Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans (EBV)

Supporting veterans and military spouses since 2009.

Since 2009, the UConn School of Business has proudly participated in the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans (EBV) program, dedicated to giving back to those who have sacrificed for our country. Housed in the Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CCEI), the EBV program showcases the transformative power of entrepreneurship, driving job creation and economic growth while empowering veterans to build thriving businesses in their communities.

Through its online accelerator and in-person bootcamp, EBV offers cutting edge, experiential training in entrepreneurship and small business management. The program has served nearly 300 veterans and military spouses, many of whom are designated by the Veterans Administration with a service-connected disability.

EBV helps veterans grow their informal and formal networks by introducing them to fellow veteran entrepreneurs, faculty, business experts, and mentors during their time at the university. And we continue to facilitate these connections for the life of their business.

Over the past two years, we have launched a quarterly alumni workshop series and newsletter to provide follow-on resources and to highlight our graduates. We also made a commitment to offer in-person events.

This year's fundraising goals.

In the fall of 2025, we held our first ever alumni event and welcomed over 40 graduates to the Sheraton Hartford Hotel at Bradley Airport. The event featured resources from the SBA, IVMF, and Pursuit Lending, and a business pitch competition where five finalists competed for $5,000 in prize money. Please learn more here.

"Attending the EBV alumni event was truly a great learning experience. It provided an invaluable opportunity to network, reconnect with my classmates, and meet inspiring alumni from other cohort years. Events like this are essential for our continued growth and success as veteran entrepreneurs. I was fortunate enough to win the pitch competition award. Our Henry H. Washington 3 Foundation utilized the grant to provide homeless veterans with food, clothing and shelter and to fund the development of additional programs for our veterans and young adults." —Dr. Henry H. Washington III, EBV '21

Our goal in 2026 is to raise funding to support another alumni event and ensure this is an annual offering for our graduates. All donations raised during UConn Gives will directly sponsor this event.

Additionally, a small group of supporters have committed to match up to $25,000 of all donations received, including Professor Emeritus Dr. Tom O'Brien, Dr. Brian T. Keefe (CLAS 1981, MED 1985), Mr. James R. Crossen (BUS 1999), and Mission Focus Legal Group.

Their generosity allows the impact of your gift to be doubled.

The EBV community of donors is the reason the program has endured. We look forward to continuing to come together to serve our veterans.

The UConn Foundation (EIN 06-6070722) is an independent, not-for-profit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization that exists to support the educational, scientific, cultural, research, and recreational objectives of the University of Connecticut.