Aloha VOB family — great turnout this week, with a nice mix of incubator progress, tax season commiseration, and a full open floor on the social media push we're building.

Jennifer Barrows (Board Chair, Launchpad Foundation; jbarrows@barrowsdevelopment.com; launchpadtv.com) updated us on Launchpad's veteran entrepreneur training, fresh off the Governor's Summit for Veterans Affairs in Columbia, SC, with Myrtle Beach, Greenville, and Charleston next on the calendar. Frank DiBartolomeo (President, DiBartolomeo Consulting International; retired Air Force Lt. Col.; frank@speakleadandsucceed.com; speakleadandsucceed.com) offered to help her in Charleston, then introduced himself as a public speaking coach with 30+ years of experience — worth a call if that's ever tripped you up.

Tax season had everyone's sympathy: Mark Salmon (enrolled agent, Alpharetta GA; mark@marksalmon.tax; marksalmon.tax) is racing a client's return to the finish line, and Dorothy Smith (Founder, DMS Bookkeeping Inc, Memphis; dorothy@dmsbizhelp.com; dmsbizhelp.com) confirmed the crunch is universal right now, mentioning she uses TaxDome for client uploads. Mark Spenelli (natures.edge.glampground@gmail.com) gave us the latest on his veteran-focused RV campground/tiny-home project and on QRF Up (qrfup.org), the veteran-crewed NASCAR sponsorship effort now planning through 2028 with a Homestead-Miami appearance this November. Mark Miracle (Fractional Sales Leader, Sales Xceleration; Owner, Miracle Sales Advisory Inc., Denver; salesxceleration.com) rounded out our trio of Marks.

Richard Moyers introduced himself as a business coach and Marine/Army veteran who helps small business owners get their time back, with a couple of ordnance and warthog stories along the way. Ed Jarecki, joining from Saint Croix, reintroduced his work helping veteran entrepreneurs bring military discipline into how they run a business — we're setting up a follow-up call. Jake Droge ("The Flagman"; jdroge@university-bank.com; university-bank.com) is chasing states 23 and 24 in Indiana and Ohio this weekend on his way to all 50.

Laura Cross (White Sands Self-Care; whitesandsselfcare@gmail.com; whitesandsselfcare.com) shared her holistic health work and the AO voice scan, and later offered a practical tip: WeTransfer as a free backup for large files. Tracy Lynn Baker (Keller Williams, Cincinnati) is planning "For the Love of Veterans," a February event on veteran benefits and loans, and is looking for speakers and Cincinnati-area connections.

On VOB's end, Nakisha is launching the first VOB Veteran Journey Series event on September 17 — a monthly Hawaii pilot following the VA's journey map from transition through end-of-life planning, which we intend to expand to other cities and eventually a culminating event on the USS Missouri. Kelvin Ching (Executive Managing Director, Mod Financial, Kaneohe HI; kchingandassociates@gmail.com) helped me land on the program's name and is also working with me on a feral swine grant.

We're standing up a social media effort led by Alicia Nordman and will be implementing a phone-friendly way for members to upload high-res and 4K content without email compressing it. Laura's and Dorothy's tips above are feeding right into that build — a full announcement is coming once the portal's live.
 

Courses page is ready for those of you that want share and/or host a course on our platform, reach out to me if that something you're interested in.

TV Shows has also been added to the Resources drop down.⚡

Everyone is encouraged to complete their free VOB member profile. If anyone runs into difficulty with a profile, business listing, or Community News post, reach out — happy to help.

Thanks again to everyone who joined, shared, asked, offered, and connected — exactly what we want the VOB Roundtable to be.

Mahalo, 

Kevin 🍍🇺🇸

This week's Roundtable had a little of everything — new faces, a few laughs at Kelvin's expense (long story with a shared Zoom link), and a lot of people building things that matter. Here's the rundown.

We started with Jessica Olma (Owner/Founder, Scribe Syndicate; jessicaolma@scribesyndicate.com; scribesyndicate.com), based in the Denver metro area, who shared that her business has evolved well beyond its content-writing roots — she's now doing AI consulting and helping small businesses build repeatable systems and workflows around their operations.

From there we went to Deb Plennert (Founder, Precision with Honor Bookkeeping — deb@precisionwithhonorbookkeeping.com), who gave an update on QRF Up, the crisis-intervention and suicide-prevention nonprofit she's involved with, which has rescheduled its relaunch for November 6. She's also working to secure funding for a veteran-supportive campground property and continuing her work with Sentinel Veteran AI Solutions, a platform focused on closing the dangerous gap between a veteran asking for help and actually getting it.

Jake "The Flagman" Droge popped in between work calls just long enough to let us know he's now registered for half-marathons in Indiana and Ohio, bringing his all-50-states flag-running total to 23 and 24 states completed, before he had to run.

Gb De Leon (Independent Health & Life Insurance Broker, USA Benefits Group — gdeleon@usabg.net) reminded everyone why protecting your "why" matters — one serious illness without the right coverage can undo everything you've built. He's building toward funding regenerative agriculture and ranch opportunities for veterans, and his LinkedIn videos (yes, including the one where he stepped in something unfortunate chasing a cow) continue to be must-watch content.

Mark Spenelli shared where things stand with his and his wife's RV campground startup, which will dedicate a portion of profits to veterans, first responders, and active-duty military people in crisis. They have their eye on a property in Kentucky and are hoping the pieces fall into place soon.

Alex Snyder (Partner, Kaplan Family Financial) shared exciting news — he's brought estate planning and financial planning together under one roof in Massachusetts, partnering with a law firm so clients no longer have to run between two offices to get aligned advice. He's now in talks to expand the model into Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Florida, and as the practice grows, he and his partner plan to make a portion of their estate-planning services free for veterans.

Dr. Gina Danola ("Dr. D") walked us through Veterans One Source, the website she built for transitioning service members, veterans, and military families to find local — and international — events and resources, searchable by city, installation, or even a virtual hub. It's a fantastic resource, and everyone should check it out and add their own veteran-centric events to the calendar. Her husband, James Di Nola (jdinola@vetsone.org), the other half of the Veterans One Source team, spoke to the mission behind the site — free promotion for anything veteran-related, from events to content creators, filling a gap left by programs like Military One Source that stop serving people the moment they leave uniform.

Alicia Nordman (social media management and short-form video editing) is building out a social media team for VOB and put out the call for content — photos, video, anything veteran-related and high quality. The ask is simple: send what you've got, and she and the team will turn it into the kind of content that actually moves on social media.

We had two new faces join us this week. Ed Jarecki (President, Jarecki Business Coaching & Concepts — ed@jareckibcc.com; jareckibcc.com) introduced himself as a business and executive coach working with owners in the $1M–$10M range, with a background spanning engineering, IT, and enterprise architecture leadership. He also shared his connection to a human-emotion-analysis technology tool being applied in the mental wellness space, particularly around PTSD treatment support — a topic that drew immediate interest from the group, including a sharp follow-up question from Joel Elfman about whether the tool draws on Paul Ekman's work in micro-expressions — a sharp question given Joel's own background. Joel is Founder and Chief Hypnotist/Mindset Coach at BodyMind Hypnotic (bodymindhypnotic.com), integrating hypnosis, NLP, and somatic work to help clients with stress, habit change, and confidence. Good to have him back with us this week.

Mark Salmon (IRS Enrolled Agent, tax professional — mark@marksalmon.tax; marksalmon.tax) reminded everyone that C-corps on extension have until October 15 to file, and shared a great example of digging a client out of a mistaken state tax assessment — a reminder of the value of having someone who knows how to fight for you when the state gets it wrong.

We closed out with Bill Haase (financial literacy author and podcast host, Money Mindset Media — moneymindsetmedia.com), who gave an update on his new podcast with PJ, which is already up to 31 subscribers, and shared he's making progress toward getting clearance to bring his financial literacy program into a prison setting.

Everyone is encouraged to complete their free VOB member profile. I can see that several people have registered but have not yet finished setting up their profiles. If anyone runs into difficulty completing their profile, adding a business listing, posting Community News, or navigating the site, please reach out — I'm happy to help.

Thanks again to everyone who joined, shared, asked, offered, and connected. This is exactly what we want the VOB Roundtable to be: veterans and supporters helping each other find the people, tools, services, and opportunities that move missions forward.

Mahalo,

Kevin 🍍🇺🇸

Client Solution Architects (CSA) sent over their latest openings for transitioning service members, veterans, and MILspouses. Several of these are remote or tied to Pensacola, San Diego, Oak Harbor, and DC — worth a look if you or someone in your network is job hunting.

• VP, Business Development — Remote
• Electronic Classroom Technical Support Specialist — Oak Harbor, WA
• IT Helpdesk Technician — Washington, DC
• Electronic Classroom Technical Support Specialist — Port Hueneme, CA
• SQL Database Administrator — Pensacola, FL
• VMware Systems Administrator — Pensacola, FL
• Operations Support Technician — Pensacola, FL
• Senior Configuration Management Lead — San Diego, CA

All open roles and future postings are on CSA's site at csaassociates.com, and you can follow CSA Careers on LinkedIn and Twitter/X for new listings as they come up.

🍍🇺🇸

We had a full house this week, with several new faces alongside some familiar ones, and the kind of cross-pollination that makes these Roundtables worth showing up for every Tuesday.

I opened introductions with Joshua Wood (Certified Franchise Consultant with New Leaf Franchise, which he runs alongside his wife Shalisha; joshua@NewLeafFranchise.com; newleaffranchise.com), who explained that he and Shalisha help veterans in transition explore business ownership through franchising, at no cost to the veteran, partnering with close to 800 national brands and connecting people to discounted, veteran-friendly SBA financing.

Next up was Mike "Buzz" Mallon (Founder & Managing Partner of Storyteller Promotions, a full-service promotional products and branding company, and a Marine Corps veteran; buzz@storytellerpromotions.com), who also runs a veteran-owned networking group called Tropic Thunder that meets weekly.

I had to publicly thank Kelvin Ching (Executive Managing Director at Mod Financial, offering tax-free retirement strategies, business financing, and high-yield savings options insured up to $50 million; KChingAndAssociates@gmail.com) for picking me up at the hospital and taking me to lunch while I was on Oahu for my mom's medical procedure—  Nakisha Jolanda Gregory (Navy veteran, founder of Gift Opener LLC, host of Confidence On Command Live; giftopenerllc.com, nakishajgregory.com) had joined us as well. Nakisha's building out our live event series in Oahu — the first is September 17, with a second locked in for October 15 — both feeding into a bigger kickoff event we're planning for April aboard the USS Missouri in Pearl Harbor. The idea behind that whole series is to connect the VA's own "Journeys of Veterans Map" framework to real, in-person access to the VA, VRE, Vet Centers, and other government resources, and Nakisha's already running with it.

Frank DiBartolomeo (retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, professional speaker and presentation coach at DiBartolomeo Consulting International, author of Speak Well and Prosper, and host of the Successful Speaking for Technical Professionals podcast; frank@speakleadandsucceed.com) offered his interview and presentation coaching to any veteran who could use it. I let him know about the podcast page we've built on the VOB website — embedded, free, and another platform for him — and invited him to post there.

Jake "The Flagman" Droge shared his story: he's an Army National Guard veteran who started running half marathons during COVID, carrying an American flag, after a humbling first attempt at getting back in shape. He's up to 22 states and aiming for 26 by year-end, and says the running has been a real help with his PTSD. He heads to Indiana and Ohio next month for back-to-back weekend races, and we're working on getting some travel support behind him — it's good for him, good for VOB visibility, and a story worth sharing further.

Rajiv Jadhav (CEO of Rsquare Media, an online reputation and AI-search-visibility firm based in New York City; linkedin.com/in/rajivjadhav) isn't a veteran but came in with real energy — he's on a mission to fight homelessness and poverty through AI-driven economic opportunity, a talk he gives at the United Nations a few times a year, and he's looking to connect with the VA community and any channel partners interested in referral commissions.

David Mohammed (AI transformation and automation consultant, founder of Mo-Blind Solutions, based in Tampa; david@mo-blind.com, mo-blind.com), attending for the first time, walked us through how he helps small businesses fix their processes first, then layer in AI — voice agents that catch missed calls, custom CRMs, and AI-visibility work (AEO) so businesses show up when people ask ChatGPT or Gemini a direct question instead of Googling keywords. He's also volunteering with several veteran-focused organizations and is looking for a sponsor for a free PMP training cohort for military spouses.

Dr. Gina Di Nola ("Doctor D," Founder of Di Nola Consulting, a PMI Authorized Training Partner; drdinola@dinolaconsulting.com, dinolaconsulting.com) announced she'd just launched Military Spouse University the week prior, helping military spouses build careers around the unique nuances of military life. She's also behind Veterans OneSource, an event calendar and resource map she built herself with AI. Deb asked about pathways for VOB to get credentialed for VR&E educational benefits so Gina's PMP and CAPM training could count toward that — something we're actively pursuing.

Dan Ricks (Founder, President & CEO of Bright Water Consulting, providing COO, CIO, and EOS integrator services for 23 years now; dricks@brightwaterconsulting.com), also new this week, offered his technology and process-improvement expertise to any of our businesses that could use it. Mark Miracle (USMC combat veteran '87-'93, owner of Miracle Sales Advisory in Aurora, Colorado; mmiracle@salesxceleration.com) introduced himself as someone who helps business owners build or fix their sales engine.

Mark Spenelli (Army veteran; building Nature's Edge, a veteran-centered RV park and glampground community; natures.edge.glampground@gmail.com) He and his wife Nicky are also part of the QRFup team as well, and their race event has shifted to the weekend of November 6th through 8th at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Deb Plennert gave the QRF Up update: their focus remains crisis intervention and suicide prevention, working in partnership with 988, with 250 housing units in Florida (soon adding roughly 200 more) offering veterans up to two years of housing, therapy, and training pathways — including a very cool outdoor-guide certification program in Colorado covering backwoods horsemanship, fly fishing, and even avalanche rescue. They're running a silent auction right now, and Deb's been working hard to get a veteran named Christina, who lost use of her arms and legs to an IED and is currently experiencing homelessness with her teenager, closer to family and stabilized.

We also caught up with Bill Haase (founder of Money Mindset Media, author of Our Mindset on Money) on his Missouri event planning — connecting him directly with Scotty at HonorBox, who builds custom memorial dioramas we'd like to bring on stage at the ceremony. Bill's also launching a financial-literacy and career-planning program in Indiana prisons next week, helping parolees build real life and financial plans before release, with eight or nine more states already interested.

Everyone is encouraged to complete their free VOB member profile. I can see that several people have registered but have not yet finished setting up their profiles. If anyone runs into difficulty completing their profile, adding a business listing, posting Community News, or navigating the site, please reach out — I'm happy to help.

Thanks again to everyone who joined, shared, asked, offered, and connected. This is exactly what we want the VOB Roundtable to be: veterans and supporters helping each other find the people, tools, services, and opportunities that move missions forward.

Mahalo,
Kevin 🍍🇺🇸

We had a full house today, and the energy was contagious from the jump — wins, introductions, real asks, and a lot of people showing up for each other. Whether you were sharing a celebration, meeting the group for the first time, or asking for help with something specific, thank you for bringing it.
 

Clayton (Clay) Hicks (CEO & Founder, H7 Network, a national B2B networking organization; clayton@h7network.com, www.h7network.com) led today's meeting and kicked us off with celebrations. GB De Leon (Gilberto De León — retired U.S. Army Major, decorated combat veteran; independent health & life insurance broker with USA Benefits Group; gdeleon@usabg.net) shared a small win helping a client with a layered insurance policy to eliminate hospital-admission deductibles, and Bill Haase (Founder, Money Mindset Media, author of Our Mindset on Money; info@moneymindsetmedia.com) thanked GB for a Medicare referral. Alex Snyder (U.S. Army veteran, former law enforcement; Partner & Financial Advisor, Kaplan Family Financial; amsnyder@ft.newyorklife.com) celebrated his first international win — helping a client set up retirement benefits for Philippines-based staff through a connection made here. Frank DiBartolomeo (retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel; Founder, DiBartolomeo Consulting International; frank@speakleadandsucceed.com, www.speakleadandsucceed.com) shared he's on the glide path to Social Security this December. Bill Haase also has a podcast interview lined up with a top Australian host, aiming toward an international bestseller by month's end. Clay capped it off with his own celebration — a recent TEDx talk that came out of an H7 introduction.
 

Mark Spenelli (U.S. Army veteran; building Nature's Edge Glampground, a veteran-centered glamping and tiny-home concept; natures.edge.glampground@gmail.com) shared he connected with several new contacts at a QRF gathering in Iowa, including meeting Deb Plennert in person for the first time — a highlight for both of them.
 

Moving into introductions: Mark Rice (Navy veteran; Founder, Rice Revenue Consulting, fractional sales leadership for B2B founders; markarice67@gmail.com) opened the meeting describing his new Founder Leadership Program — a free 10-week course launching for veterans the following week. Mark Miracle (six-year Marine Corps veteran; Miracle Sales Advisory / Sales Xceleration, fractional sales leadership; mmiracle@salesxceleration.com) introduced himself as helping B2B owners fix their sales engines. Frank DiBartolomeo shared his work helping engineers and technical professionals become better public speakers. Alex Snyder described bringing "white-collar financial services to blue-collar businesses." Bill Haase talked about his new prison financial-literacy program launching in Indiana next month, with hopes of expanding into military transition support — he's looking for a TAPS program contact. Kelvin Ching (not a veteran himself, based in Hawaii and mission-aligned with the community; Kelvin Ching and Associates / Mod Financial; kchingandassociates@gmail.com) is chasing a $3M grant for wild pig eradication near Kevin's home turf and is looking for partners and cash donations.
 

Deb Plennert shared updates on the wild hog project with Kelvin and mentioned reaching out to GB about life insurance. Dorothy Smith (Air Force veteran, ~20 years in Financial Management; Founder, DMS Bookkeeping, Enrolled Agent; dorothy@dmsbizhelp.com) introduced her bookkeeping and tax resolution practice. Pete Tingstrom (retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel, Special Forces; co-owner, Aloha Oahu Weddings and Events; alohaoahuweddings@gmail.com) shared his intimate wedding and vow-renewal venue on Oahu. Laura Cross (Air Force veteran; Founder, White Sands Self-Care, host of Mindful Mondays with Laura Cross; whitesandsselfcare@gmail.com, whitesandsselfcare.com) introduced her holistic health work and her TV show, now over 20,000 monthly viewers. Jennifer Barrows (Barrows Development; building a veteran and military-spouse mentoring track, Launchpad SERVS, at Launchpad Tech Ventures in Greenville, SC; jbarrows@barrowsdevelopment.com) shared her incubator work. David Eastman (not a veteran himself, but multiple family members are; retired finance executive, formerly with Prime 8 Consulting and Microsoft; davidjeastman496@gmail.com) is looking to mentor on business plans and financial projections. Rajiv Jadhav (not a veteran; CEO, Rsquare Media, online reputation management and AI-search visibility; RXRRSQM@gmail.com), attending for the first time, shared his work getting clients recommended by AI platforms like ChatGPT and Gemini.
 

During the "how can we help" portion, David "DJ" Rodriguez and Maria "Ria" Rodriguez (both U.S. Army veterans; founders of Vet☆Head Brand, a veteran-owned headwear company; dj@vetheadbrand.com, ria@vetheadbrand.com)  https://www.vetheadbrand.com/ joined briefly from their truck on a lunch break and asked for help getting their hats onto TikTok Shop. Alicia Nordman (social media manager and short-form video editor; alicia.nordman@gmail.com) offered pointers on TikTok Academy's seller course and influencer seeding. Frank followed up with a note that his coaching also covers startup founders pitching investors. Rajiv asked for introductions to business coaches. Mark Rice shared his course flyer for veteran founders. Deb Plennert asked for volunteers to help restructure QRF, especially in coding and infrastructure administration. GB asked for connections to self-employed people paying for their own insurance, and offered to donate a few hours a week to QRF himself. Laura Cross is still looking for guests for her TV show. I want to give a shout-out to Dorothy Smith, who stepped up to help one of my clients through a genuinely difficult tax situation — great work, and much appreciated.
 

On the VOB side: we cleaned up the member profile page so all the questions show without needing an extra click — a few of you had registered accounts but hadn't finished the profile simply because the questions were buried. We're also opening up business listings for purchase now that our site traffic has grown (free for anyone in the incubator), building out free course infrastructure, and working on a two-way job board followed by a marketplace. Alicia also shared a great tip: when sharing VOB posts on LinkedIn, write your own post and drop the link in the comments rather than resharing directly — it performs much better with the algorithm.
 

Everyone is encouraged to complete their free VOB member profile. I can see that several people have registered but have not yet finished setting up their profiles. If anyone runs into difficulty completing their profile, adding a business listing, posting Community News, or navigating the site, please reach out — I'm happy to help.
 

Thanks again to everyone who joined, shared, asked, offered, and connected. This is exactly what we want the VOB Roundtable to be: veterans and supporters helping each other find the people, tools, services, and opportunities that move missions forward.
 

Mahalo, 
Kevin 🍍🇺🇸

Aloha VOB Community —

Fresh batch from Heather Kline at Client Solution Architects (CSA), posted here on her behalf. Heather runs CSA's weekly HOT JOBS list and sends it our way so it reaches transitioning service members, veterans, and military spouses in this community.

Worth a look even if you scanned last week's list — half of these are new. Two of them are senior-level openings at sites where CSA was previously hiring junior, and there are two Electronic Classroom Technical Support Specialist roles that weren't on the board before. Apply directly through the links and CSA's talent acquisition team takes it from there. CSA also offers a referral bonus.

CSA HOT JOBS — 29 July 2026

Network Administrator/Cyber Liaison — Langley AFB
https://www.csaassociates.com/position/network-administrator-cyber-liaison-4308004

Information Program Manager — Langley AFB
https://www.csaassociates.com/position/information-program-manager-4308934

Senior Veeam Backup Technician — Pensacola, FL
https://www.csaassociates.com/position/senior-veeam-backup-technician-4362695

Jr. Veeam Backup Technician — Pensacola, FL
https://www.csaassociates.com/position/jr-veeam-backup-technician-4332547

NMCI/NGEN Special Projects Lead — Millington, TN
https://www.csaassociates.com/position/nmci-ngen-special-projects-lead-4294004

Electronic Classroom Technical Support Specialist — Jacksonville, FL
https://www.csaassociates.com/position/electronic-classroom-technical-support-specialist-4364701

Electronic Classroom Technical Support Specialist — Port Hueneme, CA
https://www.csaassociates.com/position/electronic-classroom-technical-support-specialist-4361071

Senior Logistician — San Diego, CA
https://www.csaassociates.com/position/senior-logistician-4349575

More from CSA

CSA was recognized in America's Most Patriotic Companies 2026:
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/csa-client-solution-architects_americas-most-patriotic-companies-2026-activity-7477707801029685248-kL-z

All CSA careers: https://www.csaassociates.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/csa-client-solution-architects/mycompany/

X (on-the-spot hot jobs): https://twitter.com/CSAcareers

Contact: Heather Kline, Military Engagement and Growth Leader, Client Solution Architects — Heather.m.kline@csaassociates.com, (717) 858-5781

Aloha,
Kevin 🍍🇺🇸

We had two brand-new faces join us this week, a full report from the QRF Up event in Iowa, and one of those calls where you can feel the momentum building on multiple fronts at once.

Nicole Bryan (founder and CEO of Empower Virtually, a virtual assistant agency; nicolebryan@empowervirtually.com; empowervirtually.com) was calling in at 8:00 at night local time from the UK, where she is stationed with her husband, who is active-duty Air Force — Chris Flowers gets credit for the introduction. She built the agency because she needed a career that could move when the family moved, and about 90% of her VAs are military spouses. Joseph Abboud, J.D. (Co-Founder & Executive Director of DreamLoad Ventures, a 501(c)(3) supporting women and underrepresented founders, and VP of QRF Up; abboudjaa@gmail.com) jumped in — his business solutions company has clients looking for VAs constantly and would rather keep that work domestic, so he asked her for time on her calendar right there. Joseph also mentioned he recently joined a mergers and acquisitions firm, which gives him a deal portal he can open up to this group — mostly unglamorous, cash-flowing businesses whose owners are retiring, plus some e-commerce and land. Frank is working the same angle in Pennsylvania, and Joseph asked me to introduce him to Gina Chen.
 

Heather Kline (Military Engagement and Growth Leader at CSA; heather.m.kline@csaassociates.com; csaassociates.com) was our other first-timer. Navy veteran, 22 years — she likes to say she graduated from the Navy rather than retired from it — and now a proud Army spouse about six months out from her second transition. CSA is a mid-sized firm owned by a fellow sailor, heavy in IT, cyber, and logistics, and beyond filling requisitions Heather runs a real mentorship program on the side. My favorite line of hers all night: there is the family you are born into, and the family you are sworn into. Our two-way job board lands right after the course platform, and between her and Nicole we already have two strong reasons to build it fast.
 

On the Iowa front, Mark Spenelli (natures.edge.glampground@gmail.com) was there in person for the QRF Up event and said the photos genuinely don’t do the horse farm justice — huge and beautiful in a way pictures can’t capture. He photographed every table and booth and sent them my way, which gives us a real list to work from. Joseph mentioned they’d already met at the H7 event in Nashville, so that made for a nice reunion on screen. Rameses “Ram” Yebra (founder of QRF Up; rameses@qrfup.org) filled the rest of us in from Iowa itself — three days, a ton of connections, video from the third day still coming. The big one: they’ve finally figured out how to get people in through VR&E for the programs, with Deb Plennert (deb@pwhbk.com) structuring the education side so it can go to the board of education and let VR&E fall in behind it. There’s also a farming piece moving with the veteran coalition and USDA, allocating communities and land by region — GB, they’re working your part hard. All of it launches September 11. Ram also introduced Deb to Lt. Col. Perry Blackburn of 7th Group, who commanded the horse soldiers into Afghanistan and was Ram’s own commander; he’ll be joining us soon too. Deb herself called in before heading to the airport, pointed everyone toward Vet Head brand and Operation Anti Fragile, and mentioned she may have found us someone for medical billing and coding who wants the experience — timely on my end. Two things I learned about Deb this week: she can code, and she can apparently say no. She wanted that on the record.

On the sales and financial side, Mark Miracle (owner of Miracle Sales Advisory and a fractional sales leader with Sales Xceleration, Aurora, Colorado; mmiracle@salesxceleration.com) helps small business owners build or fix their sales engines, and joined us dealing with wildfire smoke back home — Denver needs some rain badly. Kelvin Ching (Kelvin Ching and Associates, Oahu; kchingandassociates@gmail.com) offered himself up as a resource for business expansion and financing through private lenders, a one-page application with some deposit documentation — his best clients, he said, are often the ones the bank already turned down despite running a solid business with a real reason to grow. And Alex Snyder (financial advisor and partner at Capital and Family Financial, south of Boston; Army veteran, five years active duty; amsnyder@ft.newyorklife.com) joined with a two-week-old baby at home, in between working a pro bono case for an 82-year-old woman referred by his town’s council on aging. His focus is transition planning — structuring disability and retirement income so it actually lasts — and I’m going to connect him with Jake Droge, who does reverse mortgages with an all-veteran team and specializes in helping people stay in their homes. Alex also mentioned meeting a retired Air Force gov contracting officer who now helps businesses win government contracts, and before he could even get her name out, Wayne Murray and several of us beat him to it, Nikki Gianni. 😆 Surprised Alex hadn’t crossed paths with NiKki via VOB already. Nikki Gianni — retired USAF Major, former federal contracting officer who managed roughly $20B in government contracts, now runs The Small Business Architect / The GovCon Architect helping small (especially veteran-owned) businesses win government contracts. nikki.gianni@gmail.com

Wayne Murray (founder and CEO of A-1 VA Ratings West, which does free VA rating evaluations; a1vawest.com) was already primed for that Nikki moment, and it turns out he is up to more than I even realized — flight physical done, studying for his private pilot license, building out his Vesta Jets nonprofit to create a pipeline for veterans into aviation careers given the pilot shortage, brokering for Elysium Jets on the side, and still running A-1 and Employ Well. His own description was the best one of the night: he’s a concierge, so tell him what you need and he’ll plug you in. And Gilberto “Gb” De Leon (retired Army Cavalry officer and Airborne Ranger, insurance broker with USA Benefits Group under De León Valor & Virtue Legacy, and a Kentucky regenerative farmer; gdeleon@usabg.net) joined us from his truck instead of a tractor, having lost a cow that morning. He asked what help I need, which is exactly like him, and I’m already leaning on him as a squad leader once we get that structure sorted. He’s also hunting for a veteran who is a genuine GoHighLevel expert for the incubator and the network — his own LinkedIn search turned up forty messages from overseas agencies and nothing usable. If that’s you, or you know that person, speak up.

Bill Haase (founder of Money Mindset Media and author of Our Mindset on Money; bill@billhaase.com) had the news of the night: Harvard University is taking his book in. His first prison pilots start September 4th and 5th in Indiana — four programs, with a state contract the goal and eight or nine more states already lined up. His own framing is worth repeating: if you want to know where to put your money, talk to Alex; if you want to understand how money controls you and how to take that control back, talk to Bill.

On the VOB side, squad structure emails are going out now, starting with the oldest incubator contacts first, so the regulars here haven’t gotten theirs yet. A squad is twelve people broken into support elements of three, with a squad leader and a weekly check-in on where you are in your business. From conversations Nakisha, Deb, and I have been having in our Hawaii group, we’re broadening past straight B2B incubation, because everyone has other needs too — health and wellness, VA ratings that aren’t what they should be. We’re at about 50 people in the incubator now, all in the last year, with no advertising at all.

The site keeps moving too. Shankar has built directories searchable by city, state, and military base across veteran services, members, and business listings — things we wanted last year and couldn’t afford. You can already host your podcast there, I get a trial of the course program this week, and the job board follows right behind it. We’re also automating Community News so a member post pushes straight out to LinkedIn, Facebook, X and others with a headline, a hook, and a link back to the full article here.

And we’re planning live events. Bill wants to host one on the USS Missouri, which I think is just cool as hell — January is the target, though the ship books pretty far out and we don’t have a date or even a name for it yet. The idea is to showcase what this group brings to every level of the military community: active duty, veterans, wounded, Gold Star families, TAPS. Bill can bring a producer and crew to record it, and we’ve got at least three members with active TV shows right now — Laura Cross, Dr. Keith, and Nakisha. Lead-up events come first, and sponsors are the next piece to work out.

Everyone is encouraged to complete their free VOB member profile. I can see that several people have registered but haven’t yet finished setting theirs up. If you’re in the incubator and want a business listing, let me know. If anyone runs into difficulty completing a profile, adding a business listing, posting Community News, or navigating the site, please reach out — I’m happy to help.

Thanks again to everyone who joined, shared, asked, offered, and connected. This is exactly what we want the VOB Roundtable to be: veterans and supporters helping each other find the people, tools, services, and opportunities that move missions forward.

Mahalo, 

Kevin 🍍🇺🇸

We had a full house this week, with a great mix of familiar faces and first-timers, and conversation ranged from social media algorithms to NASCAR pit crews to a homeless veteran's mail delivery — which pretty much sums up what makes this group great.

Bill Clement (energy broker, Wise Energy Solutions; bill@wisenergysolutions.com), who walked us through how he helps commercial businesses cut their gas and electric bills — "we discover, then we recover, and put money back in their pocket." Andres Inciarte (Founder, Design Desk — designdesk.tech), joining us from the Atlanta area, introduced himself next. He runs an agency helping nonprofits build monthly giving programs through email funnels, websites, and ad campaigns, and he brought some good energy about the heat — turns out being from Venezuela gives you a different perspective on what counts as "hot."

David Eastman (finance mentor, Startup 425 / Seattle University), a first-timer, shared his path from CPA to nearly two decades at Microsoft in corporate and consumer product finance, and now spends his retirement mentoring entrepreneurs through Seattle's Startup 425 program and Seattle University's business mentorship track — he's not a veteran himself, but has family and friends who are and wanted to see where he could help.

Keith McNally (Dr. Keith McNally, Marine Corps veteran, founder of Trail to Transformation Foundation; drkeithmcnally@gmail.com, it3mission.org) also joined us for the first time. He's a five-time suicide-attempt survivor who's channeled that experience into a nonprofit focused on veteran suicide prevention.

Dr. Gina Di Nola (Veterans OneSource, Military Spouse University; military spouse, El Paso TX) welcomed everyone back and gave an update on Veterans OneSource — her free event calendar is worth checking out, and VOB is already listed on it. She also spent some time helping JR Bilbes (transportation logistics, San Diego, Navy veteran) troubleshoot how his homeless veteran employees can set up general delivery mail through the post office — a simple, free fix most people don't know about. JR also shared details from Stand Down, the annual event Veterans Village of San Diego runs for homeless vets, connecting them with the VA, nonprofits, and local providers all in one place.

Lisa Bowers (Office Allies, admin support for entrepreneurs — Lisa@officealliesllc.com) talked about how her team takes administrative chaos off business owners' plates, and specifically prioritizes hiring military spouses whose resumes often look scattered because of frequent moves.

Shaun Penrod (fractional CMO, Boundless Connections Marketing, Navy veteran) introduced himself as someone who helps founder-led companies build marketing strategy — especially companies gearing up to exit. JR Bilbes then gave more detail on his transportation logistics business, where he intentionally employs homeless veterans and non-veterans alike.

Dorothy Smith (DMS Bookkeeping, Memphis TN, Air Force veteran, Enrolled Agent) is helping with a couple of my own client engagements right now and is also doing books for Deb's Honor Box project. Alicia Nordman (social media management and short-form video editing, St. Augustine FL) shared some sharp, current advice on the platforms — working with the algorithm instead of against it, why Meta suppresses new business accounts, and why YouTube Shorts, TikTok, and Nextdoor tend to outperform for free reach right now.

Bill Haase (Money Mindset Media) gave an update on the USS Missouri event planning — still waiting to hear back from the venue — and shared a great line worth repeating: shoot for impact, and the income follows. Brian Cate (commercial finance, veteran-owned government contract financing) talked about his work financing veteran-owned businesses on government contracts, and also shared that he's been helping a new startup incubator, Launchpad Tech Ventures, restructure their deal rooms for investors — he's looking for mentors if anyone's interested.

We spent some time comparing notes on bookkeeping software — QuickBooks/Intuit continues to take a beating in both stock price and user sentiment, with several people in the group already moved or moving to alternatives like Digits.

Mark Spenelli (Army Veteran, commercial truck driver; also developing "Nature's Edge," a veteran-centered RV park and tiny-home concept) checked in, and we talked through logistics for potentially connecting with Ram in Iowa this coming weekend.

Deb Plennert (Precision With Honor Bookkeeping) closed us out with a big update on QRF Up — their suicide-prevention and crisis-intervention work with 988, a rebrand launching September 11th, a NASCAR ARCA series event in Salem, Virginia that same day, and their Warriors to Racers program, which walks veteran clients through a stress-management pipeline that can lead to ASE certification and even a shot at a NASCAR pit crew slot. She's also heading to Cedar Falls, Iowa this weekend for QRF Up's third annual Heroes Appreciation Weekend, and the group is continuing to build out cross-pollination between QRF Up and VOB on the training and wraparound-support side.

Everyone is encouraged to complete their free VOB member profile. I can see that several people have registered but have not yet finished setting up their profiles. If anyone runs into difficulty completing their profile, adding a business listing, posting Community News, or navigating the site, please reach out — I'm happy to help.

Thanks again to everyone who joined, shared, asked, offered, and connected. This is exactly what we want the VOB Roundtable to be: veterans and supporters helping each other find the people, tools, services, and opportunities that move missions forward.

Mahalo, 

Kevin 🍍🇺🇸

Aloha everyone,

We had a full house today, plenty of good energy, and one especially great new addition to the VOB family. Between weather chat (yes, it really is a weird summer everywhere), some ranching talk, and a genuinely inspiring introduction, this was one of the better Roundtables in a while.

We welcomed: James Di Nola (linkedin.com/in/jamesdinola; 20-year Army veteran, two tours in Iraq ? wounded in action on his first ? plus a deployment to Afghanistan) joined us for the first time alongside his wife Dr. Gina Di Nola (drginadinola@gmail.com; CEO of Di Nola Consulting, PMI Authorized Training Partner, and a leader on Military Spouse University and PMology). James is Founder, President & CEO of Veterans OneSource ? a project that started as his capstone while earning his master's in social work. The idea came from a hard lesson he and his family learned firsthand: once you leave active duty, a lot of the support systems built for service members simply close their doors to you. James described being told he could no longer use the USO after retiring, despite years of volunteering there, and realized the same gap exists across dozens of other veteran-specific resources. Veterans OneSource is his answer ? a Military OneSource equivalent, but for veterans ? and Gina, with her own 40-plus years in federal government service, has been the driving operations force turning it from an idea into a fast-growing platform. In about three months they've gone from local to global, and they're now working with a programmer on a geo-searchable, AI-assisted, vetted resource database. Here?s the Veterans OneSource link for everyone ? check it out, and if you know an entity or event worth listing, they're actively taking submissions. (Event Submission Page)
 

Brian Cate (brian@getacuitist.com; private lender specializing in government contract financing, and more recently building Acuitist, a security-first AI tool for accountants and bookkeepers that integrates with QuickBooks) gave Gina and James a warm welcome and shared that Launchpad ? the startup incubator/accelerator he's been working with in the Upstate of South Carolina ? is standing up a dedicated veteran division, with cohorts currently running across South Carolina, North Carolina, and New York City. He mentioned introducing me to Jennifer, who's leading that effort ? I'll be following back up with her directly. Brian also gave us an honest update on Acuitist: the demos land well with accountants and fractional CFOs, but almost nobody is willing to pay for security-first AI tooling yet ? only 3% of accounting firms surveyed consider security critical. He's putting it on the shelf for now to see if the market catches up. On the automation front, we talked through what we're building on the VOB site to auto-reformat Community News posts out to LinkedIn, Facebook, and X with an approval gate in between ? Gina pointed us to a tool called Blotato for multi-platform posting, which I'll be checking out.
 

Gilberto "GB" De Leon (retired Army Armor/Cavalry officer, Airborne Ranger, independent insurance broker with USA Benefits Group, regenerative farmer, and founder of De Le?n Valor & Virtue Legacy; gdeleon@usabg.net; usabg.com/gdeleon) kept it short and short as always ? full-market independent broker with access to 80 carriers, protecting families and business owners while building toward a ranch that trains up future veterans in re-gen agriculture. Good to hear he and Dustin connected this week too.
 

Mark Miracle (Marine Corps veteran, Gulf War and Somalia, 1987?93; Fractional Sales Leader with Miracle Sales Advisory; mmiracle@salesxceleration.com) gave us his now well-practiced introduction ? sales consulting and execution for B2B businesses in the $5?50 million range, about eight months into building his own practice.
 

Kelvin Ching (Kaneohe, Hawaii-based financial strategist with Kelvin Ching and Associates / Mod Financial, focused on tax-free retirement and financial efficiencies for families and businesses; kchingandassociates@gmail.com) was back from a trip to Hokkaido, still shaking off the jet lag, and introduced himself to our newer faces.?
 

Lisa Bowers (founder, Office Allies ? executive-level admin/ops support, with a focus on hiring military spouses for remote roles; Lisa@officealliesllc.com) joined us mid-cooking a diabetic-friendly casserole for a friend having surgery ? multitasking at its finest. Office Allies is growing and she's hiring again, so if you know a military spouse looking for remote work, send them her way. She also connected with Gina, and I saw that meeting is already on the calendar. ?
 

Mark Spenelli (U.S. Army veteran, CDL-A driver, building toward a rural hospitality concept through Natures Edge Group; natures.edge.glampground@gmail.com) had a great weekend helping out at Owosso Speedway in Michigan ? turns out the connection Lisa made for him introduced him to the owner of Must See Racing, a multi-state sprint car series running from Florida up through Canada, and the two of them talk shop nearly every week now. Small world, good outcome.
 

Jake "The Flagman" Droge (South Dakota Army National Guard veteran and Certified Reverse Mortgage Professional with LoanDepot, working to complete a half-marathon carrying the American flag in all 50 states; jdroge@loandepot.com) had to jump off early for a work call, but not before checking in ? state 21 is done (Brighton, Michigan on the 4th), Illinois is next month, and he's off to the National VFW Conference in Reno next week. I'll follow up with him on getting some VOB material into his hands to take along.
 

Bill Clement (Navy veteran and energy broker with Wise Energy Solutions; bill@wisenergysolutions.com; wisenergysolutions.com; linkedin.com/in/billclement99) shared some genuinely eye-popping numbers from his utility-audit work with National Utility Refund ? a Michigan manufacturer saved $120,000 a year after a rate reclassification, and a New York company recovered $160,000 in tax incentives. He's looking to build relationships with CPAs and tax preparers, since utility audits pair naturally with tax-savings conversations ? makes sense to me. ?
 

David Kidd (Marine Corps veteran, IT leader, and Foundation Board President at The Lighthouse for the Blind; davidkidd@outlook.com) was with us again this week but had to drop early ? good to have him stop in regardless. He and Mark Spinelli have both connected with Ramese of QRFup planning more projects together.

A note on our site

One more housekeeping note: attendance was a bit lighter than usual today ? about 10 of us, versus the 15+ we've been getting most weeks. Kelvin flagged it during the call, and it's likely tied to a Zoom link change I had to make this week. The correct, current VOB Roundtable link is now posted on the VOB website homepage, about halfway down the page, just above the scrolling photos ? so if your calendar invite stopped working, that's the place to grab the fresh one and get it back on your calendar.

Everyone is encouraged to complete their free VOB member profile. I can see that several people have registered but have not yet finished setting up their profiles. If anyone runs into difficulty completing their profile, adding a business listing, posting Community News, or navigating the site, please reach out ? I'm happy to help.

Thanks again to everyone who joined, shared, asked, offered, and connected. This is exactly what we want the VOB Roundtable to be: veterans and supporters helping each other find the people, tools, services, and opportunities that move missions forward.

Mahalo,

Kevin 🍍🇺🇸

Hey everyone,

We kicked off this week's Roundtable comparing Fourth of July stories before diving into a room packed with new faces and some great cross-pollination between financial literacy, franchising, AI, and veteran resource navigation.

We started with a few new introductions. Virginia Cruse (combat veteran, LPC-S/NCC, and author of "The Soldier's Guide to PTSD" and "Acknowledge & Heal"; militarycounselingsa.com) is finishing a neuropsychology fellowship at the Dayton, Ohio VA and heading back to South Texas within two weeks. She's a 2025 Pat Tillman Scholar and will be speaking at the Pat Tillman Leadership Summit in Chicago this month, and she'll be the lead trauma clinician at the Uvalde Together Resiliency Center along with a postdoc at Strong Star, the PTSD Center of Excellence ? her focus has been military mental health and trauma work for the last 20 years, and the 2022 Uvalde shooting is what brought her home to do that work in her own community. Vince Lindenmeyer (retired Army Colonel; Principal, Beacon 4sight Group, a nonprofit advisory firm) clearly already knew of Virginia's Tillman Scholar status before she explained it to the group, and gave the group a quick overview of his emergency-planning work relevant to school and community safety.

Bill Haase (Founder, Money Mindset Media ? author of "Our Mindset on Money," 38+ years in finance, formerly 20 years in the Chicago trading pits) gave us an update on his financial-literacy program moving into the Indiana State Prison System, with a pilot starting in a few weeks and nine more states already reaching out. The same program is expanding into community colleges and ? his real goal ? the military, including a planned event in Oahu. That sparked a good back-and-forth on how to find a trustworthy financial advisor, with Jim Mills (Co-Owner, EnCompass Background Screening Solutions ? 21+ years Navy submariner) sharing a personal story about the cost of not knowing where to turn, and Todd Mitchell (Owner/Consultant, CyberSecurity4biz ? Navy veteran, author of "The Small Business Owner's Cybersecurity Guide") and Joseph Wexler (recently partnered with Gatherly, a virtual event/exhibitor platform he thinks could work well for VOB speaker series and virtual meetups) both weighing in on fiduciary standards and finding advisors who ask about goals before assets.

Marc Cole (Senior Franchise Consultant, The YOU Network ? not a vet himself, but his father, stepfather, and father-in-law all served) introduced himself to several people meeting him for the first time and offered to help anyone exploring franchise ownership evaluate fit and process. Dr. Di Nola (?attending in place of her husband?; Founder, Danila Consulting/Veterans One Source, a growing nationwide directory of veteran events and resources; also a PMI-authorized training partner and founder of Military Spouse University) walked us through both sides of her work ? helping transitioning families find community and helping military spouses translate their experience into project-management careers. She also flagged a San Diego Stand Down on July 17 for JR Bilbes(U.S. Navy veteran; owner, SUM DUM GUY LLC trucking ? San Diego-based) to pass along to the homeless veterans he's been working with.

Brandon Schmidt (AI engineer based in Germany supporting Palantir contracts, currently pursuing his dissertation) introduced himself as he starts building out his own AI consulting LLC to help small and mid-sized businesses that can't afford enterprise-scale AI vendors ? with a plan to train clients' own teams rather than create long-term dependency. Alexander Snyder (financial advisor, Kaplan Family Financial/New York Life; five years Army, 82nd Airborne) jumped in with some quick, practical advisor red flags before he had to head out. Steve Ferman (Founder & Chief AI Officer, 4 Pillar Coach; also CEO of eTegrity; U.S. Marine veteran) added his own perspective on spotting advisors who lead with "how much do you have" instead of "what are you trying to accomplish."

Ryan Ballou (U.S. Army intelligence/operations veteran, pivoting from drone photography toward website and small-business tech support) gave an update on that pivot. That led into a strong resource-sharing stretch: Rameses "Ram" Yebra (Founder & President, QRFup  a crisis-intervention app and support network for veterans and first responders, now with roughly 400 housing units including 220 in Florida) offered free, rent-free transitional housing for veterans ready to relocate, plus a connection to Onward Ops for SkillBridge transition support. JR Bilbes (San Diego-based, running a small trucking company and personally employing several homeless veterans out of his own pocket) asked about wage-subsidy programs to help him hire more. The two clearest paths worth him chasing: the VA's VR&E Special Employer Incentive, which can reimburse up to 50% of a veteran's wage for six months for employers like JR, and the Department of Labor's Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Program, which funds nonprofits and workforce boards specifically to place homeless and at-risk veterans into jobs ? exactly the population JR's already hiring. On the housing side, the VA's Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program funds rapid rehousing and rental assistance directly for veterans experiencing homelessness. Deb Plennert (Founder, Precision With Honor Bookkeeping; Program Director, QRF Up; Gold Star widow) offered to help JR track down the right local contacts for these.

Rounding things out, Chris Hunt (Navy veteran; President/CEO, Blue Prairie Synergy Solutions ? program/project management and technical integration for government and commercial clients) has been quietly running between commitments but wanted to flag a possible connection: a woman who helps veterans find housing loans that he's followed but hasn't formally met, and offered to send her info along to Kevin and Deb. He also loved seeing how organically the group has grown and is looking forward to a deeper conversation about referring between VOB and the live-events network he's part of through the Fort Worth Chamber. (btw I reached out to Gretchen Smith, Founder of Code of Vets (COV) Inc. this afternoon. Thanks Chris.)

On the VOB side: we're building out the back-end platform with member profiles (LinkedIn-style), direct messaging, and a coaching course platform launching the third week of July. Community News is part of that same build, and where this recap lives now.

Everyone is encouraged to complete their free VOB Member Profile. I can see that several people have registered but have not yet finished setting up their profiles. If anyone runs into difficulty completing their profile, adding a business listing, posting Community News, or navigating the site, please reach out ? I'm happy to help.

Thanks again to everyone who joined, shared, asked, offered, and connected. This is exactly what we want the VOB Roundtable to be: veterans and supporters helping each other find the people, tools, services, and opportunities that move missions forward.

Mahalo,

Kevin 🍍🇺🇸

We expected a lighter turnout heading into the holiday week, but the energy was as good as ever ? a mix of longtime faces and a couple of great new additions. Deb Plennert (founder, Precision With Honor Bookkeeping; deb@pwhbk.com) joined us fresh off a stop at Mead's pub, camera issues and all. She gave us an update on Sam Spam's new site, stage.com, launching its veteran section ? he's hosting Michelle Cleveland's Project 24/7 for free for at least a year, and also hosting Sentinel Veteran AI Solutions, a prediction-model tool that helps flag when a vet may be degrading so support can be offered proactively. Deb still needs to introduce Sam to QRF Up, which she's planning to bring into a partnership with the project.

?

Gb De Leon (independent health & life insurance broker with USA Benefits Group; gdeleon@usabg.net) opened us up, working with business owners and 1099 contractors to build custom benefit strategies instead of one-size-fits-all group plans. He's still building his pipeline but is teaming up with Alexander Snyder (financial advisor with New York Life / Kaplan Family Financial; amsnyder@ft.newyorklife.com) to help protect veteran households. Alex shared a big week ? a new partnership with a well-known Massachusetts estate planning attorney and two booked speaking gigs, including one at MGM Springfield covering end-of-life financial and legal planning for families. He also dropped a great marketing story: handing out branded water bottles at concerts and tailgates until he became "the water bottle guy" around town.

That led into Bill Haase (founder, Money Mindset Media, author of Our Mindset on Money; info@moneymindsetmedia.com), who updated us on his financial literacy program for prison systems ? four pilot programs starting in Indiana in August, with nine more states already reaching out. He's also still chasing the dream of a signature event on the USS Missouri to spotlight the program, with live and virtual lead-up events planned before that.

?

We welcomed Meghan Schmidt (operationv22@gmail.com), founder of Operation Valhalla 22, a Central Texas nonprofit getting veterans mental health support through therapy, life coaching, and movement modalities like jiu jitsu and muay thai. Great mission, and I connected her with Sara Vandenburg given the overlap.

Nikki Gianni (The Small Business Architect / GovCon Architect, USAF veteran; nikki.gianni@gmail.com) shared her work helping small businesses win government contracts, plus two things close to her heart: Sierra Delta's $3,500 service-dog training grants, and a book project collecting stories from veterans and their dogs ? reach out to her if you'd like to contribute.

?

Bill Clement (energy broker, Wise Energy Solutions; bill@wisenergysolutions.com) explained how he helps businesses cut gas and electric bills 15?30% through supplier audits, plus a no-upfront-fee utility refund audit where he only gets paid out of money recovered.

?

Mark Spenelli (owner, Nature's Edge Group, natures.edge.glampground@gmail.com), an Army veteran, shared his vision for an RV park split between a nonprofit side ? cabins and RV spots for active military, veterans, and first responders ? and a for-profit side funding it. He's actively searching for property, mostly in Kentucky.

That tied nicely into a conversation about veterans with land: I mentioned a vet who just closed escrow on 22 acres and is looking at harvesting timber to fund cabin construction. Between Mark's search, funding contacts, and folks with property already in hand, it's clear we should get a group conversation going.

?

Frank DiBartolomeo (public speaking consultant, DiBartolomeo Consulting International, retired USAF Lt Col; frank@speakleadandsucceed.com) offered his interview coaching background to any veteran prepping for job interviews ? he's also a 36-year Toastmaster if anyone wants to sharpen their own speaking skills.

?

Brian Davis (CEO, Stealth Tech Services, SDVOSB managed service provider; briand@stealth-tech-services.com) walked us through IT support, cybersecurity, and smart lighting solutions, including a good rundown on why EV charging stations quietly draw power even when nothing's plugged in.

?

Jim Mills (co-owner, EnCompass Background Screening Solutions, 21-year Navy submarine veteran; jmills@encompass411.com) told us about a background-screening referral for a new Minnesota animal rescue, and later raised a good question on nonprofit fundraising fee structures ? flat fee vs. percentage-based ? that sparked a useful back-and-forth with Mark Salmon, EA (Mark's Tax Service, Atlanta; mark@marksalmon.tax), Mike "Buzz" Mallon, and myself on the ethics of it.

?

Lisa Bowers (founder, Office Allies; lisa@officealliesllc.com) shared how her team gives business owners breathing room by handling everything from executive assistant to fractional COO work ? and notably, they intentionally hire military spouses so they can keep working wherever the military sends them.

?

Mike "Buzz" Mallon (founder, Storyteller Promotions; info@storytellerpromotions.com), a Marine Corps veteran, talked branded merchandise and events, and is also president of Tropic Thunder, a veteran-centric networking group that meets Thursday mornings.

?

Kelvin Ching (Kelvin Ching and Associates / Mod Financial; kchingandassociates@gmail.com) closed us out with a great resource for nonprofits and businesses sitting on idle cash ? a high-yield deposit account earning close to 3% with $50 million in FDIC coverage, well above standard limits.

?

VOB Update: I'm now posting these recaps on the Community News page instead of the email list, which had grown to almost 200 people. If you've registered but haven't finished your profile yet, please complete it ? that's how people find and connect with each other on the site.

?

Everyone is encouraged to complete their free VOB member profile. I can see that several people have registered but have not yet finished setting up their profiles. If anyone runs into difficulty completing their profile, adding a business listing, posting Community News, or navigating the site, please reach out ? I'm happy to help.

?

Thanks again to everyone who joined, shared, asked, offered, and connected. This is exactly what we want the VOB Roundtable to be: veterans and supporters helping each other find the people, tools, services, and opportunities that move missions forward.

?

And with the holiday landing on America's 250th birthday this year, happy 4th of July to everyone ? enjoy the milestone.

?

Mahalo,

?

?Kevin????

This week?s VOB Roundtable brought together veteran entrepreneurs, veteran supporters, service providers, and business owners for a fast-moving conversation around resources, visibility, funding, operations, public speaking, government contracting, financial literacy, and community support.
?

We opened with Pete ?Aloha? Tingstrom (30-year Army retiree, Special Forces/infantry/aviation veteran, and co-owner of Aloha Oahu Weddings and Events; www.alohaoahuweddings.com), who shared the National Veterans Golden Age Games, a VA recreational therapy program for veterans age 55 and older, and later shared his selection for the 2026 Celebrity Softball Classic fundraiser in Frisco, Texas.
?

Frank DiBartolomeo (retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel and founder of Speak Lead and Succeed; www.speakleadandsucceed.com) summed up Pete?s share as ?strength and family,? then shared that he is preparing to launch a four-week public speaking course for technical professionals that can lead into a recurring membership model.
?

Kelvin Ching (Hawaii-based financial efficiency advisor with Kelvin Ching and Associates / Mod Financial) asked follow-up questions about the Golden Age Games and later shared how he helps businesses, families, individuals, and nonprofits create financial efficiencies and strengthen cash positioning.
?

Clay Hicks (Founder and CEO of H7 Network; claytonrhicks@gmail.com) guided the Roundtable through wins, introductions, and asks, and invited everyone to the VOB Network powered by H7 Thursday meeting at 4:00 PM ET.
?

Deb Plennert (Gold Star widow and founder of Precision With Honor Bookkeeping, deb@pwhbk.com) shared that she accepted the Program Director position with QRF Up, supporting veterans and first responders through crisis intervention, suicide prevention, housing stability, equine therapy, and motorsports-related programming.
?

Bill Haase (founder of Money Mindset Media and author of Our Mindset on Money; bill@billhaase.com; https://moneymindsetmedia.com/) shared that Indiana expanded his prison-system financial literacy pilot from one program to four, with eight more states showing interest, and he is continuing to work toward a January event in Hawaii.
?

Bill Clement (Navy veteran and energy broker with Wise Energy Solutions; www.wisenergysolutions.com) shared progress helping Kentucky nonprofits, including schools connected to the Diocese of Lexington, reduce energy costs so more money can stay focused on mission.
?

Vince Lindenmeyer (retired U.S. Army Colonel, Ph.D., Conscious Impact Leader, and nonprofit advisor; vince@c4today.com) shared personal and professional updates, including his Conscious Impact Leader work, nonprofit advisory efforts, and a potential connection with Larry Douglas around certification-based opportunities in Florida.
?

Larry Douglas (retired U.S. Navy Chief and founder of Anchor Guard and GrantFlow HQ; https://anchorguard.us/) joined his first VOB Roundtable, shared that he received certification as a disabled veteran-owned business, and invited the group to try the GrantFlow HQ Free Scan and provide feedback.
?

Mike Verret (presentation and pitch coach with Verret & Associates / Pitch Perfect Presentations; linkedin.com/in/mike-verret; vapresentations@gmail.com) shared his upcoming pitch practice event and explained that his work helps people talk about their business with more confidence, clarity, and impact.
?

Elizabeth Harding (Program Manager for the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans at Wright State University; elizabeth.harding@wright.edu) introduced EBV as one of eight university-based programs nationwide helping startup-stage veteran entrepreneurs build successful businesses.
?

Mickey Anderson (co-founder of LoyaltyOps; mickey@loyaltyops.com) joined from Ottawa, Canada and shared that LoyaltyOps helps companies build the operations, standards, and capacity needed to turn effort into growth.
?

Mario Montoya (Business Consultant with Solvo Global; mario.montoya@solvoglobal.com) introduced Solvo?s nearshore talent model, explaining that the company operates across 25 countries and helps companies scale with team members aligned to U.S. time zones and culture.
?

Mike ?Buzz? Mallon Jr. (Marine Corps veteran and founder/managing partner of Storyteller Promotions; https://storytellerpromotions.com/) introduced his branding and promotional products work and invited the group to visit Tropic Thunder on Thursday mornings.
?

Mark Spenelli (U.S. Army veteran, CDL-A truck driver, and founder behind the Nature?s Edge veteran-centered rural retreat concept; natures.edge.glampground@gmail.com) shared his vision for an RV/campground-style retreat community serving veterans, first responders, and emergency personnel.
?

Mark Miracle (Marine Corps combat veteran, owner of Miracle Sales Advisory, and fractional sales leader with Sales Xceleration; mmiracle@salesxceleration.com) introduced his work helping companies build or fix their sales engines.
?

Nikki Gianni (Air Force veteran, former federal contracting officer, and founder of The GovCon Architect; nikki.gianni@gmail.com) shared how she helps contractors think like government evaluators, clarified that there is no general three-year requirement to pursue federal contracts, and invited the group to her free Friday noon KO Confidential ? GovCon Architect
?

I also shared that VOB is working on automating Community News posts so that articles posted on the VOB site can be pushed out across LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X, and other platforms with a headline, hook, and link back to the full article.
?

Everyone is encouraged to complete their free VOB member profile. I can see that several people have registered but have not yet finished setting up their profiles. If anyone runs into difficulty completing their profile, adding a business listing, posting Community News, or navigating the site, please reach out. I?m happy to help.
?

Thanks again to everyone who joined, shared, asked, offered, and connected. This is exactly what we want the VOB Roundtable to be: veterans and supporters helping each other find the people, tools, services, and opportunities that move missions forward. And Thanks to Clay for taking the lead this week.
?

Mahalo,

?

Kevin

Hi everyone,

?

We had another strong VOB Roundtable this week, and I want to start by thanking Clay Hicks (Founder and CEO of H7 Network, VOB Vice Chair for Community & Network Development, and B2B networking strategist; clayton@h7network.com) for stepping up and leading the pace and format of the meeting. I was there, but Clay really helped guide the room, keep things moving, and make sure people had space to introduce themselves, share updates, and look for ways to help each other.

That set the tone for a good mix of introductions, updates, practical asks, and the kind of ?who do you know?? connection-making that keeps this community moving.
?

Early in the call, Alexander ?Alex? Snyder (Army veteran and Massachusetts-based financial professional with New York Life, focused on family financial planning, insurance, retirement, and veteran/first-responder communities; amsnyder@ft.newyorklife.com) connected with Clay. Alex had already heard that Clay was a ?connection-making king,? and Clay shared a quick update on H7?s continued expansion, including Fort Mill, South Carolina.
?

Frank DiBartolomeo (retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, public speaking coach, author, and founder of DiBartolomeo Consulting International / Speak Lead and Succeed; frank@speakleadandsucceed.com) joined from the Charleston area and talked about the real challenge of networking: it?s not always the money, it?s the time. Later, Frank shared a great speaking lesson from a recent Tennessee Society of CPAs workshop where his slides failed visually, forcing him to rely on his presentation skills and carry the room anyway.
?

Bill Haase (founder of Money Mindset Media, author of ?Our Mindset on Money,? and financial literacy educator; info@moneymindsetmedia.com) jumped in with a laugh about being told he needs to get on TikTok, while already feeling stretched thin.

Deb Plennert (Gold Star widow and founder of Precision with Honor Bookkeeping, serving military families, veterans, first responders, and mission-driven small businesses; deb@precisionwithhonorbookkeeping.com) said she wanted to feature Bill on her book talk and also gave a shout-out to Alicia Nordman (St. Augustine-based social media manager and short-form video specialist with Alicia?s Social Media; alicia.nordman@gmail.com) for the TikTok class Alicia had done previously.
?

Alicia later introduced herself more fully, sharing that she is not a veteran, but her daughter is a disabled veteran and her family has deep military and law enforcement ties. She gave practical advice for anyone trying to build social media momentum: work with the algorithm, do not just post commercials, and document the real human story behind the mission.
?

Kelvin Ching (Kaneohe, Hawaii-based financial advisor with Kelvin Ching and Associates / Mod Financial, focused on tax-free retirement strategies and financial efficiencies for families and businesses; kchingandassociates@gmail.com; kelvin@modfinancial.com) shared more about the employee wellness program he is working on with Wayne Murray. He is looking for introductions to employers, preferably CFOs, with U.S.-based W-2 employees. He described the program as creating value for employers, increasing employee pay by roughly 2.7% through reimbursement programs, and including identity theft protection and recovery across three generations.
?

David Kidd Jr. (Marine Corps veteran, IT leader, problem solver, and Foundation Board President at The Lighthouse for the Blind) davidkidd@outlook.com was only able to stay briefly, but he shared a big milestone: Outside Activities has its first client. That?s the kind of simple progress update we always want to catch and celebrate. Congrats David!!!?
?

Gilberto ?Gb? De Leon (retired Army Armor/Cavalry officer, Airborne Ranger, independent insurance broker with USA Benefits Group, regenerative farmer, and founder of De Le?n Valor & Virtue Legacy; gdeleon@usabg.net; usabg.com/gdeleon) shared that he and Alex are partnering, with Alex focused on financial strategy and GB focused on the health side. GB also talked about working with Ramese on the ?Hero Complex,? where different veteran-support resources can be connected together, and he made the point that these partnerships came directly through the VOB Network.
?

Joel Elfman (founder of BodyMind Hypnotic, hypnotist, performance coach, NLP practitioner, and active super-connector through Dynamite Networking Group; althealth2jme@gmail.com) jumped back into the room after being away for a bit and offered to help people make connections. He also shared that he is working on messaging, branding with AI, a workshop, and scripts to support his own work and others.
?

We also talked through the VOB website and directory. I reminded everyone that members can create a profile on VOBNetwork.org, The larger point is that the directory, profiles, business listings, and future marketplace are all being built to make it easier for veterans and supporters to find each other, support each other, and do business together.
?

Jim Mills (Navy veteran, VOB board member, and co-owner of EnCompass Background Screening Solutions, providing background checks, drug screening, tenant screening, pre-hire assessments, and skills testing; jmills@encompass411.com) introduced his company and explained that a great referral for him is anyone saying, ?We?re hiring.? EnCompass helps clients make well-informed decisions when hiring employees, renting property, bringing in volunteers, or working with people who will be around children, seniors, homes, or vehicles. Jim also shared that the business is in its 13th year and is now focused on building the processes needed for its next stage.

Joel immediately offered to connect Jim with a friend in business development at Willory, which does HR and payroll placement. Jim welcomed that introduction. Joel also mentioned he wants to get on more podcasts, and I told him we have several people in the ecosystem who host shows.
?

Mark Spenelli (U.S. Army veteran, CDL-A truck driver, and founder behind Nature?s Edge Management, building a veteran-centered rural property model combining tiny-home community, respite, and RV/glampground sustainability; natures.edge.glampground@gmail.com) shared that he and his wife are heading toward Tennessee/Kentucky Lake to make contacts and look for support. Mark is working on veteran housing communities, and the current need is not just marketing or workforce help ? it is connections to people with funding, lending, commercial real estate, lines of credit, or property-acquisition capacity.
?

Alicia encouraged Mark to video the journey, the properties, and the mission, because ?people helping people? is exactly the kind of story that can build momentum online. Joel also offered a possible connection through Garrett Lang and Veritas OS.
?

Mike ?Buzz? Mallon Jr. (Marine Corps veteran and founder/managing partner of Storyteller Promotions, helping businesses turn their stories into branded merchandise and memorable event experiences; info@storytellerpromotions.com) was also part of the broader room and remains a strong veteran-business connection in the VOB ecosystem. Look for Mike?s Tropic Thunder group meetings on Thursdays!
?

Toward the end, I talked about why the VOB resource directories matter. Too many veterans search for help and run into disconnected phone numbers, dead websites, outdated programs, or organizations that no longer respond. VOB is building a trusted, vetted resource hub so veterans and supporters can find people and organizations that actually show up.

Action Items

• Send me veteran-serving organizations worth vetting for the VOB Veteran Organizations Directory.
• Kelvin is looking for introductions to employers/CFOs with U.S.-based W-2 employees..
• Keep Mark?s veteran housing community mission in mind for funding, lending, real estate, or property-acquisition connections.
• Mark should capture video of the Tennessee/Kentucky Lake outreach journey.

Big thanks to everyone who showed up, shared what they are building, and looked for ways to help somebody else move forward. That is exactly what makes this roundtable work.

Mahalo,

Kevin Jackson
Co-Founder & Executive Director
Veteran-Owned Business Network

Hi everyone,
?

This week?s VOB Roundtable covered a lot of ground ? veteran recognition, franchising, AI, prison reentry, crisis intervention, precious metals, and a few strong collaboration opportunities.

We started light, with Mark Salmon EA (income tax expert, Enrolled Agent, and NTPI Fellow; mark@marksalmon.tax) talking about ultra-long-range flights, which led me into a quick story about flying home from Sydney to Honolulu on Halloween and landing back in Hawaii while it was still Halloween.
?

As everyone settled in, Wayne Murray (veteran founder of A-1 VA Ratings West and veteran benefits coach; wayne@employwellnow.com) recapped the National Social Media Awards event. Wayne shared that he and Bill Haase were there, along with Scotty of Honor Box Studios, Tom, and Darwin ? all veterans we know through the network. Wayne said the veteran community showed up strong, with both veterans and active-duty attendees present, and that the event had a lot of recognition, connection, and veteran support.
?

Lisa Linkowsky (Founder and Certified Franchise Consultant at Milestone Franchising; lisa@milestonefranchising.com; www.milestonefranchising.com) introduced herself and shared how broad the franchise world really is. Most people think fast food first, but Lisa reminded us there are franchise models across trades, services, campgrounds, and hundreds of other categories.
?

Mike Verret (pitch and presentation strategist helping business owners explain what they do clearly) shared his core message: your first 10 seconds should make someone say, ?Tell me more.? He also invited the group to his free Business Pitch Spectacular, where people pitch for one minute and he rewrites the pitch in three.
?

Kelvin Ching (Hawaii-based financial advisor and Executive Managing Director at Mod Financial, focused on tax-free retirement strategies) added that he had attended Mike?s first event and found it fun and effective.
?

Bill then shared more from the National Social Media Awards event, including connecting with Wayne there and meeting people in the veteran community. He also brought up Roll Call Chicago Land, a group supporting veterans and transitioning service members, which led into a bigger discussion about VOB?s need for a vetted directory of veteran services that actually answer, respond, and do what they say they do.
?

Brian Cate (working capital and government contract financing resource with SouthStar Capital / Acuitist Capital Advisory; atlantictf@gmail.com; www.southstar.com) was also with us as the group settled in.
?

Aslyn Bonds (22-year military veteran and founder of JA&E Veterans Staffing, JA&E Veterans Support Center, and Hearts for Veterans) joined from her phone early in the call. Her phone displayed as Galaxy S25+, so her name did not come through cleanly in the transcript, but she was present with us.
?

Heather Di Rocco (Founder of Insurebot Solutions and AI consultant helping small businesses implement practical AI systems; heather@insurebotsolutions.ai; https://insurebotsolutions.ai) introduced herself and explained that she helps people move from ?I wish AI could do this for me? into actual implementation. That opened a useful AI discussion around accuracy, guardrails, and using prompts like ?critique and do due diligence? to make AI outputs more reliable.
?

Joseph Wexler (AOD Resource Group community builder with a background in technical sales and ecosystem development) shared that he is exhibiting at an AI Epidemic conference this Thursday and invited veteran-owned businesses to reach out if they want visibility at his virtual booth.?
?

Sandy Dupleich (Career Ownership Coach with The Entrepreneur?s Source, helping professionals explore business and franchise ownership; sdupleich@esourcecoach.com; https://sdupleich.esourcecoach.com/) introduced herself and explained that her work starts with determining whether business ownership is actually right for someone. She and Lisa both emphasized responsible franchising, including making sure people have the financial cushion and support needed before taking the leap.?
?

Bill then gave a bigger update on his prison reentry program. Indiana originally wanted one pilot, but that has expanded to four pilots on a much faster timeline, and nine more states have already expressed interest. His program is designed to help people prepare for reentry with a life plan, financial plan, and connection to meaningful work.
?

Deb Plennert (Gold Star widow and founder of Precision With Honor Bookkeeping, supporting military families, veterans, first responders, and mission-driven small businesses; deb@pwhbk.com) suggested connecting Bill with Jim Mills for background screening as the program grows. She also raised the possibility of connecting the program to TAPS, SkillBridge, GI Bill-approved certification paths, and other veteran education funding routes.
?

Tom Lundell (Honolulu-based gold and silver savings consultant with SoundMoney / 7k Metals; https://sound.money/pololei20) shared why he helps people understand physical gold and silver savings. His focus is helping people diversify and start where they are, even if that means saving $1 at a time.
?

Deb also shared updates around Project 24/7, Sentinel Veteran AI, SSD Consulting, and the crisis-intervention work forming around VOB. The larger goal is to connect people, tools, clinicians, training, and technology that can help troops and veterans in crisis. Her ask was simple: when we see someone carrying an unaddressed wound, help point them toward the resources being built.

That led into a broader reminder that VOB is more than a business incubator. We are a network. Whether someone needs business formation, funding, mental health support, service dog resources, equine therapy, publishing help, background screening, or something else, the goal is to recognize the need and connect them to the right people.
?

Meade Kincke (veteran, executive advisor, and founder of The Recalibrator / Imperfektus, helping leaders operate with clarity and authenticity) added perspective throughout the conversation and brought some well-timed humor to the discussion.
?

Near the end, Joe introduced his guest, Micah (networking, entrepreneurship, and Bitcoin/crypto background). Micah shared a bit about his experience with Bitcoin going back to 2012 and talked about Bitcoin as on-chain value rather than simply something to convert back into dollars.

We closed with a fun idea: possibly holding a future event on the USS Missouri here on Oahu. I mentioned that the Missouri can be rented for events, and Bill immediately started thinking about sponsorship and launch possibilities.
?

A few good follow-up threads came out of this week?s call: Mike?s Business Pitch Spectacular, Joe?s offer to highlight veteran-owned businesses at his virtual AI event booth, Bill?s need for strong local leaders as his prison and military-transition program expands, Deb?s crisis-intervention resource work, and our continued effort to build a trusted VOB resource directory of veteran services that actually respond and deliver.
?

Thanks again to everyone who showed up, shared resources, and kept building this network in real time.

Hi everyone,

?

Thanks for making time for the Roundtable yesterday?lots of good new faces, practical resources shared, and a strong example of how this community shows up for one another.

?

We started with some quick tech/shop talk, then Kelvin Ching (financial mentor in Hawai?i working tax-free retirement strategies and leveraged planning) brought in Mark Salmon (Enrolled Agent in Alpharetta, GA) who gave a clear, no-fluff explanation of what an EA is and how IRS representation works?plus answered a few questions in the flow of the conversation.

?

Deb Plennert (Gold Star widow and founder of Precision with Honor Bookkeeping) helped keep the ?who?s who? straight as more people joined, and we had a nice run of introductions and ?what do you do? overlap:

?

Clayton Bretey (Founder, Bill Savings Advocate) shared how he helps businesses reduce expenses by auditing and negotiating across a wide range of recurring cost categories, and clarified how his approach differs from larger, more standardized firms.

?

From there, Kevin connected the dots to Bill Clement (Navy veteran and energy broker with Wise Energy Solutions), who shared a concrete example of how audits uncover surprises?like a Michigan client where a rate classification change drove major savings (including going back three years).

?

That naturally led into Wayne Murray (Founder, A-1 VA Ratings West and connected to the Employee Well Now program), who walked everyone through how the program uses IRS code-driven reimbursement plans to increase employee net pay and reduce employer payroll tax burden?while also highlighting the per-employee savings concept and added benefits. Wayne also pointed people to his website https://a1vawest.com/?(Employee Well section with a video + slides) for anyone who wants to dig in further.

?

Vince Lindenmeyer (retired Army Colonel; nonprofit advisor; co-founder of the Maui Community Foundation; also active in South Florida leadership/community work) introduced himself next and shared a few threads he?s seeing in the nonprofit and small business space?including the broader ?systems? lens around sustainability and long-term positioning. A conversation around ?where do you put money / how do you protect value,? he raised the question of Bitcoin?prompting the broader ?what?s real diversification? discussion that followed.

?

Deb then pulled Tom Lundell into the mix (Gold & Silver savings consultant with Sound Money / 7k Metals), and Tom expanded on diversification outside the ?money printing system,? including the idea of starting small and using insured private vaulting and liquidity options. Bill Haase (Money Mindset Media, author of ?Our Mindset on Money?) added perspective on the psychology of ?getting started,? and how people often assume these asset categories require big dollars upfront.

?

The heart of the call centered on Michael Matteis (disabled Air Force veteran; founder of Sentinel Veteran AI Solutions), who shared the Sentinel Veteran AI platform concept?aimed at giving veterans a safe, supportive interface while also creating actionable, clinician-ready context during moments of elevated risk.

?

That?s where the group really leaned in with practical, experience-based support:

?

? Vince?brought his experience as a longtime nonprofit advisor?(Principal at Beacon 4sight Group, where he?s helped organizations strengthen strategy, governance, compliance, and sustainability, and has supported grant funding wins totaling $2.5M+) urged Mike to keep the story less ?tech speak? and more mission/outcome: a practical safety net for veterans in the in-between moments of care. He emphasized making HIPAA/compliance a top priority, then moving into a real pilot so the concept gets vetted and validated with partner feedback. Vince also encouraged Mike to pursue strategic partnerships?especially with nonprofits and frontline provider ecosystems already serving veterans?so this becomes something organizations can confidently adopt and stand behind.

? Alex Snyder (NY Life financial professional with a deep prior background in law enforcement and crisis response) underscored how valuable Mike?s data collection could be in a real crisis scenario?especially when the responder doesn?t already know the person and needs context quickly to de-escalate safely.
? Brian Cate (Assistant VP at SouthStar Capital) asked smart ?build and deploy? questions and shared a practical hosting/security path worth exploring as Mike moves toward HIPAA-level readiness.

? Chris Hunt (Navy veteran; President/CEO of Blue Prairie Synergy Solutions?project/program management, technical integration, operational excellence) offered help where needed and asked about the right way to share VOB through the Fort Worth Chamber and bring in more people to strengthen the ecosystem.

?

We also had several strong community members in the room who didn?t take mic time (or only had very little), and I want to acknowledge you as well?your presence matters here: Mark Miracle (Marine Corps veteran and Certified Sales Leader; Fractional Sales Leader / outsourced VP of Sales with Sales Xceleration, helping SMBs?especially tech/SaaS and professional services?build a sales engine and drive sustainable revenue growth), Pete ?Aloha? Tingstrom (retired Army LTC / Special Forces; Aloha Oahu Weddings & Events in Hawai?i), Lisa Bowers (Office Allies / virtual operations support), Mark Spenelli (Army veteran building the Nature?s Edge Management vision around veteran-centered rural respite + sustainable property models), and Mike ?BUZZ? Mallon Jr (Marine veteran; Storyteller Promotions / brand experience and promotional strategy). Don?t forget to catch Mike?s group Tropic Thunder Thursdays.

Joseph Wexler (AOD Resource Group / Acres of Diamonds ecosystem) shared a quick funding-related update and encouraged the community to keep showing up strong in aligned rooms and events.

?

Before wrapping, I reminded everyone that Clay?s Thursday H7/VOB meeting is available for those who want more connection and reps in the ecosystem (Thursdays at 10:00am HT / 4:00pm ET).

?

Appreciate you all?see you next Roundtable.

?

Kevin
?

At Ease HQ Foundation is proud to announce the launch of two new wellness-focused community programs designed to support veterans, caregivers, and military families through healing, connection, and purpose.

Founded by combat veterans, our mission is to create safe spaces where veterans and their families can reconnect, build community, and support one another through shared experiences and positive activities.

We are launching:

1. A Veteran Dive Program focused on providing empowering scuba diving experiences for veterans.
2. A Caregiver & Family Dive Program designed to support military families and caregivers through wellness, community, and outdoor recreation.

As a combat veteran who personally struggled with PTSD and survived multiple suicide attempts, I understand firsthand how important community and purpose can be. Scuba diving became part of my healing journey, and now we are working to provide those same opportunities to others.

Everything we do for veterans through this program is completely free to the veteran. Every donation received goes directly toward supporting veterans, caregivers, and military families by helping cover:

• Dive equipment and safety gear
• Pool training and certifications
• Boat and travel expenses
• Veteran and caregiver sponsorships
• Program logistics and outreach efforts

Our long-term goal is to host monthly veteran dive events and quarterly caregiver/family wellness dives while building a nationwide community where veterans support veterans.

100% of donations raised through this campaign are being used to help support and expand these programs for veterans and their families.

Support the mission or donate here:
https://gofund.me/61373a054

Website:
At Ease HQ Foundation

?

Hi everyone,

?

Mahalo for showing up today ? the energy was strong, the stories were real, and there were a lot of ?mission + execution? threads running through the whole conversation.

?

We kicked off with introductions and got to know a few new faces right away. Frank DiBartolomeo (retired USAF Lieutenant Colonel; public speaking coach for technical professionals) shared how he helps engineers, scientists, and IT pros present themselves with clarity and confidence ? a great reminder that ?how we say it? often matters as much as ?what we do.?

?

Tanny Waters (Sr. Mortgage Advisor; VA specialist) shared a personal update about her son joining the Air Force and getting stationed in Alaska, plus a professional update that she?s planning a move to San Diego and will be closer to Camp Pendleton and be able to serve more military and veteran families there.

?

Mike Verret (messaging and pitch coach) put language to a pain point most founders feel: 100% of what we do matters to us, but only a small slice is what truly matters to the audience ? and his work is finding that slice and turning it into clear, compelling communication.

?

Alexander ?Alex? Snyder (financial professional with New York Life / Kaplan Family Financial) shared that he connected with Gb De Leon and they set a recurring meeting rhythm to explore collaboration and mutual client support ? exactly the kind of relationship building we want coming out of these rooms.

Gb De Leon (full-market health and life insurance broker) shared that he helps business owners, self-employed individuals, and families with health insurance needs, with a big emphasis right now on educating people on options they may not realize exist outside the marketplace. He also shared his longer-term ?why?: building his business to fuel a bigger mission of getting veterans back into regenerative farming and ranching ? serving clients now while building toward that five-year vision.

?

Then we got one of the most meaningful moments of the day from Deb Plennert (Gold Star widow; Precision with Honor Bookkeeping), who introduced the group to the Murph Challenge and her plan to build a team for next year. She framed it as something bigger than fitness ? a way to honor service, create community, and turn Memorial Day into action and impact.

?

Luke Thomas (FINSYNC; 10+ year commercial and SMB banking background) introduced what FINSYNC does for business owners and for financial pros ? Joining us from Salt Lake City as a guest of, and works with Joe Wexler

?

Jon Saluk (Priority Payment Systems; merchant services) added perspective on the payments ecosystem and why business owners should be careful about getting boxed into proprietary systems that limit flexibility over time.

?

Kelvin Ching (financial efficiencies; promoting Wayne?s Employ Well program) shared the basics of the program and asked for introductions ? particularly to companies with 50+ employees ? and noted that those introductions can also create a benefit stream back to VOB.

?

Brian Cate (SouthStar Capital / government contract financing + finance AI tool builder) shared his background spanning engineering and commercial finance and gave the group a clear picture of the kind of business owners he can help ? especially government contractors and companies navigating capital needs.?
Brian shared that he?s been building his own AI tool that connects directly to QuickBooks and helps users review the general ledger, spot what?s wrong (and why), and get guidance on how to fix it ? plus month-end reporting and capital structure analysis with lender matchmaking. He also mentioned it?s now listed in the Intuit/QuickBooks App Store and asked for support in the form of reviews there.

?

Clay Hicks (Founder/CEO, H7 Network; VOB board member) walked everyone through the ?VOB powered by H7 Network? meeting on Thursdays at 4:00pm ET and the broader H7 ecosystem,?

?

Register here: https://www.addevent.com/calendar/t6y1q2snn10c

?

Jim Mills (EnCompass Background Screening Solutions; Navy submariner; VOB board member) added helpful context on what membership opens up across the broader H7 network building Champions.

?

We then heard from Dorothy Smith (Enrolled Agent; DMS Bookkeeping Inc.) who shared her bookkeeping, tax prep, and tax resolution focus ? including her ?love of taxes? (which we all got a laugh from) and helping people navigate IRS letters and issues.

?

Jennifer Zalzal (website design, SEO, and Google support) introduced her work helping businesses improve their visibility online and mentioned resources available for nonprofits through Google Ad Word Grants.

?

Next, Chris Hunt (Navy veteran; Blue Prairie Synergy Solutions) shared his background delivering complex program/project work ? including technical integration, information systems design/security, and operational efficiency ? across government and commercial environments.

?

I then gave a quick update on what VOB is building on the website: the Member Directory and Community News pages, plus Member Profiles that function like a simple LinkedIn-style profile (photo, ?about,? services, links, and contact info ? shared at your discretion). He also shared the bigger vision of making the site genuinely useful as a directory and community hub as it grows.

?

We also heard from Brian Davis (Army veteran; Stealth Tech Services) who shared his work in IT infrastructure and community-facing tech like IoT smart lighting and EV charging, and he noted he would forward along details for a veterans-related charity golf event.
(which I actually already posted just before this.)

?

As we wrapped up, Joseph Wexler (AOD Resource Group / Acres of Diamonds ecosystem builder) shared what he?s building in the AI/education space and his focus on connecting people into bigger partnership outcomes.

?

Bill Haase (Money Mindset Media; financial literacy educator) shared a few key updates ? including reconnecting with Tom Long and plans for an upcoming meeting in LA to honor a Veteran Influencer, plus momentum on a pilot program (targeting July) being built with a Hawaii-based group that combines job-fit guidance, planning/persistence, and financial literacy.

?

In the flow toward the close, there was also a fun thread around Pete Tingstrom (U.S. Army LTC (Ret.); Aloha Oahu Weddings & Events / ?Aloha No Ka Oi?) and his music ? and he stayed connected via the chat even while he had to step out for part of the call. Which btw I listened to right afterwards and Wow!?

Here?s the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVAX4dd_w50

What a great way to end this recap right after Memorial Day.?
Mahalo Pete.

See ya?ll next week and on the directory!?

?

Reminder: VOB Roundtable is still every Tuesday at 9:00am HT (3:00pm ET). Casual weekly Zoom ? introductions, support, and updates on what VOB is building (not a pitch session).

?

Respectfully,

Kevin Jackson
Co-Founder & Executive Director
Veteran-Owned Business Network

?

Hi everyone,

?

Thanks for showing up for this week?s VOB Roundtable. I love how these calls keep bouncing between ?real life? and ?real resources? ? and somehow we end up with practical next steps every time.

?

We started out getting to know Frank DiBartolomeo (retired U.S. Air Force Lt Col; public speaking coach for technical professionals at Speak Lead and Succeed / DiBartolomeo Consulting International). Frank shared he?s based in the Charleston, SC area, spent decades as an engineer + Toastmaster, and now helps technical people advance their careers through better public speaking ? including 1:1 coaching, group courses, and conference talks. He also mentioned his book, ?Speak Well and Prosper,? which he pulled together from years of presentation-focused blogs.

?

That opened the door for a quick author-to-author moment with Bill Haase (founder of Money Mindset Media; financial literacy educator, author, and podcast host), who noted he?s building a publishing footprint and offered encouragement around spreading your message. Alex Snyder (Army veteran; financial professional with New York Life in the Greater Boston area) was also in the mix early and gave a quick ?yes? as the conversation flowed.

?

From there we shifted into a really meaningful thread Deb Plennert (Gold Star widow; founder of Precision with Honor Bookkeeping ? supporting military families, veterans, first responders, and their family-owned businesses) brought to the group: VA education benefits updates and how we can help transitioning vets not fall through the cracks. Deb shared that her 27-year-old son was approved ?yesterday? for Fry-related education benefits (something they didn?t think was possible), and that she?s been following changes closely while connecting dots between groups like Honor Box / Patriot Fund / Company Dogs Inc / Sierra Delta (all referenced in the call).

?

That led perfectly into Mike Hallopy (Director of the Service Dog Division + student coordinator/instructor at Highland Canine Training / School for Dog Trainers). Mike walked us through Highland Canine?s work across police/military canines, service dogs, and pet behavior/obedience ? and then zoomed in on their 24-week Master Dog Trainer Program and the practical, hands-on nature of the training (including service-dog outings and bite-work practicals). Most importantly for this group: Mike confirmed Highland Canine is approved to accept VA education benefits for the program and outlined which chapters they?re currently working with. Lisa Bowers (Founder of Office Allies; executive-level admin support + remote bookkeeping) jumped in right there to reinforce what Chapter 35 is commonly used for, and Deb added detail on recent Chapter 35 changes for surviving spouses and children that may matter for vets and families exploring these paths.

?

Mike also made it clear he?s open to quick ?what?s this all about?? phone calls with anyone considering the program, and he?s happy to be a resource for the veteran community. Deb and I also discussed syncing up with Highland Canine?s owner, Jason Ferguson to talk through partnership possibilities and how we can help get the right people into the right lanes.

?

Later in the call, Meade Kincke (veteran executive advisor; founder/CEO of Imperfektus and ?The Recalibrator? speaker/coach) helped us think through podcast distribution and embedding. Meade suggested a simple solution: using a single YouTube playlist link so the site can display all episodes cleanly instead of embedding one at a time. That led into a bigger point: we?re building the member directory + community news + podcasts/resources area to create a sustainable engine that brings eyeballs (and opportunity) back to the VOB ecosystem.

?

From there, we welcomed back Nakisha Jolanda Gregory (U.S. Navy veteran; PR/relationship marketing + workforce development trainer; host/executive producer of Confidence On Command LIVE; also building community-driven brands like Baldie Brigade Apparel). Nakisha introduced herself as newly in Hawai?i (moved in December), with a heart for helping veterans build confidence and navigate the overwhelm of transition ? ?buffet style,? one plate at a time.

?

We also had a strong ?Hawai?i thread? running through the call with Kelvin Ching (financial advisor in Hawai?i; Executive Managing Director at Mod Financial and lead at Kelvin Ching and Associates focusing on tax-free retirement strategies), Pete Tingstrom (retired U.S. Army LTC / Green Beret; co-owner of Aloha Oahu Weddings & Events on Kaneohe Bay), and Kevin M. Desler (U.S. Army veteran; cybersecurity specialist building the Cyber Wingman brand).

?

On the bookkeeping / tax side, Lisa reconnected with Dorothy Smith (Enrolled Agent; founder of DMS Bookkeeping Inc in Memphis; former Air Force financial management professional specializing in tax resolution and helping people respond to IRS letters). Dorothy is actively leaning toward taxes, Lisa is actively leaning away from taxes ? which makes this a pretty natural partnership fit.

?

We then heard from Anitha L. Srinivasan (principal AI engineer; founder/leader behind UpThriveHQ ? career trajectory intelligence for veteran transitions). Anitha shared how UpThriveHQ maps skills into viable ?role clusters? and uses an AI + probability component to identify the top 20% skills that can drive 80% of the results needed for a target role. Nakisha immediately raised her hand to connect, especially with her capstone project coming up ? and I reinforced that making introductions is part of what I do.?

?

Deb also gave a shout-out to Mike ?Buzz? Mallon Jr. (U.S. Marine Corps veteran; founder/managing partner at Storyteller Promotions ? branded merchandise + culture-driven recognition and event experiences), noting his veteran-heavy chapter community (?Tropic Thunder?) and the strong environment he?s built.

?

That opened the door to a very practical benefits + business conversation with Gb De Leon (independent insurance broker with USA Benefits Group; also building a regenerative ranching mission alongside his insurance work). Gb shared how he thinks about helping veterans and families leverage options like ChampVA and individualized plans ? and then expanded the lens to small businesses, emphasizing that individualized insurance planning can create real cost savings and more flexibility for both employer and employee.

?

Before we wrapped, we got a quick slice of ?where in the world are you? from Mark Spenelli (U.S. Army veteran; CDL-A driver and founder behind a veteran-centered rural property / tiny-home + RV campground model through Nature?s Edge Management). Mark shared he was out near Kentucky Lake / Tennessee River area at the moment.

?

JR Allan Rey Bilbes (U.S. Navy veteran; entrepreneur with trucking + real estate interests, including SUM DUM GUY LLC) then offered a time-sensitive heads-up: he?d seen news about funding for veterans pursuing a CDL, and he urged schools to apply for the grant before June 17, noting it?s connected to FMCSA and may help veterans avoid using GI Bill benefits for that training (details to be confirmed).

?

And finally, Chris Hunt (U.S. Navy veteran; President/CEO of Blue Prairie Synergy Solutions ? program/project management, technical integration, risk management, and operational excellence) shared how BPSS supports both government and commercial clients ? including ?save-the-day? project management, auditing, data analysis and trend reporting, and strengthening security posture (identity access, continuity, disaster recovery, etc.). Chris also asked about the best way to share VOB through the Fort Worth Chamber network (where he?s plugged in), and he offered to help bring in people who can enrich the program.

?

Reminder: if you haven?t yet, go grab your free directory profile and post anything you want shared here under Community News ? events, asks, offers, wins, partnerships, all of it.

See you on the next one,

Mahalo,

Kevin Jackson
Co-Founder & Executive Director

?

Hey everyone,

?

We started with Wayne Murray (Founder/CEO, A-1 VA Ratings West ? helps veterans improve/maximize VA disability benefits with free evaluations and coaching) and Kevin Jackson (Founder, Offsite CFO Services + Co-Founder/Executive Director, VOB Network ? fractional CFO and systems ?engineer? for small businesses) catching up and getting the room settled.

?

Deb Plennert (Founder, Precision with Honor Bookkeeping ? Gold Star widow supporting military families, veterans, first responders, and family-owned businesses) brought a new person into the circle right away: Sophia (introduced as a young patriot looking for work and wanting to serve veterans/military; research context). Deb said she has Sophia?s resume, and Kevin asked Deb to send it over.

?

Deb then asked the group for referrals to CPAs, tax preparers, or Enrolled Agents (veteran preferred, but anyone in our community is welcome). Kelvin Ching (Executive Managing Director, Mod Financial ? Hawaii-based financial advisor focused on tax-free retirement strategies and ?financial efficiency? for families and business owners) asked if Hawaii-based talent would work, and Deb clarified she prefers U.S.-based (not offshore), but location is flexible. Kevin also clarified that CPA licenses aren?t limited by state in the way people often assume.

?

Bill Clement (U.S. Navy Chaplain vet; Wise Energy Solutions ? energy broker helping commercial businesses lower electricity and gas costs in deregulated markets) gave a quick overview of how he helps business owners reduce utility spend through rate shopping/negotiation and bill review. He also mentioned a new add-on opportunity he?s stepping into with National Utility Refund (expanding beyond just negotiating rates into helping businesses identify and recover utility billing errors/refunds), and said he?s moving that forward right away.

?

Ryan Ballou (U.S. Army intelligence/operations leader ? TS/SCI background; also listed as an independent social media contractor) shared an update on his work with drones and mentioned he?s reaching out to Sara Raley in San Diego.

That staffing thread turned into a strong ?helpful resource? moment when Bill Haase (Founder, Money Mindset Media ? author/podcaster focused on financial literacy and money behavior) shared county ?workforce development? programs that can subsidize hiring by covering wages for an initial period in some cases. Kelvin chimed in that Hawaii has a workforce development option too.

?

From there, Deb naturally connected the dots back to Bill Clement?s lane?how lowering a big expense like utilities can be a game-changer, especially for high energy-use businesses. Todd Mitchell (Owner/Consultant, CyberSecurity4biz ? Navy veteran helping solopreneurs/micro-businesses with practical cybersecurity compliance; author of ?The Small Business Owner?s Cybersecurity Guide?) offered to introduce Bill Clement to a venture capitalist in the ?data center in a box? space

.

We also had Brian Cate (SouthStar Capital ? helps businesses fund the upfront money for materials/supplies so they can buy first and get paid later) was introduced by Deb as a resource for bridging that cash gap when timing is tight between expenses and customer payments.

?

On the veteran housing thread, Mike ?Buzz? Mallon Jr. (Founder/Managing Partner, Storyteller Promotions ? USMC veteran; branding and promotional products partner for events/tradeshows and culture-driven gifting) was part of the conversation and added helpful perspective. Tyler Rue (USMC veteran; Financial Representative, Western & Southern Life ? helps individuals and business owners with protection and financial solutions) asked Buzz to connect him to Pam Brown (introduced as working on a veteran housing 501(c)(3); research context: so he could learn how she runs it. Kevin and Deb also talked about intentionally building a working group around veteran housing projects and who needs to be in the room.

?

Christopher R. Hunt (U.S. Navy veteran; President/CEO, Blue Prairie Synergy Solutions ? program/project management, technical integration, risk management, operational excellence) was part of the conversation and added helpful perspective, including wanting to share VOB through the Fort Worth Chamber where he?s active and looking for people who could strengthen the program.

?

Nikki Gianni (USAF (Ret.); former Federal Contracting Officer ? ?The Small Business Architect / GovCon Architect,? helping small businesses win government contracts) steered the group into a really practical thread on funding and access around dog training?specifically pointing to Sierra Delta?s programs and describing a pathway where you complete an initial cohort and then apply for grant support to help cover training costs. She said she?d repost the Sierra Delta link in chat, and she also offered to ask BJ (Sierra Delta) ?about eligibility details when Deb shared she?s trying to help her daughter get a service dog for Complex PTSD and also wants to train a therapy dog to bring to her local VA.

Brian Davis (CEO/Founder, Stealth Tech Services ? SDVOSB IT/cyber/cloud provider with infrastructure + IoT and smart-systems focus) shared what he?s been working on in solar/IoT infrastructure and grant-related momentum, and Kevin flagged that Brian could be a strong fit in the broader veteran housing ecosystem. Brian also shared an AI tool he?s been testing (Marblism) to help with outreach/content workflows, and Nikki echoed that it?s been a real time-saver.

?

Then I walked everyone through the VOB site and member directory?how profiles work, how to message each other directly, and the deeper ?why? behind VOB: making it easier for veterans to reach real, vetted resources instead of dead ends and outdated listings.

?

As we were wrapping, Mark Spenelli (U.S. Army veteran; founder behind Nature?s Edge Management ? building a veteran-centered model combining an ADA-minded tiny-home community with a sustainable RV/campground concept) shared his connection to Must See Racing and pointed people to the series site and schedule.

?

Asks / Offers / Action Items

?

• Deb Plennert: Seeking referrals to CPAs, tax preparers, or Enrolled Agents (veteran preferred; U.S.-based preferred). Also offered to forward Sophia?s resume for anyone needing a virtual assistant-type role.
• Kevin Jackson: Asked Deb to send Sophia?s resume; plans to look into workforce development hiring-subsidy programs.
• Todd Mitchell: Offered an intro for Bill Clement into the ?data center in a box? investor lane; shared the Google Calendar setting path to show declined events.
• Bill Clement: Looking for introductions to commercial business owners who want to reduce electricity/gas costs; shared deregulated-state coverage and contact info in chat.
• Tyler Rue + Buzz Mallon: Buzz to connect Tyler to Pam Brown re: veteran housing nonprofit learnings.
• Chris Hunt: Wants the best path to share VOB through the Fort Worth Chamber and is looking for people who can enrich the program.
• Brian Davis: Shared Marblism link and promo codes in chat for anyone who wants to test it.
• Mark Spenelli: Shared Must See Racing links and noted the schedule.

If you want a warm intro to someone from today, hit reply with who you?d like to meet and a one-liner on what you?re hoping to do together.

Mahalo,

Kevin Jackson
Co-Founder & Executive Director
Veteran-Owned Business Network

Aloha everyone,

?

We kicked off with me (Kevin Jackson ? Founder, Offsite CFO Services; Co-Founder & Executive Director, VOB Network) looking out at pouring rain on the Big Island, while Kelvin Ching (Kaneohe, HI; financial advisor specializing in tax-free retirement strategies through Kelvin Ching and Associates / Mod Financial) checked in?and GB De Leon (independent insurance broker with USA Benefits Group + regenerative farmer/rancher in KY) was literally on a tractor trying to get cover crops down before the weather hit. GB stayed in the flow listening in while he worked.
?

From there, we welcomed a few new faces and got right into what people are building.

?

Nakisha Jolanda Gregory (U.S. Navy Veteran; Gift Opener LLC + ?The Crown Confidence Alchemist?? behind Baldie Brigade; workforce/leadership development + PR/relationship marketing) introduced herself and shared her mission: helping veterans translate their military skills into civilian language, walk confidently through the ?open doors? of available resources, and build real pipelines between veterans, employers, and support programs?especially with an eye on Hawai?i and Guam. She also shared she?s currently in Virginia (Hampton Roads) for trainings and plans to be back in Hawai?i on May 12. Kelvin immediately invited her to connect and dropped his calendar link.

?

Mike Verret (Verret & Associates; pitch/presentation and messaging coach ? ?Stop Rambling and Start Pitching?) framed a theme that kept showing up all meeting: we all know 100% of what we do, but the audience only cares about a small slice?his work is helping people identify that slice and communicate it with confidence, clarity, and impact.

?

Marc Cole (Senior Franchise Consultant, The YOU Network; helps clients evaluate 400+ franchise brands) gave a quick overview for anyone exploring franchise ownership?how the process mirrors what veterans already know (follow the process, don?t stop at ?4? when the system calls for ?5?), and how he can help people evaluate fit and options (with many brands offering veteran discounts). That naturally connected to the ?gold and silver? conversation that?s been circulating lately.

?

In the chat (and in the room with us), Tom Lundell (Honolulu, HI; gold & silver savings consultant with soundMoney / 7k Metals) shared his contact info and links for anyone who wanted to follow up on the precious metals lane, that he made a presentation on last week.

?

Bill Clement (U.S. Navy; Wise Energy Solutions ? energy broker) then brought a very practical cost-reduction lane: he helps commercial businesses shop alternative electricity and natural gas plans in deregulated markets. He emphasized there?s no cost to at least confirm whether you?re paying a good rate?and he posted his contact info plus the deregulated-state list into the chat so it can travel with the recap.

?

Jennifer ?Jen? Oliva (Founder & CEO, Jen Oliva Media; former network news producer ? TODAY/NBC/Fox/Fox Business/Bloomberg) shared how she helps experts, authors, and people with strong stories earn media exposure (earned media?not ads), and she dropped her site/email into chat before hopping to a client call.

?

Deb Plennert (Gold Star widow; founder, Precision with Honor Bookkeeping) stayed active in the flow with connector energy?helping bridge who should meet whom and keeping the conversation grounded in real-world execution.

?

Nikki Gianni (former federal contracting officer; GovCon strategist ? The GovCon Architect / The Small Business Architect) shared a resource for veterans with dogs: the Sierra Delta https://www.sierradelta.com/programs program and a path to up to $3,500 for dog training (not limited to service dogs). She also floated a veterans-and-dogs book concept (Chicken Soup-style stories) and invited anyone with a great story to contribute.

?

We also had several people in the chat who were part of the room even if they didn?t take mic time:

Frank Yeager (VOB President, and ADA & hazard pattern identification ? ?protect assets and people?) was active in chat, especially checking in on Ryan?s interview process.
Christopher Hunt (CEO/Founder, Blue Prairie Synergy Solutions) shared his LinkedIn/company link.

?

Midway through, I shared a VOB update: the member directory and Community News are live. The big idea is simple ? instead of a random Google search that can send you down rabbit holes of dead links, disconnected numbers, and unmonitored inboxes, we?re building a vetted, veteran-aligned database of programs, services, and real humans you can actually reach. Also when you post an update in Community News, it gives us something concrete we can amplify across the network.? Kelvin also dropped a direct directory link into the chat to make it easy to find.

?

Then we hit a very ?roundtable? moment: a clear ask and quick routing.

?

Brian Cate (Assistant VP, SouthStar Capital; small business funding/AR financing including government contract financing) asked the room for a commercial insurance broker who can write general liability policies in Washington state. Deb pointed Brian to GB, and Brian confirmed he reached out to GB by email to start the thread.

?

Jake??The Flagman? Droge (Certified Reverse Mortgage Professional; reverse mortgage specialist ? gave a quick update on being in motion and working through the compliance/transition side of his lending world, and he dropped contact info for anyone who wants to connect around senior homeowner solutions. He?s grouped up with other Vet mortgage professionals all at Loan Depot.

?

Ryan Ballou (TS/SCI-cleared U.S. Army intelligence and operations leader with 10+ years in high-stakes HUMINT/S2X/S3 environments; also listed as an independent social media contractor) shared a strong update on his nonprofit job opportunity with Monterey Bay Economic Partnership: the process expanded into second-round interviews, and he had what he expected to be a final ?casual? discussion with the CEO and directors later that afternoon. He also shared that the organization spans affordable housing, technology, literacy, and internet expansion?and even advanced air mobility (UAS drone logistics / VTOL hybrids / electric aircraft)?and he dropped their link into chat. That sparked a useful side conversation on drones, FAA rules, and the difference between legitimate commercial operators and ?anyone with a drone.?

?

We closed on cybersecurity (with the perfect blend of humor and seriousness).

?

Todd Mitchell (Owner/Consultant, CyberSecurity4biz; Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business; author of ?The Small Business Owner?s Cybersecurity Guide?) got pulled into a follow-up from Brian about a prior intro to a government contractor dealing with CMMC challenges. The thread ended with a very real takeaway: most cybersecurity risk shows up in simple habits, and Todd?s work is designed to make it clear enough that you either tighten the basics immediately?or decide you want an expert in your corner.

?

Later in the wrap-up, Mark Spenelli (U.S. Army veteran; CDL-A truck driver building the Nature?s Edge Management concept for a veteran-centered rural property/nonprofit) was on the move to his daughter?s tennis match, and when I welcomed Dorothy Smith (Enrolled Agent; founder of DMS tax prep, and IRS/tax-resolution support) back after the post?tax season stretch, Mark jumped in to say she hasn?t taken much time off?she?s been busy helping him work through a tax issue.

?

If you want a warm intro to anyone from this week, just let me know who you want to meet and why?happy to bridge it.

?

See you next Roundtable.

?

Mahalo,

?

Kevin Jackson
Co-Founder & Executive Director