Success Stories
Graduate's startup takes top prize at Veteran pitch competition
Veteran Entrepreneurship Program: The Michigan Veteran Entrepreneur-Lab (MVE-Lab) concluded its 10-week accelerator program with Cohort 13 presenting their final pitches for startup funding.
Innovative Winner : Spencer Scarber, with his startup Emergency Medicine Innovations, won the $10,000 first place for developing portable cold storage technology for safe blood and plasma transport1 .
Future Expansion: MVE-Lab is transitioning to an online platform, Warrior University Powered by GVSU, to reach a national audience of veterans, starting with a new cohort on June 3.
Community Impact: The program reflects veterans’ community-focused approach to entrepreneurship, solving problems based on personal experiences and extending help to fellow veterans.
Let's celebrate our cohort thirteen participants!
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Cohort 12 Battle Creek Mentor Night
Videos
Many of the individuals who have gone through MVE-Lab have found amazing success. Through our 10-week program, they learned how to shape and enhance their business ideas to be the best they could be. Below are some stories of how MVE-Lab has impacted their businesses.
Nicholas Kaminski
Ellie Dragstra
Des Nelson
Diana Aue
Scotty Lange
Autumn Hartpence
NEU Stories
About the NEU Magazine
NEU Magazine is an online publication put on by the Richard M. and Helen DeVos Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CEI) in the Seidman College of Business at Grand Valley State University. NEU highlights various entrepreneurship and innovation stories for startups around the area of West Michigan, including the MVE Lab.
Each participant has a chance to present their business ideas at the Pitch Showcase hosted by the Michigan Veteran Entrepreneur-Lab near the end of the three month program. Some of our participants win the showcase and are awarded cash to further their start-up idea or concept. NEU Magazine highlighted some of the winners and interviewed them on their experience with the MVE Lab.
Shawnda accomplished her dream of becoming a transformational life coach for women by going through the MVE Lab. Her story is inspiring to women at every stage in life and can be found at NEU Magazine.
Nick Kaminski is a former participant of MVE Lab and started his own beekeeping business called Hickory Tree Farm Apiary. In a Q&A with NEU Magazine, he discusses what MVE Lab taught him as well as his new business success.
Henrietta and Zaneta join forces to bring together a consulting group to help empower women veterans to succeed in work and education settings. Their incredible mission and business was discussed in an interview with NEU Magazine.
Ellie Dragstra found there was a need for new mothers-to-be and joined MVE Lab as a veteran-spouse looking to help these women. Read more about her story and success at NEU Magazine.