Courtney Wilson, founder, DropZone
Military background: As an Army captain, Courtney Wilson handled construction missions around south- ern Afghanistan from 2010-11. She exited the Army in 2014. “I realized I never wanted to work for another person. I value autonomy over secu- rity,” she says. The spark: Wilson wanted to simplify things for veterans with trau- matic brain injuries or post-traumatic stress. These cognitive injuries can make it difficult for some to focus when seeking help on the internet. Business mission: DropZone is a smartphone app for veterans to ac- cess non-governmental resources. “It’s like a hybrid between Yelp and Tinder,” Wilson explains. “The user enters his or her demograph- ics and is presented with relevant resources that are close to them. For example, there might be a guy who builds houses for free for veterans. Or, LinkedIn gives veterans one year free for premium services. “All you have to do with this app is
decide, ‘Do I swipe left, or do I swipe right?’” Wilson says. A star rating system also allows users to see other veterans’ opinions of a service or program. A “Battle Buddy Button” enables users to send information to a friend. Achieving success: Wilson still is seeking investors. “We ran a crowd- funding campaign and raised over $4,000 in less than a month,” she says, adding that she’s “looking for people who have demonstrated a vested interest in veterans.”
70 MILITARY OFFICER JUNE 2016
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