Startup Salute

Shaun is co-founder of the Startup Institute. You can follow him or find out more on Twitter, @idealexit.

At the Startup Institute, we wholeheartedly appreciate the fact that Veterans are supreme risk-takers and leaders, most agile in the face of change. What we do in our early-stage ecosystem can never be compared to what they perform daily for our nation. That said, it’s incredibly apropos when someone transitions from a life of military service to the world of startups. Last week, I had the honor of representing the Startup Institute at the TechStars Patriot Bootcamp, mentoring over 75 entrepreneurs who share the common bond of military service.

Hosted at Georgetown University, in the heart of DC’s tech scene, the TechStars Patriot Boot Camp is a three-day program providing intense education and mentorship exposure to service men and women in their respective entrepreneurial endeavors. Over these few days, Service Members and Vets have all come together to advance their respective companies. One specific Marine, Terry Roberts, chose to use the exposure to launch his startup, Picsure.

Throughout the weekend, I’ve come to help these founders through refining product and addressing their market. In the Startup Institute spirit of #LearnToDo, each entrepreneur dove in head first and began soaking up information, testing their abilities and building the skills it takes to grow great companies. I can only think of how great it would be for the Startup Institute participants to join an outstanding Patriot Bootcamp company.

Hoping each company continues to march uphill,

Shaun

Co-Founder, Startup Institute