The Second Service Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that supports military entrepreneurs through coaching, resources and capital, as well as an innovative mentorship program.
Launched in 2016 on Veteran’s Day, The Second Service Foundation (formerly StreetShares Foundation) set out to provide comprehensive resources for military community entrepreneurs.
We are cultivating the American Dream for military businesses. As a private foundation, we aim to inspire, educate, and support veterans, military spouses, and gold star families as they grow their enterprise. We provide coaching, resources and capital, as well as an innovative mentorship program to support entrepreneurs in scaling from startup to the stars.
Find out more about past Military Entrepreneur Challenge grant recipients and how they are impacting their communities.
There are approximately 2.5 million veteran-owned small businesses in the United States, representing 9.1 percent of all U.S. businesses and employing nearly 6 million Americans annually (SBA, 2017). According to a recent study conducted by Syracuse University’s Institute for Veteran and Military Families, the three most common challenges veteran entrepreneurs face are limited networks, difficulty developing mentorships and access to capital.
The Second Service Foundation’s programs solve all three of these challenges. It’s our mission to create opportunities for these veteran small business owners through inspirational success stories, educational content, mentoring, coaching, networking events and grants to provide a boost of financial support to grow their business.