The US Small Business Administration (SBA) has announced the six recipients of the ‘Boots to Business Instructor of the Year’ award.

SBA Awards Instructor of the Year Awards in the Boots to Business Program for Veterans

Veteran-owned small businesses are part of the underserved communities that the Biden-Harris Administration is prioritizing for help. Representatives from the SBA and its partner network receive the awards for their excellence in teaching Boots to Business, which is the entrepreneurial track of the Department of Defense’s Transition Assistance Program.

Help for Veteran Entrepreneurs

The Boots to Business program is not the only help available to veteran entrepreneurs, as the SBA also provides critical funding to veteran-owned businesses through programs such as the Restaurant Revitalization Fund as well as their more traditional lending programs. Veteran entrepreneurs can also receive assistance in navigating government contracting opportunities.

Since launching in 2013, the Boots to Business program has helped over 150,000 transitioning service members, veterans and military spouses. There are multiple courses provided through SBA district offices, resource partners and grant partners, and entrepreneurs can visit the SBA website for more information.

‘Unwavering Dedication’ of Instructors

The Associate Administrator of the Office of Veterans Business Development, Larry Stubblefield, said: “We are proud to recognize the efforts of our Boots to Business instructors, the backbone of our entrepreneurial program. It is the unwavering dedication and inspiring passion of instructors such as these that has played an integral role in successfully impacting the lives of our service members, veterans, and military spouses through the Boots to Business program.”

Boots to Business is possible thanks to the SBA’s resource partnerships with SCORE Mentors, Small Business Development Centers, Women’s Business Centers, and Veterans Business Outreach Centers, as well as the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University. It is available free of charge at participating installations to service members and their dependents transitioning or retiring from the US military.

Boots to Business Award Winners

The recipients of the Boots to Business awards this year include Don Jackson from the SBA Minnesota District Office, and Tim Craig of the Veterans Education Career Transition Resource Center and Veterans Business Outreach Center in Warner Robins, GA.

Also awarded were Mary Helen Aldeis of the Women’s Business Center in El Paso, TX, and Rafael Reisz of SCORE in Boston, MA. Jason Nitschke of the Great Falls Regional Small Business Development Center in Great Falls, MT, was also given an award, as was Todd Bennett of the Institute for Veterans and Military Families in Seoul, Korea.

The Boots to Business Instructors of the Year virtual recognition ceremony took place on the afternoon of May 9, 2022, with supporters joining the ceremony via video conferencing tools.

Image: sba

This article, “SBA Awards Instructor of the Year Awards in the Boots to Business Program for Veterans” was first published on Small Business Trends