Veteran’s Voice
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At the VEI Launch in January 2023. At left: Ricardo Garcia, Co-Founder/Director of Programs, U.S. Air Force veteran. Fourth from left: Jonathon Sexton, Raven Auto Group, U.S.M.C. veteran. Far right: Rafael Caamaño Co-Founder/Executive Director, U.S. Army veteran. PHOTO/ VETERANS ENTREPRENEUR INITIATIVE
The Veterans Entrepreneurship Initiative (VEI) is a not-for-profit organization headquartered in Central Florida and since 2013, has helped area veterans and spouses realize and leverage the skills they learned through military service and apply them in an entrepreneurial setting.
The VEI program connects veteran entrepreneurs in all stages of developing their businesses with other veteran entrepreneurs and business owners, business coaches, mentors, and resources in various specialized areas, such as finance. VEI accomplishes this in two ways, through a formal six-week program, called “cohorts” for those starting a business, and similar programs for those that have already established their business and are looking to enhance and expand.
Since 2020, 10 veterans from Osceola County have participated in the full program, with three others participating in some form of training or counseling. Of these veterans, 40 jobs have been created. While these numbers might seem low, it is important to consider much of their time frame has been during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jonathan and Raven Sexton, a veteran and spouse couple in St. Cloud, just completed the January 2023 cohort. Jonathan served in the U.S. Marine Corps for eight years, and Raven was a civilian employee with the Marines. They are in the process of launching Raven Auto Group, which will operate in the sports and performance auto market and will go public in the near future. e business is an extension of Jonathan’s experience in Combat Vehicle maintenance.
“The course helped me develop a business model, a network and is providing mentorship as we go forward,” said Jonathan Sexton.
Raven Sexton emphasized, “The course really showed us there were many things we needed to consider but had no knowledge of before.”
One example of both networking and already planning on giving back to the community, are plans to work with another veteran who is developing a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) educational enhancement program. e Sextons hope Raven Auto Group can be a resource by providing a practical “real world” environment for future students to apply STEM concepts.
Rafael Caamano is the driving force behind VEI. While working at the University of Central Florida (UCF) Business Incubator, Caamano, a veteran himself, along with two other veterans at the incubator, Ricardo Garcia, and Gordon Hogan, recognized that a high number of veterans were participating in the program.
“With their high skill sets and equally high motivation and drive, plus the specialized benefits available to veterans through the federal government, at first we attempted to tailor our program, but realized that a specific program was needed,” said Caamano.
In 2021, VEI became a separate 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, however, UCF continues to support the program, along with the City of St. Cloud and the St. Cloud Chamber of Commerce, the National Entrepreneur Center Orlando, Orange County Government, and the state Veterans Florida organization.
For more information on the Veterans Entrepreneur Initiative, see https://vei.center.
