September 14, 2015
Re: Letter of Support for Veterans Florida Entrepreneurship Program
Dear Derek Distenfield,
Through innovative programming and services, the University of North Florida’s Military and Veterans Resource Center is determined to successfully transition students from combat to college and into fulfilling careers. The resource center comprises passionate voices continuously advocating for over a thousand active duty, veterans, reservists and military families in the Jacksonville community.
In our quest to fully support the aspirations of all of the student veterans attending our institution, the Military and Veterans Resource Center hosts a bi-annual conference called “Entrepreneurship Training for Veterans” which provides instruction in the essentials of successful business operations to veterans who wish to start a business or grow an existing one. The conferences are well-attended and well received by all those who participate.
To further expand this entrepreneurship initiative we are actively seeking support for a statewide entrepreneurship grant through Veterans Florida. The grant would allow our resource center to expand the program with network partners and include activities such as peer-to-peer learning sessions, mentoring, technical assistance, business round tables, state-wide networking opportunities, support of student organizations, a speaker’s series, and other tools within a virtual environment to accommodate a broader expanse of veterans.
The grant is highly competitive and so we request your support in our quest to become the Host Partner for this amazing and innovative program. The Host Partner is the cornerstone of this initiative and will be responsible for coordinating the joint development of curriculum, managing program funds, and leading joint marketing efforts, all of which we are extensively familiar with from facilitating our own entrepreneurship event.
This project, should we be awarded the state grant, will certainly help our student veterans and our community, and I thank you in advance for generously providing your support. Here is a sample support letter for your use:
“I highly endorse the Military & Veterans Resource Center at UNF in their bid to bring a statewide Entrepreneurship Program to the Veterans of Florida. UNF is uniquely qualified to serve Florida’s Veterans and has for two years produced high quality training programs such as “Entrepreneurship Training for Veterans” and “Veteran S.T.A.R.”, which have equipped student Veterans and Veterans in the Greater Jacksonville area with all the information they need to “Start a Business”, “Grow a Business” and “Franchise a Business”.
As an active supporter of Veterans’ initiatives and of entrepreneurs in general, I have the upmost confidence in UNF’s ability to lead this state program and counsel other SUS universities on the finite intricacies of developing a practical and exciting entrepreneurship workshop for Veterans. My organization, Bunker Labs, has partnered with UNF to provide support to this worthwhile and professional program to bring Veterans to the table and support Florida jobs in the follow-up phase of the program. Based on their record of success, I wholly support UNF’s efforts to continue providing Florida’s Veterans with the tools they need to become successful and grow small businesses for the state of Florida.
Sincerely,
Ray Wikstrom
Captain, US Navy (Ret)
Director
Military & Veterans Resource Center
University of North Florida