Veterans Florida and SPC Partner for Third Year to Offer Entrepreneurship Program

For the third year, St. Petersburg College and Veterans Florida are partnering to offer the Veterans Florida Entrepreneurship Program, an initiative designed to help veterans transform their military experience into successful business ventures.

Funded by Veterans Florida, the free, 6- to 8-week learning program highlights the fundamentals of launching and growing a business. It connects state business leaders with participants seeking to become entrepreneurs and offers veterans valuable resources such as workshops, online training, mentoring, and networking opportunities.

“Serving as an instructor for the Veterans Florida Program at SPC is incredibly rewarding because I get to witness the incredible drive, creativity and evolution of those who participate,” said SPC Professor Greta Kishbaugh. “They arrive eager to learn and leave with not only the tools to succeed, but also a renewed sense of purpose and vision for their future.”

The program supports SPC’s mission of offering noncredit, short-term workforce programs that help students find better jobs, lead better lives and strengthen their communities.

Recent data from the United States Census Bureau shows veteran entrepreneurship remains a critical but underleveraged part of the economy. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 Annual Business Survey, about 304,823 employer firms, representing approximately 5.2% of all U.S. employer firms, are veteran-owned. Meanwhile, veterans comprise an estimated 5.5% of all U.S. business owners when non-employer firms are included.

The program will be offered twice during SPC’s 2025-2026 academic year: one in Fall 2025 and another in Spring 2026. The first course will take place at SPC’s Clearwater Campus, 2465 Drew St., beginning Nov. 1, and the second will be held at The Greenhouse in St. Petersburg, 440 2nd Ave. N., starting in March 2026. Veterans in the early stages of their entrepreneurial journey — whether developing a business concept or seeking support to grow a new venture — are encouraged to apply here.

For more information, contact Greta Kishbaugh at Kishbaugh.Greta@spcollege.edu or Meghan Cottrell at Cottrell.Meghan@spcollege.edu.