A Veterans Affairs Grant Program announced last week by Governor Evers included Lakeland University among its recipients, and today Lakeland announced its intentions for that grant money.
Stephanie Hoskins, LU’s inaugural Herbert Kohler & Frank Jacobson Chair for Business and Entrepreneurship, said the grant will provide seed money for veteran students to start their own small businesses, stipends for co-working spaces at Jake’s, a veteran-focused accelerator program this spring and a recently launched virtual network for veterans.
Lakeland also says that it will use an existing program, Launch: Lakeland Student-Run Businesses, as another outlet for veterans. Lakeland will provide seed money for students to launch their own business, and when students graduate, they will take their business with them. Lakeland will provide support, training, mentorship and identify potential clients or engage as a customer when possible.
“There is an opportunity for us to serve even more veterans through innovative programming, support, education opportunities, access to capital and networking,” Hoskins said. “Jake’s is dedicated to breaking down barriers to entrepreneurship including those unique to veterans.”
Lakeland was included in an overall $420,000 grant award announced by Governor Evers last Thursday to 13 organizations helping Wisconsin veterans and families.