Bunker Labs RDU is growing and now expanding startup events for military veterans, military spouses and those who want to do business with them to Charlotte with an event set for Aug. 3.

The program, which starts at 4 p.m., is set for the headquarters of GoodMortgage.com.

Bunker Labs has been having events in the Raleigh / Durham area for almost two years since Dean Bundschu started the North Carolina chapter. Bundschu is both a military veteran of the Army and an exited entrepreneur as he sold his PrepChamps startup a few years ago. He will also appear on the next episode of the North and South Carolina business television show called Carolina Business Review recorded in Charlotte with UNC-TV.

While Bunker Labs was started in Chicago, the non profit organization now has sixteen chapters and growing across the country with more on the way. One of the missions of Bunker Labs is to connect military veterans and spouses to new public, non-profit and private sector resources and contacts who can help them grow the business.

The Charlotte event focuses on connecting military veterans and spouses with available resources with private sector entrepreneurs and investors along with the representation from the North Carolina Military Business Center organization.

North Carolina has more of a hub and spoke model with Bunker Labs where the chapter is based in Durham, but has been having events in Fayetteville at Fayetteville Tech Community College near Ft. Bragg and in Wilmington in partnership with the Network for Entrepreneurs in Wilmington where last week’s event had 115 people registered.

Charlotte has become a haven in North Carolina for military veterans transitioning from active service. With the healthy economy in Charlotte, Bunker Labs hopes to help military veterans who are hoping to start new businesses to control their own careers post active service or for veterans who might want to find a new job with a company started by a veteran.

Panelists for the Aug. 3 event include :

  • Keith Luedeman – CEO and Founder of GoodMortgage.com – Entrepreneur focused on growth, customer service, and achieving profits. Founded goodmortgage.com in 1999 without outside investment, and has grown and managed the company as CEO until the sale to a PIMCO backed company in 2016. It grew at such a rate to be named to the Inc. 5000 Honor Roll – an honor awarded to companies that have been ranked on the growth list at least 5 times.
  • Fran Perez – Wilhite – Business Development Specialist with the NC Military Business Center Previously, Fran held numerous management positions at Philip Morris USA where she had been employed for thirteen years. Prior to this, she was a Lieutenant in the US Army. Ms. Perez-Wilhite graduated from Wake Forest University, where she earned a Master of Business Administration in 1997.
  • Ron Fisher – Business Development Officer, Southwest Region with Carolina Small Business Development Fund. He is responsible for business development for the 10 counties representing the Charlotte Metro area and the entire State of South Carolina. Prior to his current role, he operated his own consulting firm for 12 years providing business coaching and financial consulting services to financial institutions and non-profit economic development organizations in North and South Carolina.

Interested participants can register at:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bunker-brews-charlotte-connecting-veterans-to-business-resources-tickets-36167499966