Project Opportunity - Logo

This story was written by Bobby Jones Staff Photojournalist for the Andrews Gazette, and originally appeared April 13th, 2016. This article is posted with permission and the original article can be read here: Andrew Gazette

Joe Giordano is a dedicated veteran whose passion about helping his fellow comrade-in-arms resonates today the same as he was when he served in coordinating security during Operation Eagle in support of the welcoming home of the 52 hostages from Iran after their release from captivity in January 1981.

After retiring from the Army in 1993, Giordano quickly became frustrated with trying to get a job, which eventually led him to starting his own business.

“I watched all of my fellow veterans come back from conflicts in Desert Storm trying to get a job and I just saw them struggle. The Maryland unemployment rate then was 16 or 17 percent,” Giordano said. “I just couldn’t understand why employers didn’t want to hire veterans.”

In 2010, the retired Army master sergeant’s commitment to helping veterans was further evidenced by him founding Project Opportunity (PO), a free entrepreneurship-training program, based solely on the purpose for helping veterans who want to start their own business or want to expand their current small business.

According Giordano, who has 35 years of human resources and leadership management to his credit, the annual program teaches veterans how to develop, research and produce a comprehensive business plan. PO covers all nine counties of the eastern shore, and during the 10 weeks, classes are split between five in Easton, Md. and five in Salisbury, Md.

“We rotate to ease the commute for students,” Giordano, a 20-year Army veteran, said.

“With Maryland having the highest unemployment rate for among veterans in the country, many of us veterans who work with vets are concerned. The economy is a little stagnant,” Giordano said.

In addition to founding PO, Giordano has an extensive career as a personnel administrator and training supervisor with the Army; five years as the human resources administrator for the Wicomico County Department of Social Services; two years as an employment specialist with K&L Microwave; and twelve years as owner of Consulting, Training, and Development Services.

Giordano noted there have been numerous studies done on veterans to show that veterans are prime candidates to become successful small business owners and entrepreneurs.

“They possess what I consider the four most important qualities needed to be a successful business owner – they are extremely self disciplined, highly motivated; they know how to problem solve and they know how to multitask, ” Giordano said. “Those qualities are used in the military and translate well in the civilian world. That’s why I hire only veterans as instructors, because they relate better in the classroom as they get to know each other.”

Project Opportunity accepts 12 veterans per course. The program is a 30-hour intensive course designed to prepare participants to research and complete a business plan.

Topics addressed over the 10 weeks range from business planning to effectively using social media and websites. The final week, participants present their business plans.

“My favorite part of the program is we have a formal graduation ceremony and each of the graduates have to get up in front of a room full of family and guests. It really is impressive to see from the first time when they walk into the classroom to actually having a fairly comprehensive developed business plan.”

Throughout the course, various performance measures are completed – like seeing how many veterans have registered their businesses with the state.

Giordano noted it’s difficult to keep tabs on all of the students once they graduate, but there are several success stories. One veteran stands out – Chuck Davis. Davis is a 2014 graduate of the course and now owns a window washing company called Kiss my Glass.

A Navy hospital corpsman 2nd class veteran, Davis is quick to tout the benefits of Program Opportunity.

“I was into my first year of starting a window cleaning service when I applied for Project Opportunity in 2013,” Davis said. “It gave me a great foundation to build a business plan. It was extremely helpful to make sure that the direction I was going in was the right one. Every guy who gets out of the military who wants to go into small business should go to Project Opportunity. It is without a doubt, the most thorough, well thought out way to build a business plan that I’ve ever seen.”

The 12 veterans attending the Southern Maryland class April 13 have already been selected, but Giordano is working to get more classes scheduled.

“We’re hoping to have classes in the fall both in Southern Maryland and we’re in negotiations to have a class start in Prince George’s County during that time frame as well, Giordano said. “I have a waiting list of about 110 veterans, with 40 of them from Prince George’s County. I’m fairly confident that we’ll be able to make that happen.”

Other county locations slotted for fall classes include Easton, Anne Arundel and Howard. To get on the waitlist, veterans can visit the Project Opportunity website.

To have the resources to make so many classes happen, Giordano said there is an immense amount of community support – including help from county workforce development offices. As a nonprofit, the company also writes grants and receives sponsorships from veteran-owned businesses.

Those wishing to get into the course have to pass a three-step process.

“We first schedule an orientation session were we explained the program,” Giordano said. “I like to call it the good, the bad and the ugly of entrepreneurship, to make sure they fully have a good idea of what they may be getting into. Then after, we have a candidate screening assessment of 20 questions where we ask for details to see how much thought they’ve given to their business venture and everything else that goes along with it. Once we get those assessments, we do a final telephone screening, and then we rank order them from top to bottom. We start at the top and offer seats in the class until we’re filled.”

Giordano advises anyone who wants to apply for Project Opportunity to have a thorough understanding of their customer profile.

“They also need to understand cash flow analysis and run the numbers to see if the business concept is successful,” Giordano said. “They need to truly recognize that a business is a living, breathing, working document that is continually reviewed, updated and modified as the economy and business dictates.”

In the end, Giordano is pleased his program helps veterans- directly through business ventures and indirectly as well.

“Every single student has promised to hire veterans first. That makes me feel good to know that these veterans are providing future employment opportunities down the road,” Giordano said. “They deserve a reward and a break when they come back from serving our country.”

Project Opportunity - Logo

PNC Bank

SALISBURY, Md., April 10, 2019 – Project Opportunity, an entrepreneurship training program for veterans, active duty and reserve military personnel announced today that it has received $13,000 from PNC Bank’s Community Development Banking (CDB) Department as a sponsorship to support Project Opportunity entrepreneurship classes in 2019.

“Funding for Project Opportunity is key to our success in supporting military personnel transitioning to the business world as they learn what it takes to start their own businesses,” said Army Master Sergeant (Retired) and founder of Project Opportunity, Joe Giordano. “We are very grateful to PNC for their generous  sponsorship to help us do just that so that we may continue to offer this program at no cost to those veterans and military personnel selected to participate.”

CDB is a distinct line of business within PNC’s retail bank that is primarily engaged in activities that strengthen low- to moderate-income (LMI) people and geographies. CDB is the primary interface with organizations engaged in affordable housing, economic development, financial education, community services for LMI individuals and revitalization and stabilization of LMI areas. It is imperative that PNC Bank provide entrepreneurs a strong foundation as they seek to become successful, small business owners.


 About Project Opportunity

Project Opportunity is a free entrepreneurship training program for active duty military and veterans who want to start their own businesses. The ten-week (30 hour) intensive course is designed to prepare veterans to research and complete a business plan. Founded on the Eastern Shore of Maryland in 2010, Project Opportunity has since expanded to Anne Arundel County, Baltimore, Howard County, Prince George’s County and Southern Maryland. Contributions from county economic development authorities, local banks, private foundations, and fraternal organizations help ensure that the classes are free to veteran participants.

Project Opportunity - Logo

BB & T Bank

SALISBURY, Md., April 8, 2019 – Project Opportunity, an entrepreneurship training program for veterans, active duty, and reserve military personnel announced today that it has received $5000.00 from Branch Banking and Trust Company (BB&T) Community Development Department to support Project Opportunity entrepreneurship classes in 2019.

“Funding for Project Opportunity is key to our success in supporting military personnel transitioning to the business world as they learn what it takes to start their own businesses,” said Army Master Sergeant. (retired) and founder of Project Opportunity, Joe Giordano. “We are very grateful to BB&T for their generous grant to help us do just that so that we may continue to offer this program at no cost to those veterans and military personnel selected to participate.”

 

“BB&T’s support for Project Opportunity has been a rewarding experience. The work that they are doing for our Veterans is very meaningful and impactful, and has made a difference in the lives of the Veterans they serve. I have enjoyed working with our Veterans to help them fulfill their dream of becoming an entrepreneur.”

Ginger Donovan, Market Leader – Salisbury, MD.

 


About Project Opportunity

Project Opportunity is a free entrepreneurship training program for active military and veterans who want to start their own businesses. The ten-week (30 hour) intensive course is designed to prepare veterans to research and complete a business plan. Founded on the Eastern Shore of Maryland in 2010, Project Opportunity has since expanded to Anne Arundel County, Baltimore, Howard County, Prince George’s County, and Southern Maryland. Contributions from county economic development authorities, local banks, private foundations, and fraternal organizations help ensure that the classes are free to veteran participants.

Project Opportunity - Logo
CFES Grant Award Photo

Photo Left to Right: Erica Joseph, President Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore, Joe Giordano, Founder Project Opportunity, Gregory Padgham, Executive Director Tri-County Council for Lower Eastern Shore, Heather Mahler, Program Director Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore

Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore

SALISBURY, MD., February 20, 2019 – Project Opportunity, an entrepreneurship training program for active military and veterans in the State of Maryland, announced today that it has received $1,300 grant from the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore to conduct two workshops for Project Opportunity graduates, veteran small business owners, and agencies and organizations that support veteran activities and programs.

These two workshops will assist agencies and organizations that serve veterans by providing information, tips, and guidance to improve their grant writing skills and to provide Project Opportunity graduates and veteran small business owners with improved knowledge of Social Media and how to utilize it to grow their business.

“The Community Foundation is excited to support Project Opportunity and the veterans it serves,” states Community Foundation President Erica Joseph. “Grants like this have a ripple effect through our community – providing training, business growth, and economic impact in our region.”

 “Funding for Project Opportunity is key to our success in supporting military personnel transitioning to the business world as they learn what it takes to start their own businesses,” said Army Master Sgt. (retired) and founder of Project Opportunity, Joe Giordano. “We are very grateful to the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore for their generous grant to help us do just that.”

Established 2010, Project Opportunity has graduated more than 200 military personnel and veterans from classes in the Eastern Shore, Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles, Howard, Prince George’s and St Mary’s counties and Baltimore City.


About Project Opportunity

Project Opportunity is a free entrepreneurship training program for active military and veterans who want to start their own businesses. The ten-week (30 hour) intensive course is designed to prepare veterans to research and complete a business plan. Founded on the Eastern Shore of Maryland in 2010, Project Opportunity has since expanded to Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles, Howard, Prince George’s and St Mary’s counties and Baltimore City.  Contributions from county economic development authorities, local banks and private foundations help ensure that the classes are free to veteran participants.

Project Opportunity - Logo

Allegis Group

SALISBURY, MD., Feb 1, 2019 – Project Opportunity, an entrepreneurship training program for active duty military, reserve personnel, and veterans who reside or are stationed in Maryland, announced today that it has received a grant from Allegis Group, the global leader in talent solutions, to support the Anne Arundel Spring 2019 Class. Allegis Group is an organization committed to creating opportunity – within its own walls as well as in the community.

“Funding for Project Opportunity is key to our success in supporting military personnel transitioning to the business world as they learn what it takes to start their own businesses,” said Army Master Sgt. (retired) and founder of Project Opportunity, Joe Giordano. “We are very grateful to Allegis Group for their generous grant to help us do just that.”

Established 2010, Project Opportunity has graduated more than 200 military personnel and veterans from classes held throughout Maryland.


About Project Opportunity

Project Opportunity is a free entrepreneurship training program for active military and veterans who want to start their own businesses. The ten-week (30 hour) intensive course is designed to prepare veterans to research and complete a business plan. Founded on the Eastern Shore of Maryland in 2010, Project Opportunity has since expanded to Annapolis, Baltimore, Columbia, Glen Burnie, Prince George’s County and Southern Maryland. Contributions from county economic development authorities, local banks, fraternal organizations and private foundations help ensure that the classes are free to veteran participants.

Project Opportunity - Logo

This story was written by Shelby Conrad for the Bay Weekly. This article is posted with permission and the original article can be read here: Bay Weekly

Ideas may have the power to change the world, but they don’t become reality through wishful thinking. They take hard work.

Joe Giordano knows just how much work.

He’s the founder of Project Opportunity, a program to help veterans turn their ideas into reality. Giordano isn’t just an idea veteran; he’s a military veteran, too.

“I founded Project Opportunity in 2010 because of the high unemployment rate among veterans,” Giordano said. “I wanted to give them an alternative to traditional employment.”

His 10-week, 30-hour intensive course is an entrepreneur-training program to help veterans start their own business. The only prerequisite is to have a solid business idea.

The best part? It’s free.

The course ranges from business plans to money management and accounting. The evolving program recently added social-media marketing and sales to the syllabus.

Chuck Davis, a 2014 Project Opportunity graduate in Glen Burnie, calls the class, “the ultimate roadmap to becoming an entrepreneur.” His business, Kiss My Glass Window Cleaners, has continued to grow since he took the course.

Project Opportunity - Logo
Beth Goldberg, Safeway Eastern Division Senior Manager for Community and Public Affairs, presenting Safeway Foundation Grant in support of Project Opportunity to Gregory Padgham, Director Tri County Council for Lower Eastern Shore and Joe Giordano, Founder Project Opportunity

Beth Goldberg, Safeway Eastern Division Senior Manager for Community and Public Affairs, presenting Safeway Foundation Grant in support of Project Opportunity to Gregory Padgham, Director Tri County Council for Lower Eastern Shore and Joe Giordano, Founder Project Opportunity


Project Opportunity was awarded a grant, as one of the seventeen finalists from the Safeway Foundation. The grant award will assist Project Opportunity in offering two classes during 2019.

$321,000 in Safeway Foundation grants will support seventeen local organizations that provide area veterans with assistance in career training, stress counseling, social activities and rehab programs, and support to the families of fallen soldiers. Funds were raised during the month of October at stores in DC, VA, MD and DE, where customers were asked to “Support Our Veterans.”

Safeway Foundation and Safeway believe our veterans’ sacrifice and service should be honored”, said Tom Lofland, Safeway Eastern Division President. “We are proud to help support their transition back into civilian life.”

Veterans organizations receiving grants included: American Humane, Blue Star Families, Inc., Central Union Mission, Easter Seals Serving DC/MD/VA, Goodwill Industries of The Chesapeake, Inc., Hero Dogs, Home Away Transitional Services, Hylton Performing Arts Center, Maryland Center for Veteran Employment & Training, Project Opportunity (Tri-County Council Foundation, Inc.), Rebuilding Together DC/Alexandria, Sekhem Health Healing, The Mission Continues, The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars, U.S. Veteran Initiative (USVETS), United Way of Central Maryland and USO of Metropolitan Washington-Baltimore.

Project Opportunity is a free entrepreneurship training program which has been designed solely for veterans who want to start their own business. The prerequisite for veterans who wish to be considered to participate is they must have a solid idea of what business venture they want to start because the course is designed to develop and complete a comprehensive business plan instead of just exploring the possibility of entrepreneurship. The program is a 10 week (30 hour) intensive course designed to prepare participants to research and complete a business plan.


Safeway Foundation Mission

Our Foundation supports causes that impact our customers’ lives. Our stores provide the opportunity to mobilize funding and create awareness in our neighborhoods through our employees’ passion, partnerships with our vendors and the generous contributions by our customers.

Carefully directing contributions, we work in collaboration with local organizations and seek to improve the quality of life in the communities we serve.  We take pride in ensuring that the vast majority of the funds we raise stays in local communities and reflects what is important to our customers and employees.

Project Opportunity - Logo

Andrea Garris Jackson, Co-Founder of the Maryland Military and Veteran Women Business Conference presenting Certificate of Appreciation after discussing Project Opportunity with attendees.


Purpose

The conference is designed to provide information and resources to active duty military personnel, transitioning soldiers, military spouses and veterans in order to grow their businesses successfully.

Mission

Our mission is to ignite entrepreneurial synergy by bringing together military personnel, business owners, emerging entrepreneurs, organizations, government agencies and private sector representatives to share best practices and provide resources on how to do business together.

For more information please go to: www.marylandwomenvets.com

Project Opportunity - Logo

Project Opportunity is pleased to announce that we have had three graduates selected for the Initial Global Good Fund Veterans Leadership Program.  Congratulations Fred Barnes, Phillip Scott, and Enrique Young.


Fred Barnes

Fred Barnes is a graduate of the Columbia Fall 2013 Class.  His business is TAC Integrated Solutions (www.tacintegrated.com).  TAC Integrated Solutions specializes in protecting Critical Information and empowering Information Discovery in support of the Defense, Intelligence, National Security and Federal Civilian missions. We leverage developed technology coupled with subject matter expertise to apply towards solving complex challenges in the following areas:  Advanced Analysis, Enterprise/IT Security, and Cyber Solutions.


Phillip Scott

Phillip Scott is a graduate of the Baltimore Spring 2017 Class.  He is the owner of Jetseal, Inc. (www.jetsealonline.com).  They provide the following services:

  • Parking lot maintenance and repair
  • Driveway maintenance and repair
  • Sealcoating
  • Striping
  • Snow removal
  • Signage
  • Paving
  • Crack repair

Enrique Young

Enrique Young is a graduate of the Columbia Spring 2014 Class.  He is the Founder of FEBA, Inc (www.febasecurity.com).  FEBA has the experience to quickly mobilize personnel, management and assets to provide Protective Security and Event Staffing services to mitigate risk and enhance efficiency at various locations in the Country, to include MGM properties and specifically the Theater at National Harbor, Maryland. FEBA understands the possible nefarious threats that could befall the Theater at National Harbor and has taken every precaution to ensure that the security personnel assigned to the Back Stage areas in general and the theater in particular are professional and capable of preventing hostile acts and are proactive in apprehending and stopping those individuals bent on making a public statement or injuring Theater Patrons. Since February 1, 2017, FEBA has provided back stage event security support for more than 25 shows. FEBA is ready and has been responsive to Theater Management calls and in many cases were able to provide theater support with quality personnel with little notice.


The Global Good Fund

The Global Good Fund recognizes that Veterans have received leadership training throughout their military service.  While many military leadership traits translate well into business, Veteran entrepreneurs like all entrepreneurs face unique challenges in growing and scaling their businesses.  According to the Small Business Administration, there are 2.5 million Veteran owned businesses that employ over 5 million people.

In an effort to support the leadership needs of Veteran entrepreneurs, The Global Good Fund has partnered with the Smithfield Foundation to launch the Veterans Leadership Program to provide personalized leadership development, executive mentoring and $10,000 in targeted capital to invigorate the leadership growth of veteran entrepreneurs. In 2018, the Global Good Fund will select 5 Veteran entrepreneurs to participate in the program.

For more information about this program please visit their website: https://globalgoodfund.org/people/veterans/

Project Opportunity - Logo

This story originally appeared in the August 13 edition of the Laurel Star. is posted with permission and the original article can be read here: Tony Russon Digital Clips

Joe Giordano, Founder of Project Opportunity

Project Opportunity free entrepreneur training for vets will be offered this fall. There is an interest meeting beginning 6:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 24, at the Wicomico Partnership, 408 Cole Circle in Salisbury.

Military service can give a person access to as much self-knowledge as it can intellectual knowledge. Training teaches them a skill, but it also teaches a lesson about limits and wherewithal. Increasingly, though, learning to translate military training into marketable private sector skills upon discharge can be difficult. This seems to be particularly true in Maryland, which has the highest unemployed veteran rate in the country.

Project Opportunity, a program aimed at walking vets through the entrepreneurial process, aims to change that. Founded by Army veteran Joe Giordano, Salisbury, Md., in 2010, Project Opportunity provides veterans from throughout the peninsula who have the will a way to focus their drive. Over the course of a little more than two months, participants will learn to create a solid business plan and then write that plan.

The ten-week course can be challenging, even for people who already have endured boot camp, but in the end, the successful participants have a document they can take to a bank, investors, or one of the other entrepreneurial support programs, like SCORE or the Salisbury Small Business Development Center.
Over the last five years, Giordano has held at least two sessions per year all over the middle of the state. He’s had a hand in helping successful entrepreneurs on the Eastern Shore, in Anne Arundel and Howard counties and throughout southern Maryland. Over the last five years, more than 140 people have graduated from the program, one-third of whom were on the Eastern Shore. Giordano said the program has an 87-percent completion rate.

When he started Project Opportunity, Giordano already had more than a decade of private sector experience in workforce development. Working with states, counties and municipalities as well as private industry, he was able to put his organizational experience from the military to good use in the private sector.
But experience is only part of the equation. Giordano knew he needed the right tools to accomplish his vision of establishing a free program to help veterans bring their ideas into the real world. To that end, he elected to follow the NxLevel Curriculum, a nationally recognized training program. Using the guidelines and course materials Giordano constructed the bones of the program.

As with any other project, it requires a lot of people with a lot of expertise to get all the work that needs to be done completed. Small business owners have to, at the very least, have a working knowledge of the financial, marketing and legal aspects of running a business. To this end, Giordano engages speakers who come in and do workshops with the students: bankers review their cash flow analyses, marketing professionals review their marketing plans, etc.
At the end, students know whether or not their plan needs more work or whether it might make sense to begin seeking finance immediately. In either case, the program already will have given them the tools they need to take the next step.

The training is intensive, so people are encouraged to have a working idea about the business they would like to start.

“I need veterans who are focused, because we hit the ground running,” Giordano said.

The program includes 30 hours of classroom time (three hours per week for 10 weeks) and about 25 hours per week of homework.
The homework is for real. The Project Opportunity training assumes that people come to work. Giordano said that for many, the first week is the hardest, because even though the participants believe they know what it is like to have to do 25 hours of extra work every week, it isn’t until they are in the middle of it that the true implications hit home.

“When we tell them there’s 25 hours of outside work, a lot of times I don’t think they understand what that means,” Giordano said.

Before the classes start in September, there is an interest meeting, to give people a program overview.

“I call it the good the bad and the ugly of entrepreneurial training,” Giordano said.

During the two hour presentation, he lays out the course description and takes questions about procedures and opportunities. Even though the classes are free, class space is limited, so it is important that people who are interested are prepared to make the commitment. Commitment and dedication aren’t a real problem for veterans, but it is critical that they are informed about the entire project.

This session of classes will be split between Easton and Salisbury. The Easton classes will be held at the DLLR Workforce Center on Bay Street, and the Salisbury classes will be held at the Wicomico Partnership on Coles Circle.