Real Results from Idaho Veteran Entrepreneurs
Every number on this page is a person who decided to build something.
VEA started with a single event in 2018, before anyone involved had a plan to build an organization around it. The nonprofit came a year later, because the room kept filling up.
VEA is free, and it stays free, which means we do not measure ourselves in revenue. We measure whether Idaho veterans, military spouses and transitioning service members end up with businesses that work. Below are the numbers, and then some of the people behind them.
Counted from our first event in 2018, statewide and free to every member. A 501(c)(3) since 2019.
What these numbers actually mean
1,400 members served is everyone who came through the door: veterans with a business plan, veterans with a half-formed idea, military spouses starting over after a move, service members working out what comes after the uniform.
700 businesses launched is the ones that made it to trading. Not registrations, not intentions. Businesses that opened.
20,000 hours of education is the workshops, the strategy sessions, the curriculum, and the one-on-one conversations that do not fit neatly into any of those.
$4M in funding supported is capital that reached Idaho veteran owned businesses with our help navigating the process. VEA does not lend and does not take a cut. We help people find the right money and put together an application that stands up.
Idaho veteran businesses in the community
TableVIII Overland Catering
Alex Balderas, Army/Marine Corps
Rapid deployment of culinary cuisine in any environment. Select menus built around the demands of the adventure, wherever it happens.
Renegade Fence Boise
William Banner, Marine Corps
Vinyl, wood, iron and field fence installation across the Treasure Valley. Durable materials and clean workmanship for residential, acreage and property line projects.
Ever Forward Counseling x Neurofeedback
Monique Barber, Veteran Spouse
Counseling, neurofeedback and the Cortina Method for people who feel stuck, heavy or overwhelmed. Clinical support built around moving forward rather than sitting in it.
Valiance Firearms Training
Nate Castillo, Army
Professional firearms training built on special operations expertise. Practical, approachable instruction grounded in real-world application.
Mobile Oil Change Pros
Jeremy Redmond, Air Force
Full vehicle maintenance delivered to your driveway or job site. Oil changes, brakes, tires, fleet and RV service without the wait or the trip to the shop.
Honor Flight Boise
Julie Crider, Veteran Spouse
Fully funded trips for Idaho veterans to visit the memorials built in their honor in Washington DC. A day of recognition at no cost to the veteran.
Backed by Trusted Partners
Your Veteran Owned Business Could Be Next
Join Idaho's free veteran entrepreneur community and start building.