SAN ANTONIO – Bunker Labs was created by military veterans for veterans to start and grow businesses. The San Antonio chapter officially launched in December 2017, but the group had been spreading information for months before then.
Community manager Michael Pleasant said since spreading the word about the organization, they have signed up nearly 1,000 veterans.
“We have almost 400 veterans that transition out of this local area here in San Antonio every month. Of that community, we know a portion of them want to get involved in entrepreneurship,” Pleasant said.
Apart from their newsletter, mobile app and other outreach avenues, they are launching a new service this year called Launch Lab.
"(Launch Lab is) a 12-week educational program that takes veterans free of charge, takes veterans in and says over the next 12 weeks online and in person discussions and mentoring, we can hopefully give you an introduction into entrepreneurship,” Pleasant said.
Participants will:
- Experiment in a laboratory environment where their ideas and business concepts can and will be put to the test
- Engage in our 12-week curriculum specifically designed to help military veterans find the true purpose behind their entrepreneurial desires
- Educate themselves on the importance of focus, metacognitive thinking, ideation and follow through
- Learn from seasoned industry experts and advisors who have run organizations from startups to fortune 500 companies
- Connect with the resources, the tools and the network needed to be successful in the chaotic world of entrepreneurship
Bunker Labs helped Chris Gerritz, a retired Air Force officer and service-disabled veteran, with his security company called Infocyte.
"We've gone through several events and participated with bunker labs; since then, we've raised $8.6 million in funding,” Gerritz said.
Bunker Labs is already in 17 cities across the U.S., and in San Antonio, they are already helping dreams come true.
For more information on their launch lab program, click here.