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 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., [...]

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. [...]

LifeCampUSA: Guiding Children of Our Fallen Heroes Life Camp USA mentors middle school-aged youth whose fathers made the ultimate sacrifice in U.S. Military, Law Enforcement, and First Responder service to our nation. At a critical and formative stage of establishing identity, values, character, and goals, these children are left to navigate life without the help of their father. Whether their father was killed in the line of duty, a training accident, or suicide, they seek to walk alongside these young men and young women to guide them in life’s most challenging moments and beyond. During [...]

Freedom Sings USA honors Lynn Lowder with premiere of new song, “Christ in Combat” Freedom Sings USA honored Lynn Lowder, our co-founder and CEO, with the premiere of a new song, “Christ in Combat,” at the Nights of Heroes event in Nashville, Tennessee. The song details how Lowder, a Marine infantry officer, found his faith while serving as a team leader with the 1st Force Reconnaissance Company in South Vietnam. Freedom Sings USA is a nonprofit organization that pairs professional songwriters with veterans, military personnel, and their families to help them tell their stories through [...]

Chicago, IL – Veteran entrepreneurs face unique challenges as they transition from military service to running their own businesses. Recognizing the critical role mental health plays in this journey, Veteran Business Project (VBP) has partnered with Canary Speech to offer veteran a revolutionary AI-powered mental health tool designed to support their well-being and long-term success. In a recent roundtable discussion, Lynn Lowder, CEO of VBP, and Henry O’Connell, CEO of Canary Speech, discussed how their collaboration is making an impact. The conversation, moderated by Joe Plenzler, a communications advisor to VBP, highlighted how Canary [...]