ReBoot Program to Help Veterans Become Entrepreneurs: Applications are open now for spring session

​The Mill, Bloomington’s nonprofit center for entrepreneurship and coworking, today announced that applications are open for the spring 2022 session of ReBoot. ReBoot is a six-week program to help people turn business ideas into business plans. The spring session is offered exclusively to all current and former military members.  
 
“We started the ReBoot program last year to help more people reap the rewards of entrepreneurship,” said Andy Lehman, Head of Accelerator Programming for The Mill. “The discipline and grit developed through military experience lay a great foundation for starting a business. We’d like to help veterans design that next adventure.”
 
No previous business experience is required to participate, Lehman added. Participants meet once a week for six weeks to learn how to focus their business ideas, get customer validation, and present their business to potential investors. They’ll have access to mentors, successful entrepreneurs, and a slate of expert speakers. Participation is limited to a small group to increase the effectiveness of instruction and to encourage peer connections.
 
At the end of the program, participants present their business plans at a live showcase, and the winner takes home a little seed money for their business. All participants receive free part-time memberships to The Mill to connect to other founders and to access member perks to help grow their businesses.

“ReBoot is for folks at all stages of the entrepreneurial journey,” Lehman said. “We tailor the experience depending on whether you’re exploring a brand-new idea or growing a fledgling business.”
 
The ReBoot program, billed as “inclusive entrepreneurial development,” launched in 2021. The pilot session offered entrepreneurial training and support to the formerly incarcerated. To design the 2022 sessions, The Mill worked with the 180° Consulting, a group out of the Kelley Institute for Social Impact at Indiana University, to identify other populations who might benefit from small-group training. The spring 2022 session for veterans kicks off on March 28. In the summer The Mill will offer another ReBoot session for the formerly incarcerated. In late fall or winter, they’ll offer a new session tailored to women who are returning to the workforce or who have been impacted by the pandemic.
 
ReBoot is supported through ARPA funds from the City of Bloomington. The deadline to apply to the spring 2022 session is March 20, and the program kicks off on March 28. Visit https://www.dimensionmill.org/reboot/ to learn more, apply, and subscribe to updates on future sessions.