$1.5 million grant supports national expansion of nonprofit
supporting active-duty military and Veteran entrepreneurs
In conjunction with National Small Business Week and Columbus
Startup Week, JPMorgan Chase & Co. today announced a two-year,
$1.5 million commitment to Bunker Labs, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that
supports early phase Veteran-owned startups. The new grant enables
the launch of the Bunker Builds America Tour, a 10-month series of
events to be held across the country showcasing local Veteran
entrepreneurs and heralding new chapters of Bunker Labs.
Veterans interested in starting or growing small businesses in
or near Bunker Builds cities will gain access to resources,
programs and curriculum designed to translate military experience
into starting sustainable and scalable businesses.
“The military prepares service members to lead through
uncertainty, make tough decisions, and persevere – all qualities
that lead to success in small business. Bolstering that success is
part of our mission at JPMorgan Chase” said Jennifer Piepszak, CEO
of Chase Business Banking. “That is why we are proud to support the
Bunker Builds America Tour, which will serve Veteran entrepreneurs
across the country as they start and grow businesses in their
communities.”
Following World War II, roughly 50 percent of returning Veterans
started a business. Today approximately 25 percent of post-9/11
Veterans state they want to start a business, yet less than 10
percent of small businesses are actually owned by Veterans.
Bunker Labs is working to present entrepreneurship as a viable
post-service opportunity. Launched in 2014 by Navy Veteran Todd
Connor, Bunker Labs helps meet the unique needs of Veteran
entrepreneurs by providing training, workspace, access to investors
and mentors, and a peer-to-peer learning environment.
“Since launch, we’ve been able to help our member businesses
raise more than $16 million in early funding, create nearly 140
jobs, and generate nearly $6 million in revenue. We know we have a
model that works, and now we’re ready to do more,” said Todd
Connor, CEO of Bunker Labs. “Together with JPMorgan Chase, we are
packing up and hitting the road to catalyze that next greatest
generation of military-trained entrepreneurs.”
Launch of Bunker Labs Columbus
Piepszak joined Connor for a morning event at Columbus Startup
Week to announce the launch of the tour, meaningful in part because
Columbus will be home to a new Bunker Labs chapter in 2016. Bunker
Labs Columbus will be headquartered in the Rev1 Ventures
complex.
“Rev1 shares central Ohio's commitment to supporting all
entrepreneurs by providing diverse resources necessary to build
successful companies,” said Tom Walker, CEO of Rev1 Ventures. "By
offering tools tailored to assist our region’s Veteran
entrepreneurs, Bunker Labs is a critical part of the Rev1 mission
to deliver a more inclusive startup ecosystem.”
Programming will launch in late 2016, but local veteran
entrepreneurs will have access to Rev1’s monthly founder
programming and First Connect network to connect with resources in
legal, HR, accounting, marketing and more.
Bunker Builds America Tour
Schedule
Bunker Builds City Date Columbus, Ohio*
May 5, 2016 Chicago May 12, 2016
Nashville, Tenn. June 28, 2016 Kansas City, Miss.
September 21, 2016 Raleigh-Durham, N.C.
September 22, 2016 Madison, Wis. September 30, 2016
Austin, Texas October 8, 2016 Jacksonville, Fla.
November 5, 2016 Philadelphia November
11, 2016 Washington December 8, 2016 Seattle*
February 23, 2017 Los Angeles* March 23, 2017
*indicates new Bunker Labs location
About JPMorgan Chase & Co.
JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) is a leading global
financial services firm with assets of $2.4 trillion and operations
worldwide. The Firm is a leader in investment banking, financial
services for consumers and small businesses, commercial banking,
financial transaction processing and asset management. By focusing
on employment, financial capability and small business, JPMorgan
Chase aims to position military members, Veterans and their
families for success in their post-service lives. To learn more
about the company’s efforts, visit
www.jpmorganchase.com/Veterans.
About Bunker Labs
Bunker Labs is a national not-for-profit organization built by
military Veteran entrepreneurs to empower other military Veterans
as leaders in innovation. Through local chapters organized in
8 different cities, Bunker Labs provides educational programming,
mentors, events, and thriving local networks to help military
Veterans start and grow businesses. Bunker Labs works to
inspire, educate, and connect Veterans with the right people and
the right resources to be successful as entrepreneurs and as
innovators. Our online platform, Bunker in a Box, gives active
duty and Veterans worldwide access to entrepreneurship education,
complete with dozens of interviews with military Veterans who have
successfully started a diverse array of businesses. For more
information, please visit bunkerlabs.org, follow us on Twitter
@TheBunkerLabs, or like us on Facebook.
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version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160505005054/en/
JPMorgan Chase & Co.Kim Morton,
302-383-8511kim.morton@jpmorgan.com
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