On September 21, 2017, Bunker Labs RDU held its second annual Muster, a one-day startup conference for veteran entrepreneurs, at MetLife’s office in Cary, North Carolina. It was part of the national Muster Across America series. According to the WRAL TechWire recap, it sold out, drawing 250 attendees, 75 percent of them veterans, with more than 75 veteran-owned businesses represented.
Michael was Bunker Labs RDU’s program director at the time; podcast bios from 2016 and 2017 describe him in that role, helping veterans with business creation. He says he spoke at the Muster and helped coordinate it. The published coverage below does not list him by name.
What was on the program
A preview by Bunker Labs RDU executive director Dean Bundschu said the event was hosted by the MetLife Veterans Network, and that active-duty, National Guard and reserve service members could register for free. The recap, written by Bunker Labs RDU community development director Jim Roberts, laid out the day:
- Opening remarks: Larry Hall, Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.
- Morning keynote: venture capitalist and Vietnam-era veteran Art Pappas, on turning military leadership into private-sector success.
- Hiring panel: Scott Moody of K4 Connect, Tim McClain of MetLife and Ted Studdard of Home Depot.
- Lunch keynote: former Baltimore Ravens player Marques Ogden.
- Featured speaker: Daniel Alarik of Grunt Style, which Roberts called the most anticipated appearance of the day.
- Closing remarks: NC Representative Holly Grange of Wilmington, a veteran and entrepreneur.
A startup pitch contest closed out the competition side. Josh Robertson of Ryker USA took the top prize for his FistGrip product, and Ed Hall of Petrics in Wilmington, a Navy veteran, finished second.
Why it mattered then
Roberts wrote that grants and donations from JP Morgan Chase & Co., MetLife, the Wege Foundation and Grant Thornton had put Bunker Labs in North Carolina on a path to sustainability in its second year. He also noted the competition: some 35 entrepreneur support organizations worked the Triangle. A sold-out room with a strong veteran turnout was proof that the program was reaching the people it was built for.
Looking back
That December, American Grit wrote up a Cigars and Sea Stories episode with Grunt Style’s Alarik, co-hosted by Michael. The work behind events like this one, putting veterans with business ideas in a room with investors, mentors and each other, fed straight into the 5 Paragraph Business Plan.
This post is part of the From the Archive series, which collects Michael’s past media appearances in one place. See the full media archive.
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