Syracuse University’s Start-Up NY, a collaborative project of the Whitman School of Management, the Burton Blatt Institute Centers of Innovation on Disability, ARISE, and the Onondaga County Office of Economic Development and Department of Social Services, hosted a guest lecture by John Raftery, founder and president of Patriot Material Handling, Inc., on June 25 at noon. The lecture, titled “Overcoming Challenges of Disability in Self Employment,” took place at the South Side Innovation Center (SSIC), located at 2610 S. Salina Street in Syracuse. Free for Start-Up NY clients.
Raftery served for four years in the U.S. Marine Corps before being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and inner ear damage in 2003. In 2007, he took part in the inaugural Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV), created and held at the Whitman School of Management. With EBV training, Raftery was able to start his own business, Patriot Material Handling, which officially opened its doors in January 2008.
