Attorney, Entrepreneur, Senior Business Executive, and Philanthropist
November is Military Family Appreciation Month. As we celebrate Thanksgiving, please join me in taking time to honor the men and women who serve our country and the families that support them. I am thankful for the sacrifices they make to defend our freedom.
Happy Thanksgiving!
We were honored to have Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff visit Dog Tag Bakery today in honor of Veterans Day. They met with a few of the veteran alumni from our fellowship program including:
Monifa Caines (Cohort 10): Air Force veteran, 8.5 years on active duty before being medically-retired. After Dog Tag, she launched her own small business, Queen of Spades Natural Hair Accessories.
Jared Lenahan (Cohort 11): Navy veteran; medically-retired. Came to Dog Tag to pursue his dream of opening an adaptive gym for adaptive athletes and wonder warriors.
Tara Grant (Cohort 8): Army veteran; medically-retired after 25 years of service. Came to Dog Tag to explore her dream of opening her own restaurant.
Teresa Vanderford Gomez (Cohort 9): Air Force veteran; served on active duty for 23 years before retiring in 2018. Certified as a Professional Chef Level 3 through the Culinary Institute of America.
I appreciate Vice President-elect Harris’s support of the veterans community, and I am grateful that she was able to spend part of Veterans Day with us to honor the men and women who have served our country.
This morning, @DouglasEmhoff and I stopped by @DogTagBakery, a local D.C. bakery that empowers our nation's veterans, military families, and caregivers. Grateful to all who support our veterans in our communities. pic.twitter.com/pnfjBlIdlQ
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) November 11, 2020
In honor of #VeteransDay, Vice President-elect @KamalaHarris and Doug Emhoff stopped by Dog Tag Bakery earlier today to meet with several veteran alumni from our fellowship program!
We are grateful for their support and look forward to welcoming them back soon! pic.twitter.com/OcAkqxZEyn
— Dog Tag Bakery (@DogTagBakery) November 11, 2020
Food brings communities together. I’m proud of the work that Dog Tag Bakery is doing to help Jose Andres and World Central Kitchen spread hope across the United States.
Military Families Magazine recently highlighted the work of Dog Tag Bakery:
Claire Witko, Dog Tag’s director of programs, says the fellowship is designed to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset. “That includes,” she says, “understanding that failure is an unavoidable part of forging a successful path forward, and that learning how to rebound and find creative solutions to challenges are essential skills.”
The aim of the program, however, isn’t to groom the next Elon Musk or Oprah Winfrey.
“We don’t define success,” Witko said. “Our fellows discover their own definition of success. It’s about finding purpose and voice.”
Read more: Bakery serves up more than pastries for military-affiliated entrepreneurs