Ikram Mansori, chief operating officer of VetsinTech, speaks with journalist Hari Sreenivasan about the personal and professional issues that veterans face while transitioning out of military service and into the civilian sector, as well as the opportunities and programs available to them.
VetsinTech is a leading nonprofit dedicated to advancing career opportunities for veterans in the tech industry. The organization consists of 20 chapters across the country and harnesses their coalition of tech companies to help transition veterans returning from active duty into tech careers. Each chapter offers tech-based programs in education, employment, and entrepreneurship that empower their network of 70,000 vets to pivot into some of the nation’s most in-demand jobs in technology.
Each year, VetsinTech trains approximately 1,000 veterans in technical skills pertaining to cybersecurity, web development, and cloud computing, and their support extends to include mentorships, workshops, boot camps, hackathons, and startup pitch competitions.
Earlier this year, Ikram Mansori stepped into the role of COO to facilitate the organization’s vision of helping put more veterans on a path toward entrepreneurship, which has seen a precipitous decline over the last 50 years primarily due to a lack of access to capital.
At present, only 10% of U.S. businesses are veteran-owned, but VetsinTech plans to lower the barrier to entry by introducing a range of key initiatives, including the Startup Network, Venture Equity Project, and Veteran Venture Capital.
Mansori will oversee these entrepreneurship programs, as well as work to expand and enhance the reintegration services available to both veterans and military spouses.
