OpsLens Deck of 52 Most Wanted Post 9/11 Frontline Leaders
In 2018, as a spin-off and salute to the original 2003 deck of 52 Most Wanted playing cards, let’s honor post 9/11 frontline leaders here at home. Once a week, for 52 weeks this year, OpsLens will post a card highlighting one of the 52 Most Wanted Post 9/11 Frontline Leaders. You’ll learn the top facts about their business or organization, as well as why they made the list, which comes down to impact, scalability, health, and unique value proposition.
I encourage you to look for these weekly updates, share the card with your network, and support or buy the products and services they offer. See the 52 Most Wanted Post 9/11 Frontline Leaders launch story here.
Ace of Spades | Bunker Labs
Founder Todd Connor
According to folklore, or urban dictionary, the ace of spades may represent a dark, nefarious symbol. Yet the truth is, as long as playing cards have existed, cardology and metasymbology (yes, these exist) define this card as the most spiritual and traditionally the highest-ranking card in the deck, signifying transformation, but above all, inspiration.
Look no further if you need inspiration. Bunker Labs is the ace of spades. Through my involvement with this national nonprofit over the past two years, I have met over 100 entrepreneurs across the country, and am now connected to the finest post 9/11 charities, businesses, services, and network. It was through Bunker Labs that I became moved to write this weekly column and thus highlight the 52 Most Wanted Post 9/11 Businesses and Organizations (2018).
We learned in fighting counterinsurgency warfare that in order to win you do not focus on the enemy. Just as this 2018 deck is not highlighting the enemy (like the 2003 deck did), but rather the exceptional post 9/11 veterans and their families, Bunker Labs is perfectly suited as the Ace of Spades to represent the flipside of what some may think of that card.
The first word in Bunker Labs’ tagline is Inspire.
Founded in 2014 by former U.S. Navy officer Todd Connor, this national nonprofit has catapulted onto the national stage as the leading entrepreneur service organization for veterans, their family members, and active-duty service members who want to start and grow a business. Destined to be history maker, Todd would tell you he merely identified a pain point and did something about it. He recognized that a key ingredient to his success as an entrepreneur was the network, resources, and education he received when he left the military and attended the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. When looking at his military community, he sensed there was an important story in the data—after World War II, 49% of veterans went on to start a business, yet today, it’s less than 5% (even though when polled, five times that number say they want to). He knew veterans have acquired the attributes through service that help them be more successful when launching a venture, yet post 9/11 veterans are less than 1% of our society and most of them were not all lined up to attend business school when they left the military.
Bunker Labs was the first national organization to tackle the mission of empowering the veteran community to become leaders in entrepreneurship and innovation by inspiring, connecting, and educating. Year-round, they are committed to the entire entrepreneurial journey—from idea, execution, and beyond—building the crucial ecosystems by partnering with local accelerators, universities, other education programs, business networks, and so on. Whether the entrepreneur is just chewing an idea, or—for those in the growth stage—looking to hire, raise capital, or expand into new markets, Bunker Labs is there to help.
The research is clear that entrepreneurs perform best in places that offer rich “ecosystems” for them to draw from. This ecosystem approach means ensuring that there is relationship density, strong network effects, and connected resources.
By the numbers, this is what the organization has done in three short years with their powerful “why” (which is a belief that veterans are our greatest national human asset): generated over 67 million in revenue by participating startups; raised nearly 62 million in capital for participating start-ups (which have an average time in business of 1.8 years); helped make over 2,000 new (meaningful) business connections; assisted in creating over 1,500 jobs for participating start-ups and 300 jobs for veterans; and educated over 500 start-ups who have completed the Bunker Labs program training nationwide.
There are a variety of ways anyone interested in this organization can participate: program training available called Launch Lab (online) or cohort (this is in-house, you meet in person); Bunker Brews (monthly gatherings with industry experts, investors, and other business or community leaders); and CEO Circle (Bunker companies can continue to leverage resources). Bunker Labs offers impactful events that they themselves would be excited to attend, such as the Muster Across America Tour, where each chapter showcases their work annually at their individual Musters (essentially, an annual conference); attendees can watch live pitches, learn from panels, and benefit from a variety of top-notch keynote speakers.
The explosive growth and collaboration for this movement is a testament that the veteran community desperately needed this vehicle. Bunker Labs currently has 17 physical chapters across the country, and encourages those who are not near these locations to sign up for the Launch Lab Online program, which is a 10-mission course that takes participants through the steps they’ll need to take to start a successful business. Those interested in this free program can sign up here for the June cohort!
Bunker Labs is a frontline leader that should be on your list of most wanted nonprofits to support in 2018.
Frontline Leader (Founder(s)): Todd Connor.
Name of Company/Organization: Bunker Labs, founded 2014.
Location: HQ in Chicago, Illinois, with 17 chapters in Austin, Bay Area San Francisco, Bozeman (MT), Chicago, Columbus (OH), Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Madison (WI), Minneapolis, Nashville, New York, Philadelphia, Raleigh-Durham, San Antonio, Seattle, and Washington D.C. (*Many more chapters are on the way, as soon as funders are secured. So if you are or know of a funder, contact the organization today!)
Post 9/11 Service Connection: U.S. Navy (Anti-Submarine Warfare Officer and Navigator).
Tours of Duty: Two tours aboard the USS Bunker Hill.
One sentence tagline & mission statement: Inspire. Educate. Connect. Their mission is to empower the veteran community to become leaders in entrepreneurship and innovation.
Company / organization website: https://bunkerlabs.org/
