In Chattanooga — this bustling city where entrepreneurs are a driving force — veterans own fewer than 10% of businesses. However, through local university programs and Chattanooga-area company support, more veteran entrepreneurs are equipping themselves with essential tools and better resources to form stronger foundations for their journeys to success.
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Veteran Entrepreneurship Program (VEP)
Veterans have a great track record for helping one another – a core value that’s instilled across the armed forces early on in training. One that Sandra Cordell, a Navy veteran and former small-business owner herself, lives out every day in her role as Director of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Gary W. Rollins College of Business Veteran Entrepreneurship Program (VEP). Since the program’s 2012 inception, Cordell has been collaborating with the local community and university to craft a free program available to veterans across the nation. The primary objective is to ensure their successful transition to entrepreneurship.
Given her experience, Cordell intimately understands the challenges of starting a company from the ground up after retiring from the service. Cordell’s own entrepreneurial journey mirrors much of what she has encountered among VEP program participants over the years: possessing valuable skills or services, but often lacking the fundamental knowledge of running a business.
“If we had a program like VEP back then, maybe we’d still be in business,” Cordell said.