John Raftery
John, age 28, served four years in the United States Marine Corps. After graduating from the EBV in August of 2007, John formed Patriot Material Handling, Inc., a material handling equipment and industrial supply distributor. In his first year of business, John is primarily focused on contracting with local, state, and the federal government, and also in the defense industry. Patriot Material Handling was awarded its first contract in December 2007.
For John, the EBV represented an opportunity to take a big step forward toward realizing his dream of business ownership. Attending the EBV allowed John to experience the nut and bolts of business ownership, specifically in the areas of bootstrapping, guerrilla marketing, and developing a business plan.
“The most important realization I took from the EBV was an appreciation for how important it is to create a business plan before starting a business,” says John. “And the importance of surrounding myself with people that have the knowledge and skills to help me make my business dream a reality.”
Charles Blackwell
Charles, age 45, served 21 years in the United States Army. After leaving the Army, Charles was motivated to accomplish his lifelong aspiration: be an entrepreneur. Charles credits the EBV program with providing focus, and helped foster a belief that his dream was attainable. After completing the EBV in 2007, he took action, and Blackwell Entertainment was born.
In forming Blackwell Entertainment, Charles turned his passion for music into a viable business. His company specializes in customized musical solutions, uniquely designed around an event’s theme. Charles offers his customers a portfolio of event related services, including mobile DJs, photography, and professional videography. From his experience at EBV, Charles learned that personal service and professionalism are paramount in a service business. He took that lesson to heart, and today his business is growing so fast that he recently hired his first employees.
Rusten May
Rusten, age 24, served four years as a sniper in the United States Army. He continues to serve in the Louisiana National Guard, and leads the Louisiana State Sniper Section.
Rusten graduated from the EBV in 2007, and shortly thereafter received his BS in business administration from Nicholls State University (NSU). Rusten hopes to attend law school in Fall 2008, but ultimately he has an entrepreneurial mission that is less about making money, and more about “finding meaning.” Rusten’s entrepreneurial focus has been on assisting veterans in his state.
“The EBV provided me with essential information and experience to enact several policy changes at NSU such as: priority class scheduling for veterans, waived admission requirements upon presentation of an honorable discharge, and the creation of a veteran support group made up of high ranking university faculty,” says Rusten. “In addition, I helped bring the local community together with the community of veterans by facilitating the donation of free, university athletic event tickets to local veterans and their families.”
Each athletic event will also recognize a veteran for their service to our country. Currently, Rusten is working to raise $40K to build a 9/11 monument to be erected in his local community. |
