MyVetwork

Life outside combat has become increasingly difficult for U.S. military personnel and their families.  Whether active duty, retired, or veteran, on a daily basis they encounter a tangled web of red tape, complex rules (and exceptions to those rules) and a sea of offers for products and services, some valid, some exploitative.  Despite the  existence of hundreds of programs and initiatives to support and serve our service members and their families, those well intended efforts often miss the mark because they are hard to access, difficult to evaluate, and nearly impossible to contrast  to other apparently similar offerings.  This is exacerbated by the fact that our military personnel are often isolated from others like themselves who have “been there,” people who know the ropes. 

MyVetwork is an online community that facilitates meaningful connections among members of the military, veterans, and their families as well as with and among the resources intended to serve them, linking together valuable existing efforts for the first time in a way that is easy to use, informative, and appreciated, all at no cost to military personnel and their families.  Most of our US military personnel and their families end up with inadequate support precisely when they need it most.  And the scope of the need is increasing with four clearly identifiable areas of need: health care and fitness, education and training, jobs and careering and money and finance. 

Criterion worked with the founders to create a non-profit/for-profit hybrid structure that preserves the social mission while allowing the founders to raise the needed funds and eventually make a profit.  We also leveraged our network to help build a team of high level leaders, organizations and capabilities to execute the vision of MyVetwork.  A vision based on the belief that leadership skills learned in the military and the camaraderie experienced with one’s fellows in combat are of major value to our Nation, and that by creating a social network that leverages those assets, we can serve our military personnel and their families in a manner of which the entire Nation can be proud, while providing these individuals a means to connect with each other and with the resources they deserve. 

To learn more or to get involved in MyVetwork please contact Andrew Greenblatt at greenblatt[at]criterionventures.com