This story is part 2 of an ongoing series highlighting customers who participated in the Suralink Gives Back initiative. To learn more about the program and how Suralink is supporting causes that matter to our customers, read the original announcement: Suralink Gives Back.
For most, the transition from military life to the civilian world is a search for a new mission. For John Panaccione, co-founder of VETtoCEO, that mission is helping fellow veterans trade their uniforms for the title of business owner.
From Service to Success
The seeds for VETtoCEO were sown in 2013 when John, an Army veteran and entrepreneur, recognized a powerful parallel. He realized that “the leadership, discipline, and resilience we develop in the military are the very qualities essential for entrepreneurial success.”
Alongside co-founder Michael Horn, John saw that while veterans possessed the grit to succeed, they often lacked specific civilian expertise. This realization led them to establish VETtoCEO to help veterans “rejoin their tribe with a new mission, leveraging their military-earned skills to pursue a civilian career path that offers genuine freedom,” John explains.
Bridging the Entrepreneurial Gap
While veterans from the WWII and Vietnam eras were known for their entrepreneurial spirit, John noted a concerning generational decline in veteran-led startups. VETtoCEO exists to bridge the gap between military experience and business requirements like fundraising and financial modeling.
The organization offers three distinct pathways to help veterans navigate the journey:
Startup development: Building a business from the ground up
Franchising: Leveraging proven business models
Business acquisition: Mastering the approach to buying existing small businesses
“Most importantly, we foster a supportive community of mentors and alumni, ensuring that no veteran has to face this journey alone,” John says.
Thirteen years since its founding, the impact is significant: over 10,000 veterans have moved through their programs, transforming their military service into small business ownership.
Scaling Impact for 2026
Contributions to VETtoCEO do more than just fund a course; they protect a legacy of service and ensure that the transition to civilian life leads to opportunity.
The support from donors like Suralink helps VETtoCEO achieve three critical objectives for the coming months:
Maintaining free access: Donations ensure the organization never has to charge people who have already served, keeping the core Accelerator Program free for verified veterans.
Program expansion: Expanding the "Pass The Guidon" program, which teaches veterans best practices for buying or selling an existing small business.
Strengthening the network: Growing the Alumni Channel and Slack community to allow past participants to stay connected, receive ongoing coaching, and support the next cohort of veteran entrepreneurs.
John and his team’s work serves as a powerful reminder that the skills gained in uniform are a lifelong asset, and Suralink is proud to support a leader dedicated to empowering those who have served. To learn more about VETtoCEO, visit https://www.vettoceo.org/