Three Days of Corporate Connections, Veteran Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Opportunity Mark a New Chapter for the National Veteran Business Development Council
The National Veteran Business Development Council (NVBDC) brought together veteran entrepreneurs, corporate executives, procurement professionals, government and resource partners, and military leaders for its 2026 National Conference, Mission: POSSIBLE, held October 4–6 at MotorCity Casino Hotel in Detroit, Michigan.
Built around the theme Connect. Compete. Grow., the conference featured corporate matchmaking, educational workshops, veteran business success stories, and strategic networking while introducing NVBDC 3.0 — Same Mission. Greater Impact., a renewed vision focused on expanding opportunities beyond certification through corporate engagement, procurement readiness, innovation, and sustainable business growth.
Honoring Keith King’s Legacy and Introducing NVBDC 3.0
A special tribute honored NVBDC founder Keith King, whose vision helped establish the organization as a nationally recognized certification authority connecting veteran-owned businesses with corporate America. Led by NVBDC Board Member David Brazda, the tribute featured reflections from Tammi Hart, Dave Christy, Sherri Diccion, and Bruno Olvera, recognizing King’s leadership, relationships, and enduring impact.
Following opening remarks from NVBDC Board Chair Jim Cowper and Executive Director Elaine M. Taylor, Taylor introduced NVBDC 3.0, outlining an expanded approach to helping veteran entrepreneurs compete and grow.
The strategy builds on NVBDC’s certification standards while emphasizing business and procurement readiness, stronger corporate relationships, technology and automation, access to capital, and expanded domestic and international market opportunities. Its central objective is to help veteran-owned businesses translate certification into meaningful commercial success.
PuroClean and PuroVet Champion Veteran Entrepreneurship
As the conference’s Presenting Sponsor, PuroClean, through its PuroVet program, demonstrated its commitment to creating opportunities for veteran entrepreneurs.
Retired Brigadier General Douglas “Odie” Slocum delivered opening remarks on behalf of PuroClean, emphasizing how military leadership and experience can translate into successful business ownership.
PuroVet provides qualified veterans with access to an established franchise operating system, specialized training, ongoing support, and opportunities within the property damage restoration industry. Throughout the conference, PuroClean representatives engaged with veteran entrepreneurs, corporate members, and military-connected organizations to strengthen relationships and explore opportunities for collaboration.
Leadership, Inspiration, and Veteran Business Success
Keynote speaker Keni Thomas, a decorated combat veteran, author, musician, and former Army Ranger whose experience in Somalia was depicted in Black Hawk Down, delivered a powerful presentation on leadership, courage, teamwork, and perseverance. His keynote, which included a musical performance, connected lessons from military service with the demands of business ownership and organizational leadership.
The session From Certification to Growth: The NVBDC Success Journey, featuring Toni Moses and Rachelle Wilmer, explored how veteran entrepreneurs can leverage certification, communicate their capabilities, and navigate corporate procurement systems to build lasting supplier relationships.
Veteran entrepreneurs also took center stage during the Veteran-Owned Business Success Stories session, featuring Michael Johnson, Lawrence Miller, Suhey Fisher, Eric Brinkman, Tony Cook, and Jeremy Miller, who shared their business experiences, achievements, and lessons learned.
The Veteran-Owned Business Elevator Pitch showcase provided additional visibility for businesses including Oshun, Treks for Vets Coffee, Inner North LLC, Magellan Transportation Logistics, and FuelSaver Technologies Inc., highlighting the diversity and innovation within the veteran business community.
Access to Capital and Corporate Procurement Opportunities
The panel discussion, Access to Capital: Expert Insights and Funding Strategies for Veteran-Owned Businesses, brought together financial experts to explore funding resources, financing strategies, and business expansion. Moderated by David Brazda, the panel featured LeJean Thompson of Founders First Capital Partners, Alexis Dishman of Community Reinvestment Fund, Mary McCoy of JPMorgan Chase & Co., Paul Jones of Invest Detroit, Ruth Hedges of Crowdfundingroadmap, Inc., and Jonathan Brady of the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM).
The discussion emphasized the importance of working capital, financial readiness, and access to funding in helping veteran-owned businesses pursue major contracts and scale their operations.
Corporate matchmaking was another centerpiece of Mission: POSSIBLE, providing direct access to procurement professionals, supplier development representatives, and potential strategic partners.
Participating corporations included Adient, Becton Dickinson, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Toyota, Stellantis, DTE Energy, Consumers Energy, Johnson & Johnson, Johnson Controls, Target, Verizon, and JPMorgan Chase.
Through scheduled matchmaking meetings and exhibitor engagement, veteran business owners introduced their capabilities, gained insight into procurement requirements, and developed relationships with potential corporate buyers.
Beyond formal programming, Veterans Night Out at the Veteran Marketplace, the Mission Roadmap Challenge, networking reception, and Veterans Lounge provided additional opportunities to connect, exchange ideas, and strengthen business relationships.
Preparing Veteran Businesses for a Changing Marketplace
Tuesday’s programming examined the evolving corporate procurement landscape, international opportunities, and emerging technologies.
Anisha Jackson of Becton Dickinson presented Supply Chain Resilience: The New Procurement Currency, highlighting the growing importance of reliable, adaptable suppliers capable of meeting changing corporate demands.
The session Expanding the Mission: International Resources, Initiatives and Partnerships, featuring Annette Stevenson, Fernando Hernandez, and Richie Sharratt, explored international relationships, resources, and opportunities to help veteran businesses expand into new markets.
Technology was another major focus, with separate corporate and veteran breakout sessions. The Corporate Technology Breakout, led by Tammi Hart, addressed technology considerations for corporate engagement, while the Veteran Technology Workshop, AI in Action: Leveraging AI for Business Success, explored practical applications of artificial intelligence and automation.
Participants examined how emerging tools can improve marketing, streamline operations, strengthen business communications, increase productivity, and help smaller businesses compete more effectively.
Recognizing Excellence: The Mission: POSSIBLE Awards
The Mission: POSSIBLE Awards Ceremony, presented with the participation of DTE Energy, celebrated outstanding leadership, corporate partnerships, veteran entrepreneurship, and community collaboration.
Among the distinguished honorees was Frank Torre, Vice Chairman of PuroClean, who received the Mission Partner of the Year Award in recognition of his commitment to advancing veteran business opportunities and strengthening corporate partnerships.
Additional honorees included Paul Forgey of Target, recipient of the Mission Impact Award; Lawrence Miller of Treks for Vets Coffee, recipient of the Veteran Business Excellence Award; Jim Evans of Sevan Multi-Site Solutions, recipient of the Excellence in Collaboration Award; and Kelly Neirynch of the Small Business Association of Michigan, recipient of the Regional Resource Partner Award.
Jeremy Miller of Coravant received the Veteran Entrepreneur or Franchise of the Year Award; Suhey Fisher of Inner North LLC received the Rising Star Veteran Business Award; Matt Feldhaus of Disabled American Veterans received the National Mission Partner Award; and Dan Muschong of DTE Energy received the Mission Champion Award.
The honorees represented the leadership, partnerships, and entrepreneurial achievements that continue to advance opportunities for veteran-owned businesses nationwide.
Strengthening Corporate Engagement and Expanding Market Access
The conference concluded with strategic discussions examining corporate veteran engagement and additional procurement opportunities.
The panel Veteran-Focused ERG Best Practices & Strategic Insights featured Matt Feldhaus of Disabled American Veterans, Sean Ireland of Ally Financial, Gary Tanner of DTE Energy, and Justin Kane of Magellan Transportation Logistics. Panelists explored how veteran employee resource groups and corporate initiatives can strengthen engagement and support veteran professionals and entrepreneurs.
A second panel, Dual Certification: Greater Impact — Insight into the Federal Market, featured Rick Wyrembelski of Defense Strat, Scott Jensen of the National Veteran Small Business Coalition, Elaine Taylor of NVBDC, and Edward Tuorinsky of DTS. The discussion examined opportunities for veteran businesses to leverage certification across both corporate and federal procurement markets.
Together, these sessions reinforced the value of collaboration among corporations, nonprofit organizations, procurement professionals, and veteran business advocates.
The Mission Continues
With more than 3,000 certified service-disabled and veteran-owned businesses and a network of over 180 corporate members, NVBDC continues to build on its national foundation while advancing the priorities introduced through NVBDC 3.0.
The conference demonstrated that certification is an important starting point, but long-term success depends on preparation, relationships, resources, and the ability to convert opportunities into contracts and business growth.
NVBDC extends its appreciation to Presenting Sponsor PuroClean, corporate members, event sponsors, speakers, exhibitors, veteran entrepreneurs, and strategic partners whose participation made Mission: POSSIBLE possible.
The connections established in Detroit now create opportunities for continued engagement, stronger supplier relationships, and measurable economic impact.
Get Certified. Get Connected. Get Ready to Compete.
