VET BIZ WEEK: Join us for National Veterans Small Business Week 2023

with Texas Veterans Commission & City of Austin

This special regional session of VETBIZWEEK includes information about resources and programs for veteran-led businesses in Texas, with particular attention to the Central Texas area. 

Participants will hear from Megan Tamez and Greg Shigemasa with the Texas Veterans Commission about TVC's Veteran Entrepreneur Programs. We also have Sheyenne Alvarez and Danny Brewer from the City of Austin to talk about a variety of small business resources and special funding opportunities available for veterans and their families in Central Texas.  

In this session we’ll talk about:

• Helpful resources available to veteran business owners
• Special programs specifically for veterans and their families 
• State and Local Options for funding and support
• How to get free coaching and other resources
• How to get an official Texas Veteran Business seal 
• How to get your Verification Letter, for additional business benefits from the state

Free Interactive Toolkit:

All participants will gain access to a Regional Resources Toolkit with helpful links, guides and more to make sure you're aware of the many programs and opportunities available.

Who Should Attend:

• Veteran Business owners in Texas / Central Texas
• Nonprofits based in Texas / Central Texas
• Anyone interested in learning more about Texas Veterans Commission
• Entrepreneur Programs and City of Austin Small Business Programs

*Once you have registered for one VETBIZWEEK session, you will not need to re-enter your contact information. Do it once, and then each class you sign up to attend will just be a quick click to sign up.

Megan Tamez is the Director of the Veterans Entrepreneur Program (VEP). The Entrepreneur Program assists veterans, their family members, and survivors through the process of opening a business from the first ideation through closure. Megan has served the veterans of Texas since September 2014, first as a Veterans Service Officer for the Claims Department. She moved to the Health Care Department in 2016 as the Operations Manager and became the VEP Director in May 2022. 

Megan is a proud Army veteran and military spouse who served in the US Army from 2001 to 2006, with one deployment to Iraq from 2004 to 2005. She holds an MBA in Health Care Management from Columbia Southern University. Upon her husband, JT’s, retirement from the US Army in 2017, they moved to Boerne. Away from the office, you can find her reading or on one of the many Texas rivers, lakes, or coastlines, spending time with one or all of her six kids, two daughters-in-law, and three grandkids, kayaking, tubing, or fishing. 

Greg Shigemasa is a business consultant with the Texas Veterans Commission’s Veteran Entrepreneur Program, where he assists veterans, family members, and survivors with starting, growing, expanding, and exiting businesses for positive economic impact. He has 20+ years of experience as a human capital performance management consultant, startup/small/medium-sized business consultant, government management consultant, MyersBriggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®) and FIRO-B Practitioner. 

Greg is a U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army veteran, entrepreneur, dirt farmer, and former university faculty member of management and entrepreneurship. In addition, Greg serves as a sub-committee member of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Advisory Committee on Veterans Business Affairs, an advisor to the Houston Veterans Chamber of Commerce, and a member of the Texas Broadband Development Essential Services Task Force.

Sheyenne Alvarez is the Program Manager for the City of Austin’s Family Business Loan Program and Veteran Business Loan Initiative.  The Veteran Business Initiative is a public private partnership between the City of Austin in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which offers a low-interest rate loan and low borrower equity requirements to help create or expand a business.

Sheyenne has a passion for working with entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs and wants to do her part to help close the funding disparities that currently exist for minority, women, and veteran-owned businesses. Before coming to the city, Sheyenne worked as a lender at a community development financial institution guiding underserved small business owners in obtaining capital primarily through SBA loans.  

Working one-on-one with clients and being able to connect entrepreneurs with a variety of resources for their businesses and seeing the positive results that come to business owners and the surrounding community as a result of working together is what motivates her to get up and do this work each day.

Danny Brewer is a dynamic Program Manager at the City of Austin's Small Business Division, spearheading initiatives that empower entrepreneurs and small business owners. As the driving force behind the acclaimed small business orientation classes BizAid and BizOpen, Danny plays a pivotal role in equipping aspiring business leaders with essential resources and knowledge to navigate the competitive landscape. 

Beyond his role as a program manager, Danny serves as a dedicated business consultant, offering invaluable guidance and expertise while readily addressing the questions and needs of entrepreneurs. With a passion for fostering growth and success in the business community, Danny Brewer is a trusted partner for those striving to achieve their entrepreneurial dreams in Austin and beyond.