American Veterans Group Supports Women Vets Seeking To Launch Businesses In Chicago Area

MELVILLE, N.Y., Feb. 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- American Veterans Group, Wall Street's first and only public benefit corporation, is supporting the ambitions of entrepreneurial-minded women veterans and women military spouses by partnering with the Bob Woodruff Foundation to provide a $10,000 grant to the Women's Business Development Center (WBDC) in Chicago.

The Women's Business Development Center is a nationally recognized leader in women's economic development delivering equitable access to business resources to women and all underserved business owners.

The grant will be used to help fund the Center's Fempreneur Online Business Basics Bootcamp, a program designed to teach women veterans the foundational skills of how to develop, launch and market a business online. About 15 women veterans and women military spouses will directly benefit from the Bob Woodruff Foundation grant made possible by support from American Veterans Group.

"We applaud the Women's Business Development Center and the important work they're doing to help women veterans and women military spouses realize their dreams of going into business for themselves," said Ben Biles, co-founder and chief executive officer of American Veterans Group. "There are precious few programs that are dedicated specifically to helping women veterans succeed as entrepreneurs, so it made perfect sense to us to direct our philanthropy to support their good efforts."

American Veterans Group is a growing investment banking firm that dedicates 25% of its earnings to support veterans causes. The firm directs its philanthropic giving to communities where it and its clients do business.

"Without great donors who recognize the importance of fueling opportunities for underserved entrepreneurs, the WBDC would not be able to provide women-, minority-, and veteran-owned businesses with the tools and resources they need to succeed," said Emilia DiMenco, president and chief executive officer of the WBDC. "We are proud to deliver the Fempreneur cohort, a great starting block for veteran and military spouses looking to turn their business idea into a reality, and we thank American Veterans Group for their support."

The grant to the WBDC was made possible by American Veterans Group's investment banking relationship with UScellular, which is headquartered in Chicago. UScellular included American Veterans Group as a member of a selling group led by Wells Fargo on a recent UScellular senior debt offering.

The grant to the WBDC is the second in the Chicago area resulting from the investment banking relationship with UScellular. Late last year, American Veterans Group donated $10,000 to the Chicago-based nonprofit, Leave No Veteran Behind, which used the grant to expand the organization's recruitment and referral efforts to connect 100 Chicago-area veterans with transitional job opportunities.

"The action by American Veteran's Group to support Women's Business Development Center in Chicago and their Fempreneur Online Business Basics Bootcamp is a cause we're proud to stand behind," said Deirdre Drake, executive vice president and chief people officer at UScellular. "The ability to support initiatives like this and do good in communities is one of the many reasons we choose to work with AVG." 

American Veterans Group partnered with the Bob Woodruff Foundation to identify and invest in best-in-class programming that provides measurable outcomes for the populations they support. The WBDC's Fempreneur program offers a robust approach to business and financial education to women veterans and military spouses.

The six-week virtual program is delivered in weekly 90-minute sessions. Each participant works directly on producing projects transferable to starting their online business, such as drafting a two-minute business pitch presentation and creating a sales landing page. The WBDC also offers business owners one-hour, one-on-one business coaching and planning sessions. This investment in their online bootcamp will enable the WBDC to help more women veterans and military spouses achieve their business goals.

About American Veterans Group

American Veterans Group, PBC, is a military veteran-owned, social impact-focused broker dealer that delivers value to institutional clients while providing meaningful philanthropic support to the military veteran community. The company reinvests 25% of its earnings in national and local military veteran nonprofit organizations that provide worthy services and support to one of America's most vulnerable, at-risk populations. As Wall Street's only public benefit corporation, American Veterans Group empowers institutional clients to partner in its social mission while enabling them to remain focused on key business objectives and goals. To learn more about American Veterans Group, visit their website at www.americanvetsgroup.com.

About the Bob Woodruff Foundation

The Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF) was founded in 2006 after reporter Bob Woodruff was wounded by a roadside bomb while covering the war in Iraq. Since then, the Bob Woodruff Foundation has led an enduring call to action for people to stand up for heroes and meet the emerging and long-term needs of today's veterans, including suicide prevention, mental health, caregiver support, and food insecurity. To date, BWF has invested over $76 million to Find, Fund and Shape™ programs that have empowered impacted veterans, service members, and their family members, across the nation. For more information, please visit bobwoodrufffoundation.org or follow them on Twitter at @Stand4Heroes.

About the Women's Business Development Center

The Women's Business Development Center (WBDC) is a 501(c)(3) nationally recognized leader in the field of women's economic development. The organization was founded in 1986 to support and accelerate business development and growth, targeting women and serving all diverse business owners, in order to strengthen their participation in and impact on the economy. Learn more at www.wbdc.org. 

Media Contacts:

For American Veterans Group

Mark Kroeger
The Boldsquare Group
(513) 236-3109
[email protected]

For the Bob Woodruff Foundation
Katherine Cook
Bob Woodruff Foundation
(917) 708 0063
[email protected] 

For Women's Business Development Center
Mia Mastandrea
(224) 688-8104
[email protected]

SOURCE American Veterans Group