3rd Annual National Military Thriving Change Forum at Georgetown University

June 10
8:00 am
 - 3:00 pm ET

Georgetown University

Rafik B Hariri Building
Washington, DC 20057

Our 3rd Annual Military Thriving Change Forum built on the momentum we created at the first two convenings, where we crowd-sourced an actionable Military Thriving community model, and then executed it at stakeholder meetings and Uniting In Service events in 15 different regions of the country during 2025.

At this year’s Forum in partnership with Georgetown University we:

  • Featured community leaders from the six cities where our Military Thriving Action Coalition has committed to hosting Regional Change Forums in 2026.
  • Prioritized education and entrepreneurship pathways, giving voice to subject matter experts that will empower our community to make better, more informed decisions about opportunities available to them in transition, opening their apertures and helping them thrive in the workplace and in society.
  • Delivered on the pledge we made in testimony before the House Committee on Small Business, giving thousands of Veteran and military spouse entrepreneurs a seat at the table at our national and regional change forums both in person and virtually.

In recognizing the contributions of Veteran and military spouse small business owners to our country, our economy, and our communities we will make them an integral part of our Military Thriving movement and empower thousands more as the engine of growth, change and impact at the local level.

Event Highlights

Agenda

Click here for arrival and parking instructions

9:00 am – 9:10 am
Opening Remarks

  • Dr. Joel Kupersmith, Georgetown University
  • Kevin Schmiegel, ZeroMils

9:10 am – 9:30 am
Morning Keynote: Military Thriving Higher Education — A Design that Empowers Military ANDers as Students, Employees, and Entrepreneurs

  • Dr. Mark Milliron, President, National University

9:30 am – 10:00 am
Empowering Military Families to Thrive
Moderator: Laura Schmiegel, SVP, Orion Talent

  • DASW Stephen Simmons, Office of Military Community and Family Policy
  • Verenice Castillo, Founder and CEO, Military Spouse Advocacy Network
  • Mary Bier, President and CEO, Military Child Education Coalition

10:00 am – 10:40 am
Creating Pathways to National Security Industries: Workforce Challenges, Skills Gaps, and the Critical Role of Veteran-Owned Small Businesses
Moderator: Admiral James G. Foggo, U.S. Navy (Ret.), Dean of the Center for Maritime Strategy

  • Greg Summers, CEO, Orion Talent
  • Lt. Gen. Brian T. Kelly, USAF (Ret), President and CEO, MOAA

10:50 am – 11:30 am
Building Communities — Empowering Veteran and Military Spouse Small Business and Franchise Owners as Engines of Growth and Impact
Moderator: Matt Haller, President and CEO, International Franchise Association

  • Brad Stevenson, Chief Development Officer, Neighborly
  • Ray Omar, Army Veteran and Dunkin’ Donuts Franchise Owner

11:30 am – 12:10 pm
Rapid Fire Features — Creating Cultures that Empower Veterans and Military Spouses to Thrive; Investing in a Military Thriving Strategy to Drive Retention

  • Featuring CEOs from five best-in-class military-focused nonprofits

12:30 pm – 1:00 pm
Afternoon Keynote: Veteran Success — Empowering Entrepreneurs to Thrive as Franchise Owners

  • Mike Davis, CEO, Neighborly

1:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Fireside Chat on Military Thriving Communities — Best Practices and Lessons Learned
Moderator: Dave Lee, CVS Health

  • Jocelyn Mitnaul Mallette, Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs
  • Patricia Ross, Commissioner, Georgia Department of Veterans Services

1:30 pm – 3:00 pm
Breakout Sessions — Military Thriving Community Collaborations: Sharing Best Practices and Empowering Veterans and Military Spouses in Transition

  • Breakout Session 1: Focused on empowering veterans and military-affiliated students on campus by improving transition processes and implementing Military Thriving Higher Education Design.
  • Breakout Session 2: Focused on empowering veteran and military spouse entrepreneurs by improving transition processes and providing tools and resources, with representation from the House Committee on Small Business, IFA, Neighborly, financial institutions, and local veteran small business owners joining forces.
  • Breakout Sessions 3 & 4: Two intentionally designed workshops bringing together stakeholders representing diverse industry, nonprofit, government, and higher education leaders. Participants will share best practices from their community’s lens outlining our collaborative efforts in Texas, Tennessee, North Carolina, Southern California, Virginia, Georgia, and Indiana

      Not able to attend in person?

Join us on the LIVE STREAM

Our Speakers

Joel Kupersmith, MD
Professor Emeritus of Medicine
Georgetown University
Mark David Milliron, Ph.D.
President & CEO
National University
Laura Schmiegel
Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships
Orion Talent
Stephen B. Simmons
Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Military Community and Family Policy
U.S. Department of War
Verenice Castillo
Founder and CEO
Military Spouse Advocacy Network (MSAN)
Admiral James G. Foggo, U.S. Navy (Ret.)
Dean
Center for Maritime Strategy
Brad Stevenson
Chief Development Officer
Neighborly
David A. Lee
Lead Director
CVS Health
Jocelyn Mitnaul Mallette
Secretary
North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs
Mary Bier
President and Chief Executive Officer
Military Child Education Coalition
Dr. Patricia Ross
Commissioner
Georgia Department of Veterans Service (GDVS)
Greg Summers
CEO
Orion Talent
Mike Davis
Chief Executive Officer,
Neighborly
Lt. Gen. Brian Kelly, USAF (Ret.)
President and CEO
Military Officers Association of America (MOAA)
Matt Haller
President & CEO
International Franchise Association
Wendy Kunz
Director of Veteran Programs
International Franchise Association (IFA) and VetFran

Our Partners

About Us

ZeroMils is a term of both science and art, used in the military to describe a state of perfection that accounts for accuracy and effectiveness. Once attained, ZeroMils allows  you to achieve maximum impact on a target.

Our mission as social impact consultants to corporations and nonprofit organizations is to create Military Thriving cultures and communities. Our vision is to use our experiences to make our history every Veteran’s and Military Spouse’s future—with a focus on small business owners like us.

We are intentional in our efforts to serve alongside organizations and leaders who focus on what we know to be true:  that although Veterans and their families face unique challenges, the vast majority of us overcome them and thrive as a result of our service and not in spite of it.

Our Founders

Kevin Schmiegel
CEO

Kevin Schmiegel is CEO at ZeroMils. A retired Marine Corps lieutenant colonel, Kevin is a mission-focused leader with a proven track record for rapidly scaling nonprofits and a reputation for delivering significant results. Kevin founded Hiring Our Heroes at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and was CEO of two other national nonprofits. Raising $100 million for these causes over a decade, Kevin and his teams have impacted millions of Americans, in and out of uniform. He is a proud husband to Laura and a father of five.

Paul Cucinotta
President & COO

Paul Cucinotta is a retired Marine Corps colonel who after serving on active duty for almost three decades followed his passion for service to the non-profit space to help individuals thrive, while strengthening communities and bridging the civilian service divide. This ultimately led him to founding ZeroMils with fellow Marine Veteran and long-time friend, Kevin Schmiegel where they are creating Military Thriving® cultures and communities with their clients and partners in the places where they live, work and serve. Paul and his wife Beth have four children and three grandchildren, and when not serving their community can be found enjoying the beach on the Crystal Coast of North Carolina.

ONLY CONNECTED, 

CAN WE THRIVE.

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