{"id":28918,"date":"2017-11-09T09:16:27","date_gmt":"2017-11-09T14:16:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/creator\/creator\/?p=28918"},"modified":"2020-02-26T14:27:54","modified_gmt":"2020-02-26T19:27:54","slug":"no-egos-no-ranks-veteran-jobs-thrive-community-vibes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/community-stories\/member-spotlight\/no-egos-no-ranks-veteran-jobs-thrive-community-vibes","title":{"rendered":"No egos, no ranks: Veteran jobs thrive in community vibes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

On May 11, 2017, I took part in a\u00a0pilot program called WeWork Veterans in Residence<\/a> in Denver. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The program was founded to support military veterans and spouses who are preoccupied with finding a new purpose, a new mission, a new way to serve and lead after military service. I believed the greatest impediment facing these veterans and spouses had little to do with ability, grit, or resources. I thought it had an awful lot to do with community.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I believed the greatest impediment facing these veterans and spouses had an awful lot to do with community.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, I was convinced that the last thing the world needed was another veteran jobs program. There are over 45,000 veteran service organizations (VSOs for short, a catchall for nonprofits with a veteran-related mission) in the US. More than 4,500 VSOs are headquartered in the state of Colorado alone\u2014more than in any other state. Most of them are cripplingly under-resourced and they\u2019re all competing for the same scarce funding.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instinctively, I felt that what veterans needed most was simply a home base to gather and reconnect for a new type of mission and a new type of leadership\u2014economic.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

An objective came into focus: bringing veteran innovators, creators, and entrepreneurs together under one roof, giving them workspace, mentorship, and connectedness, and cultivating an environment where we could propel each other forward as local business leaders. We didn\u2019t need another 501(c)(3). We needed an uber-connected environment. Enter WeWork. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Creating a base camp for our endeavors\u00a0<\/strong><\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Together, we created a base camp for veteran business leaders inside of WeWork\u2019s local member communities, with the underlying support of the 160,000-person global WeWork community. <\/span>Through a competitive application process, the program started with 12 local veteran entrepreneurs whose backgrounds were as diverse as their businesses:<\/p>\n\n\n\n