Kirk Joins Veteran-Run Bunker at 1871 to Pledge Support for Veteran Entrepreneurs

Press Release

U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) today joined leaders from The Bunker, a Chicago veteran-run incubator, to celebrate Veterans Day and announce a new nation-wide expansion strategy that will help to establish veteran-owned businesses and incubators in other major U.S. cities. Senator Kirk discussed how veterans can become some of the most successful business owners due to their rigorous training, education and discipline.

"Soldiers are dedicated and hard working by definition," Senator Kirk said. "Men and women with that kind of background are exactly who we need in the workforce to start new companies."

Senator Kirk and Governor-elect Bruce Rauner, who also attended the event, pledged to work together to increase hiring of veterans throughout Illinois. Senator Kirk, who is currently the ranking member on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and will likely take over as chairman in the next Congress, said he would seek opportunities as chairman to boost incubators that assist veterans.

"This is where military service, technology and the 21st century meet," Senator Kirk said. "The Bunker's model is exactly the blueprint needed for a strong future of veteran entrepreneurship and job training."

Senator Kirk has been committed to making Illinois a hub for innovation that could easily rival Silicon Valley, recently helping kick off a local business incubator called the Chicago Innovation Exchange. Adding veterans to this goal is a natural fit.

Senator Kirk has continued to stress the importance of veteran hiring in Illinois and has continually partnered with Illinois colleges and employers to expand veteran job training and hiring. About 35,000 Illinois veterans are unemployed, with a jobless rate of 13 percent for post-9/11 veterans throughout the state. In 2012, Senator Kirk and Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) established the Congressional Veterans Jobs Caucus that seeks to create solutions for the challenges Active Duty, Reserve and Guard members face as they transition to civilian life.

Recently, Senator Kirk held his Illinois Veterans Job Fair that hosted nearly 100 companies looking to hire more than 2,ooo veterans.

Chicago's Bunker is the nation's first business incubator that is veteran-owned and run. Currently, the Bunker is home to 19 veteran-owned companies, which were selected from over 50 applications and is the model how companies can create jobs and serve the United States military.

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