For the second time in three weeks, a member of President Barack Obama’s Cabinet visited Syracuse University and highlighted new partnerships with the Institute for Veterans and Military Families.

Maria Contreras-Sweet, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration and member of Obama’s Cabinet, announced at a press conference Tuesday morning that the university is the recipient of another grant, and that the SBA is furthering its relationship with SU. The work done in collaboration between the SBA and the IVMF has trained about 25,000 transitioning service members, Contreras-Sweet said.

“The whole of this effort is about helping those who have served our country as heroes and allow them to continue to serve our country now and provide for their families,” Contreras-Sweet said.

The IVMF and the SBA have worked together on a number of programs, including Boots to Business, an entrepreneurial education initiative offered by the SBA as an elective track within the defense department’s program to help transitioning veterans. The program is available on more than 165 military installations worldwide, according to an SBA press release.

Her visit came three weeks after Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter came to SU to meet with university leaders and members of the IVMF.

Contreras-Sweet said she is looking forward to continuing to enhance the relationship between SU and the SBA. The amount of the new grant to SU was not specified.

“It’s really nice to see (veterans) now, using those same skills to create jobs for our country,” she said.

So far this fiscal year, the SBA has given $12.7 million to veteran-owned businesses, surpassing last year’s total of $9.3 million, according to the release. Contreras-Sweet said there’s “no limit” to the extent to which programs for veterans can grow and said the program doesn’t require a cap.

Contreras-Sweet also spoke at the Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship symposium, held Tuesday in the Carrier Dome, and received a tour of the IVMF. After the press conference, around 11:20 a.m., she hosted a small business roundtable focused on integrating veterans into the small business community.

At the WiSE symposium, Contreras-Sweet spoke about how women should be thinking about growing companies to scale, and said the field has been mostly male-dominated and that the SBA wants “women to get in the game.”

Published on April 21, 2015 at 8:22 pm

Contact Justin: jmatting@syr.edu | @jmattingly306