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, [...]

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 [...]

Veteran Business Project Welcomes New Mentor and Business Coach, Robert Eickhoff Veteran Business Project (VBP) proudly welcomes Robert “Rob” Eickhoff as its newest Mentor and Business Coach. VBP is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to “Offering Hope – Saving Lives” by empowering veterans and military spouses to become business owners. A Vietnam-era veteran and former paratrooper with the 82 nd Airborne Division, Eickhoff understands the challenges service members face after leaving the military. His goal as a VBP coach is simple: to help veterans find renewed purpose and self-reliance through entrepreneurship. “Rob’s career reflects exactly what Veteran Business Project stands for,” said Lynn Lowder, co-founder and CEO of VBP. “He believes that when veterans are given the right tools, they achieve remarkable things. That belief fuels everything we do at VBP, from one-on-one coaching to helping veterans launch real businesses that change lives.” “Rob brings a combination of military discipline, business leadership and genuine heart for service that makes him an incredible addition to our mentor network,” added Dale Eisenberg, co-founder of VBP. “He understands what it means to serve and how to turn that same drive into success in business.” Eickhoff is a graduate of Northern Illinois University who, with his wife, Nikki, founded the Eickhoff Family Veterans Scholarship to provide emergency financial aid to veteran students in need. Over 15 years, the scholarship raised $65,000 and helped 35 veterans continue their education. Professionally, Eickhoff spent more than three decades in senior operations leadership with [...]

Veteran Business Mentorship Expands as Naperville Leader Joins Veterans Business Project Advisory Board Arun Vijay Mani brings decades of business experience and a personal commitment to mentorship to support veteran entrepreneurs through VBP’s vharmony program Naperville business leader Arun Vijay Mani has joined the advisory board of Veterans Business Project, a nonprofit based in Chicago that helps veterans become small business owners. Through mentorship, business matching and personalized support, VBP helps service members, veterans and military spouses buy existing businesses and build long-term economic independence. Mani is the founder of Blue Leopard Ventures Inc., a consulting firm that helps entrepreneurs buy, grow and sell businesses, with a focus on veterans and minority founders. He also teaches at North Central College and chairs the Naperville Sister City Commission. “Veterans have the leadership skills, the discipline, the experience, but too often they’re cut off from the networks and resources that make business ownership possible,” said Mani. “That’s the gap VBP fills.” Mani is currently mentoring two veterans through vharmony, VBP’s one-on-one mentorship program that pairs aspiring veteran business owners with experienced professionals. The program provides support with business acquisition, financing and leadership transitions. “Arun shows up for veterans,” said Lynn Lowder, Marine veteran and co-founder of Veterans Business Project. “He’s not in it for the spotlight. He’s in it for the impact.” Veteran-owned businesses play a major role in the U.S. economy, but support is still needed. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, veterans own [...]

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 [...]