Action Zone, an entrepreneur support organization that serves military community members in establishing, or growing, their businesses, has named Kishima Garcia as its new executive director.
Garcia is an entrepreneur, United States Air Force veteran and a military spouse. She previously was executive vice president of human capital and strategy at Quiet Professionals.
“Inviting Kishima to lead our Action Zone team is one of our first goals to continue expanding this organization,” said Rosie Lee, co-founder and outgoing executive director, in a statement. “Executing on our own business model, including growth and expansion, is one of the most rewarding experiences for a business. Kishima is the perfect person, with the precise qualifications we need, to continue serving our military community entrepreneurs in Florida and around the country.”
Action Zone was established in 2018 to serve veterans, retirees, active-duty personnel, guard, reservists and military spouses seeking alternatives to employment and government contracting, in favor of business ownership.
The organization was co-founded by veterans and military community members with decades of entrepreneurial experience including George Zwierko, U.S. Army and Rumbo, Valerie Lavin, U.S. Army and Luminary Global, Donny Nurnberger, U.S Marines and Rosie Lee, military spouse.
Lavin, co-founder and Chairman of the Board says,
“Some of what sets Action Zone apart is that our founders, facilitators and program managers are proficient entrepreneurs,” says Lavin. “We’ve experienced the ups and downs of starting, growing and, yes, even closing a business. We share those experiences, alongside our proprietary curriculum to help our military community members find financial success, after service, in their own businesses.”
In December, Action Zone announced a new collaboration, and sponsorship, with Healthy West Kendall to offer business startup programs and support to military community entrepreneurs
in West Kendall and the surrounding South Florida region. Since 2018 Action Zone has remained a network partner for Veterans Florida, a nonprofit that serves veterans throughout the state, providing sponsored program seats for veterans in Florida.
Action Zone has served more than 150 veterans in their startup programs and more than 2,500 veterans through workshops and community events. The veterans reporting their success from participating in the program include more than 50 businesses launched or grown, nearly 300 jobs created, and more than $15,000,000 in revenue generated. With expansion into South Florida and additional virtual programs offered, Action Zone anticipates at least a 50 percent increase in those success stories by the fourth quarter of 2023.
You can watch the live announcement today, at 9 a.m. on Facebook here.
