Kilmer Attends State of the Union with Tacoma Veteran
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Representative Derek Kilmer (D-WA) attended the State of the Union with Steve Buchanan, a Tacoma veteran. Buchanan developed a startup, ChooseVets, while participating in the University of Washington-Tacoma’s Veterans Incubator for Better Entrepreneurship (VIBE).
ChooseVets is an online marketplace connecting military veterans who provide services and skilled labor with customers in need of help. So far, Steve has raised $175,000 in investment capital and has signed up 15 veterans. Steve was among the first cohort that joined VIBE.
“I was honored to invite Steve to the State of the Union to show the nation how veterans in our region are strengthening our economy,” said Kilmer. “Institutions like the UW-Tacoma's business incubator for veterans and companies like ChooseVets are helping to support veterans in our region transition to the civilian workforce. Supporting them isn’t just the right thing to do - it will help us create jobs.”
“I am extremely honored to be Congressman Kilmer's guest to the State of the Union today, and thankful for the opportunity to tell people about ChooseVets and how important it is for the future of US veterans,” said Buchanan.
UW-Tacoma’s VIBE opened in the fall of 2013 and allows any veteran students seeking a major to participate. It is designed to give veterans a space, mentorships, and access to capital to help them launch successful startups. Business incubators have been shown to double the success rate for startup companies and there is one veteran-owned company for every 10 veterans. Military veterans are four-times more likely to own a business than non-veterans.
Washington state’s 6th District is home to more than 25,000 active duty and reserve service members, along with more than 50,000 veterans and their families. Naval Base Kitsap, the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, and many other important facilities and vessels are located in the 6th District. Many residents (both civilian and servicemembers) also work at nearby Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) - Washington state’s third largest employer.
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