September 20th Event Featured Powerful Speaker Lineup Including Daymond John of Shark Tank, Michele Kang of the Washington Spirit and Senator Tammy Duckworth
WASHINGTON, Oct. 12, 2023 - Continuing to Serve, the new non-profit venture committed to improving the quality of life for Veterans founded by Dawn Halfaker (previously of Halfaker and Associates), sponsored and cohosted this week's powerhouse fundraising event, Saluting Her Service: Honoring Women Veteran Entrepreneurs, held at the Military Women's Memorial. The event was a veritable who's-who of DC-area VIPs, as high-level Government, Military, and private sector leaders gathered to support women veteran entrepreneurs while listening to an inspirational group of keynote speakers.
The highlight of the evening, cohosted with Veteran non-profit Warrior Rising, was the announcement of the winner of the 'Shark Tank' style pitch competition, hosted earlier in the day, where a group of seven remarkable women veterans showcased their innovative business ideas to a panel of judges. Winning Veteran April Caldwell, with her business fayVen, was presented with a $20,000 grant to further her entrepreneurial dream. Veterans Hyacinth Tucker (The Laundry Basket, LLC) and Maria Brown-Spence (Hearts2Heal) were first and second runner-up, respectively.
The women Veterans and other attendees were treated to a powerhouse lineup of speakers, including:
Tammy Duckworth, U.S. Senator (D-IL)
Dawn Halfaker, Entrepreneur, Investor, Founder-Continuing to Serve
Chrissy Houlahan, U.S. Representative (D-PA)
Daymond John, Shark Tank Investor, Entrepreneur, Author
Michele Kang, Owner-Washington Spirit, Investor, Philanthropist
Attendees were energized by the inspirational nature of the event, with one attendee, Susan S., commenting: "I was blown away by the energy in the room! The audience, the Veterans, the speakers…wow, what an event to be a part of! You could tell everyone in the room was proud to be there. It was great to see so many leaders all come together in support of women Veterans!"
Halfaker, a fierce advocate for Veterans, had this to say about Continuing to Serve's first event: "I'm so pleased to have been part of this wonderful event supporting women Veteran entrepreneurs. I founded Continuing to Serve with the purpose of providing Veteran entrepreneurs with the support they need to start and grow their business, and I am in awe of the amount of support we received during Saluting Her Service. I'm so thankful that Continuing to Serve was able to partner with Warrior Rising for this inspirational event, and I will continue to seek out deserving partners to encourage and empower transitioning service members to continue to serve their country through entrepreneurship."
Next on the agenda for Continuing to Serve will be October's West Point Entrepreneur Summit, featuring Halfaker (West Point '01) as a mentor and featured speaker.
About Continuing to Serve
The Continuing to Serve Foundation is a new not for profit venture committed to improving the quality of life for Veterans through Entrepreneurship. Founded by Dawn Halfaker, the Foundation serves as a dedicated charitable partner to organizations supporting Veteran entrepreneurs in the areas of business ideation, education, financing, and mentorship. Halfaker firmly believes that supporting our Veterans is a strategic investment in the future and the Foundation is focused on strategically partnering with extraordinary organizations and leaders who offer innovative solutions to support Veteran entrepreneurs through every step of their business journey. Learn more at https://www.c2serve.org/.
SOURCE Continuing to Serve Foundation
