To start a business is part of the American Dream, and now the Florida State University College of Business is helping make that dream possible for some of those who sacrificed the most to preserve it.

Twenty veterans with disabilities from post-Sept. 11 conflicts are set to begin the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities program where they will get a crash course in becoming an entrepreneur.

"It is an honor to provide this service to those who have sacrificed so much for all of us," said Randy Blass, an assistant professor of organization behavior at Florida State and director of the boot camp program.

The program brings together faculty from the College of Business with entrepreneurs, disability experts and small businesses. Offered by a consortium of universities, it starts with a three-week online course, followed by a week on-campus and then 12 months of ongoing support and mentorship from faculty experts.

Blass says the whole point is opportunity. "Returning from service is a daunting experience, and acclimating into civilian life can be extremely difficult," says Blass, himself a former lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force. "This program strives to ease this transition by giving each veteran participant the opportunity to create a business and develop a career."