Michael J. Penney

DOMINATE your business

You are here: Home / Archives for speaking

speaking

by

Bunker Labs RDU Muster 2017: Veteran Founders Meet in Cary

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.

Read the recap on WRAL TechWire (archived)

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.

Work with Michael

Marine veteran, TEDx speaker and author of the 5 Paragraph Business Plan. Bring him to your stage, wear the gear, or catch him live.

Book Michael to Speak
Shop the MJP Store
Get the 5 Paragraph Business Plan
Watch Live

by

Port City Daily: Bunker Labs Speaker at Wilmington Vet Event

On July 17, 2016, Port City Daily reporter Hilary Snow previewed an event for veterans starting businesses in Wilmington, North Carolina. It was set for Thursday, August 18, 2016, from 4 to 6:30 p.m. at Ironclad Brewery, 115 N. Second St., downtown. The featured guest speaker was Michael Penney of Bunker Labs RDU.

An upcoming entrepreneurial event will serve those who have served their country.

Hilary Snow, Port City Daily, July 2016

What was on the program

The host was Jim Roberts. He had led UNCW’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and was running the Network for Entrepreneurs in Wilmington (NEW). The article laid out the program:

  • Short pitches from local veterans who had launched start-ups
  • A talk from guest speaker Michael Penney of Bunker Labs’ RDU branch
  • A panel on resources and opportunities for former service members, followed by networking

The panel included:

  • Dean Bundschu, executive director of Bunker Labs RDU
  • Stephen Clossick, who manages an angel investing group in the Triangle
  • Chris Kelly, former head of Durham’s First Flight Venture Center

Clare Pozek, a venture capital specialist and military spouse, was listed as moderator.

The event was free. Veterans and their spouses were welcome, and registration was encouraged because seating was limited. When the article ran, 55 seats were left.

Why it mattered then

Bunker Labs started as a Chicago-based national nonprofit that helps veterans use their military experience to start businesses. In 2016 it was expanding into the Triangle. Taking the RDU team down to Wilmington pushed that work past Raleigh-Durham to the coast.

Roberts told the paper the visit was especially relevant because Wilmington had a reputation for veteran-founded companies. The article named some of them:

  • Andrew Williams of Elite Innovations
  • Edward Hall of Petrics
  • Jeremy Tomlinson, co-creator of Port City Brew Bus

For a veteran in eastern North Carolina with a business idea, the evening put a local investor, a venture-center veteran and the Bunker Labs team in one room.

This archive entry is based on the advance coverage. We have not found a separate write-up of the event as it happened.

Looking back

Two months later, the Veteran On the Move podcast introduced Michael with the line “Michael recently took over as the director of the Bunker in Raleigh Durham, NC.” His work helping veterans plan and launch businesses grew into the 5 Paragraph Business Plan.

Read the preview on Port City Daily

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.

Work with Michael

Marine veteran, TEDx speaker and author of the 5 Paragraph Business Plan. Bring him to your stage, wear the gear, or catch him live.

Book Michael to Speak
Shop the MJP Store
Get the 5 Paragraph Business Plan
Watch Live