Georgetown University and ZeroMils Host the 3rd Annual National Military Thriving® Change Forum

On the 25th Anniversary of 9/11 and in America's 250th Year, National Leaders Convene to Empower Veterans, Military Families, and the Next Generation to Serve

WASHINGTON, June 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- ZeroMils, a service-disabled Veteran-owned social impact company, today convenes its 3rd Annual National Military Thriving® Change Forum in partnership with Georgetown University — bringing together senior leaders from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to chart a bold course and improved outcomes for military and veteran-connected families across America.

The forum takes place during a year of profound national significance, as America prepares to celebrate its 250th year as a nation and remember the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. At this historic crossroads, ZeroMils is amplifying a clarion call — not only to empower those who served and sacrificed, but to inspire a new generation to step forward and serve their communities and country, too.

A Movement Three Years in the Making

When ZeroMils and Georgetown University hosted the first-ever Military Thriving® Change Forum on October 23, 2024, the challenge was clear and urgent: the U.S. military had missed its annual enlistment goals by 41,000 recruits in 2023. That inaugural gathering brought together 160 senior leaders from government agencies, Fortune 500 companies, higher education institutions, and the nation's most impactful nonprofits. 

Together, they crowdsourced the start of a Military Thriving® community blueprint — a roadmap for the private sector to combat the "broken Veteran" narrative and project a positive, balanced message about military service to young Americans.

The second annual Change Forum, held June 12, 2025 deepened that work. Nearly 150 senior leaders gathered in Washington, D.C., and thousands more joined virtually, as ZeroMils formally launched launched its Military Thriving® Action Coalition with partners including National University, Wells Fargo, CVS Health, and Neighborly, whose work supporting Veteran entrepreneurship and franchise business ownership has helped create new pathways to business ownership nationwide. 

In 2025, ZeroMils took that blueprint to 15 regions of the country, conducting roundtable discussions, stakeholder meetings, and community-wide Uniting in Service events. Through that process, six cities emerged as anchors for the next chapter: communities committed to hosting their own Regional Military Thriving® Change Forums in 2026 and beyond. 

The Third Forum: From Blueprint to Movement

Today's 3rd Annual National Military Thriving® Change Forum, running from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET at Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., marks a pivotal expansion of that mission. The Forum will:

• Feature community leaders from the six cities committed to hosting Regional Change Forums in 2026, amplifying local leadership, excellence, and accountability and fostering collaboration between regions to share best practices and improve outcomes for military affiliated families and the cities they live in nationwide. 
• Prioritize education and entrepreneurship pathways, giving voice to subject matter experts who will empower service members, Veterans and their families to make better-informed decisions in transition,
  expand their understanding of available pathways, and thrive in the workplace and in society.
  
  
• Deliver on the pledge made in testimony before the House Committee on Small Business: giving thousands of Veteran and military spouse entrepreneurs a seat at the table — in person and virtually — at national and regional change forums.

This year's agenda features the Opening Keynote from Dr. Mark Milliron, President & CEO of National University, on "Military Thriving® Higher Education — A Design That Empowers Military ANDers as Students, Employees, and Entrepreneurs." Additional panels will address empowering military families in transition, creating pathways to national security industries, and recognizing Veteran and military spouse small business owners as engines of economic growth and local impact.

"National University was founded by a Navy Captain more than 50 years ago to make sure those who serve this country can thrive in their next chapter," said Dr. Milliron. "Military ANDers — Veterans, active-duty members, and military spouses who are students AND employees AND entrepreneurs AND caregivers — deserve a higher education model built around their lives, not the other way around. National University is proud to stand alongside ZeroMils as a university built to serve these strivers, and we are committed to delivering on this promise every single day."

The day's Lunch Keynote will be delivered by Mike Davis, CEO of Neighborly, on "Veteran Success: Empowering Entrepreneurs to Thrive as Franchise Business Owners." Breakout sessions will feature collaborative workshops drawing together stakeholders from Texas, Tennessee, North Carolina, Southern California, Virginia, Georgia, and Indiana — the communities leading the charge toward Regional Change Forums later this year.

"Veterans bring something no business school can teach: leadership forged under pressure, a mission-first mindset, and the discipline to execute," said Mike Davis, CEO of Neighborly. "Neighborly was founded by a Veteran, and for more than 40 years we have been building a franchise system that understands and values that. Veteran and military spouse entrepreneurs bring the leadership, resilience, and operational discipline that translate naturally into business ownership. Across Neighborly, we've seen firsthand how those strengths create thriving franchise owners, strong teams, and lasting impact in local communities. That is why Neighborly is proud to be the Military Thriving leader in our sector, and why we are deepening that commitment today."

A Moment of National Reckoning and Renewal

As this nation approaches the 25th anniversary of 9/11 — a day that sparked the largest outpouring of patriotism and voluntary military service in a generation — and as America marks 250 years of self-governance, ZeroMils believes the moment demands a renewed national commitment to service, strength, and community.

"The Military Thriving Change Forum exists to do one thing: change the broken Veteran and empower Veterans and their families to thrive as students, employees, entrepreneurs, and civic assets," said Kevin Schmiegel, CEO of ZeroMils and a retired Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel. "The communities and organizations we work with are focused on creating cultures that enable us to lead and serve as catalysts for growth, change and impact at the local level. That is our Military Thriving movement. That is why we are here."

In the year when the country remembers the men and women who answered the call after 9/11 and reflects on 250 years of American resilience, ZeroMils and Georgetown University are making a definitive statement: the story of America's military and Veteran community is a story of triumph, leadership, and service — and it is time for that story to be told.

ZeroMils is livestreaming the 3rd Annual Military Thriving Change Forum on YouTube, so thousands of leaders from across the nation can tune in virtually and be part of the movement started by two Marine Veterans four years ago.

About the Speakers and Partners

Today's forum features distinguished speakers including Dr. Joel Kupersmith, Navy Veteran and Professor Emeritus at Georgetown University; Admiral James G. Foggo, U.S. Navy (Ret.), Dean of the Center for Maritime Strategy; Jocelyn Mitnaul Mallette, Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs; Patricia Ross, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Veterans Services; Greg Summers, CEO of Orion Talent; Matt Haller, President and CEO of the International Franchise Association; and David A. Lee, Lead Director at CVS Health, among many others.

The Change Forum is supported by a growing coalition of corporate, nonprofit, and higher education partners committed to creating Military Thriving® cultures and communities. Founding and longstanding partners include Wells Fargo, CVS Health, Neighborly, National University, and Orion Talent.

About ZeroMils

ZeroMils is a service-disabled, Veteran-owned social impact company founded by two Marine Corps officers — retired Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Schmiegel and retired Colonel Paul Cucinotta. Named the 2025 Emerging Veteran-Owned Business of the Year by Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce, ZeroMils' mission is to create Military Thriving® cultures and communities. The organization works with corporations, nonprofits, higher education institutions, and government agencies to shift the conversation about military service, by empowering Veterans and military families to lead, thrive, and inspire the next generation to serve.

ZeroMils is headquartered at 201 N. Union St., Suite 110, Alexandria, VA 22314.

For more information, visit zeromils.com or email [email protected]

SOURCE ZeroMils