Different kinds of Veteran Heroes.

Originally, we planned to introduce another SKA project, but there’s something a bit more timely that we’d like to share.

“Iron Mike” Steadman, founder of Iron Bound Boxing and Thrive Business Incubator in Newark, New Jersey.

Here in the US, we just celebrated Memorial Day, dedicated to honoring the U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.

Now that the long weekend has passed, we like to recognize other military veterans operating in the social impact sector, still making a difference, serving the nation, and, continuing to be heroes in communities across the US.

We were introduced to many veterans focusing on social impact projects during our time in the Apex Program at the Veteran Futures Lab at New York University. Some are more well-known, like the team from Backpacks for Life, a group that provides “a unique and personalized support system for homeless and at-risk veterans struggling to reintegrate into civilian life.” Others here in the New York City metro work just as hard with less publicity and fanfare, like the Lift & Shift Foundation and Pathfinder.vet.

Backpacks for Life.

In this update, we would like to focus on two related efforts and highlight Storm King’s involvement.

The first group is a long-time SKA partner, GCSEN, a group headquartered in the Hudson Valley of New York with years of experience helping social impact entrepreneurs create a “4P Impact – People, Planet, Profit, Place.”

They recently have added an emphasis on veteran social impact entrepreneurs to their portfolio. As part of this effort, they have initiated a program called The Entrepreneur’s Playbook for Veterans, including an upcoming TV series to be aired on the Discovery family of stations.

Mike Steadman of Ironbound Boxing.

One of the first “social impact” veteran entrepreneurs to be highlighted is a passionate man of character who we were fortunate to be introduced to a few years back through our association with Bunker Labs. “Iron Mike” Steadman is an Annapolis graduate and former Marine Infantry officer and is the real deal, making a massive impact in his adopted hometown of Newark, New Jersey. You can learn more about him in this trailer for the first episode of TEP-TV for Vets.

As most of the readers of these posts know, social impact organizations are probably the most challenging type of business to start. They address and solve real needs in communities, but developing a sustainable business model takes time and typically requires patient capital to achieve that goal.

So, how can you help? SKA and GCSEN are seeking:

1. Formal and informal advisors, as well as partners willing to roll up their sleeves.

2. Dedicated sponsors and/or interested investors.

US military veterans are naturally driven, have made extraordinary contributions in their units, and in large numbers, are passionately looking for new missions and challenges to improve their communities at the grassroots level. Let’s take advantage of this national treasure. It’s a win-win. Join us!