What if some of America’s best future entrepreneurs and leaders are already being trained inside the U.S. military? Ryan Micheletti is a military veteran, entrepreneur, startup ecosystem builder, and Co-Founder and General Partner of The Veteran Fund, a venture capital firm investing in veteran-led companies developing critical technologies. In this episode of The Mark Haney Show, Mark sits down with Ryan to explore why veterans may be uniquely equipped to build the companies America needs next—and why venture capital is rapidly changing as artificial intelligence, defense technology, aerospace, advanced manufacturing, robotics, and other critical technologies reshape the economy. Ryan shares his own journey from serving in the California National Guard to co-founding Vet-Tech, one of the country’s first startup accelerators focused on military veterans, and later spending more than a decade helping scale Founder Institute’s global startup ecosystem. They also dive into The Veteran Fund and its mission to find exceptional veteran entrepreneurs, surround them with an influential network of investors and advisors, and help them build technologies that strengthen America’s economy and national security. Mark and Ryan discuss: • Why military experience can translate so well to entrepreneurship • What Ryan looks for when evaluating founders • Why great teams still matter more than great technology • The Veteran Fund’s approach to critical and dual-use technologies • AI, aerospace, autonomous systems, advanced manufacturing, and defense tech • How Silicon Valley is returning to its national-security roots • The changing venture capital landscape • Why fundraising can become a dangerous distraction for startup founders • How investors can help “engineer wins” beyond simply writing a check • Ryan’s vision for a new generation of veteran entrepreneurs and American leaders Ryan ultimately believes this is about much more than venture capital. It is about helping veterans translate leadership, service, discipline, and experience into the capital, influence, and companies necessary to shape America’s future. If you believe entrepreneurs are the heroes of the American economy—and that leadership matters now more than ever—this is a conversation you won’t want to miss. ______________________________________________________________ Growth Factory Ventures’ Partner Network brings together a hand-selected group of trusted firms that help founders, operators, and growing companies tackle the challenges that come with scaling. These aren’t just sponsors—they’re partners embedded in the Growth Factory ecosystem, offering expertise across areas like wealth management, employee benefits, lending, branding, go-to-market strategy, operations, and more. Learn more and connect with the Growth Factory Partner Network: https://growthfactory.vc/partner-network ______________________________________________________________ If this episode inspires you to be part of the movement, and you believe, like me, that entrepreneurs are the answer to our future, message me so we can join forces to support building truly great companies in our region. -Subscribe to my channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCom_... - Mark Haney is a serial entrepreneur that has experience growing companies worth hundreds of millions of dollars. He is currently the CEO and founder of HaneyBiz - Instagram: http://instagram.com/themarkhaney Facebook: www.facebook.com/themarkhaney LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markehaney Website: http://haneybiz.com Audio Boom: https://audioboom.com/channels/5005273 Twitter: http://twitter.com/themarkhaney-This video includes personal knowledge, experiences, and opinions about Angel Investing by seasoned angel investors. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal, tax, investment, or financial advice. Nothing in this video constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, or endorsement. #thebackyardadvantage #themarkhaneyshow #entrepreneur #PowerOfWith #SacramentoEntrepreneur #Sacramento#SacramentoSmallBusiness #SmallBusiness #GrowthFactory #Investor#podcast #RyanMicheletti #VeteranFund #Entrepreneurship #VentureCapital #Veterans #Startups #Leadership #DefenseTech #ArtificialIntelligence #AmericanInnovation #TheMarkHaneyShow