~ Operation - Ranger Up! ~

Ranger Up, the fast growing North Carolina-based apparel company owned by veterans of the United States Army Rangers and Special Forces, today launched a crowdfunding effort on indiegogo.com: to support their successful Veteran Entrepreneurship program which provides business training and seed investment to returning veterans interested in entrepreneurship.

Recently recognized by Internet Retailer as one of the Hot 100 e-commerce firms in the United States, Ranger Up was started in an apartment just seven years ago by a duo of veterans intent on providing the military community with its own brand. Now with a Facebook following of over 250,000 and millions in annual revenue, Ranger Up is equally focused on paying forward their success by working with and investing in the business ventures of other veterans.

“Engaging veterans in entrepreneurship is good for society. Small business is the driving force behind our economy and veterans succeed at it more than anyone,” said Ranger Up Founder and CEO Nick Palmisciano. “They come from a world where failure isn’t an option; they are used to having a mission they have to complete.”

Palmiciano and Ranger Up COO Tom Amenta have had their confidence in veteran entrepreneurial skills affirmed watching inaugural Veteran Entrepreneurship Jon Walsh successfully launch a Mixed Martial Arts training gym with the mentorship and investment capital of Ranger Up. Walsh, a former Force Recon Marine and a Navy Cross recipient is now the proud owner of Five Rings MMA, a fast-growing mixed martial arts gym in the greater Camp Lejeune area.

While Ranger Up loves the program and is inspired to continue it, hopefully at a larger level, Palmisciano admits the program has a cost – in the case of Walsh, over $100,000.  

“We have so much knowledge to share, but at our revenue size, the program isn’t sustainable on an annual basis.  We’re left with a choice: do it every two years or look to our community for support.  So we’re asking for help.”

In order for the Veteran Entrepreneurship program to expand and continue without hindering Ranger Up’s growing business, Palmisciano and Amenta are turning to both the public and its loyal customer base to support the next addition to the program. Costs of full-time employment for the selected veteran during business training and the additional seed capital that will launch the new company are expected to exceed $100,000 once again. 

A five-minute video featuring Palmisciano and Walsh explaining the program has been posted indiegogo.com: where supporters from around the world will have the opportunity to contribute to making another year of the Veteran Entrepreneurship program a reality.

“I had 100% drive and zero percent direction,” said Walsh of himself once he left active duty military service and began thinking about starting his own company. “Ranger Up took me start to finish and taught me how to run a business successfully -- from bookkeeping to operations.” Ranger Up is based in Durham, N.C., where a team of mostly veterans oversee every aspect of one of the fasting growing apparel companies in America. Palmisciano and Amenta share ownership in Ranger Up with decorated UFC fighter Tim Kennedy, who also served as a Special Forces Army Ranger. For two consecutive years Ranger Up has ranked within the Top 1000 e-commerce sites on the internet. For more information on Ranger Up, patriotism, and veteran entrepreneurship, visit RangerUp.com.