“Don’t Just Cheer for Veterans—Invest in Them”: Phil Hulett Elevates National Invest In Veterans Week®
In the arena, we cheer for heroes. In the economy, we invest in them. National Invest In Veterans Week® is about more than recognition—it’s about action. And across the country, leaders are stepping up. In South Carolina, the General Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution recognizing National Invest In Veterans Week®, uniting both the House and Senate to honor veteran-owned businesses and their impact on the state’s economy and communities. -I’m Phil Hulett, 40-year broadcaster and voice of the Anaheim Ducks.
“I’m Phil Hulett, 40-year broadcaster and voice of the Anaheim Ducks. In the arena, we cheer for heroes. In the economy, we invest in them. National Invest In Veterans Week® is about more than recognition—it’s about action. And across the country, leaders are stepping up. In South Carolina, the General Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution recognizing National Invest In Veterans Week®, uniting both the House and Senate to honor veteran-owned businesses and their impact on the state’s economy and communities. Across the country in Douglas County, Oregon, commissioners went a step further—issuing a formal proclamation and honoring veteran-owned businesses, employers who hire veterans, and individuals who invest in veterans through mentorship and leadership. This is what leadership looks like. This is how you support those who served. Follow their lead. Support veteran-owned businesses. Join the movement at InvestInVeteransWeek.com.”
Featuring Phil Hulett, 40-Year Broadcaster and Voice of the Anaheim Ducks
TL;DR
Legendary broadcaster Phil Hulett is calling on America to move beyond symbolic support for veterans and toward measurable economic action. In a powerful endorsement of National Invest In Veterans Week®, Hulett highlights bipartisan legislative leadership in South Carolina and Douglas County, Oregon—showing how real investment in veteran-owned businesses strengthens communities, economies, and national resilience.
From the Arena to the Economy: A Voice America Trusts
For more than four decades, Phil Hulett has been a trusted voice in American sports and broadcasting. Best known as the public address announcer for the Anaheim Ducks, Hulett has spent his career at the intersection of leadership, storytelling, and public trust—calling the moments that define champions.
Now, he is using that same voice to champion a different kind of hero.
“In the arena, we cheer for heroes.
In the economy, we invest in them.”
— Phil Hulett
That distinction—between applause and action—is at the core of National Invest In Veterans Week®, a nationally recognized observance dedicated to strengthening the veteran economy through consumer choice, policy leadership, and business investment.
Why National Invest In Veterans Week® Matters
National Invest In Veterans Week® is observed annually March 1–7 and focuses on one clear principle:
veterans do not need charity—they need opportunity.
Rather than symbolic gestures, the initiative encourages Americans to:
Buy from veteran-owned businesses
Support employers who hire veterans
Recognize leaders who invest time, capital, and mentorship into veteran success
Hulett’s endorsement underscores that this movement is not abstract—it is already producing tangible results across the country.
Leadership in Action: South Carolina & Douglas County, Oregon
Across the United States, elected officials are answering the call.
South Carolina
The South Carolina General Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution recognizing National Invest In Veterans Week®, uniting both the House and Senate to honor veteran-owned businesses and their measurable contributions to the state’s economy and local communities.
This bipartisan action signals that veteran entrepreneurship is not a partisan issue—it is an economic imperative.
Douglas County, Oregon
In Douglas County, commissioners went even further. They issued a formal proclamation and publicly honored:
Veteran-owned businesses
Employers who hire veterans
Individuals who invest in veterans through mentorship and leadership
This model demonstrates what community-level leadership looks like when words are matched with action.
“This is what leadership looks like.
This is how you support those who served.”
— Phil Hulett
Why Phil Hulett’s Voice Carries Weight
Hulett’s credibility matters. A 40-year broadcaster does not maintain relevance without trust, discipline, and consistency. His career has been defined by recognizing excellence under pressure—qualities veterans understand better than most.
By aligning with National Invest In Veterans Week®, Hulett bridges sports culture, civic leadership, and economic responsibility, helping mainstream audiences understand that supporting veterans is not just patriotic—it’s smart business.
A Word from Angel Shuford
Angel Shuford, President of National Invest In Veterans Week® and an Army veteran herself, emphasized the deeper significance of endorsements like Hulett’s:
“When respected voices like Phil Hulett speak up, it validates what veterans have always known—investment changes lives. National Invest In Veterans Week® is about building sustainable pathways for veterans, their families, and the communities they serve.”
— Angel Shuford
Her message reinforces the initiative’s long-term vision: not a one-week campaign, but a permanent shift in how America values veteran leadership.
From Recognition to Responsibility
National Invest In Veterans Week® is about more than proclamations and applause. It is about economic participation, policy alignment, and shared responsibility.
Phil Hulett’s message is clear:
“Follow their lead. Support veteran-owned businesses.”
Join the Movement
America does not lack gratitude for veterans. What it needs is follow-through.
➡️ Support veteran-owned businesses
➡️ Encourage leaders who invest in veterans
➡️ Turn recognition into action
🔗 Learn more at:
https://InvestInVeteransWeek.com
Veterans Week Website Scores Big League Recognition — And a Sports Broadcaster Says It’s Time to “Get in the Game”
Ranked #66 Best Squarespace Website of 2025, National Invest In Veterans Week® reflects Jeff Shuford’s strategy: a durable, policy-driven digital platform built to document proclamations, preserve public record, and scale veteran economic impact.
“In the arena we cheer for heroes. In the economy, we invest in them.” Phil Hulett spotlights National Invest In Veterans Week® as action over applause—calling on states to follow Montana’s lead and back veteran-owned businesses.
By any measure, this isn’t just a website win — it’s a statement.
National Invest In Veterans Week® has landed a spot on the 2025 list of the “Best Squarespace Websites”, ranking #66 out of 100 nationwide, according to independent design and platform analysts at SparkPlugin.
That puts a veteran-driven national observance — not a Silicon Valley startup or fashion brand — among the top digital platforms of the year.
And it’s not accidental.
A Big Site With a Big Mission
SparkPlugin didn’t mince words.
Calling National Invest In Veterans Week® “a huge site with a lot of information,” the reviewers highlighted why the platform works: clarity, usability, and constant updates — all powered by Squarespace.
Their standout design note?
A simple but effective “back to top” button, letting visitors navigate long-form civic content without friction. In other words: a site built to be used, not just admired.
The platform was categorized as Non-profit, reflecting its public mission: pushing real economic investment into veteran-owned businesses.
From Applause to Action
That mission is exactly what longtime broadcaster Phil Hulett, the voice of the Anaheim Ducks, has been talking about.
“In the arena, we cheer for heroes. In the economy, we invest in them.”
Hulett didn’t stop there. He pointed to Montana, which has officially proclaimed National Invest In Veterans Week® three years in a row — 2023, 2024, and 2025.
“They didn’t just talk; they led.”
In sports terms, Montana didn’t just show up — it set the pace.
Why This Matters Now
Observed annually March 1–7, National Invest In Veterans Week® is congressionally recognized and nationally syndicated, focusing on veteran entrepreneurship, workforce transition, and economic leadership.
The website isn’t window dressing. It’s the operational backbone — housing proclamations, media coverage, policy references, and public engagement in one place.
Being named one of the best Squarespace sites in 2025 signals something bigger:
This movement isn’t temporary. It’s built to last.
The Bottom Line
A veteran-led national observance.
A platform ranked among the best in the country.
A growing chorus saying it’s time to move beyond symbolism.
As Hulett put it:
“Now it’s time for the rest of the nation to get in the game.”
Visit:
https://www.investinveteransweek.com
See the full Squarespace ranking:
https://www.sparkplugin.com/blog/best-squarespace-websites
National Invest In Veterans Week and Its Congressional Record Footprint
The Invest in Veterans Week congressional recognition is not only preserved in a legislative database, but also discoverable through Ivy League academic infrastructure—placing it within both governmental and scholarly archival ecosystems.
National Invest In Veterans Week—often referred to interchangeably as Invest In Veterans Week—has achieved formal recognition within the U.S. congressional publication and archival ecosystem. This recognition is evidenced by its appearance in a congressionally indexed publication titled “Rep. Rosendale Celebrates Invest in Veterans Week,” dated March 8, 2024, and preserved within the Congressional Documents and Publications collection.
The entry reflects remarks delivered on the House floor acknowledging veterans and highlighting Invest in Veterans Week as a recognized civic and economic observance. Once spoken into the congressional record, those remarks entered a documentation pipeline that ensures long-term preservation, professional indexing, and institutional accessibility.
The Congressional Record and ProQuest Indexing
Congressional remarks are not preserved solely through live transcripts or government websites. They are systematically collected, published, and indexed through established archival partners. In this case, the remarks recognizing Invest in Veterans Week were published by Federal Information & News Dispatch, LLC, a long-standing publisher that aggregates congressional material for research dissemination.
That publication is indexed in ProQuest Congressional, a core research database relied upon by:
Congressional offices and legislative counsel
Universities and law schools
Policy analysts and historians
Journalists and public affairs professionals
The record is assigned a permanent identifier:
ProQuest Document ID: 2954639283
This identifier functions as a stable reference point, allowing the document to be cited, retrieved, and verified regardless of institutional access or changes in URL structure. The document is classified under Law and Political Science, ensuring it is discoverable within federal policy research contexts.
Why the Record Is Also Indexed in Harvard’s Hollis System
The same ProQuest record is discoverable through Harvard University’s Hollis library catalog, one of the most authoritative academic discovery systems in the world. Hollis does not republish congressional content; rather, it indexes and points to verified external scholarly and governmental databases, including ProQuest Congressional.
Hollis indexing signifies several things simultaneously:
The record meets academic cataloging standards
The metadata is sufficiently authoritative for institutional libraries
The document is relevant to historical, legal, or policy research
The source is considered stable enough for long-term reference
As a result, the Invest in Veterans Week congressional recognition is not only preserved in a legislative database, but also discoverable through Ivy League academic infrastructure—placing it within both governmental and scholarly archival ecosystems.
About Representative Matt Rosendale
The congressional remarks recognizing Invest in Veterans Week were delivered by Representative Matt Rosendale of Montana, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Representative Rosendale has built his congressional profile around issues of federal accountability, constitutional governance, and veteran affairs. During his tenure in Congress, he has served on committees relevant to public lands, natural resources, and veterans’ issues, aligning closely with Montana’s large veteran population and military heritage. His work has consistently intersected with policy areas affecting veterans, service members, and rural communities.
By raising Invest in Veterans Week on the House floor, Representative Rosendale elevated the observance beyond state-level proclamations and into the federal legislative discourse, ensuring that the recognition became part of the permanent congressional historical record.
What Is National Invest In Veterans Week?
National Invest In Veterans Week® is a congressionally recognized observance dedicated to highlighting the economic, civic, and social contributions of military veterans—particularly veteran-owned businesses and veteran-led initiatives. While the full trademarked name is National Invest In Veterans Week, the observance is frequently referenced in shortened form as Invest In Veterans Week, a usage reflected directly in congressional remarks and official publications.
The observance emphasizes a simple but strategic principle: supporting veterans through investment, opportunity, and long-term economic inclusion rather than symbolic recognition alone. Over time, Invest in Veterans Week has been recognized through:
Congressional remarks and record entries
State and county proclamations
National media coverage
Academic and policy indexing systems
Its appearance in congressional publications confirms that the observance has crossed from grassroots advocacy into formal legislative acknowledgment.
Permanent Archival Status
The March 8, 2024 publication ensures that Invest in Veterans Week is preserved in multiple parallel systems:
Federal congressional publication archives
ProQuest Congressional research databases
University library discovery systems (including Harvard Hollis)
This layered archival presence is how modern civic observances become historically durable. It allows future researchers, legislators, and historians to trace when and how Invest in Veterans Week entered federal recognition, who raised it on the House floor, and how it was formally documented.
Publication Record Summary
Title: Rep. Rosendale Celebrates Invest in Veterans Week
Date: March 8, 2024
Publisher: Federal Information & News Dispatch, LLC
Location: Washington, United States
Collection: Congressional Documents and Publications
Database: ProQuest Congressional
Document Type: News
Language: English
ProQuest Document ID: 2954639283
Research Access Links:
https://www.proquest.com/docview/2954639283
https://hollis.harvard.edu/permalink/f/1mdq5o5/TN_cdi_proquest_congressional_https_search_proquest_com_congressional_view_app_gis_congdaily_cr08mr2024_dat_47
The inclusion of National Invest In Veterans Week—also known as Invest In Veterans Week—within these systems confirms its status as a documented federal observance, preserved using the same archival standards applied to legislation, floor remarks, and significant congressional activity.
Investing in Veterans, Not Just Supporting Them: What New Jersey’s Debate Signals for America
A new guest column in NJ.com argues that New Jersey is leaving billions in potential on the table by merely “supporting” veterans instead of investing in them and their families as core economic drivers. National Invest In Veterans Week® examines what this debate reveals about state-level policy, why veteran and military-family entrepreneurship is one of America’s sharpest competitive advantages, and how governors nationwide can move from gratitude to true investment
TL;DR — “Veterans can drive N.J.’s future economy, but we’re stuck in the past.”
The article argues that while many states offer ceremonial support to veterans, what’s really needed is active investment — treating veterans and their families as drivers of economic growth rather than passive beneficiaries.
Veterans launch businesses at significantly higher rates than non-veterans, and military spouses and family members also offer unique skills (adaptability, resilience, project management) that make them valuable contributors to entrepreneurship and the workforce.
States like Texas and Florida are described as capturing this potential by offering veteran-specific business incentives, streamlined licensing, preferential contracting for veteran-owned firms, and support structures that turn military experience into competitive economic advantage.
The article calls on New Jersey to adopt similar policies — tax incentives, procurement quotas, veteran business accelerators, and licensing reforms — to stop losing business, talent, and innovation to states already treating veteran entrepreneurship as an economic strategy.
For (NIVW), this reinforces the core message: recognition of veterans is meaningful only if it’s paired with real structural investment — making veterans and their families central to economic growth and community resilience.
Read the full article here:
https://www.nj.com/opinion/2025/12/veterans-can-drive-njs-future-economy-but-were-stuck-in-the-past-opinion.html
As National Invest In Veterans Week® (NIVW), we see Scott E. Rutter’s recent guest column in NJ.com for what it is: a warning shot and a blueprint.
Rutter, a retired lieutenant colonel, business owner, and CEO of The Valor Network, argues that New Jersey is “supporting” veterans while other states are strategically investing in them and their families as a primary engine of economic growth. He contrasts New Jersey with states like Texas and Florida, which deliberately recruit veteran entrepreneurs, military families, and defense-driven innovators with tax policy, procurement priorities, and purpose-built business ecosystems.
That distinction—support versus investment—is the core philosophy behind National Invest In Veterans Week®. Our movement was built on the idea that veterans and their families are not a charity line item; they are a competitive advantage.
Veterans and families as an economic strategy
Rutter’s column underlines several key data points and lived realities that NIVW has championed for years:
Veterans start businesses at higher rates than non-veterans, bringing leadership experience, operational discipline, and comfort with high-stakes decision-making.
Military spouses and family members are often the quiet backbone of those enterprises: managing logistics during deployments, adapting to new environments, and building community cohesion wherever they go.
Today’s veterans come home with expertise in cybersecurity, logistics, AI applications, advanced manufacturing, drone operations, and other frontier technologies—exactly the sectors governors say they want to grow.
Rutter’s message to New Jersey policymakers is blunt: if you want the next generation of high-growth companies, you must deliberately recruit and retain the veteran community and their families. From the NIVW perspective, that is not just good social policy—it is sound economic strategy.
How states like Texas and Florida operationalize “investment”
In his piece, Rutter points to states that have moved beyond ceremonial appreciation toward tangible incentives. These strategies mirror themes we see across proclamations and partnerships that power National Invest In Veterans Week® nationwide:
Streamlined business registration and licensing for veteran-owned and military-spouse-owned firms
Aggressive state-contracting goals for veteran-owned businesses, paired with real enforcement
Income- and property-tax structures that make it rational, not just patriotic, for veterans to build companies and careers there
Veteran-focused accelerators and university partnerships in high-growth sectors such as AI, cybersecurity, and advanced manufacturing
When governors and legislators combine these tools, the result is not simply “veteran programs.” It is a competitive economic platform that attracts entrepreneurs, capital, and employers who value the veteran talent pipeline.
That is precisely the ecosystem National Invest In Veterans Week® was designed to highlight and scale.
Where New Jersey stands—and what could change
New Jersey possesses much of the raw material Rutter describes: a proud military tradition, access to capital, major universities, and a history of world-changing innovation—from Bell Labs to life-sciences corridors.
What it lacks, he argues, is a cohesive veterans-investment thesis.
The proposed New Jersey Veterans Investment Act that Rutter sketches out would change that by:
Treating veteran and military-family employment incentives as core economic-development tools
Establishing meaningful state-contracting targets for veteran-owned businesses
Building accelerators tied to universities and focused on technologies where veteran skill sets are strongest
Recruiting veteran-owned firms and transitioning service members with the same intensity used to court large corporations
From the NIVW vantage point, such legislation would do more than improve one state’s rankings. It would signal that New Jersey intends to compete in the same arena as states already leveraging veteran talent as a growth driver.
How this connects to National Invest In Veterans Week®
National Invest In Veterans Week® was created to move the national conversation from “thank you for your service” to “how are we investing in your leadership?”
The Congressional Record recognition of NIVW, along with proclamations from governors, state legislatures, county commissions, and mayors across the country, has helped crystallize a simple message:
Veterans and their families are not peripheral to the economy—they are central to its future.
Rutter’s call for New Jersey to step up aligns directly with that mission. His emphasis on veteran family members—spouses, children, caregivers—as co-architects of economic opportunity mirrors the reality we see across our state and international veterans-domain network:
Many of the most resilient veteran-owned enterprises are truly family enterprises.
Military spouses often carry portable careers in healthcare, education, technology, and small business management—fields that anchor communities.
When policy recognizes both the veteran and the family unit, retention, entrepreneurship, and long-term community investment all rise.
As governors, legislators, and economic-development leaders look ahead to the next National Invest In Veterans Week®, this New Jersey conversation should be viewed as a model, not a one-off op-ed.
A call to action from the NIVW lens
For policymakers far beyond New Jersey, Rutter’s argument surfaces three practical questions:
Is your state merely “supporting” veterans, or is it strategically investing in them as economic assets?
Do your tax, procurement, and regulatory structures make it obvious that veteran-owned and military-family-owned businesses are wanted and prioritized?
Are you building infrastructure—accelerators, university partnerships, targeted recruitment—to capture the talent leaving nearby bases and installations each year?
National Invest In Veterans Week® will continue to spotlight leaders who answer “yes” to those questions and challenge those who do not.
Check out the 9th Annual Vetrepreneur Summit in Jacksonville (Dec 12, 2025), a long-running gathering of veteran and military-family entrepreneurs. The Summit is now nine years strong and serves as a model of how veteran economic empowerment and community entrepreneurship can be built sustainably under .
👉 Jacksonville’s 9th Annual Vetrepreneur Summit – legacy event now nine years strong
FLASHBACK: The Day a U.S. Senator Called It “The Largest Investment in Veterans in a Generation”
In a 2023 MSNBC flashback, U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock—pastor, Morehouse alumnus, and the first African American to represent Georgia in the Senate—declared that Congress had delivered “the largest investment in veterans in a generation.” This resurfaced moment underscores a national shift toward veteran-focused policy momentum, now powerfully reflected in the global expansion of National Invest In Veterans Week®.
National Invest In Veterans Week® goes back to a moment that captured national momentum before our movement ever became a global force.
On September 23, 2023, during a live appearance on MSNBC’s Symone, U.S. Senator Raphael Gamaliel Warnock — pastor, Morehouse graduate, and the first African American ever elected to represent Georgia in the U.S. Senate — laid out what he believed was one of Congress’s defining achievements.
The clip resurfaced recently in veteran circles, and it hits differently today.
THE SENATOR BEHIND THE STATEMENT
Raphael Warnock is not just a lawmaker.
He is the senior pastor of Atlanta’s historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, the pulpit once led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and a figure whose rise from Savannah public housing to the U.S. Senate is now part of American political history.
Elected in 2021 and reelected in 2022, Warnock represents one of the most consequential shifts in modern Georgia politics. Alongside Sen. Jon Ossoff, he helped deliver a 50–50 Senate split that shaped national legislation during the pandemic years.
From civil rights activism to faith leadership to emergency policy response, Warnock’s public identity is rooted in service — which is why his on-air reflection about veterans continues to resonate.
THE MOMENT ON MSNBC
Around the 9-minute mark of the broadcast, Warnock recounted the razor-thin margins of the previous Congress and the decisions he believed mattered most:
“We passed a bipartisan infrastructure bill.
We passed the largest investment in veterans in a generation.”
It was a rare, direct acknowledgment of the scale of federal commitments flowing toward veterans — health infrastructure, benefits modernization, community support, and long-term resources.
He continued:
“When I look at the work that we were able to do last Congress, I’m proud of the people of Georgia for setting me to represent them… With that margin, look what we accomplished. We passed the American Rescue Plan.”
What followed was a list of targeted relief efforts — support for cities, small businesses, families, and communities recovering from the pandemic — all part of a legislative period that marked a major pivot toward veteran investment nationally.
WHY THIS FLASHBACK MATTERS NOW
National Invest In Veterans Week® has since expanded into one of the most far-reaching veteran advocacy ecosystems ever built — spanning:
• 40+ U.S. and international “Veterans” domains
• Multi-market syndication
• Congressional recognition
• A global platform for veteran-owned businesses
But back in 2023, this televised moment showed something critical:
America’s investment in veterans is not a side note — it is a national priority acknowledged at the highest levels of government.
Warnock’s statement didn’t become a headline at the time. Today, viewed through the lens of NIVW®’s rapid growth and international reach, it reads like an early marker of a broader movement.
A movement now embodied by National Invest In Veterans Week®.
WATCH THE ORIGINAL CLIP (ARCHIVE)
Source: Internet Archive
https://archive.org/details/MSNBCW_20230923_200000_Symone/start/540/end/600
The New Digital Footprint of Veteran Advocacy: What the World Is Searching For
Global search behavior is shifting, and National Invest In Veterans Week® is emerging as a recognized driver of that change. New analytics reveal a rapidly expanding international audience, rising high-intent queries, and a growing digital footprint across multiple continents. From veteran-focused financial education to global observance trends, the data shows increasing demand for credible leadership in veteran advocacy—and NIVW’s influence now extends far beyond the United States. This report breaks down the movement’s accelerating visibility, the keywords fueling its rise, and why the world is searching for National Invest In Veterans Week® more than ever before.
Here’s the link to the active report (valid until December 19th):
https://app.seogets.com/share/XgdxiIWrEq6ziFdfy2Or
National Invest In Veterans Week® began as a congressionally recognized observance led by Iraq War veteran Jeff Shuford. Supported by proclamations from mayors, governors and regional leaders, the week has grown into a national platform for honoring veteran entrepreneurship, economic empowerment and civic contribution. In just a few years it has expanded well beyond its American roots: NIVW is now celebrated across nineteen states and twenty‑one countries and spans more than sixty global markets, offering mentorship and funding opportunities that uplift veteran founders worldwide. That global reach has amplified the week’s digital footprint, turning it into a search phenomenon.
Analysis of recent search data shows that the majority of queries continue to revolve around the name of the initiative itself. People are not only searching for “invest in veterans week” but also for its formal title and for the names of its founders, reflecting a desire to learn about the individuals and institutions behind the movement. Related queries explore holiday observances (such as the official status of Veterans Day around the world), advisory councils, and even cultural ties like The Five Satins, indicating a deepening curiosity about the program’s heritage and leadership. A new wave of search interest also connects veteran advocacy with cutting‑edge technology: “OpenAI veterans program news” is among the fastest‑growing queries, suggesting that audiences are beginning to see AI innovation as part of the veteran‑entrepreneurship conversation. On the financial front, searchers are asking about retirement accounts for veterans, investment products for wounded service members and how to manage VA disability benefits—signaling a hunger for trustworthy financial guidance.
The geographic spread of search interest tells an even richer story. While the United States remains the primary source of traffic, the fastest growth is coming from emerging markets. Search volume from Bangladesh has surged by more than two‑and‑a‑half times, while new interest from Poland, Czechia, Ghana and Pakistan has leapt from virtually zero to a meaningful presence. Australia has seen search inquiries grow by more than seventy percent, and Nigeria and Germany have roughly doubled. These triple‑digit increases highlight a truly global resonance; communities across Asia, Europe and Africa are now seeking information about veterans’ economic empowerment. Even within North America, Canada’s query volume has climbed by roughly one‑third, underscoring momentum in neighboring markets.
The quality of this traffic is improving along with its quantity. Within the ranking tiers, the share of top‑position queries (positions 1–3) has grown by about one‑third, while mid‑tier queries (positions 11–20) have risen by more than ten percent. This shift suggests that National Invest In Veterans Week® content is moving higher in search results and capturing more qualified intent. Device usage patterns reinforce the picture of deeper engagement: desktop queries have climbed by double digits, reflecting longer research sessions and more deliberate reading, while mobile searches remain strong but stable. Meanwhile, the most‑viewed page continues to be a comprehensive guide on how veterans can invest their disability benefits—evidence that well‑crafted educational content drives sustained interest.
Taken together, these trends paint a picture of a brand in ascent. What was once a grassroots observance is now a global movement with measurable digital momentum. The convergence of veteran advocacy, entrepreneurship, financial literacy and even AI ethics—areas in which Jeff Shuford has become an influential voice—is attracting audiences from every continent. As new queries emerge and international participation accelerates, National Invest In Veterans Week® stands poised not only to honor the past but to shape the future of veteran economic empowerment.
Flashback Feature: Virginia’s 2020 Call to “Invest in Veterans” Still Resonates Today
In 2020, Virginia Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs Carlos Hopkins urged the public to “invest in veterans” by supporting the Virginia Veterans Services Foundation—a message that foreshadowed the broader national movement later embodied by National Invest In Veterans Week®. His statewide appeal remains a pivotal early example of investment-based veteran advocacy.
TL;DR
In a 2020 statewide message, Virginia Secretary Carlos Hopkins encouraged Virginians to invest in veterans by supporting the Virginia Veterans Services Foundation, highlighting critical services such as housing stability, behavioral health, workforce transition, and emergency relief. The message reflected the same investment-focused philosophy later formalized through National Invest In Veterans Week®.
Watch the original video:
https://vimeo.com/460338460
Full Story
In September 2020, at a time when the country faced deep uncertainty, Virginia delivered a message rooted in commitment and clarity: investing in veterans is essential to the strength of the Commonwealth.
This message was delivered by Carlos Hopkins, Virginia’s Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs, in a statewide video titled “How You Can Invest in Virginia Veterans by Supporting the Virginia Veterans Services Foundation.” Filmed on the grounds of the Virginia State Capitol, the video outlined why veteran support must be treated as a long-term civic investment rather than a one-time act.
Watch the official video:
https://vimeo.com/460338460
A Foundation Designed to Close Critical Gaps
Hopkins emphasized that the Virginia Veterans Services Foundation functions as a lifeline for veterans facing challenges that traditional institutions often cannot resolve alone. The Foundation plays a direct role in:
Emergency financial assistance
Homelessness prevention and rapid re-housing
Mental and behavioral health support
Workforce re-entry and transition programs
Support for Gold Star families
Crisis assistance for veterans and their dependents
Hopkins’ framing was intentional: veteran support is not charity — it is infrastructure.
It strengthens families, fortifies the workforce, and keeps local communities stable.
Learn more about the Foundation:
https://www.dvs.virginia.gov/veterans-services-foundation
A Message That Foreshadowed a National Movement
Hopkins’ remarks now read as an early articulation of a philosophy that would soon scale far beyond Virginia.
Within a few years, the idea of “investing in veterans” became the cornerstone of the nationwide observance National Invest In Veterans Week® (March 1–7)—co-founded and architected by Jeff Shuford. Shuford’s model elevated the concept from state-level guidance to a national framework embraced by policymakers, corporate partners, veteran advocates, and international markets.
What Virginia previewed in 2020 became the language adopted across more than 40 regions globally through the expanding National Invest In Veterans Week® platform.
Virginia as a Structural Blueprint for Veteran Investment
Virginia hosts one of the nation’s most significant concentrations of transitioning service members. Its veteran population, combined with a broad network of bases and Guard components, requires a modern, responsive support system. The Veterans Services Foundation became one of the earliest models for:
Targeted funding
Impact-driven resource allocation
Community–government partnership
Readiness-focused support
Many states now look to the Virginia framework when shaping their own investment-based veteran ecosystems.
Positioning the Flashback in Today’s Context
Today, the 2020 message stands as more than a video—it is an early chapter in a larger national narrative that recognizes veterans as:
Economic drivers
High-impact entrepreneurs
Community stabilizers
Policy-shaping leaders
National Invest In Veterans Week® embodies those same principles, positioning veteran empowerment as a measurable investment in America’s future.
Hopkins’ 2020 call to action reminds us that even before the national observance took shape, the foundation for investment-centered advocacy had already begun in states like Virginia.
Special Report: Veteran-Owned Brands Turn Veterans Day Into $34 Million in Medical Debt Relief
Born Primitive and Black Rifle Coffee Company have transformed Veterans Day into one of the largest veteran medical-debt relief efforts on record, erasing $34 million in medical bills through Operation Debt of Gratitude. In partnership with ForgiveCo, the veteran-owned brands pledged 100% of online profits from November 7–11 to buy and cancel medical debt held by thousands of former service members, building on prior campaigns and amplifying the “invest in veterans” mission that National Invest In Veterans Week® has advanced for years.
Born Primitive and Black Rifle Coffee Company have turned a simple Veterans Day sales push into one of the largest acts of medical-debt forgiveness for veterans on record—while bringing renewed national attention to the broader “invest in veterans” movement that National Invest In Veterans Week® has championed for years.
According to a joint announcement released through PR Newswire, the two veteran-owned companies set out in November 2025 to erase $25 million in medical debt for former service members through an initiative called “Operation Debt of Gratitude.” By dedicating 100% of online profits from November 7–11 to the effort, and partnering with debt-relief firm ForgiveCo, they ultimately surpassed that goal by 36%, eliminating $34 million in medical debt held by thousands of U.S. veterans.
The effort places the initiative among the largest single campaigns of veteran medical-debt forgiveness yet documented.
How “Operation Debt of Gratitude” Worked
Rather than asking veterans to apply for help, Born Primitive and Black Rifle Coffee Company worked with ForgiveCo to use donated funds to purchase portfolios of qualifying medical debt on the secondary market—then cancel that debt outright.
From November 7–11, 2025, 100% of profits from each brand’s online sales were committed to the campaign.
ForgiveCo structured and executed the acquisition and cancellation of eligible accounts, a model the company describes as “Transforming debt into goodwill.”
Impact letters will be mailed directly to affected veterans, notifying them that their debts have been wiped out—no applications, portals, or paperwork required.
For many families, those letters will land just as holiday expenses begin to mount. One beneficiary highlighted in the announcement, Mara C., a U.S. Army veteran and Gold Star spouse, saw over $341,000 in medical debt erased after years of struggle following her husband’s death in Iraq and her own serious injuries.
Why This Matters: The Veteran Medical-Debt Crisis
The campaign is taking aim at a quietly devastating problem.
Citing national data, the organizers note:
More than one-third of U.S. veterans worry they cannot afford needed medical care.
One in five veterans has medical debt in collections—nearly double the national rate.
Over 33% report “surprise” medical bills exceeding $1,000.
Post-9/11 veterans with medical debt are twice as likely to face eviction or housing instability.
Service-related injuries, complex care needs, and gaps between Veterans Affairs coverage and civilian billing mean that even small billing errors can spiral into life-altering debt.
By targeting that specific pain point instead of launching yet another awareness campaign, Born Primitive and Black Rifle Coffee Company are meeting veterans at a critical financial choke point: the difference between barely hanging on and finally being able to breathe.
Veteran-Led Brands at the Center of the Story
Both companies behind Operation Debt of Gratitude are deeply rooted in the military community.
Born Primitive
Founded in 2014 by former Navy SEAL lieutenant Bear Handlon and co-founder Mallory Riley, Born Primitive has grown from a niche fitness line into a global nine-figure athletic and lifestyle brand offering more than 1,200 SKUs across training apparel, athleisure, workwear, tactical gear, footwear, and more.
Website: https://www.bornprimitive.com
Black Rifle Coffee Company
Founded by former Green Beret Evan Hafer in 2014, Black Rifle Coffee Company (BRCC) has become one of the most visible veteran-owned consumer brands in the U.S., known for its unapologetically pro-veteran identity and mission to “serve coffee and culture to people who love America.”
Website: https://www.blackriflecoffee.com
How This Connects Back to National Invest In Veterans Week®
For the team at National Invest In Veterans Week® (NIVW), Operation Debt of Gratitude reads like a case study in what “investing in veterans” should look like in practice:
Veteran-founded brands using their peak sales period (Veterans Day) not just for promotions, but to create measurable economic relief.
National television exposure that reinforces veterans as leaders and problem-solvers, not just recipients of charity.
A structure—through ForgiveCo—that is scalable and repeatable, rather than a one-off publicity stunt.
From the perspective of NIVW, campaigns like this extend the impact of their March 1–7 observance into November and beyond, strengthening a year-round culture where veteran-owned companies are central players in solving veteran challenges.
Learn More / Get Involved
Full PR Newswire announcement:
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mission-accomplished-born-primitive-and-black-rifle-coffee-company-surpass-veterans-day-debt-relief-goal-eliminate-34-million-in-veteran-medical-debt-302622444.htmlBorn Primitive: https://www.bornprimitive.com
Black Rifle Coffee Company: https://www.blackriflecoffee.com
ForgiveCo: https://forgiveco.com
BREAKING: Jacksonville’s 9th Annual Vetrepreneur Summit Returns December 12 — A Legacy Event Now Nine Years Strong
Jacksonville’s 9th Annual Vetrepreneur Summit returns December 12, continuing a legacy first architected by veteran technologist Jeff Shuford. This year’s program features AI-driven marketing training, franchising insights, capital access panels, and one of the strongest support networks assembled for veteran entrepreneurs. Shuford is a direct descendant of Private Orrin Benjamin Hawley, a Black Union soldier in the 29th Connecticut Colored Infantry during the Civil War—a regiment honored today by the 29th Connecticut Colored Infantry Monument in New Haven.
JACKSONVILLE, FL — The City of Jacksonville’s signature veteran-entrepreneurship event, the Vetrepreneur Summit, returns for its 9th consecutive year on Friday, December 12, 2025, marking nearly a decade of economic empowerment, training, and innovation for veterans across Northeast Florida.
What began as a small, experimental gathering—quietly architected years ago by technologist and veteran advocate Jeff Shuford—has now scaled into one of the region’s most influential one-day business accelerators for military-connected entrepreneurs. The 2025 Summit, presented by the City of Jacksonville Military Affairs and Veterans Department, will run from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the FSCJ Advanced Technology Center.
Florida State College at Jacksonville also issued its own announcement, reinforcing the momentum behind this year’s programming and the region’s deep commitment to veteran entrepreneurship.
A One-Day Blueprint for Veteran Business Success
The Summit delivers a high-velocity curriculum aligned with the realities of modern entrepreneurship. This year’s agenda includes:
9:00 a.m. – Welcome Remarks
9:20 a.m. – Keynote Presentation
10:00 a.m. – Session 1: Marketing with AI
10:45 a.m. – Session 2: Franchising
11:35 a.m. – Lunch
12:10 p.m. – Veterapreneur Success & Challenge Story Panel
1:00 p.m. – Access to Capital Panel
2:00 p.m. – Adjourn
The city has assembled one of its most comprehensive slates of partners to date, including:
City of Jacksonville Military Affairs and Veterans Dept.
FSCJ
Florida SBDC at UNF
Jacksonville University
Jacksonville Small and Emerging Business (JSEB)
Valor2Venture
Jacksonville Women’s Business Center
VBOC
Veterans Florida
Navy Federal Credit Union
Vystar Credit Union
Wealth Watchers
Blue Cross Blue Shield
Women Veterans Ignited
And dozens more
The event remains free and open to Veterans, Service Members, National Guard, Reserve Components, and military spouses.
A Program Rooted in a Quiet—but Historic—Origin
Long before regional agencies adopted it as an annual fixture, the original Vetrepreneur Summit concept emerged from a period of intense innovation inside Jacksonville’s veteran community. Jeff Shuford, combat veteran, technologist, and civic strategist, helped develop the foundational blueprint in 2016 when he launched one of the earliest municipal-supported veteran entrepreneurship summits in the country.
While today’s event is fully owned and operated by the City of Jacksonville, its DNA can still be traced to Shuford’s early architecture: high-value programming, AI-driven marketing literacy, early-stage financing instruction, and a strict focus on actionable outcomes rather than ceremonial applause.
The city’s decision to carry that model forward has resulted in tens of thousands of veteran engagements over nine years—making this summit one of Jacksonville’s most enduring economic-impact initiatives.
Why This Ninth Year Matters
Veteran entrepreneurship nationally is undergoing a resurgence driven by:
Rapid AI adoption
A surge in veteran-owned microbusiness formation
Federal and state policy shifts toward procurement access
Cross-sector demand for military-grade leadership talent
This year’s Marketing with AI session marks one of the first times Jacksonville has embedded AI-based entrepreneurial instruction directly into its veteran business curriculum—reflecting the same trends that have defined Shuford’s recognized contributions in AI ethics and innovation.
A Deeper American Story Beneath the Celebration
Toward the close of this year's announcement, it is fitting to acknowledge that the modern veteran-entrepreneur movement—especially in Jacksonville—sits atop a far older legacy of military service and Black American resilience.
One of Jeff Shuford’s own ancestors, Private Orrin Benjamin Hawley, served in the 29th Connecticut Colored Infantry, a regiment celebrated for its role in the fight for freedom during the Civil War. Hawley and his regiment are memorialized in the landmark historical entry linked below, which documents their contributions and the ongoing public remembrance of their service:
29th Connecticut Colored Infantry Monument Archive:
https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1111
This lineage—combined with Shuford’s role in designing early veteran-entrepreneur platforms—adds a profound historical dimension to the Vetrepreneur Summit’s ninth year. It ties modern economic empowerment to a multigenerational record of duty, sacrifice, and civic advancement.
Related Report: National Guard Observance Highlighting National Invest In Veterans Week
For background on Jeff Shuford’s broader impact on national veteran recognition initiatives, see the flashback report:
https://www.investinveteransweek.com/news/flashback-report-national-guard-observance-highlights-national-invest-in-veterans-week
FLASHBACK REPORT: National Guard Observance Highlights National Invest In Veterans Week®
Key Points:
National Guard Bureau formally listed National Invest In Veterans Week® as a March observance.
Recognition appears during a documented CNGB leadership transition.
The initiative’s lineage traces to Private Orrin Benjamin Hawley of the 29th Connecticut Colored Infantry.
Monument documentation: https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1111
Jeff Shuford serves as the Chief Architect of the observance’s national structure.
The framework is designed to operate across government, community, and media without dependence on external funding.
In the March issue of The Focus, the National Guard Bureau’s official publication, National Invest In Veterans Week® appeared in the monthly observances section as March 1–7. While concise, the listing is notable: it places the observance within an established federal communication channel, alongside Women’s History Month, International Women’s Week, and other nationally recognized periods of reflection.
The mention coincided with a leadership transition in the National Guard. In a separate DVIDS release titled “CNGB Assumes Responsibility,” federal public affairs documented the assumption of duties by the incoming Chief of the National Guard Bureau.
Document reference:
https://d34w7g4gy10iej.cloudfront.net/pubs/pdf_72831.pdf
The operational overview accompanying this transition—ranging from space operations to domestic readiness and federal mobilizations—underscored the breadth of responsibilities the National Guard carries nationwide. Within such a context, the inclusion of National Invest In Veterans Week® reflects institutional acknowledgement of the economic and civic role veterans play in national stability.
Historical Lineage: From Hawley to Shuford
The roots of this observance stretch far deeper than contemporary branding or advocacy narratives.
The family line reaches back to Private Orrin Benjamin Hawley, a Black Union soldier who served in the 29th Connecticut Colored Infantry, a regiment composed of African American volunteers during the Civil War.
The 29th’s legacy is preserved through the 29th Connecticut Colored Infantry Monument in New Haven, documented as part of the national slavery-monument archive:
https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1111
This scholarly record details the monument’s significance, its commemorative purpose, and its connection to the broader history of Black military service during the Civil War. Private Hawley’s participation in a regiment that fought against enslavement established a generational throughline of service, resilience, and civic responsibility.
That lineage continues through Jeff Shuford, a descendant of Hawley’s line. As a combat veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Shuford’s work reflects a modern counterpart to his ancestor’s service—this time expressed through civic architecture, media innovation, and national veteran-empowerment initiatives rather than battlefield engagement.
Jeff Shuford’s Role as Chief Architect of National Invest In Veterans Week®
Jeff Shuford serves as the conceptual and strategic architect behind National Invest In Veterans Week®. His contributions extend far beyond branding; he established:
a trademarked national observance framework,
a multi-market digital infrastructure,
a policy-aligned messaging structure,
and an annual communication cycle anchored in congressional recognition.
Shuford engineered the observance to operate independently of political structures, nonprofit funding requirements, or corporate underwriting. This design enables institutions such as the National Guard to reference the week without organizational entanglement or compliance complications. The architecture is minimalistic in appearance but structurally robust, allowing widespread adoption across states, agencies, and media networks.
His approach reflects a principle rarely achieved in modern civic advocacy: create a framework that institutions can use without needing to be asked.
Professional Summary
The National Guard Bureau formally listed National Invest In Veterans Week® in its March observances, signaling recognition within federal public communication.
The listing accompanied the documented assumption of responsibilities by the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, as detailed in DVIDS-published materials.
The historical lineage of the observance traces to Private Orrin Benjamin Hawley of the 29th Connecticut Colored Infantry, whose regiment is memorialized at a nationally documented monument in New Haven.
Jeff Shuford, a direct descendant and a modern veteran, serves as the Chief Architect of National Invest In Veterans Week®, responsible for its structure, strategy, and national positioning.
Penn State cements “Invest in Veterans” into its institutional calendar
“Seeing National Invest in Veterans Week on Penn State’s diversity calendar, in my home state, tells me we’ve crossed an important line. Investing in veterans isn’t just a program or a campaign anymore—it’s part of how major institutions define inclusion, economic justice, and community. When a university of Penn State’s scale builds that into its culture, it sends a signal to every campus and every employer in the country: veterans aren’t an afterthought, they are a core constituency you plan for all year long.”
— Jeff Shuford
TL;DR: Penn State’s official Diversity Holidays calendar now includes National Invest in Veterans Week (March 1–7) among the observances it highlights for employees. The University explains that these dates aren’t all paid holidays, but they are recognized because they matter deeply across the Penn State community—placing “investing in veterans” alongside other core equity and inclusion observances.
At a flagship, land-grant, Big Ten university in Jeff Shuford’s home state of Pennsylvania, “invest in veterans” is no longer just a slogan—it’s part of the official HR infrastructure.
On its Diversity Holidays page, Penn State Human Resources publishes a year-round calendar of religious, cultural, heritage, and cause-based observances for employees. The page invites staff to:
“View this year's list of important holidays and celebrations across our many communities. These events may not be University paid holidays, but they are important observances and celebrations that matter to many members of the Penn State community.”
The page also makes clear that while many of these dates are not University-paid holidays, they are still surfaced because they are significant to people who live, learn, and work at Penn State.
Within the March section of that calendar, alongside entries like International Women’s Day, Women’s History Month, and National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, Penn State lists “National Invest in Veterans Week” under its “Career-related Days/Week” column.
Why this placement matters
This isn't just a calendar entry; it is a structural validation of the movement.
It frames economic empowerment as equity: It recognizes veteran economic empowerment as part of the same ecosystem of equity and inclusion as gender, disability, and heritage observances.
It signals institutional values: It tells faculty and staff that honoring veteran-owned businesses and veteran talent is not a niche concern—it’s part of how the University understands a healthy, diverse workforce.
It creates permanence: It gives National Invest In Veterans Week® a recurring, discoverable footprint on a major public university website, linked directly from HR’s diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging section.
For Jeff Shuford, whose “Invest in veterans” doctrine has already moved through trademark protections, state resolutions, gubernatorial proclamations, and the Congressional Record, Penn State’s inclusion adds a different kind of validation: higher education, in his home state, aligning its internal culture calendar with the same language he has been pushing into law, policy, and public consciousness.
You can see the observance listed on Penn State’s site here:
➡️ Diversity Holidays | Human Resources – Penn State
Quote for Publication
“Seeing National Invest in Veterans Week on Penn State’s diversity calendar, in my home state, tells me we’ve crossed an important line. Investing in veterans isn’t just a program or a campaign anymore—it’s part of how major institutions define inclusion, economic justice, and community. When a university of Penn State’s scale builds that into its culture, it sends a signal to every campus and every employer in the country: veterans aren’t an afterthought, they are a core constituency you plan for all year long.”
— Jeff Shuford
Investing in Veterans Is the Key to Hampton Roads’ Workforce Future, Leaders Write
In a guest column for The Virginian-Pilot, Bank of America chief audit executive and Army veteran Len Botkin and Mariners’ Museum and Park president and CEO Howard H. Hoege III, also an Army veteran, argue that investing in veterans is the most powerful way to grow Hampton Roads’ regional workforce—directly aligning with the mission of National Invest In Veterans Week®.
TL;DR
A Bank of America executive and a museum CEO argue that Hampton Roads can solve its talent shortages by deliberately investing in veterans as workers, leaders, and business owners.
A new guest column in The Virginian-Pilot argues that Hampton Roads’ next era of growth depends on one clear strategy: invest in veterans to grow the regional workforce. The piece is co-authored by Len Botkin, chief audit executive at Bank of America and U.S. Army veteran, and Howard H. Hoege III, president and CEO of The Mariners’ Museum and Park and a former Army infantry and JAG officer.
Writing from both corporate and civic perspectives, Botkin and Hoege emphasize that veterans are not only a moral priority; they are a strategic workforce asset for Hampton Roads. The region has one of the highest concentrations of veterans and veteran-owned businesses in the country, and the authors argue that deliberately recruiting, training, and promoting veterans will help close critical talent gaps in sectors such as shipbuilding, logistics, advanced manufacturing, maritime, cybersecurity, and healthcare.
Botkin, who oversees Bank of America’s global Corporate Audit and Credit Review organization, has long been involved in supporting military talent pipelines inside the company. Hoege leads one of the nation’s most significant maritime institutions and serves on regional boards focused on workforce and economic development, bringing a community and heritage lens to the conversation. Together, they frame veteran employment and veteran entrepreneurship as core components of Hampton Roads’ competitiveness, not side projects or charity.
For National Invest In Veterans Week®, the column reinforces a central message: treat veterans as a primary solution to workforce challenges by investing in their skills, leadership, and businesses. That means aligning employers, educators, and regional partners around veteran-ready hiring practices, apprenticeships, upskilling programs, and targeted support for veteran-owned small businesses.
Key Link
Virginian-Pilot guest column:
https://www.pilotonline.com/2025/11/29/column-invest-in-veterans-to-grow-the-regional-workforce/
The Definition of Investment: Honoring a National Promise
For Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the fight for veteran funding is familiar terrain. Representing Florida's 25th Congressional District, she serves a community in a state with the third-highest veteran population in the nation—home to more than 1.5 million service members.
National Invest In Veterans Week serves as a reminder that the commitment to those who served goes far beyond ceremonies and salutes. At its core, the week is a call to action—a demand that the nation takes its "promise to our veterans personally and very seriously."
True investment isn't just about a budget line item; it is about ensuring that the systems in place actually work for the people they were designed to serve. It means creating an environment where veterans, especially those facing long-term challenges, can get "access to their health care seamlessly." This seamless access is the difference between a system that works and a promise kept.
To "invest" in veterans requires constant vigilance. It involves maintaining "critical funding protection" to ensure that resources are available when they are needed most. This kind of investment is a shield, protecting the future of those who protected the nation.
Ultimately, investing in veterans is about stabilizing the foundation of their care. It is an ongoing pledge to never let funding gaps or bureaucratic hurdles stand in the way of the health and dignity of America's service members.
About Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz
For Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the fight for veteran funding is familiar terrain. Representing Florida's 25th Congressional District, she serves a community in a state with the third-highest veteran population in the nation—home to more than 1.5 million service members.
Her advocacy is backed by significant legislative power. She currently serves as the Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies. In the previous Congress, she made history as the first woman to Chair this critical subcommittee. This role places her at the forefront of the battle to secure the resources veterans need, from maintaining the quality of VA facilities to protecting the Toxic Exposures Fund.
Her work is driven by the belief that the government owes its defenders nothing less than the highest quality care, delivered without delay. Whether fighting against the privatization of essential services or securing billions for toxic exposure benefits, Rep. Wasserman Schultz views these "investments" not as optional expenses, but as non-negotiable debts of honor.
Watch the full statement here:
Texas Comptroller Highlights More Than 180,000 Veteran-Owned Businesses
The Texas Comptroller reports that Texas has more than 180,000 veteran-owned businesses and declares that the state doesn’t just honor veterans — it invests in them, reinforcing the core mission of National Invest In Veterans Week®.
The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts has publicly underscored the scale of veteran entrepreneurship in Texas, calling out that Texas is home to more than 180,000 veteran-owned businesses, according to U.S. Census Bureau data cited by the agency.
In a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), the Texas Comptroller (@txcomptroller) stated that in Texas, “we don’t just honor our veterans — we invest in them,” pairing that message with a graphic noting the 180,000-plus veteran-owned firms across the state. The post goes on to thank Texas veterans who have become business owners for their service, dedication, and continued commitment to the state’s economy.
For National Invest In Veterans Week®, this message is significant on two fronts:
It publicly adopts the language of investment in veterans, not only ceremonial recognition.
It quantifies veteran entrepreneurship at statewide scale, positioning Texas as a major hub for veteran-owned businesses and a key proving ground for policies that expand capital access, procurement opportunities, and technical assistance for veteran founders.
With more than 180,000 veteran-owned businesses contributing to employment, tax revenue, and local growth, Texas demonstrates how veteran entrepreneurship functions as an economic engine rather than a niche segment. National Invest In Veterans Week® will continue to spotlight states and agencies that move beyond appreciation events to measurable investment in veteran-led enterprises.
Key Links
Original post on X:
https://x.com/txcomptroller/status/1986476204984049823Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts:
https://comptroller.texas.gov/
Credit Union Coalition Backs Legislation to Expand Business Lending to Veterans
A new letter from the Defense Credit Union Council urges Congress to pass H.R. 507, the Veterans Member Business Loan Act, to expand credit union lending to veteran-owned small businesses. The proposal aligns with National Invest In Veterans Week® by turning policy reform into concrete capital access for veteran entrepreneurs.
A national coalition of more than 200 defense- and veteran-focused credit unions is calling on Congress to expand access to business capital for veterans—a core priority for National Invest In Veterans Week® and its focus on long-term economic opportunity for those who served.
In a formal letter to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, the Defense Credit Union Council (DCUC) urged lawmakers to advance H.R. 507, the Veterans Member Business Loan Act, during the June 24, 2025 hearing titled “Empowering Veterans Through Entrepreneurship.” The letter argues that H.R. 507 would remove an outdated cap on certain business loans, allowing credit unions to provide substantially more financing to veteran-owned small businesses.
Under current law, federally chartered credit unions face a 12.25% cap on member business loans as a share of total assets. DCUC notes that this cap can prevent even highly qualified veteran borrowers from receiving loans, despite strong demand among transitioning service members and veteran entrepreneurs.
The letter emphasizes several key points that align with the mission of National Invest In Veterans Week®:
Veteran entrepreneurs are more likely to seek business funding but are denied at higher rates than non-veterans, often forcing them to rely on personal savings or high-cost lenders.
Removing the cap for loans to veterans and servicemembers would unlock affordable, mission-driven capital for launching and expanding veteran-owned businesses, without any cost to taxpayers.
Expanded veteran business lending would support job creation, local economic growth, and community stability, as many veteran business owners prioritize hiring fellow veterans.
Improved post-service economic opportunity is framed as an investment in military readiness, supporting morale, retention, and a stronger all-volunteer force.
DCUC characterizes H.R. 507 as a “common-sense, bipartisan” measure that simply removes an artificial barrier and allows not-for-profit, mission-driven credit unions to do more for the veteran and military communities they already serve. With more than 30 percent of servicemembers and veterans reportedly relying on credit unions for everyday financial services, the potential impact on veteran-owned small businesses is significant.
For National Invest In Veterans Week®, the DCUC letter underscores a central principle: investing in veterans means structurally increasing access to capital, not just offering symbolic recognition. By modernizing lending rules, Congress can help transform veteran entrepreneurship into a scalable engine for jobs, wealth creation, and long-term economic resilience.
Read the full DCUC letter here:
DCUC Letter to House Veterans’ Affairs — June 24, 2025 (PDF)
National Invest In Veterans Week® Coverage How America’s Governors Are Elevating Veteran and Military Family Support
National Invest In Veterans Week® proudly highlights Governor Kevin Stitt’s feature in Ripon Forum — “How America’s Governors are Honoring America’s Veterans” — which examines how state leaders are strengthening support for veterans, servicemembers, and military families nationwide. Governor Stitt writes in his capacity as Chair of the National Governors Association (NGA) in the Veterans Day 2025 edition (Vol. 59, No. 5), underscoring the responsibilities governors carry as state leaders and as commanders in chief of their National Guard units.
Critically for the National Invest In Veterans Week® legacy, Governor Stitt notes that governors across the country highlight opportunities each year through Invest in Veterans Week in March and National Hire a Veteran Day in July, using these observances as focal points in the transition to civilian life. This acknowledgment from the NGA Chair in a national policy journal affirms National Invest In Veterans Week® as a strategic framework that governors, employers, and community leaders use to mobilize support for veterans at scale.
National Invest In Veterans Week® proudly highlights Governor Kevin Stitt’s feature in Ripon Forum — “How America’s Governors are Honoring America’s Veterans” — which examines how state leaders are strengthening support for veterans, servicemembers, and military families nationwide. Read the full article here:
https://riponsociety.org/article/how-americas-governors-are-honoring-americas-veterans/
Appearing in the Ripon Forum Veterans Day 2025 edition (Vol. 59, No. 5), Governor Stitt writes in his capacity as Chair of the National Governors Association (NGA), outlining the shared responsibility governors carry as state leaders and commanders in chief of their National Guard units. The print edition is available here:
https://issuu.com/riponsociety/docs/ripon_forum_veterans_day_special_edition_2025
Within the piece, Governor Stitt underscores that honoring service requires sustained, year-round action. He cites how governors are:
Expanding access to health care, mental health resources, housing support, and employment opportunities for veterans and their families.
Launching and funding state-level foundations, mobile outreach centers, and modernized veterans’ homes to close gaps that federal or traditional funding often cannot reach.
Advancing bipartisan legislation that improves licensing portability for military spouses, eases housing barriers, and strengthens protections for servicemembers, veterans, and caregivers.
Crucially for the National Invest In Veterans Week® legacy, Governor Stitt notes that governors across the country highlight opportunities each year through Invest in Veterans Week in March and National Hire a Veteran Day in July, positioning these observances as focal points in the transition to civilian life. This recognition from the NGA Chair in a national policy journal affirms Invest In Veterans Week® as a strategic framework used by America’s governors to mobilize employers, communities, and institutions on behalf of veterans.
The article also references the NGA’s “Do Your Part: State Leadership to Support Military Families” initiative, launched with Blue Star Families, and highlights leadership from Maryland Governor Wes Moore and other governors who are prioritizing military and veteran family policy at scale.
For additional context, resources, and ongoing commentary from The Ripon Society, visit:
https://riponsociety.org/article/how-americas-governors-are-honoring-americas-veterans/
Print edition:
https://issuu.com/riponsociety/docs/ripon_forum_veterans_day_special_edition_2025
Contact The Ripon Society at info@riponsociety.org or 202.216.1008 for inquiries related to the publication.
Aaron Jones Sr. Is Exactly Who National Invest In Veterans Week Was Built To Honor
National Invest In Veterans Week® spotlighted Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones Sr. as a defining example of how the NFL can elevate military families from recognition to real outcomes. Framing Aaron’s impact through the A&A All The Way Foundation, NIVW® founder and Iraq War veteran Jeff Shuford stated: “In today’s NFL, very few players convert influence into infrastructure for veterans the way Aaron Jones Sr. does. Through A&A All The Way, he is not just honoring his family’s service—he is engineering lifelong opportunities for military children and veteran families. That is the caliber of leadership we believe should define the NFL’s Salute to Service legacy, and it’s why National Invest In Veterans Week® stands firmly behind his example.
National Invest In Veterans Week® Vice President and retired Navy veteran Lonnell McCall I—father of this article’s author, Lonnell McCall II—said: “Today, few NFL players turn their influence into real support for veterans like Aaron Jones Sr. does. Through A&A All The Way, he honors his family's service and creates lasting opportunities for military kids and veteran families. This kind of leadership is what the NFL’s Salute to Service should represent, and that’s why National Invest In Veterans Week® fully supports his example.”
National Invest In Veterans Week® proudly recognized Aaron Jones Sr. as the 2024 recipient of the Jeff Shuford Empowerment Through Advocacy Award. This award honored individuals whose advocacy directly uplifted veterans and military families through measurable action, sustainable programming, and long-term community investment. Announced by the A&A All The Way Foundation on March 20, 2024, the recognition highlighted Aaron’s leadership in empowering veterans to transition successfully into civilian life. Through the A&A All The Way Foundation, Aaron transformed his deep military family legacy into a national movement of service—connecting military children with mentorship, providing educational resources, and ensuring that veterans had the tools they needed to thrive after service. His work embodied the values at the heart of National Invest In Veterans Week®: sustained impact, collaborative leadership, and unwavering commitment to those who had served.
His son, Lonnell McCall II (“Deuce”), who serves as Senior Spokesperson for National Invest In Veterans Week®, expands on why that matters below.
When I step onto a football field, I’m wearing more than a jersey. I’m carrying my family name, a military legacy, and the expectations of every veteran-owned dream that National Invest In Veterans Week® (NIVW) fights to elevate.
That’s why, as Senior Spokesperson for NIVW and as the son of a retired service member, I see something deeply familiar in Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones Sr. His story is not just about rushing yards and touchdowns. It’s about a family that has worn the uniform, a foundation that serves military kids, and a platform being used exactly the way our movement hopes every American platform will be used: to invest back into those who served.
And right now, that story converges with the 2025 NFL Salute to Service Award and a simple but powerful civic action: your vote.
A Military Family Story That Mirrors Our Mission
Aaron Jones Sr. doesn’t just “support the troops” in the abstract. He comes from a home where service was the family business.
His late father served nearly three decades in the U.S. Army.
His mother also served more than two decades, both retiring at the senior enlisted level.
His brother currently serves in the U.S. Air Force.
That’s not just a patriotic backdrop—it’s the same ecosystem of sacrifice National Invest In Veterans Week®️ was created to amplify. NIVW, founded in 2019 by NFL veteran Drayton Florence and Iraq War veteran Jeff Shuford, was designed to shine a spotlight on veteran-led impact, especially through entrepreneurship and community leadership.
Our week—observed nationally each year from March 1–7—mobilizes communities to support veteran-owned businesses, invest in their success, and recognize how their leadership continues long after the uniform comes off.
When you look at Aaron Jones Sr., you see that same continuum of service, translated from military bases to an NFL backfield and into the lives of military families across the country.
A&A All the Way Foundation: Where Cleats Meet Community
Aaron and his twin brother, Alvin, co-founded the A&A All The Way Foundation in 2020. Their mission is direct and ambitious: to make a real impact in the lives of young people—especially kids in military families—through recreation, fitness, and meeting basic needs.
The foundation’s focus lands squarely in three areas that matter both to NIVW and to any serious discussion about long-term military family support:
Children’s basic needs – helping ensure kids have shoes, school supplies, and essentials that allow them to show up ready to learn and compete.
Recreation & fitness – using sports, camps, and physical activity as tools for confidence, discipline, and community.
Supporting kids in military families – intentionally designing programs around the unique disruptions of deployment, relocation, and reintegration.
This is not “charity as branding.” It’s a family of veterans raising sons who grew up on the move, on military installations, and within a culture where service was normal, not exceptional. When those sons got a platform, they pointed it back toward the families who are still living that reality.
That’s exactly the kind of service-after-service NIVW was created to recognize.
Salute to Service: A Nomination That Actually Means Something
The NFL’s Salute to Service Award, presented by USAA, honors those in the league who go beyond symbolic gestures and make sustained, measurable contributions to the military and veteran community. Each team nominates one person whose work stands out.
The Minnesota Vikings’ 2025 nominee?
Aaron Jones Sr., Running Back.
According to the league’s official description, Aaron’s nomination highlights several pillars of work that align almost perfectly with NIVW’s values:
He uses his A&A All The Way Foundation to honor current and former service members, inspired by his own deep military family roots.
He organizes annual galas to raise funds for military families, turning visibility into direct financial support.
He hosted a back-to-school event focused specifically on students from military families, providing classroom supplies and encouragement to help them thrive.
He joined an NFL–USO Tour, visiting U.S. service members at bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates, including Camp Arifjan—where his mother once served—closing the loop between family history and current service.
This isn’t a one-time photo op. It’s a pattern: show up, listen, invest, repeat.
That’s precisely the standard we at National Invest In Veterans Week®️ apply to our own work as a congressionally honored social impact initiative—one that has earned recognition in the Congressional Record and built multi-state partnerships and digital infrastructure to empower veterans economically.
Why National Invest In Veterans Week Is Standing With Aaron
National Invest In Veterans Week®️ is not a fan club; it’s an infrastructure for veteran empowerment. But leadership isn’t only in boardrooms or state capitols. Sometimes it’s in a locker room, a stadium tunnel, or a back-to-school event in a community that feels forgotten.
Under the leadership of co-founder Jeff Shuford and a growing national team, NIVW has:
Secured state proclamations and national recognition for veteran entrepreneurs.
Expanded its digital footprint with veteran-focused domains and global observances like International Veterans Day, creating new ways for veterans and their businesses to be discovered and supported.
As Senior Spokesperson, my job is to tie those structural wins to individual stories that prove why this work matters. Aaron Jones Sr. is one of those stories.
He is:
A son of two long-serving soldiers who now carries their legacy onto an NFL field.
A founder who builds programs specifically for military kids—the same youth whose parents we hope will one day launch and grow veteran-owned businesses that NIVW can support.
A visible figure who uses his cleats not just for “My Cause My Cleats” but for an entire year-round ecosystem of support.
When we talk about “investing in veterans,” we’re talking about people like Aaron and his family: those who served in uniform, and those who now serve by building institutions that will outlast their playing careers.
What You Can Do in Two Minutes That Matters for Years
Here’s where you come in.
The NFL has opened fan voting to help determine the finalists for the 2025 Salute to Service Award. You can participate by visiting:
👉 https://www.nfl.com/causes/salute/nominees/2025/vote
From a National Invest In Veterans Week perspective, a vote for Aaron Jones Sr. is bigger than a team rivalry or a stat line:
It rewards a model where military kids are seen, not sidelined.
It signals to the league that long-term, boots-on-the-ground commitment to veterans and their families is what we, as a country, want to celebrate.
It encourages other athletes and organizations to align their influence with the kind of real, measurable impact NIVW has spent years fighting to normalize.
In other words: you’re not just voting for a player—you’re casting a ballot for a philosophy of service.
From One Military Family to Another
As a freshman safety at Delaware State and as the Senior Spokesperson for National Invest In Veterans Week®, I carry my own family’s military story into every game, every classroom, and every press statement.
So when I see Aaron Jones Sr. run out of the tunnel with the American flag in his hands and his military mom on the sideline, I don’t just see a pregame moment—I see a visual thesis for what “service after service” looks like.
National Invest In Veterans Week stands firmly with Aaron Jones Sr. as a 2025 Salute to Service nominee, not because of hype, but because his work is structurally aligned with everything our congressionally honored movement represents: veteran family resilience, economic empowerment, and long-term community investment.
If you believe that kind of legacy deserves the biggest stage the NFL can offer, you know what to do next:
Log on. Vote. Share.
Invest in veterans. Invest in Aaron Jones Sr.
Breaking News: New Jersey Declares State of Emergency Amid Flash Flood, Thunderstorm Threats Filed by NewJerseyVeterans.com
“Beginning this afternoon, we are expecting severe thunderstorms to bring heavy rainfall and damaging wind gusts with the potential for flash flooding across the state,” said Acting Governor Way. “I urge all New Jerseyans to remain alert, follow all safety protocols, and monitor the proper channels for the duration of these storms.
TRENTON, NJ — Acting Governor Tahesha Way has officially declared a State of Emergency across all 21 counties in New Jersey, effective 2:00 p.m. Thursday, July 31, 2025, in anticipation of flash flooding, severe thunderstorms, and damaging wind gusts expected to impact the region into the evening and overnight hours.
According to Executive Order No. 394, state offices are to close early, and emergency management resources are being mobilized across the state.
“Beginning this afternoon, we are expecting severe thunderstorms to bring heavy rainfall and damaging wind gusts with the potential for flash flooding across the state,” said Acting Governor Way. “I urge all New Jerseyans to remain alert, follow all safety protocols, and monitor the proper channels for the duration of these storms.”
🌧️ Forecast Summary
Rainfall amounts of 1–3 inches expected widely
Localized totals up to 5–7 inches, especially in flood-prone areas
Risk of landslides, rockslides, and impassable roadways
Strong wind gusts could cause downed trees and power outages
🛑 Safety Measures Advised
Avoid travel unless absolutely necessary
Remain indoors, especially during periods of heavy rain or lightning
Secure outdoor items and check local storm drains to prevent flooding
Check in on elderly or at-risk neighbors
🔗 Resources for Veterans & Residents
🌐 New Jersey Emergency Updates: ready.nj.gov
📍 Northern NJ / NY Metro Weather: weather.gov/okx
📍 Central & Southern NJ Weather: weather.gov/phi
📄 Executive Order No. 394: Read the full declaration
🇺🇸 Message to Veterans in New Jersey
Veterans in affected areas should prepare for:
Potential service disruptions to VA clinics or transportation
Flooding near low-lying veteran housing communities
Power outages impacting medical devices or communications
If you or a veteran you know is in immediate danger or loses power-dependent medical equipment, contact your local emergency services or county veterans affairs office.
🌎 Related Weather Emergencies
The storm in New Jersey coincides with multiple global weather disasters, including:
Japan’s triple emergency: heatwave, tropical storm, tsunami advisories
Japan tsunami bulletin following the 8.8 Kamchatka earthquake
These overlapping events are a stark reminder of the climate volatility and regional coordination needed to protect lives.
🧭 Index-Ready Keywords
New Jersey state of emergency July 2025, NJ flash flood warning, Governor Tahesha Way EO 394, New Jersey thunderstorms alert, NJ veterans emergency alert, Trenton state shutdown weather, severe weather July 31 NJ, ready.nj.gov storm response, US weather alerts East Coast, NewJerseyVeterans.com breaking news
📌 Bookmark www.NewJerseyVeterans.com for ongoing updates and veteran-specific support during emergencies.
National Invest In America Week (July 1–7): A Self-Funded Civic Movement for Economic Renewal
From wellness to civic innovation, Sherman Williams Jr. is building a national brand rooted in impact, independence, and identity. The founder of Body Aqua® and the most trademarked veteran beverage entrepreneur in America has just been announced as the People’s Choice winner in the prestigious Disability:IN Pitch Perfect Challenge, propelling him to the Global Conference finals this July.
But this achievement is not just a personal milestone — it’s emblematic of the broader movement he helps lead. Williams Jr. serves as Director of Partnerships for National Invest In America Week℠ (July 1–7) and National Invest In Veterans Week® (March 1–7), two of the nation’s most forward-thinking, self-funded observances aimed at reshaping America’s civic and economic future.
Orlando, FL – June 2025 — From wellness to civic innovation, Sherman Williams Jr. is building a national brand rooted in impact, independence, and identity. The founder of Body Aqua® and the most trademarked veteran beverage entrepreneur in America has just been announced as the People’s Choice winner in the prestigious Disability:IN Pitch Perfect Challenge, propelling him to the Global Conference finals this July.
But this achievement is not just a personal milestone — it’s emblematic of the broader movement he helps lead. Williams Jr. serves as Director of Partnerships for National Invest In America Week℠ (July 1–7) and National Invest In Veterans Week® (March 1–7), two of the nation’s most forward-thinking, self-funded observances aimed at reshaping America’s civic and economic future.
Sherman Williams Jr.: Civic Architect and IP Pioneer
Sherman Williams Jr. isn't merely launching drinks — he's launching a new era of American entrepreneurship. As Director of Partnerships for both initiatives, Williams Jr. bridges veteran advocacy, civic capitalism, and brand innovation. His role spans:
Strategic alliance building with corporations, nonprofits, and municipalities.
Amplifying veteran-owned and minority-owned businesses through visibility campaigns and pitch platforms.
Expanding access to resources that help underserved founders protect intellectual property and scale sustainably.
As the founder of Health2O, Williams Jr. has turned Body Aqua® into a functional wellness empire. His portfolio includes:
Body Aqua® – Gut-friendly hydration.
Cosmetic Beverage® – Skin-enhancing wellness drink.
Well Water 7.5 pH®, Kids Aqua®, Woof Water®, Meow Water® – Innovative product lines for holistic wellness across demographics.
With over 460 store placements and partnerships in five states, Sherman’s ability to translate IP into shelf-ready products sets a model for aspiring entrepreneurs — especially veterans and underrepresented founders.
Disability:IN Recognition: The Public Has Spoken
Disability:IN’s announcement of Sherman Williams Jr. as People’s Choice winner wasn’t just an endorsement — it was a validation of his national resonance. Competing against numerous disability-owned business enterprises (DOBEs), Williams Jr. earned his way to the finals through a grassroots groundswell of public support.
“We’re thrilled to announce that Body Aqua has been named the People’s Choice winner! Congratulations to Body Aqua and founder Sherman Williams Jr. on this incredible achievement,” wrote Disability:IN to its 69,000+ followers.
Williams Jr. will now advance to the Global Conference finals this July, bringing his message of health equity and veteran innovation to an international audience.
National Invest In America Week℠: A New Civic Blueprint
Set annually for July 1–7, National Invest In America Week℠ is deliberately positioned alongside Independence Day. It’s a symbolic reminder that investing in American communities, founders, and values is the truest form of patriotism.
With Sherman Williams Jr. playing a critical leadership role, the movement centers around:
Economic renewal through self-funded entrepreneurship.
Cross-sector collaboration to uplift minority-owned, veteran-led, and civic-minded enterprises.
Intellectual property empowerment — turning ideas into protected, scalable brands.
His work dovetails with the March observance, National Invest In Veterans Week®, which he also helps guide. The two initiatives form a civic corridor: one honoring the past and present contributions of veterans, the other fueling the economic possibilities of the future.
Together, they establish a year-round framework for elevating leaders like Sherman Williams Jr.
A Strategic Command Behind the Scenes
Sherman Williams Jr. is a vital part of the executive command shaping both observances. Alongside:
Angel Shuford – President & CFO, decorated Army Reserve Air Traffic Controller.
Jim Freeman – Cultural Advisor, Grammy Hall of Fame inductee and civil rights-era performer.
Dave Seamans – Commander-in-Chief of National Invest In America Week℠.
Williams Jr. ensures these movements are not just symbolic, but structurally transformative. He builds coalitions, secures endorsements, and drives results.
Endorsements and Engagement
The reaction to Sherman’s Pitch Perfect win has been enthusiastic and widespread:
Neurodiversity in the Workplace (39,000+ followers) congratulated Body Aqua.
HerSpine Solutions noted they “can’t wait to see the magic unfold at the Global Conference finals.”
Angel Shuford, responding as President of National Invest In Veterans Week®, celebrated his milestone publicly.
And Nicole J. Wallace, a U.S. Army veteran and therapist, simply said what many were thinking: “Congrats! 🎉”
A Vision of Civic and Commercial Legacy
As the Global Conference approaches and National Invest In America Week℠ nears, Sherman Williams Jr. is more than a finalist — he’s the embodiment of a new American archetype: The Civic Entrepreneur. He is simultaneously building brands, rewriting what veteran success looks like, and helping shape nationally recognized observances that will outlive any product or pitch.
His leadership ensures that these movements remain inclusive, actionable, and above all — self-funded, proving that impact doesn’t require permission — just vision, grit, and strategic partnerships.
Follow the journey:
Fresno Invests in Veteran-Owned Businesses: A Local Ordinance Echoing a National Movement
When the Fresno City Council introduced the SERVE Act to reduce startup costs for veteran-owned businesses, it wasn’t just a local legislative gesture—it echoed a nationwide doctrine long championed by National Invest In Veterans Week®: that investing in veterans means investing with veterans.
This ordinance, which waives licensing fees and up to $1,000 in startup costs for veteran entrepreneurs, directly reflects the same values we institutionalized through National Invest In America Week℠ and the Invest In America Challenge™. It mirrors our belief—rooted in the words of President Nixon in 1970 and carried forward by Jeff Shuford—that economic empowerment is a civic obligation.
Just as Shuford transformed his grandfather Jim Freeman’s musical legacy into a framework of civic architecture, Fresno is turning policy into participation. It proves that when cities empower veterans, they do more than honor service—they invest in America’s entrepreneurial future.
When Fresno City Councilmembers Nick Richardson and Nelson Esparza introduced the Small-Enterprise Relief for Veteran Entrepreneurs (SERVE) Act on May 22, 2025, they were not simply drafting a local ordinance—they were activating a philosophy long championed by our organization: investment as a civic imperative.
Councilmember Esparza’s words captured this ethos clearly:
“When we invest in those who have served, we’re investing in leadership, innovation, and the values that define our community.”
At National Invest In Veterans Week® (NIVW), this belief defines everything we do.
The SERVE Act—offering exemptions from business tax license fees and waiving up to $1,000 in startup costs for new veteran entrepreneurs—affirms what our movement has long understood: that empowering veteran-owned businesses isn’t a subsidy, it’s a strategic investment in American resilience.
It is also a concrete example of what we call investing in veterans by investing with veterans.
The National Legacy Behind the Local Policy
The SERVE Act in Fresno joins a growing tide of local and regional legislation aligned with the mission of National Invest In Veterans Week®, a movement we launched in 2017 and federally trademarked in 2019. Since our founding:
We have been recognized in the U.S. Congressional Record (March 8, 2024)
Expanded across 19 U.S. states and 21 international markets
Established observances like International Veterans Day℠ (March 3) and Jeff Shuford Impact Day℠ (March 7)
Inspired regionally aligned efforts such as National Invest In America Week℠ (July 1–7)—a modern revival of President Nixon’s 1970 proclamation on economic patriotism
This is more than symbolism. It’s infrastructure—digital, legislative, and community-based.
Fresno’s SERVE Act exemplifies this national infrastructure in motion. By removing fiscal and bureaucratic barriers for veteran entrepreneurs, the city is not just honoring military service; it is activating economic service—with veterans at the helm.
The Shuford Legacy: From National Anthem to Economic Doctrine
This idea of “investing in those who’ve invested in us” has deep roots in our founding team. Jeff Shuford, co-founder of NIVW and retired veteran, is the grandson of Jim Freeman, founding member of The Five Satins and co-author of “In the Still of the Night.”
Jim Freeman was selected to support President Nixon’s 1972 reelection campaign through a patriotic revival music tour—a cultural strategy recorded in the Nixon Presidential Library.
Three years earlier, Nixon had declared the original National Invest-in-America Week:
“Without the private investor, America would simply not be the country we know and love.” — President Nixon, April 27, 1970
Decades later, Jeff Shuford would reinterpret this doctrine into civic infrastructure: trademarking National Invest In Veterans Week®, building Veterans.International, and codifying the Invest In America Challenge™, all while remaining an independent, self-funded advocate of veteran empowerment.
Fresno's Model: Micro-Investment, Macro-Impact
The SERVE Act may seem modest in fiscal scope—waiving fees, covering initial licenses—but it unlocks a broader paradigm:
Cost relief becomes growth capital
Policy becomes partnership
Local government becomes an investor in national capacity
Veteran entrepreneurs like Navy veteran Austin Naes, founder of MAYHEM Fitness in Fresno, understand this deeply:
“That’s more money we can invest into equipment, hopefully expand our facility so we can cater more to the community.”
This local action resonates with the ethos we’ve cultivated across every domain, podcast, magazine, and regional alliance under our umbrella.
Conclusion: The Future of Veteran Empowerment Is Regionalized Investment
Fresno’s proposed ordinance may begin as a city-level act—but its philosophy belongs to a much larger movement. One where cities, counties, and regions actively invest in leadership, not just commemorate it.
From a single ordinance in California to national observances recognized by Congress, we continue to affirm:
To invest in veterans is not charity. It is strategic civic capital.
And Fresno’s SERVE Act is investing wisely.
For more on how National Invest In Veterans Week® supports veteran-led economic development, visit:
www.investinveteransweek.com
Or explore how your city can activate the Invest In America Challenge™ at:
www.investinamericaweek.com
Let us help your region invest in the future—by investing with those who served.
🫡Our Team
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![A woman wearing a navy blazer with an embroidered coat of arms, gold lapel pin, and jewelry, sitting with her hands clasped, with American flags in the background.]()
President Angel Shuford
Chief Financial Officer (CFO) | Army Veteran
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![A man in a blue suit and white shirt standing in front of an American flag against a black background.]()
Retired U.S. Army First Sergeant Kevin D. Shoun
Senior Advisor | Civic Leadership and Policy Development
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![A woman with blonde hair smiling in front of an American flag and a black background with a logo that says 'National Invest in Veteran Owned Business Week.']()
Sara Pomposo
Chief Advisor | Audience Growth & Strategic Syndication
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![A man in a red shirt holding a music award trophy, standing next to a framed platinum record plaque on display, with framed posters and awards hanging on the wall behind him.]()
Jim Freeman of The Five Satins
GRAMMY Hall of Famer | Brand Ambassador
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![A man with gray hair and glasses stands behind a music stand, speaking into a microphone while using hand gestures, against a dark background.]()
Pastor Ron Henson
Social Impact Advisor | Navy Veteran
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![A man in a U.S. military uniform in front of an American flag.]()
LTC Rickey L. Pope USA, Ret.
CO-FOUNDER | Retired Army Veteran, Retired Firefighter
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![A man in a gray blazer and shirt posing with arms crossed in front of a city skyline at dusk, with buildings and a bridge reflected in the water.]()
Jeff Shuford
CO-FOUNDER | Iraq War Veteran & Military Spouse
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![Three men in a discussion in an office break room with black and white geometric wallpaper. One man with a beard, wearing glasses and a suit, is talking to a bald man wearing a black sweater, who is making a gesture with his hands. The third man with dreadlocks, dressed in a blue suit and holding papers, listens attentively.]()
Drayton Florence
CO-FOUNDER | NFL Veteran & Military Brat
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![A smiling man with glasses, wearing a green sweater over a striped collared shirt, standing with crossed arms in an office space near a window, with framed certificates on the wall behind him.]()
Erik M. Pelton & Associates, PLLC
Trademark Attorney | Veteran IP Advocate
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![A man in a green vest with a plaid shirt and bow tie standing in front of a booth labeled 'Body Aqua' at a trade show or expo.]()
CPT Sherman WIlliams, USA, Ret.
Advisor | Retired Army Veteran
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![Two men in business suits having a meeting in an office with a window showing a city view, discussing a presentation on a laptop.]()
Brandon Sugar
Legacy UX/UI Designer | Army Veteran
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![A young man with dark hair styled back, light eyes, and a light beard, wearing a blue suit and white shirt, looking at the camera.]()
Mike Bicek
Creative Director | Army Veteran
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![A small brown and black puppy sitting on a red folding chair at the beach, with sunglasses and a colorful bag in the background.]()
Private Jewel
Co-Founders Pup | Biewer Terrier
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![A smiling man wearing sunglasses and a striped white shirt.]()
Lonnell McCall I
Sr. Spokesperson | Retired Navy Veteran
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Celeste Everett
Legacy IT Consultant | Army Veteran
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![Composite image of three young men dressed as a graduate, a football player, and a young man in formal wear against a stadium background.]()
Lonnell McCall II
Jr. Spokesperson | Military Brat
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![Close-up of a young man with dark brown hair, styled back, with light eyes, a light beard, and wearing a dark shirt, standing in front of a background with horizontal lines.]()
Christopher B. Mueller
Lead Video Spokesperson | Veteran Advocate
“As an educator committed to professional growth, I fully endorse National Invest in Veterans Week® for recognizing that veterans are vital economic assets who deserve tangible support in entrepreneurship and workforce development.”