WeWork Furthers Commitment to Veteran Community through New York City Veterans Day Parade Partnership, Continued Veterans in Residence Program
November 11 2021 - 11:00AM
Business Wire
WeWork employees and members participate in NYC
parade as Veterans in Residence program marks fourth year of
programming to support veteran-owned and military spouse-owned
businesses
WeWork (NYSE: WE), one of the leading global flexible space
providers, will support and participate today in the annual New
York City Veterans Day Parade, underscoring the company’s aim to
impact one million people each year by supporting local communities
and organizations.
WeWork’s sponsorship of the parade coincides with the four year
anniversary of the launch of the Veterans in Residence Program, a
national business incubator created in partnership with Bunker Labs
that provides veteran and military spouse entrepreneurs and
business owners with coworking space, local community, a national
business network, and targeted support to help grow their business.
More than 100 WeWork employees, members, and Veterans in Residence
program participants will come together during the parade to march
alongside the float.
Since the launch of the Veterans in Residence Program, more than
1,442 veterans and military spouses have participated in the
six-month incubator program, which is held twice a year. The
program utilizes a cohort model to help support business growth and
success. According to Bunker Labs, of this year’s first cohort
participants who completed the program in July:
- 57 percent increased revenue during program; and, of those, 77
percent reported greater than a 25 percent increase in revenue
- 67 percent are more involved with their business after
completion
- 96 percent plan to continue to pursue their business after
completion
- 70 percent changed their business model or approach based on
their participation
The current cohort, which operates in 22 cities across the
country, will culminate with showcases nationwide on December 8,
including:
- Monica Fullerton, Spouse-ly (Las Vegas): Spouse-ly is
one-of-a-kind marketplace that people can shop small, shop
virtually, and make a big impact, as the amazing goods and services
on the site are are all created and provided by military spouses,
veterans, and first responder families. Said Monica: “For the past
decade, I worked remotely for my corporate career, but when I
decided to make the full transition into entrepreneurship, I
quickly learned that it can be a lonely journey without the right
help and support. The Veterans in Residence program has been such a
wonderful experience and is exactly the support I needed,
especially because I launched my business, Spouse-ly, right before
the pandemic hit. Having the opportunity to work with other
like-minded entrepreneurs, military spouses, and veterans on a
weekly basis creates a greater impact in so many different ways. We
not only support one another, we also learn and grow from each
other, and to have an amazing space at WeWork to do that has truly
been a game changer for both my business and myself.”
- Mario Amaro, DocSpace (Houston): DocSpace is the only
all-in-one virtual care stack to help therapists build and launch
therapy practices online. Said Mario: “Starting a new business can
be extremely lonely at times. When I first learned about Bunker
Labs and what they were doing to support veteran entrepreneurs, I
knew I had to sign up and become part of this community. On day
one, I was flooded with support from so many people who were so
eager to help, which was something that I had been missing for
months. Everyone from the team leads, to the captains, to the
amazing WeWork staff, immediately made me feel at home and reminded
me of everything I missed about military service. I've worked in
several WeWork locations all throughout the United States and each
time I was extremely proud to let the staff know that I was a
Veterans in Residence entrepreneur.”
- Monifa Caines, Queen of Spades Style (Washington, D.C.):
After struggling to find hair accessories for her hair texture,
Monifa Caines created Queen of Spades Style, selling head wraps,
bandanas and athletic headbands that are handmade by artisans and
named after a family member, friend or situation. Said Monifa:
“Being a veteran entrepreneur is a whole new world. Veterans are
used to operating in teams and when I started my business, it was
just me operating by myself. I applied to Veterans in Residence to
learn more about maintaining a successful business and to be a part
of a collective of entrepreneurs that want to see everyone win.
When I was accepted into the program and started meeting at and
utilizing WeWork, I found the village I was searching for. My
business, Queen of Spades Style, is growing and I am learning from
my cohort members across the country. WeWorks provides me with a
real, physical space where I can work and concentrate by myself or
meet with people and brainstorm. Because we can visit other WeWork
offices, I used the podcast room to record a podcast at a WeWork
location in Washington, D.C., with two other cohort entrepreneurs
when I was a vendor at the inaugural Veteran Expo. The support from
my Bunker Labs community, and being on a team again has been an
amazing experience.”
“Many veterans turn to entrepreneurship as their second form of
service to our nation, and WeWork is helping to lead the next great
American economic comeback story,” said Blake Hogan, CEO of Bunker
Labs. “Since 2017, WeWork has relentlessly supported more than
1,442 military-connected entrepreneurs and small business owners
across 22 cities in America, and the workspace provided by WeWork
directly impacts the entrepreneurial dreams of America’s military
connected community. Bunker Labs is grateful for our partnership
with WeWork; they are a key component to the Veterans in Residence
program.”
“WeWork is honored to support the New York City Veterans Day
Parade and to grow our partnership with Bunker Labs through our
Veterans in Residence program,” said Chris Ferzli, Global Head of
Public Affairs at WeWork. “WeWork is committed to harnessing the
power of community to make a positive impact on people and the
planet, and we look forward to seeing these veteran entrepreneurs
continue to thrive and impact their own communities.”
About WeWork: WeWork (NYSE: WE) was founded in 2010 with
the vision to create environments where people and companies come
together and do their best work. Since opening our first location
in New York City, we’ve grown into a global flexible space provider
committed to delivering technology-driven flexible solutions,
inspiring spaces, and community experiences. Today, we’re
constantly reimagining how the workplace can help everyone, from
freelancers to Fortune 500s, be more motivated, productive, and
connected. For more information about WeWork, please visit us at
wework.com.
About Bunker Labs: Bunker Labs is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit
and a national network of Veteran and military spouse entrepreneurs
dedicated to helping members start their own businesses. Bunker
Labs is committed to seeing that every entrepreneur and small
business owner in the military-connected community has the network,
tools, and resources they need to start their own business.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211111005838/en/
Chris Ferzli press@wework.com
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