Iona College Opens Free 1:1 Entrepreneurship Assistance for Veterans
The Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation has opened registration for free technical training in support of the SBA-funded Community Navigator Pilot Program
New Rochelle, N.Y. – Veteran entrepreneurs and small business owners looking for some extra guidance, training and support can now turn to Iona College.
Syracuse University’s Institute for Veteran & Military Families (IVMF) recently selected Iona’s Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation as a “spoke” to support its $5 million Community Navigator Pilot Program, funded by the United States Small Business Administration. As part of this initiative, the Hynes Institute is now providing free 1:1 technical assistance to veteran-owned small businesses.
Held both virtually and at GaelVentures, located at 748 North Ave in New Rochelle, these sessions are designed to assess the needs of local veteran entrepreneurs and small business owners, provide technical assistance and refer them to business advisors and free services as needed. In an effort to make these services as accessible as possible to the local veteran community, anyone interested in registering for a 1:1 technical assistance session can simply visit the Hynes Institute online and register for a time.
“The Hynes Institute was founded with the goal of giving all students at Iona the opportunity to think and act entrepreneurially. The Community Navigator Pilot Program enables us to bring the processes and resources of the Hynes Institute, coupled with community engagement, to support veterans with the tools, skills and confidence to take action and build success,” said Dr. Christoph Winkler, endowed professor and founding program director of the Hynes Institute.
These 1:1 technical assistance sessions are designed for veterans at any stage of their business or entrepreneurial journey, including those that have an established business and need assistance with legal, financial, taxes, etc., or those that simply have an idea and don’t know what to do next. Beyond these sessions, there are free services available, provided by the Community Navigator Pilot network such as loan assistance, financial literacy, credit counseling, CDFI services, corporate and federal contracting, legal services, insurance, risk management and accounting/taxation.
“Having been an educator at the Hynes Institute for the last four years, I have always been inspired by our students and the business models they develop in our courses,” said Rob Kissner, GaelVentures program manager and small business advisor. “I am extremely energized to support our community’s veterans and their entrepreneurial journeys with these 1:1 technical assistance sessions.”
ABOUT IONA
Founded in 1940, Iona University is a master's-granting private, Catholic, coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers. Iona's 45-acre New Rochelle campus and 28-acre Bronxville campus are just 20 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. With a total enrollment of nearly 4,000 students and an alumni base of more than 50,000 around the world, Iona is a diverse community of learners and scholars dedicated to academic excellence and the values of justice, peace and service. Iona is highly accredited, offering undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, science and business administration, as well as Master of Arts, Master of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees and numerous advanced certificate programs. Iona students enjoy small class sizes, engaged professors and a wide array of academic programs across the School of Arts & Science; LaPenta School of Business; NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences; and Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Iona also continues to be recognized in prestigious national rankings. Most recently for 2025, Iona has been named one of the nation’s best colleges by The Princeton Review, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes and others. Additionally, U.S. News & World Report recognized Iona as one of top for social mobility in the country, while Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW) ranked an Iona degree in the top 5 percent nationally for long-term return on investment. Iona’s LaPenta School of Business, meanwhile, is also accredited by AACSB International, a recognition awarded to just 6 percent of business schools worldwide. In addition, The Princeton Review recognized Iona’s on-campus MBA program as a “Best Business School for 2024.” Iona also offers a fully online MBA program for even greater flexibility. In July 2021, Iona announced the establishment of the NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences, which is now principally located on Iona’s Bronxville campus in collaboration with one of the nation’s top hospitals. Connecting to its Irish heritage, Iona also opened a new campus in County Mayo, Ireland, located on the historic 400-acre Westport House Estate. A school on the rise, Iona officially changed its status from College to University on July 1, 2022, reflecting the growth of its academic programs and the prestige of an Iona education.
ABOUT THE U.S. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.