Veterans In Business (VIB) National Conference 2025: Our Field Notes from San Diego

Dates & location: November 12–13, 2025 • San Diego, CA. The VIB National Conference is built to connect veteran-owned businesses with corporations, government agencies, and primes looking for contracting partners. Veterans In Business Network

Why we went

Our growth plan leans on disciplined business development in both corporate and public sectors. VIB is purpose-built for that—two focused days where supplier diversity teams, agencies, and primes are in the same rooms with veteran founders ready to team, pitch, and execute. Veterans In Business Network

What stood out

• Direct access to buyers. The environment prioritized real conversations with decision-makers over passive expo browsing—ideal for advancing deals or clarifying requirements. Veterans In Business Network
• Procurement readiness, front and center. Expectation-setting around certifications, risk, and proof of performance remained consistent: come with clear capabilities, compliance, and tight case studies. Veterans In Business Network
• Teaming energy. Primes and larger vendors openly discussed where they need qualified subs—useful signal for shaping our near-term capture plan. Veterans In Business Network
• Actionable programming. Sessions and hallway conversations focused on how to get onboarded, what evidence buyers want, and how to structure a low-friction pilot. Veterans In Business Network

Five takeaways we’re acting on

1. Tighten our capability narrative. Lead with one-line outcomes, 2–3 validated use cases, and contract-ready scope blocks tailored to corporate vs. agency buyers. Veterans In Business Network
2. Stand up a supplier-portal sprint. Prioritize top targets; complete registrations with prepped compliance artifacts (COI, cybersecurity controls, NAICS, contacts). Veterans In Business Network
3. Make pilots irresistible. Offer 30–60 day pilots with success criteria, rollback plans, and executive-readouts that map to buyer KPIs. Veterans In Business Network
4. Build a teaming bench. Formalize MOUs with complementary VOBs/SDVOBs met onsite to bid bigger, faster. Veterans In Business Network
5. Forecast by lane. Separate corporate and government funnels with distinct cycle times, payback targets, and capture cadences. Veterans In Business Network

Conversations that moved the needle

• Supplier diversity to operations: “Evidence beats adjectives.” Translating wins into buyer-relevant metrics shortened the distance from interest to action. Veterans In Business Network
• Primes on sub selection: Clear compliance + past performance + availability wins the invite. Keep artifacts current and easy to share. Veterans In Business Network

Our 30/60/90 from VIB

• Next 30 days: Log every contact; send capability one-pagers; schedule follow-ups with two targeted primes and two corporate teams; submit three priority supplier-portal apps. Veterans In Business Network
• 60 days: Convert two conversations into scoped pilots; publish refreshed case studies; finalize teaming agreements for at least one multi-award vehicle pursuit. Veterans In Business Network
• 90 days: Lock capture calendar through Q2; align financing (AR/PO options) for scale; complete a compliance “go-bag” (SOC/IT controls, insurance, safety, quality). Veterans In Business Network

Gratitude & next steps

Appreciation to the organizers, sponsors, and peers who made the time for candid, practical dialogue. If we connected at VIB and want to push a conversation forward—pilot, teaming, or procurement readiness—let’s get a time on the calendar. San Diego was the start; execution is next.

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