Veteran to Business
Stronger Businesses. Stronger Communities.
A veteran-led networking event in Kalispell — for veteran entrepreneurs, and for the local businesses that hire them, buy from them, and build alongside them.
- Date
- During Veterans Week
- Time
- 3:00–5:00 PM Two hours
- Venue
- Black Rifle Coffee Company 305 2nd Ave W, Kalispell
- Cost
- Free to attend Open to all
Why V2B
Business grows through relationships.
Veterans come out of service knowing how to lead, plan and finish what they start. What is harder to bring with you is a network — the people who refer you, buy from you, lend to you and vouch for you.
V2B exists to build that network in one room, in one afternoon, and to keep it working long after everyone goes home.
- 85,871
- Montana veterans
- 1.6 million
- U.S. businesses owned by veterans, generating $1.0 trillion in annual receipts
Montana veteran population: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, September 2025. Veteran-owned businesses: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Business Survey / NES-D, 2023 data released November 2025.
-
Connect
Meet peers, partners, veteran business owners and community leaders who work where you work.
-
Learn
Hear real lessons from people who are doing the work now, not a panel talking about it.
-
Access
Find the resources, mentors, capital and programs that are already here and easy to miss.
-
Grow
Meet customers, vendors, referral partners and the people who can open a door.
-
Take action
Leave with names, next steps and one concrete thing to pursue this week.
Real conversations.
Real opportunities.
Two hours, open shop. No badges to collect and no track to follow.
The shape of the afternoon
Times are approximate. This is a shape, not a schedule to keep to — come for the part you can.
-
–
Arrival + Coffee
Show up, grab something to drink, and start conversations before anything formal begins. This is just a window for people to arrive.
-
–
Opening / Why V2B
A short introduction: why I put this together, what I’ve learned through my own business journey, and what I hope people take from the room.
-
–
Resource Q&A
An open question-and-answer session with resource organizations including the SBA, the VBOC, and a Flathead veteran service provider. Ask what you actually want to know — VR&E, SBA programs, certifications, capital, wherever the room takes it.
-
–
Open Networking
The main part of the event. Meet other business owners, veterans, mentors, lenders, and resource partners.
Running throughout: food trucks on site, selling lunch and sharing their own small-business experience. Coffee from Black Rifle.
Built by businesses. Supported by the community.
Contributors
Gave something concrete — venue, hospitality, a speaker, staff time.
- Black Rifle Coffee Company Host venue
Supporters
Lent their name and helped spread the word.
- Big Sky Economic Development Montana VBOC
- Flathead veteran service provider Name to be announced
Organized by
More supporters added as Year One develops.
Who it’s for
Open to everyone who builds Montana.
Veteran or civilian, established or just getting started — if you believe in strong businesses and strong communities, there is a place for you at V2B.
- Veterans
- Considering entrepreneurship, or already growing something.
- Veteran-owned businesses
- Looking to connect, partner, refer and scale.
- Montana small businesses
- Building relationships with veteran-owned companies and the wider business community.
- Mentors, lenders and resource partners
- Bringing experience, capital, introductions and support.
Questions
Is this only for veterans?
No. Veterans and veteran-owned businesses are at the center of V2B, especially with the event happening during Veterans Week, but this is open to anyone who wants to be part of the business community around them. Small-business owners, mentors, lenders, partners, and businesses that support veterans are absolutely welcome.
Do I need to own a business already?
No. If you’re a veteran thinking about starting a business, this is exactly the kind of room I want you in. You’ll have a chance to meet people who have already gone through it and people who can help you figure out where to start.
What should I bring?
You really don’t need much. Bring business cards if you use them, your phone, and an idea of what you’re looking for or what you might be able to offer somebody else. Most importantly, come ready to talk to people.
Can I come late or leave early?
Yes. I’d encourage you to be there for the opening if you can, but this isn’t meant to be rigid. If work or life means you can only make part of it, come for the part you can.
Will there be food?
There will be multiple food trucks on site providing food for purchase and sharing their small-business experience. Coffee will be available at BRCC.
What if I don’t know anyone?
Then you’re probably one of the people I most want to show up. You do not need to walk in already knowing the room. Part of the reason for creating V2B is that a lot of us don’t know the other business owners, veterans, mentors, or resources around us yet. We’re going to make introductions and create opportunities to actually talk to people instead of leaving everyone to stand around with the people they already know. Show up. We’ll help with the first introduction.
Is there a cost?
No. V2B is free to attend.
Who’s behind it
I built the room I wish I had walked into.
I’m a U.S. Navy veteran, former law-enforcement officer, and owner of Joseph Mayden Photography and ShotsFired Media Group. In 2025 I was named the SBA Montana Veteran-Owned Small Business of the Year.
Not long after, someone in my network told me about the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans at Texas A&M — a program I would never have found on my own. I came back from EBV thinking about how many resources, programs, and people were available to veterans that I never knew existed when I started my business. V2B grew out of that idea: put the right people in the room, make the introductions, and give veterans and business owners a stronger network to build from.
RSVP
Meet the people. Find the resources. Put in the work.
Free to attend, about thirty seconds, and we’ll email you the details.
Veteran-owned. Community-supported. Stronger together.
Be part of a network that helps Montana businesses and communities thrive.
Contribute something concrete, or lend your name and help spread the word. Either way, get in touch by October 9, 2026.