From combat to craft beverages, JT Robertson's journey is a testament to the power of resilience and community. Find out how this veteran turned a pandemic-induced frustration into a thriving mead business, and how you, as a veteran or military spouse, can follow a similar path.
Veteran Business Project Welcomes Raymond Jakubiak as Executive Vice President Chief Financial Officer Decorated combat veteran and Fortune 500 finance executive joins VBP to strengthen its organizational foundation and expand impact for veterans across the region. Veteran Business Project is proud to announce the appointment of Raymond Jakubiak as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. A decorated Green Beret, CPA, and 40-year finance executive with experience spanning Fortune 500 corporations and global consulting, Jakubiak brings the strategic and operational depth to accelerate VBP's growth and deepen its impact for veterans pursuing business ownership. Credentials Built Over a Lifetime of Service Jakubiak's background spans military service, corporate finance, and community leadership. He served in Vietnam from 1969 to 1970 as a Green Beret with the Army's Special Forces, earning three Bronze Stars (one for Valor), the Air Medal for Valor, the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, and the Combat Infantryman Badge. After the Army, he built a career that took him from public accounting at Touche Ross to corporate controller and sector CFO roles at Motorola, to senior consulting work at Price Waterhouse and Deloitte, where he partnered with CFOs across the globe on finance transformation, process redesign, and technology enablement. He holds a CPA and completed Northwestern's Kellogg executive management program. His nonprofit record is equally substantial. He has served on numerous 501(c)(3) boards, co-founded the Illinois Aviation Museum, and helped sustain his hometown high school through years of board service and fundraising. He [...]
From combat to craft beverages, JT Robertson's journey is a testament to the power of resilience and community. Find out how this veteran turned a pandemic-induced frustration into a thriving mead business, and how you, as a veteran or military spouse, can follow a similar path.
From Small-Town Texas to Digital Pioneer: Aaron Welch Brings a Lifetime of Entrepreneurship to Veteran Business Project "There's no reason why anybody should be building alone. There's so many of us. We've all done it. We've all solved every problem that we could run into." Aaron Welch was a kid from small-town Southeast Texas when the internet changed everything. He remembers sitting at a friend's house, chatting in real time on a green-screen computer with someone in Switzerland. For a teenager who had never traveled far from home, it was mind-bending and it set the course for everything that followed. Aaron served in the United States Marine Corps from 1995 to 1999. When he got out, he was already convinced the internet mattered, even when few businesses believed it. "I was begging people for scraps of TV and print budget to prove the internet wasn't a fad," he said. He built a career that took him through corporate giants like Cisco Systems, Rackspace, Google, HP, and IBM. He raised $5 million in venture capital on his very first pitch and then got fired from that same business. He was downsized out of corporate America twice. Each time, he rebuilt. Each time, a little wiser and a little more certain that he was done playing by someone else's rules. Today, Aaron is on his fourth business, Lift Digital Marketing, a veteran-owned, full-service digital agency serving primarily service-based businesses such as accountants, lawyers, therapists, IT firms, [...]
For a Bolingbrook Veteran Drew Katchmar, Woodworking and Business Ownership Became the Next Mission “I opened my doors in 2020, during COVID,” he said. “It kind of just was a catalyst for me to decide that I was going to be my own boss and open my own doors.” On most weekends, you can find Drew Katchmar standing behind a booth lined with cutting boards, cocktail smokers and hand-turned pepper mills, talking with customers about hardwoods. He will tell you why end-grain boards hold up better under a knife. He will explain the difference between walnut and padauk. He might point out that some of the tools in his shop are more than a century old, passed down from his grandfather. What he does not always say right away is that before the woodshop, there was Iraq. Katchmar served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2003 to 2007. He deployed with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, traveling outside the wire to bring supplies to Marines in forward areas. Later, he became a weapons instructor, teaching combat marksmanship. Like many veterans, he left the military and had to figure out what came next. He worked in law enforcement in Chicago. He later moved into the private sector. On the surface, it was steady work. But something did not sit right. “Even though I was working with other veterans, it became clear priorities in the corporate sector didn’t line up with mine,” he said. “That’s [...]
Creating a Path to Business Ownership for Veterans with Restaurant Experience John Giles has spent his adult life building businesses that last. What began in 1998 with a single restaurant point-of-sale system in his grandmother’s basement grew into a nationally recognized technology company, employing more than 50 people and ranking among the top products in its space before being acquired in 2017. Today, he’s building again through Round 2 POS. But this time, part of the work is focused on opening doors for others, specifically veterans ready to build something of their own. That focus led to Vets to VARs, a veteran-focused outreach effort within Round 2 POS designed to help qualified veterans transition into business ownership as Value-Added Resellers in the restaurant POS and payments industry. For Giles, this work is about creating real economic opportunity using a model he knows works. While not a veteran himself, he carries deep respect for those who served and was inspired to reach out after seeing Lynn Lowder speak on national news about creating pathways for veterans to succeed. Those conversations, and Lowder’s commitment to giving veterans a fair shot, motivated Giles to take action in the way he knows best. Giles believes that when you have the experience and tools to help a veteran build a future, there is a responsibility to step forward and do so. Vets to VARs is intentionally narrow. In simple terms, participants become the local business owner restaurants rely on [...]
Purpose in the Next Mission: Welcoming Dave Diaz to the Veteran Business Project Advisory Board At Veteran Business Project, we work alongside leaders who understand mission, discipline, and what it takes to build something that lasts. Especially when the work is about helping veterans find their footing, their purpose, and their next opportunity. That’s why we’re proud to welcome Dave Diaz as an Advisory Board Member of Veteran Business Project. Dave is a U.S. Marine Corps Veteran, entrepreneur, and strategic growth leader with more than three decades of experience across technology, media, and business development. His career has been shaped by disciplined leadership, long-term vision, and a focus on building platforms that create real impact. He is the Founder and Strategic Growth Lead of the Attention Now Podcast, where he amplifies the voices of high-performing leaders, veterans, and innovators. Through that work, Dave brings together diverse perspectives, including veterans, Special Forces operators, medical professionals, and entrepreneurs, to explore leadership, resilience, and what it means to perform at a high level with purpose. Dave’s entrepreneurial background runs deep. Since launching his first venture, Cloud Technology Institute, he has built and scaled organizations by forging strong partnerships, executing strategic growth plans, and leading with clarity and accountability. His experience spans sales, marketing, organizational development, and content production, always with an eye toward sustainable growth and meaningful outcomes. A central focus of Dave’s work is supporting veterans as they transition, recover, and rebuild. His veteran-centered initiatives emphasize [...]
Leading With Purpose: Welcoming Staci Boyer to the VBP Advisory Board At Veteran Business Project, we are guided by people who understand service, discipline, and what it means to keep showing up for others long after the uniform comes off. That’s why we’re proud to welcome Staci Boyer as a new Advisory Board Member of Veteran Business Project. Staci is a U.S. Navy Gulf War Veteran who served 12 years as a Hospital Corpsman and Surgical Technician. Her service laid the foundation for a lifelong commitment to care, leadership, and helping others reach their potential. Service was never a chapter for Staci. It has been a throughline. Today, she brings that same dedication to her work as a founder, wellness leader, and coach. With decades of experience in the health and wellness field, Staci has built a career focused on strength, resilience, and transformation. As the founder and CEO of Motiv8n’U and Phoenix Productions, she has helped individuals and organizations move forward with confidence, purpose, and discipline. Staci’s leadership extends to the veteran community. She currently serves as Commander of the Naperville VFW, represents Illinois on the National Legislative Committee for Veterans Affairs, and holds multiple leadership roles supporting veterans at the district and state level. She is also actively involved in uplifting veteran entrepreneurs through community and business leadership. Her commitment to service has been recognized at the highest level, including the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award for Volunteerism. It’s a reflection of the [...]
Welcoming Jennifer Slown to the Veteran Business Project Board At Veteran Business Project, we believe veterans do their best work when they’re backed by people who understand service, sacrifice, and what it really takes to build something from the ground up. That’s why we’re proud to welcome Jennifer Slown as a new advisory board member at Veteran Business Project. Jennifer is a Marine. She’s also a business owner, connector, and advocate for veteran entrepreneurs. She enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 2009, deployed overseas, commissioned as an officer, and continues to serve today in the Marine Corps Reserve as the Marine for Life Representative for the Chicagoland area. Service is not something she did. It’s something she lives. In the civilian world, Jennifer co-founded Veteran Team Real Estate and launched the Veteran Business Connection, a networking group that brings veteran-owned businesses together to connect, share hard-won lessons, and support one another. She’s built a strong community that shows up, makes introductions, and keeps doors open for the next veteran in line. Jennifer has been a strong supporter of Veteran Business Project and works closely with our founder, Lynn Lowder. She understands our mission because she’s been living it. She knows the challenges veteran business owners face and the difference it makes when veterans support one another. As an advisory board member, Jennifer will help VBP strengthen relationships, expand our network, and stay closely connected to the veteran business community. We’re grateful for [...]
Tony Friel: Leading by Example to Empower Veteran Entrepreneurs We welcome Tony Friel to the Veteran Business Project (VBP) Advisory Board. Friel brings ten years of experience as a Marine Corps Infantry Officer with combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. Friel has also been deployed to the Kingdom of Jordan and the Republic of Georgia to train their military officers in combat operations, command, and control. Friel also brings ten years of experience as a Federal Law Enforcement Officer. Friel exemplifies a unique blend of leadership experience and a strong commitment to supporting veterans. His journey of leading Marines and leading complex criminal investigations has instilled practical leadership principles that apply to entrepreneurship. As an active member of the Advisory Board, he is working with VBP to apply these principles to enhance the vharmony program. He recognizes that successful entrepreneurs can incorporate simple leadership principles into their businesses to be successful. By sharing his knowledge, Friel aims to strengthen existing programming and expand VBP's support system, enabling the organization to fulfill its mission of "Offering Hope—Saving Lives" to more veterans. Friel understands the veteran community and recognizes that supporting and nurturing their entrepreneurial ventures is a viable long-term strategy. This approach helps community members grow, flourish, and serve in ways that provide true fulfillment. From daily operations to long-term strategy, he is ready to share his insights and assist veterans in navigating the complexities of business, providing the necessary support and resources for their [...]
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