Photo of veteran sitting at a business desk talking to another person

Veterans—especially veterans of color—face unique challenges as entrepreneurs. To help this group capitalize on opportunities and overcome common barriers to business success, the National Veteran-Owned Business Association (NaVOBA) and JPMorgan Chase have created a new podcast series.

Mission: Business—Navigating the Business Landscape with Veteran Entrepreneurs of Color” is part of NaVOBA’s “Marching Forward Mondays” program. The five-episode series features guests from certified veteran-owned businesses and other industry leaders, and covers topics such as access to capital, networking and business resiliency.

The first episode, “Propelling Your Business Forward Through Veteran Business Certification,” features Natasha M. Hinds, CEO and Founder of Keep Your Hair Headgear, and Heather Herndon Wright, Director of Supply Chain Diversity and Sustainability for Vistra Corp. It is hosted by Chris Kane, a U.S. Army veteran and Executive Director at JPMorgan Chase.

The trio focuses on veteran-owned business certification and how it can help drive growth. Over 40 minutes, Kane, Hinds and Herndon Wright discuss:

  • Hinds’ time in the Army and how her experience as a veteran and woman of color shaped her approach to entrepreneurship and leadership
  • Opportunities for certified veteran-owned businesses as suppliers to Fortune 1000 companies 
  • The certification process and the differences between public and private certification

Be sure to return to the "Mission: Business" podcast feed for additional episodes. 

Since 2015, JPMorgan Chase has spent $11 billion with diverse suppliers. In 2020 alone, the firm’s diverse supplier spend exceeded $2 billion. Learn more about JPMorgan Chase’s Supplier Diversity Network and Office of Military and Veterans Affairs