Owners In Honor™ Launches “The True Cost of Capital” Module with Live Oak Bank to Expand Veteran Entrepreneurship Education

Nashville, TN— Owners In Honor™, the Veteran-founded nonprofit equipping Veterans and Military Families with pathways to Main Street business buying and selling, announced today the launch of “The True Cost of Capital,” a new educational module developed with input from Live Oak Bank, a leading small business bank and SBA lender.

“The True Cost of Capital” is the first in a series of educational modules supporting the Acquisition and Exit Education Platform developed by Owners In Honor™. The platform prepares veterans and military families for both sides of the small-business transition: buyers pursuing an acquisition and owners preparing for succession or an exit.

The module is delivered as part of the Owners In Honor™ Buyer Basecamp, a structured program designed to prepare Veterans and military-connected entrepreneurs for acquisition readiness through Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition. Complementing Buyer Basecamp is the Owners In Honor™ Sellers Summit, a parallel set of educational modules designed to help existing small-business owners achieve succession readiness and prepare their companies for a responsible ownership transition.

Together, these programs address both sides of the small-business ownership equation by equipping veteran operators to acquire businesses and helping existing owners prepare for successful exits.

Within the Buyer Basecamp curriculum, “The True Cost of Capital” introduces participants to the financial realities of acquiring and operating a small business. The module provides practical insight into SBA lending structures, acquisition financing, capital stack dynamics, debt service realities, and the operational discipline required to manage risk and lead a company after closing.

“Understanding the true cost of capital is essential for anyone pursuing business ownership,” said Patrick Flood, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Owners In Honor™. “Capital is not always fiscal. It is also psychological. Discipline, preparation, and the confidence to lead through uncertainty are forms of capital as well. This module helps veterans approach acquisition with the same mindset they brought to military service while preparing them to steward businesses that sustain families, employees, and communities.”

“Live Oak Bank is proud to support initiatives that expand access to entrepreneurship and small business ownership,” said Mike Bollinger, director at Live Oak Bank. “Owners In Honor™ is providing veteran leaders with education on small business acquisition strategies and the financial fundamentals required to successfully own and operate a business. We believe increasing access to this type of education strengthens the broader small business ecosystem."

Through this collaboration, Owners In Honor™ and Live Oak Bank are helping veterans and military families develop the financial literacy, operational awareness, and capital readiness required to successfully acquire and steward small businesses across the country.

At its core, the Owners In Honor™ Acquisition and Exit Education Platform is designed to strengthen what the organization calls the Operator Economy: a growing movement of disciplined leaders stepping forward to own, operate, and steward America’s small businesses. As millions of Main Street companies approach generational transition, preparing veterans and military families for both the financial and psychological demands of ownership helps ensure these businesses remain locally rooted, responsibly led, and preserved for the communities they serve.

About Owners In Honor™

Owners In Honor™ is a Veteran-founded nonprofit equipping Veterans and Military Families with pathways to Main Street business buying and selling through education, mentorship, and access to entrepreneurship through acquisition. The organization works to preserve the legacy of America’s small businesses while strengthening local economies and expanding ownership opportunities for the military-connected community.

About Live Oak Bank

Live Oak Bank, a subsidiary of Live Oak Bancshares, Inc. (NYSE: LOB), is a digitally focused, FDIC-insured bank serving customers across the country. Live Oak brings efficiency and excellence to the banking process, without branches, by using a focused approach to technology and innovation. To learn more, visit liveoak.bank.

Media Contact

Brooke Damerell

Communications Associate

Owners In Honor™

brooke@ownersinhonor.org

www.ownersinhonor.org