32 U.S. VETERANS MAGAZINE WWW.USVETERANSMAGAZINE.COM
VOBS & SUPPLIER DIVERSITY
W
ith over 252,000 veteran- owned businesses in the state, California ranks number one in the nation. It stands to reason: California not only has the largest economy of any state, but ranks as the world's fifth largest economy, with businesses as diverse as their owners and employees. Demonstrating the same grit, discipline, resilience and work ethic honed in the military, veterans founded roughly 85 percent of the businesses we run today. We lead from the front. It is in this spirit that the California Veterans Chamber of Commerce (CA VCC) was launched. Our intent is to create a platform where owners of veteran- and military spouse- owned businesses can network, share and help each other grow, especially under the economic uncertainty created by COVID-19.
California Veterans Chamber of Commerce:
A Key Resource for Veteran-Owned Businesses
Read more below on the CA VCC and how you can get involved:
Why was the California Veterans Chamber of Commerce created?
In 2018, our team met with the U.S. Veterans Chamber of Commerce in Washington D.C. to discuss the need for a local affiliate to represent Californias 1.8 million veterans (almost 9 percent of the nations veterans) and 252,000 veteran-owned businesses, which comprise 10 percent of the 2.5 million of such businesses in the U.S. Despite being the countrys largest economy, California has the dubious honor of having 28 percent of the nations homeless veterans. After a year of planning to create the Chambers architecture and the legal underpinnings, COVID-19 gave us the extra urgency to serve as a voice for the veteran and military family community, and as a catalyst to create a public-private partnership with those who serve our diverse community. In a year of unprecedented trauma, the strong bond among veterans and military families serves as a reminder that working together, we can weather any storm.
Who are the founding members of the organization and how were they chosen?
Stephanie Brown - Founder & CEO of The Rosie Network, spouse of retired Navy SEAL Rear Admiral Tom Brown, and daughter of an Air Force veteran, Stephanie was named in 2018 as the SBA Veteran Small Business Champion of the Year. Bobby McDonald - President of the Black Chamber of Orange County, and Black Chamber Education Fund. Bobby served two tours in Vietnam in the Navy. He also serves on the CalVet Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) Advisory Committee and the Orange County Veterans Advisory Council. Steve Spriggs - An Army veteran who served in Vietnam, Steve has spent over 30 years in the mortgage industry, the last 20 specializing in VA Home Loans for fellow veterans and their families. Steve serves as a Board Member on five veteran foundations in Orange County. Maurice Wilson - A retired Navy Master Chief Petty Officer, Maurice is Co-founder, President and Executive Director of the National Veterans Transition Services, Inc. (aka REBOOT). Recognized by the White House in 2010 as a Champion of Change, Maurice also serves as Commissioner on the City of San Diego - Citizens Equal Opportunity Commission, and on the board of the Workforce Investment Board, and the Call of Duty Endowment. Jim Wong - A Marine Vietnam veteran, Jim chairs REBOOT, and is COO of the Veteran Business Project, which supports veteran and military spouse entrepreneurs. He also serves on the board of another nonprofit called Main Street Launch, a Community Development Financial Institution that provides debt financing to veteran- and military spouse-owned businesses. Jim is also an advisor to the U.S. Veterans Chamber of Commerce. Members of this founding group met while working together on other community projects, and all subscribe to the African proverb: If you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together.
STEPHANIE BROWN, co-founding member, California Veterans Chamber of Commerce
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