In the military, new personnel are often trained by following the example of those who came before them. Competent corporals, sergeants and petty officers are usually paired with new privates, airmen and seaman to show them how things are done. Once these military members complete their service, they are often left to their own devices and forced to find their own way. Many new Veterans wish they had a mentor to show them how things are done in the civilian world. For Veterans wishing to venture into small business ownership, your experienced comrades are making themselves available to you–– to learn from their battle-hardened example in Veteran entrepreneurship.

Honor Courage Commitment (HCC) is a non-profit organization based out of Dallas, Texas that “recruits, educates, mentors, and guides high caliber military Veterans into becoming socially responsible entrepreneurs and community leaders.” HCC was started in 2011 and provides free training, education and mentorship for Veteran entrepreneurs.

HCC’s programs function with a focus on education, entrepreneurship, social responsibility through community service, health and fitness, and job placement. The organization partners with other entrepreneurs, organizations and companies to provide Veteran entrepreneurs with expert guidance and training for starting and running their own business.

Honor Courage Commitment was founded by Andrew Nguyen. Nguyen is a Veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, where he was a staff sergeant. After his completion of active duty in 2006, Nguyen obtained a Bachelor’s degree in  Business Administration and Master’s degree in Entrepreneurship, before attending an entrepreneurship development program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). In 2008, Nguyen launched his own company, WSI Search, a digital marketing and web development firm.

Nguyen and his company found success, despite launching right at the start of a major economic downturn in the country. The former staff sergeant accredits much of his success to following the Navy and Marine Corps’ core values of “Honor, Courage and Commitment.”

According to the history portal on HCC’s website, Nguyen believes that, “America is fighting a domestic war called ‘unemployment,’ and HCC’s mission is to combat that war by creating veteran entrepreneurs who, through the growth of small businesses, will create more job opportunities.  More veteran entrepreneurs = more veteran friendly jobs = less veterans filing for unemployment benefits = less wasted tax dollars for America.”

The HCC organization recruits nationally. But Veterans who use this incubator (company who promotes entrepreneurial startups) can ultimately find themselves starting businesses or working jobs anywhere in the country.

Veterans interested in entrepreneurships should look into HCC as a possible resource. Veteran entrepreneurs are also encouraged to check out https://vamboa.org/