Happy Monday, Civvie!

We're rolling through September with another week of opportunities to get connected across Houston's veteran community.

This week you can learn a few new moves at the Veterans Line Dancing Class in Pearland, join us Wednesday for The Civvie Connect in Katy, or head to Tomball Thursday for Veterans Beer Club. And if government contracting is on your radar, next week's GovCom Road Show brings government and industry leaders together in Houston.

Last week, we brought The Civvie Connect to Central Houston, and once again veterans showed up, met new people, and made connections. Check out the group photo below.

This week's Veteran Spotlight features an Army veteran, whose transition took him from hundreds of unanswered job applications to entrepreneurship, emerging technology, and now building tools designed to improve education.

Whether you're looking to meet new people, grow your business, explore new opportunities, or simply spend time with fellow veterans, there's something happening for you!

Civvie Up 🤠🐎🫡

📆 VETERAN EVENTS

THIS WEEK

👢 September 22, Tuesday
Veterans Line Dancing Class

🕡 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
📍Pearland

Join veterans, families, and community members for a free, beginner-friendly line dancing class. No partner or experience needed, just come ready to learn, connect, and have fun.

🦅 September 23, Wednesday
The Civvie Connect

🕡 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
📍Katy

A free and relaxed, in-person meet-up for Houston-area veterans and those who support them.

🍻 September 24, Thursday
Veterans Beer Club

🕡 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
📍Tomball

This isn't just about beer. It's about community, connection, and building something meaningful for veterans and supporters across Houston.

NEXT WEEK

🏛️ September 30, Wednesday
The GovCom Road Show - Houston

🕡 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
📍Houston

Join government and industry leaders for a one-day government contracting summit focused on public sector opportunities, procurement, emerging trends, and building relationships across the GovCon community.

NEXT MONTH

🎖️ October 2, Friday
33rd Annual Houston Stand Down

🕡 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
📍Houston

Connect with organizations offering VA benefits, housing, employment, health and wellness, basic-needs assistance, and other veteran resources all in one location.

🦅 October 7, Wednesday
The Civvie Connect

🕡 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
📍Spring

A free and relaxed, in-person meet-up for Houston-area veterans and those who support them.

💼 October 8, Thursday
Texas Veteran Commission Job Fair

🕡 10:30 AM - 2:00 PM
📍Pasadena

Meet recruiters and hiring representatives from six federal agencies, explore career opportunities, learn about the application process, and discover careers where you can continue to make an impact.

🥾 October 10, Saturday
Irreverent Warriors Silkies Hike

🕡 9:00 AM
📍Seabrook

Join fellow veterans, active duty, Guard, and Reserve for a day of camaraderie, humor, and connection as Irreverent Warriors brings veterans together to improve mental health and help prevent veteran suicide.

🍻 October 13, Tuesday
Veterans Night - Irreverent Warrior

🕡 6:00 PM
📍Tomball

Join fellow veterans for a relaxed evening of drinks, laughs, stories, and unfiltered camaraderie with people who understand the military experience.

🦅 October 14, Wednesday
The Civvie Connect

🕡 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
📍League City

A free and relaxed, in-person meet-up for Houston-area veterans and those who support them.

🎖️ October 17, Saturday
16th Annual Mighty Oaks Warrior Gala

🕡 5:00 PM
📍The Woodlands

An evening dedicated to supporting programs that serve veterans, active-duty service members, and their families, featuring keynote speaker Jeff Struecker.

🦅 October 21, Wednesday
The Civvie Connect

🕡 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
📍Houston

A free and relaxed, in-person meet-up for Houston-area veterans and those who support them.

🦅 October 28, Wednesday
The Civvie Connect

🕡 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
📍Katy

A free and relaxed, in-person meet-up for Houston-area veterans and those who support them.

🫡 Know an Event We Should Share?

If you're hosting or attending a veteran-focused event in the Houston area → [Submit here]

🌟 VETERAN SPOTLIGHT

From Obstacles to Missions. A Veteran Entrepreneur Building the Future of Education

When Alapeti "Al" Ware left the military, he believed his experience would translate into opportunity.

Instead, he applied to more than 400 jobs in roughly two months and struggled to get hired. One potential employer even told him he didn't have the qualifications to be a bank teller.

For someone who had served in high-level military environments, held a top-secret clearance, and supported demanding missions, it was a difficult introduction to civilian life.

But Al did what he had learned to do in the military. He adapted.

He entered the automotive industry, quickly became a top salesman, moved into finance and eventually became an internet sales director for luxury automotive brands. Along the way, he met successful entrepreneurs and began seeing another path for himself. In 2015, he decided to bet on that path and went all-in on entrepreneurship.

The journey wasn't easy. His first venture in healthcare ultimately shut down, but Al kept moving. In 2017, he began teaching himself virtual reality and artificial intelligence, years before AI became part of the everyday conversation. That work eventually led to projects involving brands and organizations including Walmart, Sony Records, Coachella, and a nonprofit founded by Susie Buffett.

One education-focused project changed the direction of his career.

After watching children interact with a virtual learning environment his company built, Al became increasingly interested in how students learn and where traditional education systems fall short. That experience eventually led him to co-found 8P3P and develop My Progress Report, an education intelligence platform designed to identify learning gaps, particularly within special education and Spanish-speaking families.

The goal is to give educators better information about how individual students learn, what accommodations are working, and how that information can follow students from teacher to teacher and grade to grade.

Al's work has already earned recognition in Houston, with 8P3P receiving a local Startup of the Year nomination based on its innovation and focus on underserved students. He was also selected for the PenFed Foundation Veteran Entrepreneur Program, where he spent a week in Bentonville alongside a small cohort of veteran founders refining everything from product-market fit and fundraising strategy to long-term growth.
Through every chapter, Al says the mindset he developed in uniform has remained the same.

"I don't see challenges. I just see an obstacle."

For Al, the obstacle becomes the mission: figure out the solution, execute, and move on to the next one.

It's a mindset he hopes other veterans carry into their own transitions. The skills developed through military service may not always translate neatly onto a civilian résumé, but they can become an incredible foundation for building something of your own.

👉 Learn more about My Progress Report by 8P3P and follow Al's journey as he works to build better tools for educators, students, and families.

🤝 GET INVOLVED

• Tell us about yourself: Let us hear from you → [Share here]
• Know of a veteran event? Submit it → [Submit here]
• Have a story idea, business, or veteran to spotlight? Send it → [Send it here]
• Want to advertise or partner with The Civvie? Reach out → [Contact us]