What Veterans Service Team does

Veterans Service Team (VST) is a self-funded 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization incorporated in the United States (EIN # 47-5259244), founded in 2015 by George Ackerson, a Vietnam combat veteran with a background in integrative medicine and FDA-approved clinical trials. The organization's stated mission is to empower active duty and former members of the US Armed Services and US Coast Guard, their families, and their animals with resources supporting holistic well-being. VST operates a free, exclusive membership program (sign-up via vst.org) that serves as the primary go-to-market surface; there is no paid subscription tier, and the membership is gated to the veteran/Coast Guard demographic, positioning VST as a community-led nonprofit rather than a commercial enterprise.

The core product offering combines a content library (the "Intel" blog covering gut health, PTSD, and veteran wellness), exclusive member pricing on Prescript-Assist probiotics and nutraceuticals supplied through a manufacturing and donation partnership with Safer Medical of Montana (members receive 50% off retail at prescript-assist.com), retreats and veteran-focused events, and an AI-powered gut health assessment tool called "Gut Check" launched in beta on December 11, 2025. The Gut Check tool is text-based and described as experimental, currently collecting member feedback for refinement. A secondary program, the Pay It Forward Crash Kit donation initiative, distributes fully stocked wellness kits to nominated veterans through member-driven funding. VST also benefits from a partnership with Safer Environmental Lubricants (SEL), which has allocated a portion of its patented bio-based fuel-additive IP and future value to support VST programs.

From a business model standpoint, VST does not sell the core membership; revenue (where it exists) is derived from donation/grant inflows, ancillary product-related economics routed through the Safer Medical partnership, and any SEL-linked IP value share that may accrue over time. Customer segments are narrow and vertically oriented: primary users are US Military Veterans, with secondary segments of Veteran Families and "Veteran Animals." The organization is founder-led (George Ackerson as Founder), with W. Chase Cameron serving as Executive Director and Howard Zall as Chief Operating Officer; there is no disclosed external institutional backing, no parent company, and no subsidiaries. Geographic scope is domestic (USA) only.

Name

Veterans Service Team

Legal name

Veterans Service Team

Website

https://vst.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Veterans Service Team (VST) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2015 that provides free membership to US military veterans and Coast Guard members, offering discounted Prescript-Assist wellness products, educational content, and a beta AI gut health assessment tool.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Veteran Wellness Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Veterans Affairs & Military Family Services (BPAIAHAL)

Keywords

• Veteran wellness nonprofit
• Veteran membership program
• Gut health probiotics
• Veteran support services
• Community wellness resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Benton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wellness Product Sales: VST partners with Safer Medical of Montana to offer wellness products (probiotics, nutraceuticals) through its partner shop. Members receive exclusive discounts (up to 50% off) on products like Prescript-Assist.
2. Donations and Grants: As a self-funded 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, VST relies on donations and potentially grants to support operations and the free membership program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Veterans Service Team operates a free membership-based nonprofit platform for US military veterans and Coast Guard members, providing exclusive discounted access to clinically published probiotic products (Prescript-Assist) through its partnership with Safer Medical of Montana, along with educational content via the Intel blog, veteran-focused events and retreats, and a beta AI-powered Gut Check wellness assessment tool. Members also benefit from community support, expert guidance, and a Pay It Forward program that distributes VST Crash Kits to veterans in need.

Product overview

Veterans Service Team (VST) operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization offering a free membership-based platform focused on veteran wellness. The core product is the VST Membership, which provides exclusive access to discounted wellness products including Prescript-Assist probiotics, educational resources, expert health guidance, and community support. The platform recently launched Gut Check, a beta AI-powered gut health assessment tool. VST also operates a Pay It Forward program distributing VST Crash Kits to nominated veterans in need. The ecosystem is built around a partnership with Safer Medical of Montana for product supply and is developing future wellness offerings and gear for members.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• VST Membership Free exclusive membership program for active duty and former members of the US Military and US Coast Guard, providing access to discounted wellness products, educational resources, expert guidance, member-only discounts, and community support.
• Prescript-Assist Clinically published probiotic-prebiotic formula offered at half price exclusively to VST members through the Safer Medical of Montana partnership; trusted for over 25 years with testimonials highlighting health and well-being improvements for people and animals.
• VST Crash Kit Fully stocked wellness kit distributed through the Pay It Forward donation program to nominated veterans or organizations in need, provided at no cost with no strings attached.
• Gut Check Beta-version AI-powered health assessment tool designed by veterans for veterans that uses text-based Q&A to provide personalized digestive wellness insights, currently available to VST members for beta testing and feedback.

Quantifiable outcome

• Products offered at 50% regular price through Safer Medical Montana partnership
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Safer Medical of MontanacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerManufacturing and clinical product partner that donates probiotics and nutraceuticals to support VST's mission of delivering health benefits to veterans through its free membership program. VST members receive exclusive access to Prescript-Assist products at half price through this partnership.
• Safer Environmental Lubricants (SEL)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with VST by contributing its patented, bio-based fuel additive technology to support VST's mission and allocates a portion of its intellectual property and future value to strengthen VST's veteran-focused programs.
• Prescript-AssistcoreTechnology or IntegrationOne of the top-selling probiotics, clinically published and researched for over 25 years, trusted by VST for veteran wellness. Offered exclusively to VST members at half the regular price through Safer Medical Montana partnership.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Stop Soldier Suicide: Veteran mental-health-focused nonprofit addressing suicide prevention. Comparable niche focus on veteran mental wellness and clinical/community support, though VST differentiates through gut-brain axis framing.

Direct peers

• Team Rubicon: Veteran-led nonprofit that mobilizes former service members for disaster response and community service. Closely comparable "veterans serving veterans" identity and grassroots, community-led operating model.
• The Mission Continues: Nonprofit empowering veterans through service, leadership, and community impact programs. Comparable veteran-led, community-driven nonprofit model with focus on holistic veteran reintegration.
• Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA): Membership-driven veteran advocacy and support nonprofit focused on post-9/11 veterans. Similar member-centric model targeting wellness, mental health, and resource navigation.
• Team Red, White & Blue: Veteran community nonprofit that builds connections through physical, social, and wellness activities. Comparable in its emphasis on veteran peer community and holistic well-being programming.

Broad incumbents

• American Legion: Largest U.S. wartime veterans service organization with extensive membership, advocacy, and wellness programming. Comparable broad veteran-support mission and membership model, but far larger and more established.
• Disabled American Veterans (DAV): Established nonprofit providing benefits, health, and wellness support to disabled veterans. Comparable in serving the veteran wellness and resource-navigation need set, with deeper institutional reach.
• Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW): Long-established large membership-based veteran service organization providing benefits assistance, community programs, and wellness advocacy. Comparable membership structure but vastly larger scale and broader scope.
• Wounded Warrior Project: One of the largest and best-funded U.S. veteran-support nonprofits. Comparable in mission (physical and mental wellness for veterans) but vastly larger in scale and program breadth; represents both a peer and a major donor-share competitor.

Regional players

• Student Veterans of America: Nonprofit supporting veterans in higher education through chapters and community programming. Comparable small-scale veteran-membership nonprofit with community-building model, but narrower demographic focus on student veterans.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/usavst
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/veterans-service-team

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Veterans Service Team