Inc. Magazine’s New Vet50 List to Shine a Light on 50 Fastest-Growing Veteran-Owned Businesses and Inspire More Veterans to Join Their Ranks

NEW YORK, Feb. 08, 2018 -- Inc. magazine announced today a partnership with the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University (IVMF) to create Vet50, a list of the nation’s fastest growing veteran-owned businesses. The list is built from the Inc. 5000, Inc. magazine’s prestigious list of the fastest-growing private companies based in the U.S. which has become a hallmark of entrepreneurial success highlighting small or medium-sized businesses that have become essential to our everyday lives, such as Dell, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Pandora, Yelp, and Zipcar.

Inc Magazine expanding its commitment to veteran initiatives and, in partnership with the IVMF, launched the Vet 50 identifying the fastest-growing veteran-owned businesses for 2017 – these names join the elite list of the Inc 5000.

The Vet50 list will be announced on Saturday, February 17, 2018 at the Vet50 Awards dinner during the first-ever IVMF Veteran EDGE national conference (February 15 – 18, 2018). The dinner, sponsored by First Data, will feature keynote speaker NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, Captain (USN Retired), and guest speaker Medal of Honor recipient Jack Jacobs, Colonel (US Army Retired).

Both the conference and awards ceremony will bring together stakeholders, veteran business owners, regional and national veteran services organizations, as well as the corporate partners of the Coalition for Veteran-Owned Business (CVOB). EDGE is the first-of-its-kind coalition of large companies supporting the success of veteran-owned businesses, connecting them with entrepreneurial education, training, resources, and networking opportunities.

“Business growth is a real economic driver in this country and the fact is that most of the new jobs in the economy—over 87 percent—are created by private businesses,” says Eric Schurenberg, CEO of Mansueto Ventures, publisher of Inc. Magazine. “Veteran entrepreneurs contribute their share to the job story, employing over 5.5 million. They deserve to be recognized for their continued service to the country.”

“Veteran business owners bring unconventional leadership and grit to succeed. They have a history of entrepreneurship that goes back decades. This list will not only inform but it will inspire other entrepreneurs – veteran and civilian,” said Vice Chancellor of Strategic Initiatives and Innovation and IVMF Founder, Executive Director Mike Haynie.

For more information on the Inc. Vet50 list, visit: https://ivmf.syracuse.edu/vet50/.

For additional details and to reserve a seat at the IVMF Veteran EDGE conference visit: http://veteranbusinesscoalition.org/about/.

For veterans interested in attending the dinner, RSVP to Elissa Gibbs, Program Coordinator at the IVMF, at [email protected]. Awards dinner tickets are offered at no cost with a limited number still available.

Media looking for more information regarding the Vet50 list or wanting to interview Vet50 CEOs can reach out to:

About Inc. and the Inc. 5000

Founded in 1979 and acquired in 2005 by Mansueto Ventures, Inc. is the only major brand dedicated exclusively to owners and managers of growing private companies, with the aim to deliver real solutions for today's innovative company builders.  Total monthly audience reach for the brand has grown significantly from 2,000,000 in 2010 to over 20,000,000 today.  For more information, visit http://www.inc.com/.

The Inc. 5000 is a list of the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. Now in its 37th year, this prestigious list of the nation's most successful private companies has become the hallmark of entrepreneurial success.

About the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University

The Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) is the first interdisciplinary national institute in higher education focused on the social, economic, education, and policy issues impacting veterans and their families. Through its professional staff and experts, the IVMF delivers leading programs in career, vocational, and entrepreneurship education and training, while also conducting actionable research, policy analysis, and program evaluations. The IVMF also supports communities through collective impact efforts that enhance delivery and access to services and care. The Institute, supported by a distinguished advisory board, along with public and private partners, is committed to advancing the lives of those who have served in America’s armed forces and their families. For more information, visit ivmf.syracuse.edu and follow the IVMF on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.