The National Veteran Business Development Council (NVBDC) proudly participated as a Silver Sponsor at the 2025 EXIM Annual Conference, held April 29–30 at the historic Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C. With over 1,500 attendees from around the world, this year’s conference theme—“Winning Globally in America’s Golden Age”—highlighted the expanding landscape of international trade and the importance of American competitiveness on the global stage.
Representing NVBDC were Keith King, Founder & CEO; Jeff King, Director of Certification & Operations; and LTC (ret) Kathryn Poynton Director of the MVO Task Force and NVBDC Board member. As first-time sponsors, NVBDC received a quarter-page ad in the EXIM conference magazine promoting our 2025 National Matchmaking Conference, three complimentary registrations, and logo placement among leading sponsors—a strategic move to elevate visibility and signal NVBDC’s growing footprint in global commerce.
Strategic Government Engagements
NVBDC engaged in high-level discussions with key representatives from:
- EXIM Global Development
- EXIM Export Credit Insurance
- EXIM Emerging Exporter Business Development
- International Trade Administration (ITA)/U.S. Commercial Service
- U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)
- U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA)
These conversations underscored the importance of building a robust international strategy for NVBDC-certified veteran businesses. A significant outcome was EXIM’s proposal to initiate a strategic planning session that would bring together EXIM, SBA, ITA, and NVBDC to develop an international “road map” for veteran-owned exporters. This plan will help veteran entrepreneurs tap into global markets with tailored resources, training, and support.
A major highlight of the event was NVBDC’s introduction to Mr. Salvador Ahumada, U.S. Marine Corps veteran and CEO of ACEIS Capital, an international development company headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand. Mr. Ahumada is currently spearheading the construction of the Nakhon Phanom Airport (NKP) in Northeastern Thailand and expressed strong interest in sourcing NVBDC-certified Veteran-Owned Businesses (VOBs) for upcoming infrastructure contracts, not just in Asia but also in Africa.
His commitment to supporting fellow veterans through business opportunities is both inspiring and actionable—he has pledged to send a partnership agreement and collaborate directly with NVBDC to create a pipeline of VOBs ready to support international projects.
The EXIM Annual Conference proved to be an invaluable platform to strengthen NVBDC’s relationships with key government agencies, form new international partnerships, and lay the foundation for a global expansion plan that directly benefits certified veteran-owned businesses. NVBDC remains committed to ensuring our veterans aren’t just competitive in the U.S. marketplace—but globally recognized and engaged.
NVBDC is working closely with EXIM and its partners to respond to the invitation for strategic planning and will continue nurturing our new relationship with ACEIS Capital to unlock overseas contracting opportunities for SD/VOBs. The momentum from this event highlights the need to attend and sponsor EXIM’s conference annually, positioning NVBDC and our veteran businesses at the forefront of international trade development.
To learn more about global business opportunities for NVBDC-certified Veteran-Owned Businesses, visit NVBDC.org
