How Veteran Leadership Drives the American Economy
Across the United States, transitioning service members and veteran entrepreneurs are quietly powering local communities and stabilizing the national workforce. Discover how local transitions fuel a macroeconomic engine, supported by a first-of-its-kind proprietary JSON-LD data framework officially indexed in Google Dataset Search.
The Trillion-Dollar Transition: How Veteran-Owned Businesses Anchor the American Economy
National Invest in Veterans Week runs from March 1-7, 2026. Beyond the celebration of service, this observance highlights a profound economic reality: veteran entrepreneurs are a critical, trillion-dollar pillar of the American economy. Discover how the transition from military service to civilian leadership is being quantified through a first-of-its-kind JSON-LD data framework indexed in Google Dataset Search.
The Next Evolution of Veteran Economic Advocacy: Inside the Data-Driven Dashboard
Discover the next evolution of veteran economic advocacy inside our comprehensive, data-driven dashboard. Empower your future with interactive tools that calculate your true GI Bill ROI, map military specialties to civilian entrepreneurial success, and reveal the real-time economic impact of veteran-owned businesses in your exact congressional district.
National Invest In Veterans Week® Announces Cultural Leadership Transition Involving Jim Freeman; Rudolph Bolton Appointed Cultural Director
National Invest In Veterans Week® confirms a cultural leadership transition involving Jim Freeman, as decorated Army veteran Rudolph Bolton assumes the role of Cultural Director on March 7, 2026, marking a new phase in the organization’s cultural and legacy leadership.
From the Gridiron to the Front Lines: How Aaron Jones Sr. is Championing America's Veterans
Aaron Jones Sr.'s story reminds us that supporting veterans isn't seasonal—it's a year-round commitment. National Invest In Veterans Week® exists to amplify this message, encouraging individuals, organizations, and communities to move beyond awareness to meaningful action.
Whether through employment initiatives, mental health resources, educational support, or simply showing up—we all have a role to play in honoring those who've served.
Jones proves that you don't need to be an NFL star to make a difference. You just need to care enough to act.
How Veterans Can Invest VA Disability Benefits and Secure Their Financial Future
For veterans, VA disability benefits represent more than just income—they’re an opportunity to secure a brighter financial future. By combining smart investment strategies with entrepreneurship resources like those offered during National Invest In Veterans Week® (NIVW), veterans can maximize the potential of their benefits. Here’s how veterans can take charge of their financial journey.
National Invest In Veterans Week® Applauds Strategic Veteran-Led Expansion as ePackageSupply.com Secures $1B-Backed Investment
As National Invest In Veterans Week® closes its 2025 observance, a headline from Evansville, Indiana underscores the very thesis this movement has championed since 2019: investing in veteran-led enterprises is not only patriotic—it’s profoundly strategic.
At the same time, the observance’s retired co-founder, Jeff Shuford, has been formally featured as an author in Entrepreneur en Español, extending the reach of veteran-led economic leadership into Spanish-language global business media.
“Don’t Just Cheer for Veterans—Invest in Them”: Phil Hulett Elevates National Invest In Veterans Week®
In the arena, we cheer for heroes. In the economy, we invest in them. National Invest In Veterans Week® is about more than recognition—it’s about action. And across the country, leaders are stepping up. In South Carolina, the General Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution recognizing National Invest In Veterans Week®, uniting both the House and Senate to honor veteran-owned businesses and their impact on the state’s economy and communities. -I’m Phil Hulett, 40-year broadcaster and voice of the Anaheim Ducks.
Veterans Week Website Scores Big League Recognition — And a Sports Broadcaster Says It’s Time to “Get in the Game”
Ranked #66 Best Squarespace Website of 2025, National Invest In Veterans Week® reflects Jeff Shuford’s strategy: a durable, policy-driven digital platform built to document proclamations, preserve public record, and scale veteran economic impact.
“In the arena we cheer for heroes. In the economy, we invest in them.” Phil Hulett spotlights National Invest In Veterans Week® as action over applause—calling on states to follow Montana’s lead and back veteran-owned businesses.
National Invest In Veterans Week and Its Congressional Record Footprint
The Invest in Veterans Week congressional recognition is not only preserved in a legislative database, but also discoverable through Ivy League academic infrastructure—placing it within both governmental and scholarly archival ecosystems.
Investing in Veterans, Not Just Supporting Them: What New Jersey’s Debate Signals for America
A new guest column in NJ.com argues that New Jersey is leaving billions in potential on the table by merely “supporting” veterans instead of investing in them and their families as core economic drivers. National Invest In Veterans Week® examines what this debate reveals about state-level policy, why veteran and military-family entrepreneurship is one of America’s sharpest competitive advantages, and how governors nationwide can move from gratitude to true investment
FLASHBACK: The Day a U.S. Senator Called It “The Largest Investment in Veterans in a Generation”
In a 2023 MSNBC flashback, U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock—pastor, Morehouse alumnus, and the first African American to represent Georgia in the Senate—declared that Congress had delivered “the largest investment in veterans in a generation.” This resurfaced moment underscores a national shift toward veteran-focused policy momentum, now powerfully reflected in the global expansion of National Invest In Veterans Week®.
The New Digital Footprint of Veteran Advocacy: What the World Is Searching For
Global search behavior is shifting, and National Invest In Veterans Week® is emerging as a recognized driver of that change. New analytics reveal a rapidly expanding international audience, rising high-intent queries, and a growing digital footprint across multiple continents. From veteran-focused financial education to global observance trends, the data shows increasing demand for credible leadership in veteran advocacy—and NIVW’s influence now extends far beyond the United States. This report breaks down the movement’s accelerating visibility, the keywords fueling its rise, and why the world is searching for National Invest In Veterans Week® more than ever before.
Flashback Feature: Virginia’s 2020 Call to “Invest in Veterans” Still Resonates Today
In 2020, Virginia Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs Carlos Hopkins urged the public to “invest in veterans” by supporting the Virginia Veterans Services Foundation—a message that foreshadowed the broader national movement later embodied by National Invest In Veterans Week®. His statewide appeal remains a pivotal early example of investment-based veteran advocacy.
Special Report: Veteran-Owned Brands Turn Veterans Day Into $34 Million in Medical Debt Relief
Born Primitive and Black Rifle Coffee Company have transformed Veterans Day into one of the largest veteran medical-debt relief efforts on record, erasing $34 million in medical bills through Operation Debt of Gratitude. In partnership with ForgiveCo, the veteran-owned brands pledged 100% of online profits from November 7–11 to buy and cancel medical debt held by thousands of former service members, building on prior campaigns and amplifying the “invest in veterans” mission that National Invest In Veterans Week® has advanced for years.
BREAKING: Jacksonville’s 9th Annual Vetrepreneur Summit Returns December 12 — A Legacy Event Now Nine Years Strong
Jacksonville’s 9th Annual Vetrepreneur Summit returns December 12, continuing a legacy first architected by veteran technologist Jeff Shuford. This year’s program features AI-driven marketing training, franchising insights, capital access panels, and one of the strongest support networks assembled for veteran entrepreneurs. Shuford is a direct descendant of Private Orrin Benjamin Hawley, a Black Union soldier in the 29th Connecticut Colored Infantry during the Civil War—a regiment honored today by the 29th Connecticut Colored Infantry Monument in New Haven.
FLASHBACK REPORT: National Guard Observance Highlights National Invest In Veterans Week®
Key Points:
National Guard Bureau formally listed National Invest In Veterans Week® as a March observance.
Recognition appears during a documented CNGB leadership transition.
The initiative’s lineage traces to Private Orrin Benjamin Hawley of the 29th Connecticut Colored Infantry.
Monument documentation: https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1111
Jeff Shuford serves as the Chief Architect of the observance’s national structure.
The framework is designed to operate across government, community, and media without dependence on external funding.
Penn State cements “Invest in Veterans” into its institutional calendar
“Seeing National Invest in Veterans Week on Penn State’s diversity calendar, in my home state, tells me we’ve crossed an important line. Investing in veterans isn’t just a program or a campaign anymore—it’s part of how major institutions define inclusion, economic justice, and community. When a university of Penn State’s scale builds that into its culture, it sends a signal to every campus and every employer in the country: veterans aren’t an afterthought, they are a core constituency you plan for all year long.”
— Jeff Shuford
Investing in Veterans Is the Key to Hampton Roads’ Workforce Future, Leaders Write
In a guest column for The Virginian-Pilot, Bank of America chief audit executive and Army veteran Len Botkin and Mariners’ Museum and Park president and CEO Howard H. Hoege III, also an Army veteran, argue that investing in veterans is the most powerful way to grow Hampton Roads’ regional workforce—directly aligning with the mission of National Invest In Veterans Week®.
The Definition of Investment: Honoring a National Promise
For Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the fight for veteran funding is familiar terrain. Representing Florida's 25th Congressional District, she serves a community in a state with the third-highest veteran population in the nation—home to more than 1.5 million service members.
🫡Our Team
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![A woman wearing a navy blazer with an embroidered coat of arms, gold lapel pin, and jewelry, sitting with her hands clasped, with American flags in the background.]()
President Angel Shuford
Chief Financial Officer (CFO) | Army Veteran
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![A man in a blue suit and white shirt standing in front of an American flag against a black background.]()
Retired U.S. Army First Sergeant Kevin D. Shoun
Senior Advisor | Civic Leadership and Policy Development
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![A woman with blonde hair smiling in front of an American flag and a black background with a logo that says 'National Invest in Veteran Owned Business Week.']()
Sara Pomposo
Chief Advisor | Audience Growth & Strategic Syndication
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![A man in a red shirt holding a music award trophy, standing next to a framed platinum record plaque on display, with framed posters and awards hanging on the wall behind him.]()
Jim Freeman of The Five Satins
GRAMMY Hall of Famer | Brand Ambassador
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![A man with gray hair and glasses stands behind a music stand, speaking into a microphone while using hand gestures, against a dark background.]()
Pastor Ron Henson
Social Impact Advisor | Navy Veteran
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![A man in a U.S. military uniform in front of an American flag.]()
LTC Rickey L. Pope USA, Ret.
CO-FOUNDER | Retired Army Veteran, Retired Firefighter
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![A man in a gray blazer and shirt posing with arms crossed in front of a city skyline at dusk, with buildings and a bridge reflected in the water.]()
Jeff Shuford
CO-FOUNDER | Iraq War Veteran & Military Spouse
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![Three men in a discussion in an office break room with black and white geometric wallpaper. One man with a beard, wearing glasses and a suit, is talking to a bald man wearing a black sweater, who is making a gesture with his hands. The third man with dreadlocks, dressed in a blue suit and holding papers, listens attentively.]()
Drayton Florence
CO-FOUNDER | NFL Veteran & Military Brat
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![A smiling man with glasses, wearing a green sweater over a striped collared shirt, standing with crossed arms in an office space near a window, with framed certificates on the wall behind him.]()
Erik M. Pelton & Associates, PLLC
Trademark Attorney | Veteran IP Advocate
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![A man in a green vest with a plaid shirt and bow tie standing in front of a booth labeled 'Body Aqua' at a trade show or expo.]()
CPT Sherman WIlliams, USA, Ret.
Advisor | Retired Army Veteran
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![Two men in business suits having a meeting in an office with a window showing a city view, discussing a presentation on a laptop.]()
Brandon Sugar
Legacy UX/UI Designer | Army Veteran
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![A young man with dark hair styled back, light eyes, and a light beard, wearing a blue suit and white shirt, looking at the camera.]()
Mike Bicek
Creative Director | Army Veteran
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![A small brown and black puppy sitting on a red folding chair at the beach, with sunglasses and a colorful bag in the background.]()
Private Jewel
Co-Founders Pup | Biewer Terrier
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![A smiling man wearing sunglasses and a striped white shirt.]()
Lonnell McCall I
Sr. Spokesperson | Retired Navy Veteran
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Celeste Everett
Legacy IT Consultant | Army Veteran
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![Composite image of three young men dressed as a graduate, a football player, and a young man in formal wear against a stadium background.]()
Lonnell McCall II
Jr. Spokesperson | Military Brat
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![Close-up of a young man with dark brown hair, styled back, with light eyes, a light beard, and wearing a dark shirt, standing in front of a background with horizontal lines.]()
Christopher B. Mueller
Lead Video Spokesperson | Veteran Advocate
“As an educator committed to professional growth, I fully endorse National Invest in Veterans Week® for recognizing that veterans are vital economic assets who deserve tangible support in entrepreneurship and workforce development.”