A new program in Hillsborough County is helping military members and veterans start their own businesses.

  • Bay area cattle company born via 'Operation Startup'
  • Dan Watson started Evado Cattle Company
  • Watson went through entrepreneur program to launch business

Over a dozen businesses have already been launched through Operation Startup, and the organization said its program benefits the entire Bay area.

Dan Watson said he's always had a passion for helping people, and joining the Coast Guard seemed like a natural thing to do. But once his Coast Guard career came to an end, he found himself in unknown territory.

"I spent about 6-9 months on unemployment because there was nothing that could match my time in the Coast Guard and everything I went to felt defeating and not as exciting," he said.

Watson bounced around from job to job, trying to think of a way to combine his passion for helping others with the skills he'd acquired. After helping run a ranch in Brooksville, he had an idea.

"I spend every waking moment I could researching what it takes to run a successful cattle operation," Watson said.

It all started when the Watson family volunteered as caretakers of a small herd on 580 acres of beautiful rolling hills in Brooksville, Florida. They only spent a year caring for a small herd, but that's all it took for them to fall in love with cow-filled horizons and a natural way of living. (Evado Cattle Company)

All Dan needed was a little help taking the first step. That's when he found Operation Startup, a program run by Hillsborough Community College and Hillsborough County. It's for "vetrepreneurs."

"Operation Startup is a business actuator which basically means we convert early stage energetic business ideas into action," said Andy Gold with Operation Startup.

With the help of local business owners and other professionals at Operation Startup, Watson put his dream into action and Evado Cattle Company was born.

Watson's company now helps feed hungry families across Tampa Bay.

"As veterans we've come from serving our country and serving others, and it may be natural progression to want to use their gifts and talents to give back to their community by doing something their passionate about," Watson said.

So far, Operation Startup has helped launch 15 companies in the Tampa Bay area and they say they plan on doing a lot more.