Through the Years: Founders Day Issue

2012 - The Rosie Network vision becomes reality.

2013 - The Rosie Network hosts its first fundraising gala and showcase at the home of, Craig Irving, San Diego Entrepreneur, with 25 local Rosie businesses featured, including one that went on to secure a deal on Shark Tank!

2013 - Hosted the first of many Military Family- Owned Showcase events in San Diego featuring over 30 local veteran and military spouse-owned small businesses. From North Carolina to Colorado and in-between, these showcase events provided over 200 local military family-owned businesses the opportunity to network and sell directly to the communities they live and serve in.

2014 - Rosie’s List (www.RosiesList.org) goes LIVE! Today, it features veteran, active duty, military spouse-owned businesses in every state and overseas as the largest database of its kind and the first to verify military affiliation.

2015 - Military Entrepreneur Magazine (M.E.MAG) is born!. The only non-profit publication dedicated to showcasing military-connected businesses and their owners.

2016 - Ribbon-cutting on San Diego’s only shared office incubator; the Military Entrepreneur Development Center (MEDC) served over 1,250 local service members, veterans and military spouse entrepreneurs. July 15th was established as The Rosie Network Day with a Proclamation from the City of San Diego and Councilmember Chris Cate

2017 - Inaugural Veteran and Military Entrepreneur Conference and Awards presented in partnership with the San Diego Business Journal. Hosted 160 military entrepreneurs for a daytime conference and 350 attendees at the evening awards dinner where winners were announced and recognized for their outstanding contributions within the military entrepreneur ecosystem.

2018 - Partnered with Westfield Corporation to launch showcase events connecting military family owned businesses with consumers at Westfield Malls in San Diego and Los Angeles.

2019 - Conducted the Military Spouse Entrepreneur Survey with Cal State University San Marcos, this was the first comprehensive study on our nation’s self-employed military spouses.

2020 - AAFES Veteran Business Expos. The Rosie Network partnered with Veterans Growing America, to launch the first showcase events hosted by AAFES locations around the country, featuring local veteran and military spouse-owned small businesses.

2021 - Collaborated with The United States Military Spouse Chamber to build the first National Veteran & Diversity Small Business eMarketplace featuring veteran and military spouse-owned product providers to AAFES and government PCard holders.