Non-profit helping Veteran entrepreneurs start, grow businesses

Bunker Labs Kansas City is giving Veterans the tools to live their dreams

ROB: A NONPROFIT NEW TO KANSASCITY IS WORKING TO HOT -- ISWORKING TO HELP VETERANS FINDTHEIR ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT.JOINING ME IS JOE CRANE.THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, ANDTHANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.THE GRAND -- THE GREATER KANSASCITY AREA AND THEY MAKE GREATENTREPRENEURS.JOE: THE SAME THING THAT MAKESVETERANS GREAT EMPLOYEES ALSOALLOW VETERANS TO BECOME GREATENTREPRENEURS.WE LIKE TO PERNOD RICARD -- TOPROMOTE ENTREPRENEURSHIP FOR ADIFFERENT ALTERNATIVE OR WHENVETERANS GET OUT OF THE MILITARYWHERE THEY DO NOT HAVE TO GETTHAT JOB IF THEY WANT TO.IT IS A GREAT ALTERNATIVE.ROB: I WOULD IMAGINE FORTRANSITIONING VETERANS, BUSINESSCOULD BE TOUGH, THERE ARECHALLENGES BECOMING ANENTREPRENEUR.JOE: THERE BEEN A LOT OFRESEARCH.YOU HAVE THE THREE BIGGESTTHINGS THAT VETERANS STRUGGLEWITH WHEN THEY TRY TO STARTTHEIR OWN BUSINESS IS THEY NEEDACCESS TO CAPITAL, A NETWORK TOPLUG INTO, AND HELP WITH BIGDECISION-MAKING.THOSE TYPE OF SCALES.THE BIGGEST OF THOSE THREE ISTHE NETWORK.SO, IMAGINE THAT MOST VETERANSDO NOT SERVE IN THE KANSAS CITYAREA WHEN THEY ARE ON ACTIVEDUTY.IF THEY RELOCATE BACK HERE AFTERTHEY GET OUT OR RELOCATE BACK TOKANSAS CITY AND DID NOT LIVEHERE BEFORE, YOU CAN IMAGINETHAT THEY ARE WEAK ON THEIRNETWORK.THAT IS WHAT JUNCKER LABS SERVESTO DO -- BUNKER LABS SERVES TODO.ROB: TELL US HOW YOU GOTINVOLVED IN BUNKER LAB.JOE: I WAS IN THE MARINE CORPSFOR 20 YEARS, AND BUSINESS ANDENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INVENTINGWAS MY PASSION.WHEN I RETIRED AND WAS STATIONEDIN FORT LEAVENWORTH AT THEGENERAL STAFF COLLEGE, I GOT THECHANCE TO GO ALL IN WITHENTREPRENEURSHIP AND THAT ISWHEN I STARTED THE PODCAST.BUNKER LABS CAME TO ME AND SAIDDO YOU WANT TO BE THE CITYLEADER FOR KANSAS CITY.AND THAT WAS RIGHT UP MY ALLEY.WE ALSO SERVE MILITARY SPOUSES.ROB: WE ARE JUST ABOUT OUT OFTIME.WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THE EVENTAND HOW PEOPLE CAN HELP.JOE: OUR SIGNATURE EVENT IS THEREAL EVENT.WE HAVE 10 OF THOSE, TYPICALLYONE A MONTH.IT STARTS OFF WITH A NETWORKINGAND SOCIAL HOUR.WE HAVE A GUEST SPEAKER AND THENEXT ONE IS JANUARY 24 HELD ATACADEMY BANK AND THE CROSSROADSNEXT TO THE WEWORK FACILITY.WE ARE TRYING TO GET VETERANSALL IN THE SAME ROOM WITHBUSINESS LEADERS TO HELP FOSTERENTREPRENEURSHIP.ROB: ONE MORE REAL QUICK.IF PEOPLE WANT TO HELP, HOW CANTHEY HELP?JOE: BUNKER LABS IS HERE TO PLUGINTO THE ECOSYSTEM -- ECOSYSTEM.WE WANT THE COMMUNITY INVOLVED,THIS IS NOT JUST A VETERANTHING.WE WANT TO BRING THE COMMUNITYTO VETERANS, SO IF YOU ARE INBUSINESS OR ENTREPRENEURSHIP, WEWANT TO COME TO BUNKER LABSEVENTS FIRST AND FOREMOST, ANDTHEN IF YOU COME TO THE EVENTSWE CAN TALK MORE ABOUT HOW YOUWANT TO GET INVOLVED OR SPONSORSOME OF THEM.ROB: WE WILL HAVE ALL OF THEINFORMATION ON KMBC.COM.THANK YOU SO MUCH FO