Service Credit Union, VETRN Team Up for Seventh Year of Free Veteran MBA Program

Service Credit Union is excited to support the 2021 VETRN MBA program with grant funding. VETRN, short for Veteran Entrepreneurial Training and Resource Network, helps military veteran business owners and family members better manage operations and enhance business success with a free series of MBA style courses.

Service CU hosted the VETRN MBA program at its corporate headquarters in Portsmouth, NH in the fall of 2019. Since then the program has moved online in 2020 due to the pandemic. The next online VETRN MBA program begins September 25, 2021 and is accepting applications at VETRN.org.

The 2021 participants are from 11 different states and counting and represent a diverse set of businesses and industries. 

“We have the passion, drive and ability to research, but we joined the program to gain knowledge from professionals who are able to mentor and teach us using real world experience,” said Cody Wood, who opened Local Farm NH with his wife Kasey in July 2020, on why the couple signed up for the program.

Melissa Dingman, another student, and owner of Strength and Power Massage in Concord, NH, added: “When the VETRN program began including military spouses, I was thrilled to apply. My goal is to gain a better business knowledge to continue to grow and expand with the security that I truly know what I’m doing. We are all excited to start the school year as a family: my husband is using his military career to get his Bachelor’s Degree, my son will start second grade, my daughter started preschool, and now I get to join the group!”

The VETRN course curriculum includes strategic planning, financial management, financing, sales and marketing, government contracting and managing legal issues. The program was founded by Leland Goldberg, who has more than 30 years of experience leading companies, including the CEO role of 14 companies. A former Army Officer who served in Vietnam, Goldberg is also former Director and Past Chair of World Education, a nonprofit engaged in training and technical assistance in literacy, adult education and health education around the world.

For its 2020 program, VETRN added a course in “How to Manage through a Financial Crisis” and encouraged VETRN participants whose businesses were adversely affected by the pandemic to put together a 12-month turnaround plan.

VETRN is now in its seventh year and has graduated 75 veteran small business owners and family members with many success stories, as well as successful pivots that became necessary due to the revenue and cash flow challenges brought on by Covid-19.

“We’re proud to once again partner with VETRN to help our veterans and veteran spouses get the resources they need to follow their passions and operate successful businesses of their own after selflessly serving our country,” said Wendy Beswick, VP-Marketing at Service Credit Union.