US VALOR

What US VALOR does

US VALOR (legal name: US Veterans Advancing Through Opportunities, Learning and Resources) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation headquartered in Newport Beach, California with primary program operations in Oceanside, California. The organization runs a single core offering — the Cybersecurity Apprenticeship Program (CAP) — a U.S. Department of Labor Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP) and California Department of Apprenticeship Services (DAS)-approved program that trains transitioning U.S. military service members (within one year of separation) and newly separated veterans for civilian cybersecurity careers. The 12-month, approximately 2,000-hour curriculum is built on the NICE Cybersecurity Workforce Framework and DoD 8140/8570 requirements, combining ten industry certifications (SANS, CompTIA, EC-Council, ISC2, ISACA, Cybersec, Fortinet) with hands-on rotations at four local partner businesses and explicit "power skills" soft-skills training. The program is 100% free to qualifying veterans.

The business model is a charitable nonprofit structure with three funding streams: individual donations and charitable contributions (with a stated minimum 85% pass-through commitment to veterans and families), tiered corporate sponsorships, and government-aligned apprenticeship funding through DOL RAP and CA DAS, supplemented by founder-affiliated KNC Strategic Services' commitment of 10% of profits. The company is led by President/Interim Executive Director Kelly C. Kendall (former Marine Corps Infantry, also CEO of KNC Strategic Services) and Chairman Chuck Buresh, with a Board of Directors composed of representatives from partner organizations (SynEd, Proficio, retired SCE CISO, Midland Credit Management, DAU) plus a Navy veteran alumnus. Customer acquisition is community-led and event-driven — leveraging board networks, veteran service organizations, partner referrals (SynED, CASCADE/U.S. DoD-funded), webinars, press releases, and the usvalor.org website. The organization received the 2021 Cybersecurity Stewardship Awards "Innovator of the Year – Nonprofit" and continues to onboard apprentice cohorts (e.g., Green Beret John McElroy in May 2023).

Name

US VALOR

Legal name

US Veterans Advancing Through Opportunities, Learning and Resources

Website

https://usvalor.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

US VALOR is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating the Cybersecurity Apprenticeship Program, a free 12-month DOL-registered program that trains transitioning U.S. military service members and new veterans for civilian cybersecurity careers via 10 industry certifications and hands-on business rotations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Veteran Cybersecurity Apprenticeship Services

NAICS

Computer Training (61142), Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Technical and Trade Schools (61151)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAOAIAB

Cybersecurity (General)

Education/Vocational, Technical & Trade Education/IT, Networking & Cybersecurity Certifications

SECONDARYEDAAAOAH

Veterans & Military-to-Civilian Transition Programs

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Workforce Development Initiatives

SECONDARYEDAAAPAC

Cybersecurity

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Industry-Specific Training (Healthcare, Tech, etc.)

SECONDARYEDABAFAF

Cybersecurity Technical Skills (Security Engineering, SOC, Pen Testing)

Education/Corporate Training & Professional Development/Technical & IT Skills Training

Keywords

• Veteran cybersecurity training
• Registered apprenticeship program
• Cybersecurity workforce development
• Military transition services
• Nonprofit apprenticeship services

Headquarters

HQ city

Newport Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: US VALOR generates revenue through individual donations, with commitment to distributing minimum 85% of donations directly to veterans and their families through The Pathway program and direct support.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors support the organization in exchange for brand promotion, enhanced brand image, community involvement, and veteran community awareness. Sponsors receive benefits based on sponsorship level.
3. Apprenticeship Program Funding: The program receives funding through Department of Labor Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP) and California Department of Apprenticeship Services (DAS) approval, enabling veterans to earn while they learn.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

US VALOR delivers a U.S. Department of Labor and California Department of Apprenticeship Services registered apprenticeship program — the Cybersecurity Apprenticeship Program (CAP) — that is 100% free for qualifying transitioning military service members and new veterans. Over approximately 12 months and 2,000 hours of combined coursework and business rotations, participants earn ten major cybersecurity certifications from SANS, CompTIA, EC Council, ISC2, ISACA, Cybersec, and Fortinet, alongside "power skills" training for civilian workplaces. The organization funds operations through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and government/registered apprenticeship funding, committing to direct at least 85% of donations to veterans and families.

Product overview

US VALOR operates a single core service offering: the Cybersecurity Apprenticeship Program (CAP). This is a unified national apprenticeship program that combines technical cybersecurity certification training with essential power skills (soft skills) to prepare transitioning military service members and new veterans for civilian cybersecurity careers. The program is structured around earning ten major industry certifications through partner organizations including SANS, CompTIA, EC Council, ISC2, ISACA, Cybersec, and Fortinet, and includes approximately 2,000 hours of hands-on experience through rotations at partner businesses. There are no separate product modules—the CAP is a single integrated program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cybersecurity Apprenticeship Program (CAP) A U.S. Department of Labor and California Department of Apprenticeship Services registered apprenticeship program that prepares transitioning military service members and new veterans for civilian cybersecurity careers through approximately 2,000 hours of training over 12 months, combining ten major industry certifications (SANS, CompTIA, EC Council, ISC2, ISACA, Cybersec, Fortinet) with power skills (soft skills) training and hands-on business rotations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10 major industry certifications per graduate
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• SynEDcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 November 2021SynED has worked closely with US VALOR to help bolster California's cybersecurity workforce through education, training and apprenticeship programs. SynED connects the organization with the California Advanced Supply Chain Analysis and Diversification Effort (CASCADE), funded by the U.S. Department of Defense through the California Governor's Office of Planning and Research.
• KNC Strategic ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounders Kelly Kendall and Charles Buresh created US VALOR through KNC Strategic Services. KNCSS has committed 10% of profits to directly support transitioning military, military families, veterans, and veteran families.
• CybrarysupportingTechnology or IntegrationCybrary provides cybersecurity training resources and platform support for the apprenticeship program, contributing to the technical skill development of veteran apprentices.
• CompTIAsupportingTechnology or IntegrationCompTIA provides certification pathways for the apprenticeship program, including CySA+ and Cloud+ certifications that apprentices earn upon completion.
• FortinetsupportingTechnology or IntegrationFortinet contributes Network Security Expert certifications (NSE4 and NSE5) to the program's certification stack, supporting veteran training in network security.
• Network Security AcademysupportingTechnology or IntegrationNetwork Security Academy provides educational resources and training support for the cybersecurity apprenticeship curriculum.
• KatzcysupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerKatzcy supports the organization's marketing and visibility efforts in the cybersecurity community, helping connect veteran talent with industry opportunities.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Hiring Our Heroes: Hiring Our Heroes is a broad incumbent: a large, well-funded military-to-civilian program offering fellowships, training, and hiring events across many industries. While not cybersecurity-specific, it overlaps US VALOR's veteran transition mission and competes for the same veteran-applicant pool and corporate sponsorship dollars.
• RecruitMilitary: RecruitMilitary is a broad incumbent: an established veteran-employment platform running career fairs, employer connections, and training events. It does not run its own cybersecurity apprenticeship but competes for veteran mindshare, employer relationships, and sponsorship dollars adjacent to US VALOR's recruiting channels.
• Year Up: Year Up is a broad incumbent: a large workforce-development nonprofit combining technical training (including IT/cybersecurity tracks), employer partnerships, and wraparound support for young adults from underserved communities—comparable to US VALOR's apprenticeship-plus-support model and nonprofit funding logic, though broader in scope and target population.
• VET TEC / VA Veteran Employment Programs: VET TEC (and the broader VA Veteran Employment portfolio) is a broad incumbent: government-funded tuition coverage for short-term tech training—including cybersecurity bootcamps—targeting veterans. Eligible veterans can use VET TEC at competitor providers, putting it in direct demand-substitution tension with US VALOR's free CAP.

Direct peers

• Per Scholas: Per Scholas is a direct peer: a nonprofit that delivers tuition-free IT and cybersecurity training combined with employer partnerships and certifications, targeting underrepresented talent including veterans—comparable in mission, free-tuition model, and employer-led placement.
• NPower: NPower is a direct peer: a nonprofit providing tuition-free technology training, certification prep, and job placement for veterans and young adults from underserved communities, sharing US VALOR's nonprofit, employer-rotation, certification-to-employment model.
• Apprenti: Apprenti is a direct peer: a registered tech apprenticeship intermediary (with DOL-registered programs) that places apprentices—including veterans—into IT and cybersecurity roles at employer partners, sharing US VALOR's earn-while-you-learn apprenticeship and employer-rotation structure.
• SANS Institute VetSuccess Academy: SANS VetSuccess Academy is a direct peer: it is a tuition-free cybersecurity training and certification pathway for transitioning military members and veterans, mirroring US VALOR's CAP in mission (vet-to-cyber pipeline), certifications (SANS/GIAC), and DOL-registered apprenticeship-style structure.
• CyberVetsUSA: CyberVetsUSA is a direct peer: a free, accelerated cybersecurity training program (also built with employer partners and industry certifications) targeting transitioning service members, veterans, and military spouses—overlapping US VALOR's veteran-apprentice model and certification-based curriculum.

Emerging players

• Fullstack Academy: Fullstack Academy is an emerging player: a cybersecurity and coding bootcamp that has partnered with workforce programs (including those serving veterans) to deliver short-form training and industry certifications. It overlaps US VALOR's certification stack and employer-network approach, though without the same veteran-only mission or apprenticeship structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/usvalor

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about US VALOR