Andrew Davis, Chairman and Co-Founder of Comfort for Courage, has been named the Veterans Small Business Champion of the Year for the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Minnesota District, the upper Midwest Region, and the Nation.

The Veterans Small Business Champion Award is presented annually in each state to individuals who have fulfilled a commitment to advancing small business opportunities for veterans of the U.S. armed forces.

The regional award winner is selected from among the state winners. In addition to Minnesota, SBA’s upper Midwest Region includes Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin. The national award is selected from Regional winners.

Andrew Davis recently left the U.S. Army after achieving the rank of Staff Sergeant and serving three combat tours as a Ranger – two in Afghanistan, and one in Iraq.

Upon his return to civilian life, Davis directed his continuing passion to serve his country by chairing and co-founding Comfort for Courage, a non-partisan, student-led movement which began by providing comfort goods to deployed service member and their families.

The organization recently created a first-of-its-kind Veterans Transition Center at the University of Minnesota. The ultimate goal of the Center is to provide a one-stop-shop on campus for student Veterans to learn what resources are available to them, and to provide training and tools that will help them succeed as business leaders and owners in the future.

Organizations and businesses are already lining up to provide services to the Center, such as a nationally-recognized consulting firm which will help Veterans with resume writing. The Center is an investment in the future business success of this state, and indeed the nation, as a result. Davis is also a full-time college student at the University, works as the Subject Matter Expert for Military Applications at Minnesota Defense, acts as a Facilitator for Defense Alliance of Minnesota and also serves on the 2005-06 military action group at the state legislature.