Veteran Entrepreneurs Mark Rockefeller and Mickey Konson Win Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award in Financial Services

Josh Harris is the founder of Agency Growth Secrets, a high-tech marketing company using leading technology, including machine learning and data targeting. Joshua Harris is a passionate entrepreneur who gives support to US Military Veterans becoming entrepreneurs. Recently, Agency Growth Secrets and Josh Harris launched a site dedicated to supporting US Military Veteran entrepreneurs. Josh Harris reviews how having the right mentor can drastically change your business. In this Entrepreneur article, the founder of Agency Growth Secrets reviews how an entrepreneur can start a successful business with just a laptop and a phone. He is also part of a group of entrepreneurs called the Oracles. Josh lives in Largo, Florida with his wife and 2 daughters.

Time and time again, military veterans prove that they are naturally suited for entrepreneurship. Mark Rockefeller and Mickey Konson, owners of StreetShares, proved that this year as they earned Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award in Financial Services for the Mid-Atlantic region. The two entrepreneurs have led the way for those seeking to combine finance and innovation while remaining committed to their business and community.

Upon accepting the award, Rockefeller shared, “At StreetShares, our goal is to breathe new life into the American Dream by providing small business owners in the military community with innovative financial solutions.”

Military veterans value honesty, community, and comradery. Three things that Rockefeller and Konson translated into their business. In 2013, when the two founded their company, they realized that banks weren’t lending to new businesses. This often led smaller businesses into desperation, partnering with dishonest and sometimes deceitful lenders to get their businesses up and running. Many veteran entrepreneurs became victim to such lenders.

Rockefeller and Konson decided that American business owners deserved better. They deserved financial options that were honest and fair. Their solution to a challenge that thousands of small business owners faced was StreetShares. Since its creation, StreetShares has created a community of military entrepreneurs seeking safe financial solutions for their business ventures.

The company aims to connect America’s heroes with trustworthy digital finance. The StreetShares team is comprised of veterans and civilians who are passionate about helping America’s entrepreneurs succeed. The military and veteran community benefit from the company’s customized small business loans, lines of credit for working capital, mobilization and receivables financing for government contractors, high-yield investments, and veteran community retail investment products. The company now has over 60,000 members, 47 employees, and more than $100 million loaned to small business owners in the United States.

The best businesses are created when the founders are invested in the community they support. Mark Rockefeller is a U.S. Air Force veteran who served in Iraq and Mickey Konson served as an Airman for the South African Air Force. Both know the struggles that veterans face as they transition into civilian life, especially those transitioning into entrepreneurship. Many veterans are susceptible to deceit as they start their businesses. Mark and Mickey are serving the military community in a unique and innovative way by providing them with safe and fair financing options.

Even more than themselves, the two created a team that was passionate and invested. When building their company, the two gentlemen did an excellent job of selecting valuable and passionate team members. They sourced a combination of civilians and veterans, all of whom are passionate about finding fair and honest financial business solutions.

Rockefeller continued, “This honor is a result of our entire team’s dedication and passion for the special community we serve.”

During their time of service, veterans learn and develop skills that translate into tools for growth and success in the world of business. Rockefeller and Konson are proving that they are helping other veteran entrepreneurs find success through their savvy and trustworthy lending program.