Episode #41: Dan Parker Director of the Bunker in Kansas City Talks About How To Launch Your Veteran Owned Business with the Bunker

Dan Parker served 5 years in the Marine Corps as an intelligence analyst (0231) and served in Operation Iraqi Freedom I & II as well JTF Liberia. After leaving the Marines in 2005 Dan completed his bachelors degree at the University of Kansas. He has worked with many veterans nonprofit groups including Student Veterans of America and the Veterans of Foreign Wars National Headquarters where he was the Director of Programs. He currently holds the same title with The Bunker – Kansas City.

The Bunker is the first Veteran business incubator to launch and accelerate Veteran owned businesses, and create a new community of Veteran-aligned professionals to have a “force multiplying” impact on the broader Veteran community.

Apply to The Bunker to launch your veteran owned business.

Veterans are 30% more likely to hire veterans, in part because they understand how to find veterans (through their existing networks) and in part because they can do the translation on their soft and hard skills from the military into civilian roles

Veterans representing new entrepreneurs has declined from 12.6% in 1996 to 6% by 2011; in spite of a propensity and stated desire amoung younger veterans to be entrepreneurs / self-employed

Illinois, in particular, in spite of government incentives has not been able to catalyze new veteran owned businesses – a new solution is needed with advantaged market oppt’s.

 “However, what’s troubling about the waning numbers of veteran-owned startups is that younger veterans now have less support from within their own community of veterans as they consider their own entrepreneurial ventures: fewer networking opportunities, mentors and funders among the older generations of vets.” -Dane Stangler, Director of Research & Policy at the Kauffman Foundation.

Veterans have strong technical skills that can be leveraged into filling the IT skills gap, though cultural capital is often the largest barrier

While companies state a desire to hire veterans, civilian leaders state a struggle with how to find veterans amongst the “noise” of programs

We are a program built by veteran entrepreneurs – for veteran entrepreneurs.

The Bunker targets existing veteran owned tech startups and aspiring entrepreneurs to come, create, and conquer the business world through their ideas, hard work, and strategy.

For more information please visit: BunkerIncubator.com