SANTA BARBARA — A full house of aspiring Veteran entrepreneurs (vetrepreneurs) packed the SBCC Fé Bland Forum on Friday, November 16 for guidance and inspiration from successful entrepreneurs who have been in their shoes. The event featured VIP speakers, an inspiriting keynote address, attendee Q & A and networking opportunities, and it served as the kickoff for the new Vetrepreneur LAUNCH! program offered by the Jack & Julie Nadel School of Business & Entrepreneurship and the Scheinfeld Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation at SBCC, which are dedicated to honoring America’s Veterans by supporting the success of vetrepreneurs.
Julie Nadel reflected on the legacy of her late husband Jack Nadel, international hall of fame and award-winning vetrepreneur whose career spanned across seven decades. She also shared her own story of entrepreneurship in Los Angeles where she started a successful event planning business from the ground up.
Larry Broughton, an award-winning vetrepreneur and CEO, best-selling author, hotelier, speaker, and former US Army Green Beret, gave the keynote presentation and answered questions from the audience during a fireside chat with SBCC Business Administration Department Chair Bonnie Chavez.
Broughton shared plenty of advice with the aspiring vetrepreneurs, including:
• Serve others, including your family, teammates, clients, investors, and community
• Pursue excellence in all you do
• Be tenacious; tenacity eats talent for lunch!
• Join a mastermind and hire a business mentor
Santa Barbara City College Superintendent/President Dr. Anthony Beebe, PhD, EdD spoke about the teamwork and collaboration between departments that went into the creation of Vetrepreneur LAUNCH!, and Pierre Claeyssens Veterans Foundation co-founding director Hazel Blankenship shed light on the resources available to local student Veterans at both SBCC and UCSB.
Scheinfeld Center Director Julie Samson encouraged vetrepreneurs to make their voices heard through a survey that will help shape the future of the Vetrepreneur LAUNCH! program. Samson also announced that there will likely be startup seed funding specifically designated for vetrepreneurs at the 9th annual Scheinfeld New Venture Challenge business plan and pitch competition held on April 26th, 2019. Updates on the 2019 Scheinfeld New Venture Challenge will be shared at www.scheinfeld.sbcc.edu and in the Scheinfeld Center’s monthly e-Newsletters.
“Together with the SBCC Jack and Julie Nadel School for Business & Entrepreneurship, the Scheinfeld Center is committed to connecting aspiring and existing Veteran entrepreneurs in Santa Barbara County with the education, funding opportunities, mentorship, and resources needed for ongoing business success,” said Samson. “The Vetrepreneur LAUNCH! program will deliver exactly what our local Veterans are asking for.”
For more information about Vetrepreneur LAUNCH! visit www.scheinfeld.sbcc.edu.
About the Scheinfeld Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation: The SBCC Scheinfeld Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation is a hub for global entrepreneurial development within the South Central Coast community and is a resource for model programs for other California community college districts. The Scheinfeld Center, part of the Jack & Julie Nadel School of Business & Entrepreneurship at SBCC, trains global entrepreneurs using a comprehensive approach to academics, hands-on experience, and support. Participants can build their business in the classroom and shore up gaps in their entrepreneurial skill set through the Scheinfeld Center’s distinctive combination of coursework, business plan and pitch competitions, industry internships, no-cost business consulting, mentoring, networking, and post-start-up support through the Small Business Development Center. To learn more, visit www.scheinfeld.sbcc.edu or call 805.965.0581 ext. 3643.
About Santa Barbara City College: Founded in 1909, Santa Barbara City College currently serves approximately 15,000 students each semester who enroll in courses for transfer preparation, career education, and foundational skills. SBCC was the 2013-2015 national co-winner of the prestigious Aspen Institute Prize for Community College Excellence. The college was recognized for its quality and focus in four areas: facilitating underrepresented and minority student success, student learning outcomes, degree completion and transfer rates, and labor market success in securing good jobs after college.
Our Mission: As a public community college dedicated to the success of each student…
Santa Barbara City College provides students a diverse learning environment that inspires curiosity and discovery, promotes global responsibility and fosters opportunity for all.