VETCON

The Veterans in Economic Transition Conference will be held on Oct. 24 and 25, 2016 at the Desmond Hotel in Albany, NY.

This conference is the first of its kind in the Capital Region to help veterans as they make transitions into their future professional careers. It is an unprecedented collection of public and private businesses, non-profit and for-profit organizations, and government agencies gathering together for a worthy initiative.

The Conference will:

-Provide support, advice and direction to startups and existing businesses owned by Veterans.

-Host seminars and presentations overseen, and prepared by UAlbany’s School of Business School MBA program. Topics include issues that confront new businesses and how to do business through technology and marketing.

-Make available businesses and organizations that help Veterans obtain employment and to encourage industry to consider veterans. The New York State Office of General Services will have representatives from state programs and agencies that will help guide veterans toward useful programs that already exist.

-Representatives from OGS will help instruct and educate Veteran business owners as to the process and requirements in becoming certified as a New York State Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business (SDVOB) in order to increase participation in New York State’s contracting opportunities.

-Have the potential to present monetary awards, grants and prizes to veteran-owned businesses.

-Provide access to organizations that are not necessarily focused towards veterans, but offer services to them to succeed and thrive after service.

-Have speakers of national notoriety serve as mentors during seminar sessions, and networking opportunities with the inclusion of notable veteran business owners, investors and financial institutions. There will be specific rooms made available to connect investors with potential businesses, and networking between attendees.

This unique experience for veterans is the brain child of a new alliance between the Tully Rinckey Foundation, the Service to the Armed Forces Program of the American Red Cross of Eastern New York, Living Resources, SaxBST LLP, University at Albany’s Center for Advancement & Understanding of Social Enterprises, University at Albany’s Division of Research, Direct Impact Associates LLC, the New York State Office of General Services Service-Disabled Veterans’ Business Development Division, Sandler Training, the Arsenal Business & Technology Partnership, the Michael R. McNulty Center for Veteran Entrepreneurial Activity and Gramercy Communications