DAV Patriot Boot Camp: Transforming, empowering founders in the Veteran and military community

The DAV Patriot Boot Camp Fall ’23 event for entrepreneurs in the Veteran and military- connected community will be held at DAV National Headquarters in Erlanger, Kentucky, on October 12-14. Applications to participate are available through July 17 at patriotbootcamp.org.  

Up to 50 new participants will receive valuable insight and one-on-one guidance from mentors, leading entrepreneurs and business leaders. Each day will also include presentations by world-class experts covering an array of topics, including common legal startup mistakes, marketing and sales, and pitching. At the end of the program, select participants will be invited to participate in a pitch contest, with thousands of dollars in non-dilutive capital up for grabs.

“DAV Patriot Boot Camp is so much more than just a few days of programming and expert advice,” said Nick Brophy, DAV Patriot Boot Camp director. “The true magic is in the community of Veterans and military spouses, all of whom are driven to serve through innovative solutions and to support their fellow vetrepreneurs in doing the same.”

That includes Veterans like DAV Patriot Boot Camp alumnus Phillip Bragg, one of three Veterans selected for the most recent pitch contest, known as DAV Shark Tank. Bragg, a Marine Veteran, is the founder and CEO of 1350 Distilling, a Veteran and woman-owned craft distillery located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It offers hand-crafted and local-sourced spirits dedicated to different military branches or for honoring first responders.

The contest will be held virtually and live on LinkedIn on August 24. They were among dozens of Veterans who received extensive training during the Spring ’23 boot camp. In addition to competing for thousands of dollars in unrestricted, non-diluted funding, they’ll each receive personal pitch coaching by an expert who has decades of experience.

Program alumni—many of whom return as mentors and presenters—have said the skills and connections made at DAV Patriot Boot Camp helped them secure financing and rapidly grow their businesses. Since the program’s founding, more than 1,000 alumni have raised over $150 million in venture capital and employed over 1,900 people. Among alumni, nearly 70% have a service-connected disability, more than 20% are women, and nearly 30% identify as being racially diverse.

Applications for DAV Patriot Boot Camp Fall ’23 can be found at patriotbootcamp.org. There is no cost for registration or participation beyond personal travel-related expenses and lodging.

DAV is also seeking leaders to serve as mentors, presenters, panelists and event volunteers. If you are interested in supporting the event and its community of entrepreneurs, please contact patriotbootcamp@dav.org.