What a great way to celebrate Memorial Day week by listening to our local Military entrepreneurs

Learn how local Veterans have applied the military discipline to start and scale a business.

Format: Panel Discussion

Guest Speakers: RJ Casey and Rafael Camano

RJ CASEY

U.S. Army Special Forces (18A/18D) / USAF Special Warfare (PJ/CRO)

RJ has 30+ years of Special Operations experience with the Department of Defense and other government agencies. He has multiple combat tours in countries including Afghanistan, Colombia, Iraq, Pakistan, the Philippines, Somalia, and Syria. RJ is still serving while consulting for corporations, feature film/TV, and other organizations. Like every member of Force Blue, RJ donates time to 501(c)(3) non-profits to help fellow veterans and is committed to the conservation of our amazing oceans. He is a Volusia County Resident.

RAFAEL CAMANO

Rafael has played a key role in the growth of Seminole County’s economy.

The manager of the University of Central Florida Business Incubation Program in Winter Springs oversees entrepreneurial and facility support, such as coaching, mentoring programs, and other services, for 21 companies. So, he dedicates a lot of time to analyzing and understanding business models. Under his leadership, Camano’s program volunteered more than 540 hours of business counseling to military veterans and spouses. This resulted in the creation of a curriculum for veterans and a partnership with the nonprofit Veterans Florida to help veterans transition to civilian life. Between 2018 and 2019, this partnership helped more than 78 veterans, and 75% of the participants were able to launch a business and create 20 direct jobs.