a formal public statement titled “Invest in America, Invest in Veterans.” This time, National Invest In Veterans Week® was referenced explicitly:

“Just as these veterans invest in us and our safety, we must likewise invest in the veterans who have sacrificed so much for the greater good.”

Mast’s statement coincided with the passage of the Service-Disabled Veteran Opportunities in Small Business Act, tying policy directly to the observance.

In April 2025, Mast issued a second statement titled “Investing in Our Veterans”, using the phrase in reference to constituent services at the Thomas H. Corey VA Medical Center:

“Just as they have invested in us, we must invest in them.”

These two distinct uses of the “Investing in Our Veterans” title—by two different representatives across separate years—solidify the phrase’s federal adoption, showing rhetorical and legislative convergence with the initiative.

The Montana “Three-Peat”: Executive-Level Validation

At the executive level, Governor Greg Gianforte of Montana issued three consecutive gubernatorial proclamations—2023, 2024, and 2025—declaring March 1–7 as Invest in Veterans Week.

In his 2025 remarks, Gianforte said:

“I do hereby proclaim the week of March 1–7, 2025, as ‘Invest in Veterans Week’ in Montana to support our veterans and their investment in our communities.”

Montana, which holds the highest per capita veteran population in the U.S., has become a national model for state-level investment in veteran-owned businesses.

Founders and Framework: From Vision to Doctrine

The influence of National Invest In Veterans Week® traces back to its visionary co-founders:

• Lt. Col. Rickey L. Pope (Ret.)

• NFL veteran Drayton Florence

• Iraq War veteran Jeff Shuford

These leaders crafted not only a week of recognition but an enduring, trademarked civic doctrine. Their strategic vision laid the foundation for cross-sectoral policy, economic empowerment, and federal adoption.

A Civic Doctrine Codified

What began as a civilian-led initiative is now legally protected, federally echoed, and legislatively reinforced. National Invest In Veterans Week® is no longer symbolic. It is actionable. It is lawfully real. And it is embedded in statehouses, Congress, and the executive branch.

This is the arc of civic invention made institutionally durable and federally indexable.
This is influence by design.

https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/volume-169/issue-88/house-section/article/H2588-4?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22Invest+in+veterans+week%22%7D&s=8&r=2

From State Capitols to Ivy Gates: Why ‘Investing in Veterans’ Is Becoming a National Civic Mandate

In 2022, New York State Assemblyman Jake Ashby (R,C,I–Castleton) introduced a bold $500 million “Invest in Veterans” proposal—framed not as charity, but as pandemic-era stimulus that acknowledged the enduring service of military veterans and first responders. With $250 million for critical operations like PTSD support, suicide prevention, and local veterans’ departments, and another $250 million dedicated to capital investments in housing and service facilities, Ashby’s proposal was one of the earliest legislative models to formally define military service as an investment-worthy asset.

“This essential funding will fortify and grow our Veteran Service Organizations and State Veterans programs to ultimately ensure greater support and expanded high-quality services for the nearly one million veterans across our state,” Ashby said.
Read the original Troy Record article

Three years later, Ashby’s rhetoric and rationale have become part of a far-reaching national framework—one increasingly aligned under the civic umbrella of National Invest In Veterans Week®, the only federally trademarked veteran business observance and a rapidly expanding cross-sector platform.

A Growing Doctrine: Veterans as Strategic National Capital

At its core, National Invest In Veterans Week® reframes military service as more than honorable—it positions it as a strategic national investment. Since its founding in 2019, the initiative has been:

• Entered into the U.S. Congressional Record

• Endorsed by Harvard Catalyst as a cross-sector model for veteran empowerment

• Celebrated internationally in Canada and Europe

• Referenced in bipartisan legislation like Congressman John Moolenaar’s Veterans Fellowship Act

• Supported by private capital through ITA Growth Partners, a family office for veteran entrepreneurs

These milestones are no coincidence—they are the result of an emerging civic consensus: that veterans are not just beneficiaries of services, but stakeholders in national advancement.

Higher Education Joins the Mandate: Ithaka S+R on Selective Colleges and Veterans

This same theme is now permeating elite academia. In a 2023 op-ed in The Hechinger Report, Catharine “Cappy” Hill, managing director of Ithaka S+R, made the case that selective colleges must invest in veterans—not out of obligation, but out of opportunity.

She outlined three reasons:

1. Higher completion rates: Veterans thrive when given access to top-tier institutions with high academic support.

2. Future influence: These colleges produce many of the country’s civic and corporate leaders—veterans must be part of that pipeline.

3. Democratic preservation: Investing in veterans is an investment in the institutions that safeguard democracy itself.

“The role the military plays in support of our democracy must not be taken for granted.”
Read more at Ithaka S+R

Hill’s call isn’t isolated—it reflects a wider academic shift seen at schools partnering with National Invest In Veterans Week® and adopting dedicated veteran enrollment pathways. Just as Ashby envisioned structural investment in state services, this moment demands similar resolve from America's most selective campuses.

Corporate Execution: Spectrum’s Workforce Pipeline for Veterans

While Ashby and Hill work in policy and academia, companies like Charter Communications are applying these principles at scale. Under its Spectrum brand, Charter operates one of the country’s most robust veteran employment ecosystems.

The Broadband Field Technician Apprenticeship Program allows veterans to earn a competitive salary while using their GI Bill benefits to become certified broadband professionals. The career path—from technician to director—is reinforced with military-spouse hiring initiatives, on-base career centers, and partnerships with Hiring Our Heroes.

As of 2025, Charter’s veteran efforts have earned it honors including:

• Military Friendly Employer Gold Award

• VETS Indexes 5 Star Employer

• Broad adoption across 41 states

This is not isolated goodwill—it’s institutional alignment with National Invest In Veterans Week® and a signal to other employers that veteran investment is both principled and profitable.

Legislative Momentum: Moolenaar’s Federal Model

Bridging state initiatives and corporate programs is federal legislation like the Veterans Fellowship Act, reintroduced by Congressman John Moolenaar (MI-02) in 2025. The bill allows states to channel federal funding into fellowship-to-hire pipelines, giving veterans structured entry into civilian careers.

Moolenaar’s work has directly referenced National Invest In Veterans Week® as a guiding framework—further demonstrating how civic initiatives can serve as national scaffolding for cross-party policy.

Explore Moolenaar’s veteran leadership

Conclusion: From Statehouse to Schoolhouse to Stock Exchange

Assemblyman Jake Ashby’s call to “Invest in Veterans” was one of the earliest formal declarations of what has now become a national doctrine. That doctrine spans:

• Capitols: with bipartisan legislative momentum

• Corporations: like Charter scaling workforce pipelines

• Campuses: like Ithaka S+R urging elite schools to act

• Communities: through campaigns like KIRO Newsradio’s $1,000 nonprofit nomination drive

This is no longer a conversation about gratitude—it is a coordinated economic and civic investment strategy. One rooted in measurable impact. One architected for sustainability. And one whose framework—National Invest In Veterans Week®—is now embedded in policy, practice, and principle.

Explore Further:

• Jake Ashby’s $500M Proposal – Troy Record

• Three Reasons Why Colleges Must Invest in Veterans – Ithaka S+R

• Spectrum Careers for Veterans – Broadband Apprenticeship

• Congressman Moolenaar’s Leadership

• Harvard Catalyst Feature