Over 180 Military Veterans Attended Annual Conference in Nashville
By Erika Norton, WPAOG Senior Multimedia Journalist
West Point graduate and military veteran entrepreneurs, business leaders, and investors met in Music City for the annual West Point Entrepreneur Summit, where attendees participated in unique workshops and networking opportunities, including a Startup Showcase Pitch Competition.
Twenty-three entrepreneurs shared their startup pitches to a panel of military veteran venture capitalists and C-suite executives, where they were scored on criteria including disruptive potential, scalability, traction, and overall presentation quality. The winner was Luke Dressman, a 2016 West Point graduate and founder of Building & Repair Systems.
“I just had a slide with my financials, which I think spoke for themselves, and then I wrote a pitch and practiced it, but I don’t think I have a secret sauce,” Dressman said.
On the drive to the summit, Dressman said he practiced his pitch over 20 times. His company, BR Systems, is a commercial construction general contractor based in Nashville, TN, that specializes in renovations, tenant improvement, and custom design and build projects.
After graduating with a degree in System Engineering from West Point and serving as an Army Engineer Officer, Dressman spent the rest of his military career working for the Nashville district of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, igniting his future career in institutional construction. In 2022, Luke founded BR Systems with the mission of providing opportunities for the next generation of builders to build and maintain the nation’s infrastructure.
“I’m still in the front lines of operating my company, so my team is holding it down right now,” Dressman said. “It’s a sacrifice for them too, even two days for me to be here. So I’m very happy I get to go back and show that this was worth our time and that we’re getting some acknowledgement. I think a big part of business is just letting as many people as possible know who you are and what you do, so I was grateful to have that opportunity.”
WPAOG’s West Point Entrepreneur Summit occurs annually with a mission of bringing together graduate and veteran entrepreneurs, business leaders, and investors across the globe to create new opportunities for partnership and collaboration, while creating long-term networking value across the Long Gray Line. The event is open to all stages of entrepreneurship and occurs in a different major U.S. city each year.
WPAOG is also committed to providing other opportunities for graduate entrepreneurs year-round, including West Point Entrepreneur Roadshow events. By furthering outreach beyond the annual West Point Entrepreneur Summit, the Roadshow enhances the group’s educational value and increases the chances of reaching graduates in their local regions, while providing resources for those transitioning out of the military into other professional industries. This year alone, WPAOG has a slate of upcoming Roadshows lined up in New York City, Houston, Colorado Springs, and Baltimore during Army Navy Football Weekend.
