28-04-2025
- Business
- Business Journals
VWEC The Best-Kept Secret in the Veteran Entrepreneur Ecosystem & VWEC's Founder CEO VR Small
VWEC: The Best-Kept Secret in the Veteran Entrepreneur Ecosystem Now entering its eighth year, the Veteran Women's Enterprise Center (VWEC) is a national initiative dedicated to empowering entrepreneur women associated with the military—inclusive of veterans, active-duty service members, reservists, and military spouses—to successfully scale their businesses. VWEC has engaged more than 4,000 individuals and reinvested $250,000 through grants and pitch competitions focused on strategic business growth. Our programming outcomes include a 30% average increase in overall revenues, a 60% average update of client profiles resulting in a 15% average increase in new client acquisitions, and a 20% overall increase in upselling revenues. At VWEC, we track what matters—real growth. VWEC is strategically positioned as a real-time pipeline for investors seeking to drive impact in the small business arena with measurable ROI. We fulfill our mission by delivering tailored one-on-one mentorship across more than 35 states and internationally. This is complemented by an intentional curriculum of technical assistance, aligned with what we call 'implementation funding,' delivered through our signature weighted programs—ranging from five to nine months—which now include an average implementation grant of $10,000 per fellow. In 2020, VR launched the first annual statewide Women Veterans: The Pitch competition in celebration of Women Veterans Day, showcasing the innovation and economic impact of current and aspiring women veteran entrepreneurs across Texas. This initiative has since evolved into VWEC's International Trade Cohort (ITC), expanding its reach to honor and support veteran women entrepreneurs nationwide. VR has transformed VWEC into a bold innovation, positioning it as a central hub for the myriads of entrepreneurial programs supporting entrepreneur women associated with the military. VWEC fosters a collaborative environment that reduces service duplication and streamlines access to critical resources. As a national initiative, VWEC is poised to play a foundational role in building a sustainable veteran entrepreneur ecosystem—one rooted in genuine camaraderie and collaborative contracting opportunities that drive continuous growth, increased revenues, and workforce development to fuel local, regional, and national economies. Now that the Secret is Out, it's time for you to get connected to one of the leading BSO/ESO in the Veteran Entrepreneur Ecosystem. VWEC's Founder/CEO, VR Small Receives Multiple Prestigious Recognitions for Leadership and Impact VR is a visionary leader committed to driving social and economic change nationwide. Recently, appointed Regional Council Chair for the South-Central region (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas), serving as the primary leader and board representative for the Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO). VR is an esteemed fellow of SMU's Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity—Inclusive Economy, Dallas Public Voices, and the Bush Institute's Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program. In addition, she holds a national appointment as a Women Veterans 2030 Commissioner, further advancing her impact on veteran advocacy and leadership. Ms. Small's inspiring journey and impactful work have been featured in prominent outlets, including the Dallas Morning News Veterans Day 2021 Special Edition, the cover of the 2022 Winter Issue of AVOW, Marquis Who's Who in America, and Texas CEO Magazine. She and the VWEC have garnered attention on several major networks, such as NBC 5 Texas Today, FOX 4, Shaun Rabb: Here & Now, Spectrum News: In Focus, FOX 4, Good Day Dallas; Daytime Diva, Lynne Haze, CW33 MORNING, WFAA Weekend Daybreak, and Axios, to name just a few. VR's unwavering commitment to empowering veteran women entrepreneurs has earned her numerous prestigious accolades. Beginning with a feature in Dallas Innovates 2020 as one of the "Future 50 North Texans to Watch," VR was later named the SBA's DFW District2020 Veteran Small Business Advocate of the Year. In 2021, she was recognized as a Trailblazer by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Center for Women Veterans (CWV), as part of their "Women Veterans Leading the Way" program, and was honored as a Women in Business honoree by Dallas Business Journal. In 2022, VR was nominated for Entrepreneur Evangelist of the Year and named a finalist for D CEO's Nonprofit and Corporate Citizenship Awards for Leadership Excellence (Micro). She also received the 2022 Dallas Award for Business Development Services and was honored by Rolling Out Magazine as a Sisters with Superpowers honoree. Most recently, in 2025, VR was celebrated during Women's History Month as a Dallas Mavericks 2025 Unsung Hero, and one of four recipients of the prestigious Purple Diamond Award at the Women's Wealth Symposium. Support VR's vision as a mentor, presenter, partner, or sponsor empowering VWEC to continue to empower HER because HER Story is Our Story!
