The Ambassador Program is a new Bunker Labs effort to cultivate leaders within local business ecosystems across the country. Think you have what it takes to grow and lead your local business community?  Apply by April 15, 2022!

The Ambassador Program is a 12-month program for volunteers looking to help local Veteran and military spouse entrepreneurs launch and grow their businesses. The Ambassadors serve as Bunker Labs’ “boots on the ground”, there to help facilitate their local Veterans in Residence program and develop and connect the local entrepreneur ecosystem.  

What do Ambassadors do?

Ambassadors are leaders for Bunker Labs programs and events in a specific geographic area. Ambassadors aren’t alone, though. There might be as many as three Ambassadors sharing the duties for a single city or state. While there are many tasks Ambassadors perform throughout their 12-month tour, there are two categories most efforts fall within.  

Veterans in Residence Facilitators:

Veterans in Residence (ViR) is one of Bunker Labs’ flagship programs, and we rely on Ambassadors to lead monthly program meetings and discussions. ViR operates on a 6-month cohort model, and at the end of each cohort, there is a capstone showcase event hosted by local Ambassadors. This showcase is a major event that happens simultaneously in cohorts across the country, welcoming graduating entrepreneurs to the local business community, and introducing the ecosystem to the new incoming cohort.  

Ambassadors also serve as a local point of contact for Bunker Labs. They are sometimes a budding entrepreneur’s first contact with Bunker Labs, and Ambassadors are equipped to talk to interested entrepreneurs about Bunker Labs programs, workshops, and courses, and point them toward one that best suits their needs. In this way, Ambassadors help keep their local Veterans in Residence cohort thriving.  

Ecosystem Connectors:

Ambassadors are also charged with growing and maintaining their local entrepreneurial ecosystem. For a lot of early-stage entrepreneurs, being welcomed into a community of fellow entrepreneurs who can share local experiences is a great help. When that community also creates opportunities for funding, exposure, and industry-specific partnerships, it’s even better.  

This means building a rolodex of Veteran and military spouse entrepreneur-friendly investors, event organizers, and utility businesses that can help local Bunker Labs entrepreneurs take their venture to the next level.  It also means that you aren’t JUST building a personal contact for yourself, but a relationship that future Bunker Labs Ambassadors can continue to grow. Ecosystem development is about building long-term relationships over time.  

Developing a local entrepreneur ecosystem is only the first step, though. The next part is introducing the entrepreneurs of your cohorts to the right parts of that ecosystem at the right time. That means knowing what stages your entrepreneurs’ ventures are in, what they need right now, and who in the ecosystem might fulfill that need. The showcase is also a major opportunity to entice members of the business community mingle and connect with your entrepreneurs.  

Click here for more information.

Click here to apply.