Empowering Women to Take Action with Clarity and Confidence
You have ideas, experience, and goals, you just need some guidance to bring it all together.
Melissa A. Washington works with women at every stage of business, from concept to growth, to help you gain clarity, stay focused, and take the next right steps.
Schedule your complimentary 15-Minute Clarity Call
This quick call helps you gain focus, identify one immediate step forward, and explore if ongoing coaching may be a good fit.
About Melissa
Melissa A. Washington is a Navy veteran, award-winning entrepreneur, and founder of Women Veterans Alliance. With years of experience, she brings a practical, encouraging, and no-fluff approach to coaching.
Her mission is simple: to help women take action, create impact, and build success on their own terms.
Ascent
Women own or co-own 45% of all businesses in the United States. These businesses represent all types of industries and are owned by all types of women. The majority are small, with great potential for growth in both revenues and job creation. That’s why we created Ascent and packed it with in-depth information to help you grow your business. Learn More
Boots to Business
Boots to Business (B2B) is an entrepreneurial education and training program offered by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) as part of the Department of Defense Transition Assistance Program (TAP). The course provides an overview of entrepreneurship and applicable business ownership fundamentals. Active Duty Service members (including National Guard and Reserve), Veterans of all eras, and spouses are eligible to participate. Learn More
CalTAP Entrepreneurship Pathway
The California Transition Assistance Program (CalTAP) Entrepreneurship Pathway is designed to assist veteran business owners and service disabled veteran business owners achieve success in their entrepreneurial ventures. Learn More
ChatGPT
One year of ChatGPT Plus FREE
OpenAI is offering one year of ChatGPT Plus at no cost to eligible U.S. service members, veterans, and military retirees.
CO - by U.S. Chamber of Commerce
11 Things to Do During Small Business Month to Grow Your Company
May is Small Business Month, a time to support and celebrate the contributions of small businesses and startups. It’s also the perfect time for entrepreneurs to explore new ways to directly and indirectly grow their organizations.
This Small Business Month, jump-start your growth initiatives by tackling these 11 critical areas of business development, with dozens of tasks to get you started. Learn More
Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans Families
The Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans’ Families (EBV-F) is an education and self-employment training program founded in 2010 and expanded to Florida State University in 2012. The EBV-F program is designed to take advantage of the skills, resources and infrastructure of higher education to offer cutting-edge, experiential training in entrepreneurship and small business management. Learn More
National Veteran Business Development Council
The National Veteran Business Development Council is the leading Veteran Owned Business Certification organization developed by Veterans, for Veterans. Learn More
National Veteran Small Business Coalition (NVSBC)
NVSBC is a nationally recognized non-profit organization that provides Training, Networking, and Advocacy for Veteran small business entrepreneurs in the federal market to ensure they are Procurement Ready and have enhanced access to opportunities to start, operate, sustain, and grow competitive and strong businesses serving Federal agencies and other government contractors. Learn More
D'Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University (IVMF)
The National Survey of Military-Affiliated Entrepreneurs (NSMAE)
The National Survey of Military-Affiliated Entrepreneurs (NSMAE) is a confidential, multi-year study that seeks to better understand military-affiliated entrepreneurs. The goal is to identify opportunities and barriers that military-affiliated entrepreneurs face. This information will be used to create a public dataset that can inform practitioners, policy makers, and communities about these needs and advance opportunities. This research is supported by Walmart. Learn More
D'Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University (IVMF)
Entrepreneurship Conferences and Pitch Competitions for 2026
The D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) provides a regularly updated list of entrepreneurship conferences and pitch competitions across the country. Explore opportunities to network, learn, grow your business, and compete for funding, including many events specifically for veteran and military spouse entrepreneurs. Learn More
Tory Burch Foundation
Legal And Tax Considerations For Your New Business
As soon as you decide to start a business, you should begin looking into the things that will protect your personal assets: namely, legal entities, insurance and contracts. Small business lawyer Nicole Pavlik joined our webinar series to help our community of founders understand what are some of the first steps a new business owner should take. Learn More
U.S. Chamber of Commerce Non-Profit Registration Guide
If you’re starting a nonprofit, you’ll need to register as a 501(c)(3) organization to be exempt from paying federal or state income taxes. Nonprofit registration with the IRS can take three months to one year; however, the IRS currently issues 80% of Form 1023 application determinations within 191 days.
Considering this timeline, it’s important to get all your ducks in a row before submitting your registration form. Take these six steps to register your nonprofit and start operating as a charitable organization. Learn More
U.S. SBA: Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC) Program
The Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC) program is designed to provide entrepreneurial development services such as business training, counseling, and resource partner referrals to service members, veterans, National Guard and Reserve members, military spouses, and family members interested in starting or growing a small business. SBA has 31 organizations participating in this cooperative agreement and serving as VBOCs. Learn More
Vetrepreneur Franchise Coaching
Vetrepreneur Franchise Coaching specializes in helping veterans transition into business ownership through franchising. They provide personalized coaching and guidance to match veterans with franchise opportunities that fit their skills, goals, and financial resources. By offering expert advice, training, and ongoing support, Vetrepreneur Franchise Coaching empowers veterans to succeed as franchise owners, leveraging their military experience for entrepreneurial success. Learn More