Bunker Labs Announces New Veterans In Residence Cohort

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Dec 22, 2020, 10:15 ET

CHICAGO, Dec. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Bunker Labs has selected 179 companies for the Veterans in Residence 2021A cohort using a new selection process that reviewed anonymized applications.

A partnership of WeWork and Bunker Labs, Veterans in Residence is a six-month business incubator and leadership program that provides veteran and military family member entrepreneurs with a community of peers, business support, and workspace. Cohort 2021A will begin in January 2021.

The 2021A selection committee reviewed 409 applications that had been stripped of name, gender, location, and ethnicity with the goal of producing a highly qualified, diverse portfolio of companies. From these anonymized applications, the committee selected a shortlist of candidates to move onto the interview round. The committee ultimately selected eight companies per Veterans in Residence location across 22 cities. In addition, the committee selected one location-independent, virtual cohort of entrepreneurs who live in locations without an existing Veterans in Residence program.

Of the selected entrepreneurs:

19% are military spouses
53% are entrepreneurs of color
27% are women

The selection committee consisted of Bunker Labs staff, Bunker Labs volunteers, and WeWork staff.

"This is the most diverse cohort we have seen in Veterans in Residence, as well as the most competitive set of companies, and we are excited to see what they build in the new year," said Bunker Labs CEO Blake Hogan.

"WeWork is proud to welcome veteran and military family entrepreneurs into our workspaces," said WeWork Director, Government Sales Traug Keller. When a new cohort begins, we invite them fully into the WeWork community, and it is a mutually enriching experience. We look forward to hosting and supporting 2021A over the next six months and watching them grow as entrepreneurs."

A complete list of selected companies is available at: www.bunkerlabs.org. Cohort 2021A will be the seventh official Veterans in Residence cohort.

About Bunker Labs:

Bunker Labs is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and a national network of veteran and military spouse entrepreneurs dedicated to helping the military-connected community start their own business. Bunker Labs is committed to seeing that every entrepreneur, including small business owners, in the military-connected community has the network, tools, and resources they need to start their own business. Learn more about Bunker Labs: www.bunkerlabs.org

About Veterans in Residence:

A partnership of WeWork and Bunker Labs, Veterans in Residence is a six-month in-person and virtual incubator and leadership program that provides veteran and military family member entrepreneurs with community, business support, and workspaces to help launch and grow their businesses.

SOURCE Bunker Labs