SBA Administrator Hosts Veterans Entrepreneurship Chat in Phoenix During National Small Business Week

WASHINGTON, April 28, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On day five of National Small Business Week, Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet from the U.S. Small Business Administration will hold a small business conversation in Phoenix, Arizona with two Shark Tank contestants who are also U.S. military veterans.

The "armchair discussion" with Contreras-Sweet and veteran entrepreneurs Angela Cody-Rouget and Eli Crane is set for Thursday, May 5, 10:30 a.m. MST, at the Arizona Biltmore McArthur Ballroom.  The event is open to the public and will also be live streamed at www.sba.gov/nsbw.  To register for this free event click here.

Information on many of the programs available to active duty service members, veterans, and military spouses offered by SBA's Office of Veterans Business Development (OVBD) will also be shared.  The conversation will cover topics ranging from making the transition from military life to entrepreneurship and best practices for establishing a successful small business, to developing a solid business plan, small business marketing, and accessing capital.

Angela Cody-Rouget is the founder and CEO of MajorMom®, a professional organizer service.  She served in the U.S. Air Force for 13 years, thriving in an orderly environment. 

In 2009, after working solo for a few years, Cody-Rouget started the business, getting a jump start from the SBA's Emerging Leaders Initiative and the Veteran Women Igniting the Spirt of Entrepreneurship (V-WISE) program. V-WISE is an entrepreneurship training course designed for women veterans, active duty women service members and female partners/spouses of active duty service members.  Cody-Rouget participated in a February 2016 episode of Shark Tank. MajorMom® currently employs 32 "Liberators" (professional organizers) serving clients in Arizona and Colorado.

Eli Crane, a former Navy Seal, is the owner of Arizona-based Bottle Breacher, which crafts bottle openers made from dummy ammunition. The bottle openers are sold as promotional products and novelty gifts.  Crane and his wife Jen started Bottle Breacher in a one-car garage.  The Cranes were also featured contestants on a 2014 episode of Shark Tank. As their business grows, they continue to focus on investing in and hiring veterans.

Each year SBA helps more than 200,000 veterans, service-disabled veterans, National Guard and Reserve service members, and military spouses start and grow their small businesses.  Veteran business development assistance is available in each state at SBA District Offices and at Veteran Business Outreach Centers located throughout the U.S.

To learn more about additional opportunities for veterans available through the SBA, visit www.sba.gov/vets.

National Small Business Week is an annual event organized by SBA to recognize the achievements of the top small businesses in the nation. Since 1963, the president of the United States has issued a proclamation calling for the celebration of National Small Business Week.

This year National Small Business Week will be recognized from May 1-7 with national events planned in Washington, D.C., New York, Denver, Phoenix, Oakland and San Jose, Calif.  Events throughout the week will be live-streamed on SBA's website at www.sba.gov.  Make sure to check in during the event for live social media engagement, using the hashtag #DreamSmallBiz. For more information on the national events please visit: www.sba.gov/nsbw.

About the Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) was created in 1953 and since January 13, 2012 has served as a Cabinet-level agency of the federal government to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small business concerns, to preserve free competitive enterprise and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy of our nation.  The SBA helps Americans start, build and grow businesses.  Through an extensive network of field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations, the SBA delivers its services to people throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam. www.sba.gov

Cosponsorship Authorization #SBW2016 SBA's participation in this cosponsored activity is not an endorsement of the views, opinions, products or services of any Cosponsor or other person or entity. All SBA/SCORE programs and services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. Reasonable arrangements for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance.  Contact: [email protected]. SCORE is partially funded by SBA Cooperative Agreement No. SBAHQ-14-S-0001.

National Small Business Week 2016 sponsors include: Chase for Business, SCORE, ADP, Colonial Life, Intuit, Sam's Club, Square, YP, ESET, Facebook, Instagram, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, National Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders (NAGGL) and VEDC.

Contact: Carol Chastang (202) 205-6987
Internet Address: http://www.sba.gov/news
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Release Number: 16-39

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SOURCE U.S. Small Business Administration

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