Hillsborough Community College (HCC) and the InLab@HCC will host the 10th Annual Veterans Entrepreneurship Training Symposium (VETS) on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Dale Mabry Campus. Keynoting the event will be Matt Griffin (Griff), co-founder of Combat Flip Flops, who successfully landed three Sharks on the television program, Shark Tank.
“The HCC entrepreneurship program is nationally recognized for its innovative programming and practical application,” College President Dr. Ken Atwater said. “This event is just one of many ways we support and empower our Veteran community.”
The VETS event is designed for Veterans, active-duty personnel, their spouses and civilian business partners who are interested in starting a business or already have a business and need additional tools to grow. The symposium will culminate with a financial pitch competition for $12,000 in cash and other prizes.
“These opportunities are life-changing,” said HCC alumni entrepreneur and previous VETS pitch winner, Brandon Dutkiewicz. “My company, Support a Troop, gained fantastic exposure because of the incredible networking and authentic relationships built through this event.”
With the support of the Hillsborough County Economic Development Innovation Initiative (EDi2), the event has grown and is scaling its impact, serving over 1,700 Veterans, active duty, Reserve/Guard and military spouses.
“This event would not be possible without the intense support of our community partners,” said Beth Kerly, HCC professor and InLab@HCC and VETS co-founder. “As we look toward the next ten years, it is our hope that this event continues to grow and scale across the United States.”
For additional information, please visit the VETS event page.
“As we look back over the past decade, the impact of this event on the lives of countless veterans and their family members has been profound,” said Dr. Andy Gold, HCC professor and InLab@HCC and VETS co-founder.
Hillsborough Community College serves over 42,000 students annually at its five campuses located throughout Tampa Bay. For more information, visit hccfl.edu.
HCC is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Visit
hccfl.edu/accreditation for more information.
InLab@HCC is the centralized hub for all things related to innovation, creativity, entrepreneurship and social venturing offered at Hillsborough Community College. HCC is a national leader in community college entrepreneurship education. Through the InLab@HCC, our interdisciplinary center for innovation and entrepreneurship education, we offer a comprehensive pathway of college credit entrepreneurship certificates and degrees.
The Hillsborough Community College Foundation supports HCC in its mission to deliver affordable educational opportunities that help students become successful, productive citizens. Through annual scholarships, endowments, program and faculty support, and collegewide funding initiatives, the Foundation has awarded more than $12 million since its inception and changed thousands of lives for the better.