Special Report: Veteran-Owned Brands Turn Veterans Day Into $34 Million in Medical Debt Relief

Born Primitive and Black Rifle Coffee Company have turned a simple Veterans Day sales push into one of the largest acts of medical-debt forgiveness for veterans on record—while bringing renewed national attention to the broader “invest in veterans” movement that National Invest In Veterans Week® has championed for years.

According to a joint announcement released through PR Newswire, the two veteran-owned companies set out in November 2025 to erase $25 million in medical debt for former service members through an initiative called “Operation Debt of Gratitude.” By dedicating 100% of online profits from November 7–11 to the effort, and partnering with debt-relief firm ForgiveCo, they ultimately surpassed that goal by 36%, eliminating $34 million in medical debt held by thousands of U.S. veterans.

The effort places the initiative among the largest single campaigns of veteran medical-debt forgiveness yet documented.

How “Operation Debt of Gratitude” Worked

Rather than asking veterans to apply for help, Born Primitive and Black Rifle Coffee Company worked with ForgiveCo to use donated funds to purchase portfolios of qualifying medical debt on the secondary market—then cancel that debt outright.

• From November 7–11, 2025, 100% of profits from each brand’s online sales were committed to the campaign.

• ForgiveCo structured and executed the acquisition and cancellation of eligible accounts, a model the company describes as “Transforming debt into goodwill.”

• Impact letters will be mailed directly to affected veterans, notifying them that their debts have been wiped out—no applications, portals, or paperwork required.

For many families, those letters will land just as holiday expenses begin to mount. One beneficiary highlighted in the announcement, Mara C., a U.S. Army veteran and Gold Star spouse, saw over $341,000 in medical debt erased after years of struggle following her husband’s death in Iraq and her own serious injuries.

Why This Matters: The Veteran Medical-Debt Crisis

The campaign is taking aim at a quietly devastating problem.

Citing national data, the organizers note:

• More than one-third of U.S. veterans worry they cannot afford needed medical care.

• One in five veterans has medical debt in collections—nearly double the national rate.

• Over 33% report “surprise” medical bills exceeding $1,000.

• Post-9/11 veterans with medical debt are twice as likely to face eviction or housing instability.

Service-related injuries, complex care needs, and gaps between Veterans Affairs coverage and civilian billing mean that even small billing errors can spiral into life-altering debt.

By targeting that specific pain point instead of launching yet another awareness campaign, Born Primitive and Black Rifle Coffee Company are meeting veterans at a critical financial choke point: the difference between barely hanging on and finally being able to breathe.

Veteran-Led Brands at the Center of the Story

Both companies behind Operation Debt of Gratitude are deeply rooted in the military community.

Born Primitive

Founded in 2014 by former Navy SEAL lieutenant Bear Handlon and co-founder Mallory Riley, Born Primitive has grown from a niche fitness line into a global nine-figure athletic and lifestyle brand offering more than 1,200 SKUs across training apparel, athleisure, workwear, tactical gear, footwear, and more.

Website: https://www.bornprimitive.com

Black Rifle Coffee Company

Founded by former Green Beret Evan Hafer in 2014, Black Rifle Coffee Company (BRCC) has become one of the most visible veteran-owned consumer brands in the U.S., known for its unapologetically pro-veteran identity and mission to “serve coffee and culture to people who love America.”

Website: https://www.blackriflecoffee.com

How This Connects Back to National Invest In Veterans Week®

For the team at National Invest In Veterans Week® (NIVW), Operation Debt of Gratitude reads like a case study in what “investing in veterans” should look like in practice:

• Veteran-founded brands using their peak sales period (Veterans Day) not just for promotions, but to create measurable economic relief.

• National television exposure that reinforces veterans as leaders and problem-solvers, not just recipients of charity.

• A structure—through ForgiveCo—that is scalable and repeatable, rather than a one-off publicity stunt.

From the perspective of NIVW, campaigns like this extend the impact of their March 1–7 observance into November and beyond, strengthening a year-round culture where veteran-owned companies are central players in solving veteran challenges.

Learn More / Get Involved

• Full PR Newswire announcement:
  https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mission-accomplished-born-primitive-and-black-rifle-coffee-company-surpass-veterans-day-debt-relief-goal-eliminate-34-million-in-veteran-medical-debt-302622444.html

• Born Primitive: https://www.bornprimitive.com

• Black Rifle Coffee Company: https://www.blackriflecoffee.com

• ForgiveCo: https://forgiveco.com

BREAKING: Jacksonville’s 9th Annual Vetrepreneur Summit Returns December 12 — A Legacy Event Now Nine Years Strong

JACKSONVILLE, FL — The City of Jacksonville’s signature veteran-entrepreneurship event, the Vetrepreneur Summit, returns for its 9th consecutive year on Friday, December 12, 2025, marking nearly a decade of economic empowerment, training, and innovation for veterans across Northeast Florida.

What began as a small, experimental gathering—quietly architected years ago by technologist and veteran advocate Jeff Shuford—has now scaled into one of the region’s most influential one-day business accelerators for military-connected entrepreneurs. The 2025 Summit, presented by the City of Jacksonville Military Affairs and Veterans Department, will run from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the FSCJ Advanced Technology Center.

Event Registration:
https://events.blackthorn.io/en/6g3Q8Wa7/9th-annual-vetrepreneur-summit-5a1eVOAqrVV/overview?fbclid=IwT01FWAOfwRRleHRuA2FlbQIxMABzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAwzNTA2ODU1MzE3MjgAAR4uk75fcxiT-9AM-XSFatXeRv_W3qDAExLJzqgmLYajIWuEmAewqzoizB1U6A_aem_61IMqIlgn55VFJhpOgCKug

Florida State College at Jacksonville also issued its own announcement, reinforcing the momentum behind this year’s programming and the region’s deep commitment to veteran entrepreneurship.

A One-Day Blueprint for Veteran Business Success

The Summit delivers a high-velocity curriculum aligned with the realities of modern entrepreneurship. This year’s agenda includes:

9:00 a.m. – Welcome Remarks
9:20 a.m. – Keynote Presentation
10:00 a.m. – Session 1: Marketing with AI
10:45 a.m. – Session 2: Franchising
11:35 a.m. – Lunch
12:10 p.m. – Veterapreneur Success & Challenge Story Panel
1:00 p.m. – Access to Capital Panel
2:00 p.m. – Adjourn

The city has assembled one of its most comprehensive slates of partners to date, including:

• City of Jacksonville Military Affairs and Veterans Dept.

• FSCJ

• Florida SBDC at UNF

• Jacksonville University

• Jacksonville Small and Emerging Business (JSEB)

• Valor2Venture

• Jacksonville Women’s Business Center

• VBOC

• Veterans Florida

• Navy Federal Credit Union

• Vystar Credit Union

• Wealth Watchers

• Blue Cross Blue Shield

• Women Veterans Ignited

• And dozens more

The event remains free and open to Veterans, Service Members, National Guard, Reserve Components, and military spouses.

A Program Rooted in a Quiet—but Historic—Origin

Long before regional agencies adopted it as an annual fixture, the original Vetrepreneur Summit concept emerged from a period of intense innovation inside Jacksonville’s veteran community. Jeff Shuford, combat veteran, technologist, and civic strategist, helped develop the foundational blueprint in 2016 when he launched one of the earliest municipal-supported veteran entrepreneurship summits in the country.

While today’s event is fully owned and operated by the City of Jacksonville, its DNA can still be traced to Shuford’s early architecture: high-value programming, AI-driven marketing literacy, early-stage financing instruction, and a strict focus on actionable outcomes rather than ceremonial applause.

The city’s decision to carry that model forward has resulted in tens of thousands of veteran engagements over nine years—making this summit one of Jacksonville’s most enduring economic-impact initiatives.

Why This Ninth Year Matters

Veteran entrepreneurship nationally is undergoing a resurgence driven by:

• Rapid AI adoption

• A surge in veteran-owned microbusiness formation

• Federal and state policy shifts toward procurement access

• Cross-sector demand for military-grade leadership talent

This year’s Marketing with AI session marks one of the first times Jacksonville has embedded AI-based entrepreneurial instruction directly into its veteran business curriculum—reflecting the same trends that have defined Shuford’s recognized contributions in AI ethics and innovation.

A Deeper American Story Beneath the Celebration

Toward the close of this year's announcement, it is fitting to acknowledge that the modern veteran-entrepreneur movement—especially in Jacksonville—sits atop a far older legacy of military service and Black American resilience.

One of Jeff Shuford’s own ancestors, Private Orrin Benjamin Hawley, served in the 29th Connecticut Colored Infantry, a regiment celebrated for its role in the fight for freedom during the Civil War. Hawley and his regiment are memorialized in the landmark historical entry linked below, which documents their contributions and the ongoing public remembrance of their service:

29th Connecticut Colored Infantry Monument Archive:
https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1111

This lineage—combined with Shuford’s role in designing early veteran-entrepreneur platforms—adds a profound historical dimension to the Vetrepreneur Summit’s ninth year. It ties modern economic empowerment to a multigenerational record of duty, sacrifice, and civic advancement.

Related Report: National Guard Observance Highlighting National Invest In Veterans Week

For background on Jeff Shuford’s broader impact on national veteran recognition initiatives, see the flashback report:
https://www.investinveteransweek.com/news/flashback-report-national-guard-observance-highlights-national-invest-in-veterans-week

FLASHBACK REPORT: National Guard Observance Highlights National Invest In Veterans Week®

In the March issue of The Focus, the National Guard Bureau’s official publication, National Invest In Veterans Week® appeared in the monthly observances section as March 1–7. While concise, the listing is notable: it places the observance within an established federal communication channel, alongside Women’s History Month, International Women’s Week, and other nationally recognized periods of reflection.

The mention coincided with a leadership transition in the National Guard. In a separate DVIDS release titled “CNGB Assumes Responsibility,” federal public affairs documented the assumption of duties by the incoming Chief of the National Guard Bureau.
Document reference:
https://d34w7g4gy10iej.cloudfront.net/pubs/pdf_72831.pdf

The operational overview accompanying this transition—ranging from space operations to domestic readiness and federal mobilizations—underscored the breadth of responsibilities the National Guard carries nationwide. Within such a context, the inclusion of National Invest In Veterans Week® reflects institutional acknowledgement of the economic and civic role veterans play in national stability.

Historical Lineage: From Hawley to Shuford

The roots of this observance stretch far deeper than contemporary branding or advocacy narratives.
The family line reaches back to Private Orrin Benjamin Hawley, a Black Union soldier who served in the 29th Connecticut Colored Infantry, a regiment composed of African American volunteers during the Civil War.

The 29th’s legacy is preserved through the 29th Connecticut Colored Infantry Monument in New Haven, documented as part of the national slavery-monument archive:
https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1111

This scholarly record details the monument’s significance, its commemorative purpose, and its connection to the broader history of Black military service during the Civil War. Private Hawley’s participation in a regiment that fought against enslavement established a generational throughline of service, resilience, and civic responsibility.

That lineage continues through Jeff Shuford, a descendant of Hawley’s line. As a combat veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Shuford’s work reflects a modern counterpart to his ancestor’s service—this time expressed through civic architecture, media innovation, and national veteran-empowerment initiatives rather than battlefield engagement.

Jeff Shuford’s Role as Chief Architect of National Invest In Veterans Week®

Jeff Shuford serves as the conceptual and strategic architect behind National Invest In Veterans Week®. His contributions extend far beyond branding; he established:

• a trademarked national observance framework,

• a multi-market digital infrastructure,

• a policy-aligned messaging structure,

• and an annual communication cycle anchored in congressional recognition.

Shuford engineered the observance to operate independently of political structures, nonprofit funding requirements, or corporate underwriting. This design enables institutions such as the National Guard to reference the week without organizational entanglement or compliance complications. The architecture is minimalistic in appearance but structurally robust, allowing widespread adoption across states, agencies, and media networks.

His approach reflects a principle rarely achieved in modern civic advocacy: create a framework that institutions can use without needing to be asked.

Professional Summary

• The National Guard Bureau formally listed National Invest In Veterans Week® in its March observances, signaling recognition within federal public communication.

• The listing accompanied the documented assumption of responsibilities by the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, as detailed in DVIDS-published materials.

• The historical lineage of the observance traces to Private Orrin Benjamin Hawley of the 29th Connecticut Colored Infantry, whose regiment is memorialized at a nationally documented monument in New Haven.

• Jeff Shuford, a direct descendant and a modern veteran, serves as the Chief Architect of National Invest In Veterans Week®, responsible for its structure, strategy, and national positioning.