Saul Newton, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Veterans Chamber of Commerce, addressed the Thiensville-Mequon Rotary Club on August 29th as guest speaker.  Newton founded the WI Veterans Chamber of Commerce in 2015.  The Chamber has grown from a kickoff event with 10 people in attendance to a booming 150 member chamber and one of the most active chambers of commerce in the State of Wisconsin.
 
Founded on the principle of providing resources to Veterans in the business community and workforce, Newton shared intriguing numbers with the Club.  11% of all businesses in Wisconsin are owned by Veterans, approximately 65,000.   Veterans have historically been very entrepreneurial dating back to World War II.  49% of WWII veterans started their own businesses.  
 
Of late, the journey into business ownership for veterans has been anything but easy.  75% of small business startups fail within the first 10 years in operation.  The number is more staggering when it comes to veterans as 93% of veteran owned businesses fail within the first 10 years.  Enter the WI Veterans Chamber, whose main objective is to serve as a coordinator of small business and workforce readiness resources.  The Chamber aims to bring both veteran and civilian resources together.
 
The three main areas of focus for the Chamber are Business Ownership, Veteran Employment and Community Leadership & Development.  The Veteran population in Wisconsin is approximately 450,000 of America's finest, with an additional 150,000 brave men and women serving in the Reserves and National Guard.  
 
Newton, who himself is a combat veteran having served in Afghanistan, is galvanizing people who share his passion for providing veterans with the tools and resources required to aid in their success.  He has expanded the Chamber into Madison, WI this year and is laying the groundwork for additional expansion in the State.  
 
If you wish to become a member of the WI Veterans Chamber of Commerce, to serve as a sponsor or to simply donate to the organization, please visit https://wiveteranschamber.org/