2023 Boots to Business Instructors of the Year Virtual Recognition Ceremony

Good afternoon. My name is Tim Green and I'm the Acting Associate administrator for the SBA's Office of Veterans Business Development. Thank you for joining us today as we recognize the 2023 boots to business Inc. Instructors of the Year. But before I do, I want to set the stage before we bring on the SBA Administrator. Yesterday was the first day of National Veterans and Military Families Month. The President released a proclamation stating that during National Veterans and Military Families Month, we recognize that our military and veteran families answers our nation's call to duty and we recommit to doing right by their service and sacrifice. Also, as you all know, we are celebrating National Veterans Small Business Week this week. As you know, this is part of that ceremony. This is our 10th annual National Veterans Small Business Week. During this week, we're going to host over 200 events nationwide recognizing and sharing information with veteran and military spouse owned businesses. This week, just yesterday, the White House released a Presidential letter supporting National Veterans Small Business Week and the continued work of sba. The folks on the call, the award winners, the people that applied, that they're supporting those veteran and military spouse owned small business and the work of the SBA is being recognized. Administrator Guzman is also supportive of the military community and of our office and of the work we do. On Tuesday, she led a roundtable at the Chamber of Commerce Hiring Our Heroes foundation and she focused on veteran and military spouse owned businesses that have benefited from SBA programs and the Invest in America Agenda. Yesterday she hosted another group and they're focused on the Vet Cert program. And today she's out in California launching another opening of our Veteran Business Outreach center in California Los Angeles region. Now with that said, it is my honor to introduce the SBA Administrator Isabel Guzman, who is the administration's voice for 33 million small businesses veterans, including 2 million veteran owned small businesses. Administrator Guzman grew up in a small business family. She's been an entrepreneur herself. She spent her entire career advising entrepreneurs, running businesses, launching ventures, helping small businesses navigate the government, and then creating policies and programs to help advance entrepreneurship and innovation. Administrator Guzman is utilizing her vast experience and strong leadership to guide the sba. And she continues to fight to help veteran and military spouse owned small businesses. She's helping us start, grow and build those resilient businesses within the business community. Right now, I'd like to welcome Administrator Guzman.

Thank you so much Tim, for that warm welcome as well as your service in the Air Force and all your great work on behalf of America's veterans small business owners at the helm of Our Office of Veterans Business Development National Veterans Small Business Week is really the opportunity we have to recognize the continued contributions of those who served our nation honorably and protected the democratic ideals we all cherish. And we have nearly 2 million veteran owned small businesses producing nearly $1 trillion in total receipts in the U.S. economy every year and employing about 5 million workers, many of whom are also veterans. We need to continue to power these veteran owned small businesses with the training, capital and resources that they need to start, grow and thrive. During the Biden Harris Administration we we have increased the number of Veteran Business outreach centers from 22 to 28 across the country and we launched and have now processed over 8,000 veterans in our Veteran Business Certification program to improve access to federal contracting opportunities. And the Biden Harris Administration is now growing its commitment to entrepreneurial education for our military community. Earlier this year, President Biden issued an Executive Order to support military spouses. The SBA's new military spouse Pathway to Business program will provide resources, information about access to capital and other specialized support to help military spouses get their businesses off the ground. These programs help military community members achieve dreams and milestones through all stages of business ownership. And these programs build on the successes of SBA's boots to business and Reboot programs, which we launched during my last stint at the SBA 2013 during the Obama Biden Administration and then in the decade since, We've trained over 195,000 boots to business Program graduates. The SBA is serious about supporting our service members, veterans, National Guard and Reserve members, and military spouses looking to take their next step into entrepreneurship and small business ownership. But these incredible offerings would not be possible without our own boots on the ground. Our incredible Boots to Business Instructors. The dedicated professionals that empower and guide our veterans as they build resilient businesses. That's why the sba, through our Office of Veterans Business Development, recognizes outstanding individuals as our Boots to Business Instructors of the Year. I have seen it firsthand and heard about the indelible connections created as as a result of these instructors passion and commitment to helping entrepreneurs go from idea to startup and beyond. Their work can fundamentally change a business's trajectory and positively impact the veterans and their communities. Boots to Business Instructors empower our veterans and make our vision of a better America a reality. Please join me in celebrating our 2023 boots to business instructors of the year. First, our IVMF boots to Business Instructor of the Year the Danello Institute for Veterans and Military Families in Seoul, Korea. Todd Michael Bennett Our SBDC Boots to Business Instructor of the Year from our Maryland Small Business Development Center, Ryan delgaio, our VBOC Boots to Business Instructor of the Year, Veterans Business Outreach center of the Pacific, Laurie Hiramatsu. And then our SCORE Boots to Business Instructor of the Year in SCORE Boston, Donald Whitmore. And our SBA Boots to Business Instructor of the Year SBA Houston District Office is Mark Winchester, Todd, Brian, Laurie, Donald and Mark. I am so proud of the tremendous work you do in service to those who've served our nation. Your work really represents the best of our SBA team across our district offices and Resource partner network. And this well deserved recognition is our way of thanking you and celebrating your important contributions to small businesses, our economy, our global competitiveness and our nation. Thank you so much.

The administrator is very praiseworthy and announced the winners, but I'm going to be announcing them again shortly. I wanted to highlight that this selection process is not easy. We had 29 instructors that were not nominated for this honor. Of the 29 they had, the team had to boil it down to five, which is not an easy thing to do. Everyone that submitted was deserving. They do great work for our transitioning service members, Veterans Garden Reserve members and military spouses. But at the end of the process, the team had to select five individuals that we're going to recognize today. I'd also like to state the obvious, that we cannot execute the Business Boots to Business program without the support of our District Offices, Small Business Development Centers, Women Business Centers, SCORE and our friends at the Institute for Veteran and Military Families who teach classes overseas. Now for what you waited for, I'm going to announce the first Boots to Business Instructor of the year. That's Mr. Todd Bennett from the Institute for Veterans and Military Families. Todd has facilitated more than 450 Boots to Business workshops, positively impacting more than 8,500 service members, veterans and military spouses worldwide. Todd is an entrepreneur himself based in Seoul, Korea. Todd and his wife have also created a company specializing in education and training solutions and he co owns three boutique gyms. During Boots to Business classes, Todd doesn't just teach, he inspires. He displays an unwavering commitment to building connections and setting up his students for success both in the classroom and beyond. One of the students comments, Todd was phenomenal. His knowledge is amazing and he was very patient, kind and extremely informative. It is a blessing to have taken this course with him. Todd, I know you and the IVMF team have done some great work. Ivmf, just so you know, does all our overseas classes and so Right now I'd like to turn it over to you for your comments or any anything you'd like to share.

Yeah, I have something prepared if I could read this out, so. Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. I'm deeply honored to receive this award for teaching military personnel and their spouses entrepreneurship. My heartfelt thanks to the Small Business Administration and especially the Institute for Veterans and Military Families. Our program is not only providing amazing knowledge and resources about business ownership to our military community, but also coordinating top notch instructors to fly all around the world while facilitating B2B workshops. Such an incredible undertaking. Also, I must express my deepest gratitude to my amazingly talented and beautiful wife. Your love, encouragement and understanding have been the cornerstone of my journey. You've enabled me to pursue my passion for teaching and to dedicate myself to our remarkable students. I owe you more than words can convey. This award is a tribute to our military students and their spouses who deserve this recognition. They are resilient, inspiring and entrepreneurial in the classroom. I'm amazed by our students passions and ideas. Of course, all of you know they're the heart and lifeblood of Boots to Business. I must also mention Kim street, the program manager at Boots to Business. Her strong leadership and resolute commitment have played an instrumental role in the success of our program at the ivmf. Once again, I extend my sincere gratitude for this recognition. I'm enthused to continue our collective efforts assisting military personnel and their spouses in realizing their entrepreneurial goals. Let's keep pursuing excellence in small business ownership together. Thank you.

Thank you Todd. Great words. We appreciate it and congratulations. Next up is Ryan Delgalo. He's from the Maryland Small Business Development Center. He is the SBDC Boots to Business Instructor of the Year. Ryan is a seasoned senior business and technology consultant boasting a wealth of knowledge derived from over 5,000 hours of direct client consultation. His accomplishments include securing an impressive $55 million plus in financing, orchestrating $36 million in surge in client sales, and nurturing the inception of more than 200 new businesses during Boots to Business. He brings a level of enthusiasm to the workshops that make economic models interesting and brings the business model canvas to life. He has an expansive Rolodex of B2B participants that continue to follow him wherever he goes and for years to come. He's always willing to answer inquiries and provide follow up assistance. Ryan, congratulations. Well done. Over to you.

Yes, thank you everyone. As mentioned, my name is Ryan Delgala with the Maryland Small Business Development center and also recently with the Mid Atlantic Veteran Business Outreach center where I'm serving Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Washington, DC. It's always been truly an honor to work with our veteran community, being able to give back and see the growth that our students have. One of my greatest passions is being able to drive through my community, see a new business that I was able to help along the way, especially there within our veteran business community, their dependents and spouses. So again, thank you for including me this year. It's a complete honor and I'll pass it back to you. Thank you again. Ryan.

Congratulations. Well done. Next is Lori Kuramatsu from the VBOC of the Pacific in Honolulu. She is the VBOC Boots to Business Instructor of the Year. Lori has more than 30 years of experience in the baking and lending industry where she saved. She served in various roles including District Manager overseeing several branches and a business and consumer banking team. She has been with the VBOC of the Pacific for the last three years and during her career she has assisted Hawaii businesses in various stages of their business life cycle including startups, expansion, exports, manufacturing, agriculture, buying, selling and assisting them with the access to capital. During Boots to Business, Lori localizes her presentations and shares her story of growing up in a home where both parents were entrepreneurs. She uses her lending background to enhance the financial modules with the additional spreadsheets to visually show boots to business participants the statements they need to run a successful business. Unfortunately, Lori is not able to join us live, but we were able to record our remarks earlier and I'll try to show those right now.

Aloha everybody from Hawaii. It is an honor and I'm humbled with this recognition and this award. I am a business advisor for the Veterans Business Outreach center of the Pacific. We cover Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa and the Siena Mines. I've been teaching boots to business for going on 11 years. Seven years I was with the SBDC partnering with VBOC doing the boost of business and then I joined the VBOC of the Pacific and now I'm going my fourth year with them and my 11th year as in an instructor. I just love the energy and I have a really close affinity with vet entrepreneurs. My father was a vet entrepreneur. After he separated from the military he went right into starting his own business. And you know, being an entrepreneur, it encompasses a lifestyle and I was part of that entrepreneurial lifestyle. But I love to see the energy and helping veterans being able to start, grow and get their business going, achieving their dream essentially. I'm so honored and you know, kind of choked up at the moment. But I feel that I work well with a lot of people. I like to teach them. I like to see that they are doing well, whether they're resource partners, businesses, whoever it is in their community, to know about the program and all the good things that the VBoCS do throughout the nation.

Congratulations, Lori. Now, next up is Don Whitmore. He's from SCORE Boston and is the 2023 SCORE boots to business Instructor of the Year. Don is a lawyer by trade, and he's volunteered with SCORE for more than eight years. For seven of those years, he has helped transitioning service members, veteran and military spouses learn about the legal aspects of entrepreneurship as part of the Boots to Business program. Before bringing his talents to score, Don worked with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid and helped with the rollout of the Affordable Care Act. He served in various leadership roles within industry advocacy groups and was the Advocacy Chair of the Massachusetts Bar Association Health Care Law Section. In spite of his busy schedule assisting SCORE clients and teaching BOOTS to business, Don still maintains his consultancy and legal practice. He also serves with the Hanscom Squadron Civil Air Patrol in the Volunteer Lawyers Project. Okay, Don, great job. Any words of wisdom you'd like to pass on to the group?

It's very humbling and truly an honor. Standing before folks that have served our country and made sacrifices beyond my comprehension. Knowing that I'm able to help them in some small way means a lot to me. And as you mentioned, being a volunteer at SCORE Boston for the past eight years and seven years within the Boots to Business program, I have seen firsthand the work that the SBA and all the SCORE chapters across the country perform for the benefit of their clients. And bringing people together to share ideas and learn new things is the backbone of moving knowledge forward. Participants realize the benefit whether they apply these concepts and skills to a new or existing entrepreneurial business or within an established organization, sharing their enthusiasm of these attendees, learning has been a wonderful experience. The interaction among attendees promotes learning from all involved, myself included. And it takes a team. And I'd like to thank the leadership of Arrest Day and myself benefiting from the folks, helping with curriculum development and working alongside all the other great people supporting this program. Thank you again to all that make these B2B programs happen. I am truly honored to be a part of it.

Thank you. Yeah, Great work. Great work. Last but not least, mark Winchester from SBA's Houston District Office. He is this year's SBA District Office Boots to Business Instructor of the Year. Mark is the Deputy District Director and has more than 20 years of federal service and economic development experience. Prior to joining the sba, Mark spent eight years with the University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley, serving in various roles with the Women Business Center, Small Business Development Center, Veteran Business Outreach center and the Procurement Technical Assistance Center. During Boots to Business, Mark expertly deploys the knowledge he has gained through his many years as a small business advisor and mentor and combines those with his veteran experience as US Navy Submariner. This helps to provide a comfortable and encouraging learning environment for his Boots to Business students. Mark, thank you for your service. Any comments for us?

Yes I do. First, I'd like to congratulate all the Boots to Business Instructors of the year for 2023. I'd also like to thank Administrator Guzman for her leadership and also the Acting Associate Administrator Green. And I congratulate Acting Associate Administrator Green and the Office of Veteran Business Development. Congratulations on training 195,000 active duty veterans and military spouses through the Boost to Business and Boost to Business Reboot program. I would also like to thank Ms. Charles, Ms. Mar and District Director Tim Jeffcoat for the nomination. I thank the Houston District Office for their initiative, self discipline and the impact that they deliver. I also Want to recognize score chapter 37 and also the Texas Gulf Coast SBDC and the collaboration and in the delivery of Boots to Business and Boots to Business Reboot. I would also like to recognize all the we call it POCs in the military points of contact for VBDOs veteran business development officers for all 68 district offices. I'd also like to recognize Stephen Curry and Easter Wright who went before us as VBDO for Houston. I also thank Ms. Elizabeth Charles who's now the VBDO for Houston. I've always just enjoyed being a part of Boots to Business. Whether it was Boots to Business, Boots to Business Reboot or Veteran Resources Events. Veterans represent all that is good and great about this country. We must not forget their Service. Normal sacrifice. NSBA's OVBD programs and services including Boots to Business is one way we can assist all veterans, including women veteran owned businesses in starting and growing their own business. Thank you so much.

Thank you Mark. I'm going to turn it over to Mark Williams here in a second.

Man, that was so, so well said what you just missed. I was just going to say congratulations to all the Boots to Business Instructor of the Year winners. Thank you all so much. You know we, you know Mark, Mark Winchester, the other Mark was congratulating us for 195,000 Office of Veterans Business Development but It's really a reflection of what the people like you who teach this course do. So I just want to thank you from. You know, my part as the Boots to Business program manager really is a team effort. That's how we do it. All the partners, all the SBA people, all the students, you know, we. All the people who've taught these classes know any one of that part of the team is not working well. It doesn't go in it. The one thing I always talk about with this program is that, you know, routinely people go above and beyond in this program. That that's, you know, it's not just people do what they're supposed to do. This program almost requires people to do above and beyond what they're assigned to do. So you all personify that. I want to thank you. It is a team effort. And this next little video snippet kind of shows what Boots to Business does. So I want to talk about a business called Urban Dwell. So let it rip, Nicole.

I'm Tom McMahon. I own Urban Dwell. I got the idea to do a business From Boots to Business. I was on active duty still. Bootsta Business came to our base, offered a class, and I took it. Bootsta Business really exposes you to the nuts and bolts of starting a business and managing a business and everything you need to know about, including resources. One of the best resources they have is something called score, an entrepreneurship program funded by sba, and they pair you up with a mentor.

Tom's story is really kind of a common thing that happens as a result of going to Boots to Business. He learned about entrepreneurship. He learned about all the resource partners that were available to him. He contacted and interacted with score, and they helped him along the path to starting his business. Score's not the only partner out there, though. We also have Veterans Business Outreach centers, small Business Development centers, the women's business centers, and we also have usually connections with other small business resources in your community.

I feel extreme pride. I feel proud that I was able to create something, develop it, manage it, and watch it grow.

Awesome. So one of the things we didn't talk about in that particular video is our other partner organization that does Boots business, which is the Institute for Veterans and Military Families. So what I wanted to do now, folks, is just, you know, we have people who are. Who are attending, watching this presentation. Some of them are Boots to Business instructors, and some of them are people who don't know about our program. So I kind of wanted to kind of dig into to your wellspring of knowledge. And ask you a couple of questions of some of the things that you do and, you know, just to kind of, you know, talk about why you've been successful and maybe inspire some other people who might come after you.

And I.

And I will say that going through the packages, the nomination packages with our team, a lot of great things that you all are doing that I'm going to use the next time I teach. So my first question is, can you talk about if you do any extra things? Do you have extra things that you do as a Boots to Business instructor? And if you do, let us know and maybe just raise your hand if you want to know so we'll know which camera to go to. So, Todd.

Yeah, so I'll start this off. It could sound small and simple, but every class I try and remember everyone's name in the class, right? So it works really well because they feel the connection, and then I can call on them throughout the class, and it makes it more personable, right. So they're more engaged throughout the class. So, yeah, just remembering their names, remembering why. Another question I ask students when they come into the class is why are they. Why are they in the class? Right. Is it to start a business? What kind of business? Again, remembering those and then trying to integrate those throughout. Throughout the two days is something that has been really helpful. And, yeah, the students are definitely engaged as a result of that. Another thing that I do is I try and stay on top of industry trends about entrepreneurship. So, like, what is happening in the world of entrepreneurship? Of course, we have the foundational curriculum that we use for Boots to Business, but every instructor kind of tweaks it here and there. And I think it's important to understand, like, some of those industry trends and then incorporating it into. Into the classroom.

All right, Todd, thank you so much. Any other. Anybody else want to jump in? Mark Winchester had his hand up first. So, Mark, then we'll come to you next.

Don, you know, Mark, for me, what immediately comes to my mind and I. And I know you asked for what we do outside of bootsto business, but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the UT RGB VBOC Veteran Business Outreach Center. Juan and Marcus, they're critical in our success. Along with the score, chapter 37 and the Texas Gulf Coast SBDC. That's number one two. Mark, I would share that we have a really strong relationship ecosystem here in Houston, including Baker, Ripley, Bunker Labs, combined arms, City of Houston Veteran Affairs, HCC entrepreneur. So there's a very strong ecosystem Also, we have Mark, we have the Greater Houston Regional Veteran Chamber of Commerce, and They've had a 400% increase in membership year over year, and they currently have 250 veteran owned and service disabled, veteran owned small businesses participating. So I would really have to say it's the ecosystem. One last thing, Mark, Annette, and just want to share with the panel OVBD as well as the audience is that there is a national veteran business plan competition called Vet Biz Battle, and they'll be accepting applications on Veterans Day, November 10th through Rice University. That. Mark, that SBA Houston. We partner in that event.

Yeah.

Okay.

Thanks, Mark and Don, you were next, sir.

Sure. Thank you. I'm always astounded at the life experience of the members and attendees of these forums in the program. And I never, never hesitate to have the class foster its own discussion about topics. And it's amazing. I walk away from this program learning as much as I provide sometimes. So it's really great to be involved with the attendees.

All right, great answers, Ryan, did you have one for that or you want to save it for the next question?

Up to you.

I'll hop in here real quick. One of my favorite avenues to first tackle a class, as Todd had mentioned, you know, get the names, but also the industries too. So I love to bring in guest speakers throughout my courses. I'll bring in veteran success stories, accountants, attorneys, financial advisors, and I make sure to pass along the industry that the students are in. So that way the guest speakers can also relate it back being with vboc, being with the Small Business Development Center. We can then key through on you the market research opportunities that are available, business planning, additional trainings, especially alongs with SMEs or subject matter experts that relate directly back to their industry to assist with their growth. So just really taking a personal interest in what they're doing, who they are as people, who they are as entrepreneurs, getting them connected to the right resources and educating those resources on what they're specifically looking for. So that way they can tailor that presentation and information they're about to share.

Bam. All right, thanks, Ryan. And you know, Lori talked about this earlier, which she said that she really liked seeing that light bulb go on and seeing someone say, wow, I think I can do this now as a result of attending this class. So along those lines, my next question is, what is the most fun or satisfying thing about teaching boots to business? So just raise your hand whoever wants to jump in on that one. Okay, Ryan.

For me, it's when the students stay after the class Right. So we'll have the folks, you know, they're, some people are ready to leave, some people are hanging out, they're networking. But my favorites, when that line starts to form at the end of the two days, they're like, hey, can I get your card? When can we speak in person? When can we have a one on one? That means to me that you made an impact. Right. You're inspiring. You're. You're becoming inspirational for this veteran, for the dependent, for the spouse, et cetera, to pursue their dreams. So when that line starts to form at the end, that's when I know I did something right and that satisfies me as an instructor.

Fantastic. Anybody else got anything on that one? What's fun, satisfying about this? And I got other questions.

I'll jump in. There are very few times in your life where you can try and make an impact on folks that have done so much fruit flow for not only myself and my family, but our country and the world, really. And to be able to start every session and program that I give and thanking them, it's just a great opportunity. And I look forward to it every single time because I am truly thankful and honored to be there.

All right, thanks, John. Todd?

Yeah. I want to piggyback off of what Laurie mentioned. That aha moment in the classroom. It can work both ways because there are students that have that aha moment and you see them light up. And there are also other students who are like, this is not for me. Right. And that's totally fine. I feel like those are both wins. Right. We're giving them the information and the resources, and then they come out of that class either really enthused to go after their dreams or say, you know what, this is way too much work. Or at least for now, I don't want to do this and go on their merry way. Both are wins, though.

Great point, Great point. So I want to, I want to kind of change directions on you. Things that you've learned, teaching the boots to business class that have helped you in other parts of your personal or professional life. So doing this opened your eyes to something else. Throw that out to you all. Todd.

So one of the top traits of entrepreneurs, I believe, is adaptability, adapting to, you know, a lot of things that you can't control as an entrepreneur. I think that goes also for the classrooms that we teach. Of course, all students are unique. And some classes I'll have, all the students have already started a business. Right. And so adapting the curriculum for those students because they want to Take a deep dive into some of topics and then we'll have other classes where they're just getting their feet wet. In business, it's their very first business class or entrepreneurship class. Right. So adapting to the students needs and then taking that in the real world, of course, adapting to various environments, both personally and professionally, I think that is necessary to succeed in life.

Ryan, you had your hand up.

Yes, sir. So one thing that I've personally been able to gain from teaching boosted business class is that I would say about 80% of the students that I teach don't plan on staying in the same state. Right. So they may be going from Maryland to Oklahoma or from Maryland to Texas back to California. And that allows me the opportunity now to connect with SBDCs, with VBoCS, Chamber of Commerce, et cetera, and other states outside of my normal territory, grow my network along with introducing them to key resource partners. And it's a national. Right, this resource is national. We're all across the country and we're able to help. So not only does that assist my students, but it grows my personal network as well. For those outside of the DMV where I serve.

Outstanding. Don or Mark, any. Anything that tag onto that one? Don?

Yeah, And I believe both Todd and Ryan mentioned this. Knowing their names, but knowing the states where they're either living now, where they're going to move to the law is very state centric. And in turn, I can't possibly know everything in every state. So a lot of times I get educated, if not by a question, but by an answer and discussion by the group. So having that interaction and talking about that is definitely a great takeaway for me, you know.

Yeah, Mark, thank you. You know, it really goes back to the gentleman from the Institute for Veterans and Military Families what he shared about adaptability. And for me, Mark, adaptability arises from training. I remember Mark being on the submarine and we would drill three to four hours a day, six days a week. And there's a very good quote, Mark. No plan survives the first contact with the enemy. And the only way, in my humble opinion, that that we can respond to that is by the training that's reinforced in us and our be and our ability to react to the circumstance. So that training and then also the military skills that transfer over to entrepreneurship.

Right.

And you know, one thing I did notice about everybody, pretty much all of the nominees, but especially the five award winners, is how much you all connect with and stay connected with the people during the class and after the class. That's what really I think sets this group apart from. Sets this group apart, makes this group succeed. And I want to ask one last question here, which is, what's the one key thing you're teaching? Two days of entrepreneurship, Whole lot of different concepts. Legal, financial, all these different things. What's the one key thing that you think a Boots to Business attendee needs to walk out of that class having?

Todd?

I think this is going to be echoed by some of my colleagues, but just the. They possess the capability to turn their dreams into reality. If they have the determination, the knowledge, the support, you know, they can. They can start and run their business. And depending on what type of entrepreneur they are, you know, some just want to do the side hustle. Some want to build their empire. It can be possible. Right. So just giving them the confidence and also, as you mentioned, letting them know that they can reach out if they're in trouble. And also, I love to hear about past students, like their wins in business. So, yeah, just possessing the capability. They have it.

Fantastic. I think Mark Winchester was next.

Sure. Just to echo the comment that was just made that veterans don't have to go it alone. That's number one. Number two, the other thing, Mark, is viability. They need to know their competitive advantage and that their business is viable. And going through Boots to business, they can develop that plan. They can evaluate the plan and determine the competitive advantage and viability.

All right, Don.

Yeah.

And to build on what Todd and Mark said, it's very intimidating. You put up by a slide of bail, know your bail, banker, accountant, insurance agent, and lawyer. It can be very intimidating. But to all the panelists, points. These are very dedicated and motivated people, very smart people with a life, life experiences that I can't even comprehend. And I just try to convey to them that even though they might not know the legal speaker, for example, if they write it out in plain English, find someone that can translate it for you in a respectful fashion and hopefully takes that intimidation edge off. And I certainly hope that it extends to their bail team, and I think it does.

All right, Ryan.

Yes, sir. I want all my students to leave knowing the contact information of the local resources. Some people will come to abuse the business class with an idea in mind. Some are already in business, and some are playing around with the idea of starting a business. Right. All different phases. And we can't get them on equal playing fields, leaving after two days. So I need to make sure that they have the basic competencies to then be able to go find the resources, connect with the right individuals, and Then we can work with them one on one throughout the SBDC, VBoCS, or all of our other partner organizations that get them to that next level. So as long as they have the basic competencies and they know who they can reach out to and who's going to be the cheerleader in their corner, that's my goal. What? That's what I want them leaving and I want them to know they can always call me for that support.

Gentlemen.

And Laurie, who's not here? Oh, Mark, one more thing to add.

Yes. I'd be remiss, Mark, if I didn't give a shout out to Charles Abel. Charles Abel actually worked in the Houston district office and there was a transition from Stephon Curry to Easter. And Charles Abel for a while was also our veteran Business development officer, and we were doing boots to business almost monthly. So I'd be remiss if I didn't shout out to Mr. Charles Abel. Thank you, Mark.

Fantastic. And I got to send a shout out to you. Send out a shout out to all five of you. Boots of Business instructors of the year. Y' all are fantastic. I'm so, I'm inspired by you. I want to go do great things, want to finish this call and go do something great to help veterans. So thank you all so much for what you do. Keep it up, other people on the line. Hopefully you'll be here next year. And I want to turn it back over to Mr. Tim Green. So thank you all.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mark. Thank you. Panelists, I can tell by your remarks why you were nominated and why you were chosen for this recognition today. You're doing great work, a great service, really, to help the transitioning service members, Veterans Garden Reserve and the rest of their families, you know, with the, with them creating businesses is creating, you know, it's bolstering up the economy. It's, it's so they're getting an opportunity to serve again. And you're doing, you're making, you're doing, you have a lot of responsibility to make that happen. So congratulations. Now I want to reintroduce the administrator. Administrator is Isabel Guzman. She represents 33 million small businesses, including almost 2 million veteran owned. I told you before, she was a strong supporter of our office, but I didn't give you much detail. Over just the past year alone, she helped us and approved the creation of the Military Spouse Pathway to Business program. She helped us expand our Veteran Business Outreach center program by six new VBoCs this year. And she also was the leading factor, really, in rolling out the VET Certification program when it transferred from VA over to sba and without her leadership on it it would have never happened or happened as well as it did. A lot of people are calling it the gold or Platinum standard for certification programs.

Thank you so much Tim for that warm welcome as well as your service in the Air Force and all your great work on behalf of America's veterans, Small Business Owners at the helm of our Office of Veterans Business Development, National Veterans Small Business Week is really the opportunity we have to recognize the continued continued contributions of those who served our nation honorably and protected the democratic ideals we all cherish. We have nearly 2 million veteran owned small businesses producing nearly $1 trillion in total receipts in the U.S. economy every year and employing about 5 million workers, many of whom are also veterans. We need to continue to power these veteran owned small businesses with the training, capital and resources that they need to start, grow and thrive. During the Biden Harris Administration, we have increased the number of Veteran Business outreach centers from 22 to 28 across the country and we launched and have now processed over 8,000 veterans in our Veteran Business Certification Program to improve access to federal contracting opportunities. And the Biden Harris Administration is now growing its commitment to entrepreneurial education for our military community. Earlier this year, President Biden issued an Executive Order to support military spouses. The SBA's new military spouse Pathway to Business program will provide resources, information about access to capital and other specialized support to help military spouses get their businesses off the ground. These programs help military community members achieve dreams and milestones through all stages of business ownership and these programs build on the successes of SBA's boots to business and Reboot programs which we launched during my last stint at the SBA in 2013 during the Obama Biden Administration and then in the decade since. We've trained over 195,000 boots to business Program graduates. The SBA is serious about supporting our service members, veterans, National Guard and Reserve members, and military spouses looking to take their next step into entrepreneurship and small business ownership. But these incredible offerings would not be possible without our own boots on the ground. Our incredible Boots to Business Instructors. The dedicated professionals that empower and guide our veterans as they build resilient businesses. That's why the sba, through our Office of Veterans Business Development, recognizes outstanding individuals as our Boots to Business Instructors of the Year. I have seen it firsthand and heard about the indelible connections created as a result of these instructors passion and commitment to helping entrepreneurs go from idea to startup and beyond. Their work can fundamentally change a business's trajectory and positively impact the veterans and their communities. Boots to Business instructors empower our veterans and make our vision of a better America a reality. Please join me in celebrating our 2023 Boots to Business Instructors of the Year. First, our IVMF Boots to Business Instructor of the Year, the Danilo Institute for Veterans and Military Families in Seoul, Korea Todd Michael Bennett Our SBDC Boots to Business Instructor of the Year from our Maryland Small Business Development Center, Ryan delgaio our VBOC Boots to Business Instructor of the Year, Veterans Business Outreach center of the Pacific, Lori Hiramatsu and then our SCORE Boots to Business Instructor of the Year and SCORE Boston, Donald Whitmore and our SBA Boots to Business Instructor of the Year SBA Houston District Office is Mark Winchester. Todd, Ryan, Laurie, Donald and Mark. I am so proud of the tremendous work you do and service to those who've served our nation. Your work really represents the best of our SBA team across our district offices and resource partner networks. And this well deserved recognition is our way of thanking you and celebrating your important contributions to small businesses, our economy, our global competitiveness and our nation. Thank you so much.

I would just want to say one last time, Chuck, Kelly, Nicole, Mark, thank you for putting this together and I wish everybody have a great day. Thank you very much. Congratulations to our awardees.