Happy Labor Day, Civvie!

Hope you're enjoying the long weekend. We’ve got another full week ahead with plenty of ways to get out, meet other veterans, and stay involved in the Houston veteran community.

This Wednesday, The Civvie Connect heads south to League City for the second stop in our new weekly rotation. Last week we kicked things off in North Houston with another great turnout in Spring. Check out the group photo below,

This week also gives us an opportunity to pause and remember. Thursday marks the 25th anniversary of September 11, with events across Houston and Katy honoring those we lost, the first responders who answered the call, and the service members whose lives and missions were forever changed by that day.

And don’t miss this week’s Spotlight featuring an Army veteran and entrepreneur. She turned an unexpected career transition into a new mission, building a mobile coffee business and putting the leadership, preparation, and adaptability she learned in the military to work in an entirely different way. ☕

There’s a lot happening throughout September, so take a look at the calendar, find something that interests you, and bring another veteran along.

Civvie Up 🤠🐎🫡

📆 VETERAN EVENTS

THIS WEEK

🍻 September 8, Tuesday
Veterans Night

🕡 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
📍Tomball

Join fellow veterans for a relaxed evening of drinks, laughter, and camaraderie. Great conversations with people who understand the military experience.

💼 September 9, Wednesday
Veteran Business Resource Workshop

🕡 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
📍Houston

Veterans and military spouses to discover resources for starting or growing a business. Connect with local organizations, get your questions answered, and network with veteran entrepreneurs.

🦅 September 9, 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.

🫡 September 11, Tuesday
National Day of Service

🕡 8:30 AM - 11:30 AM
📍Houston

Join the Houston community at the National Day of Service to honor the 25th anniversary of 9/11 through remembrance, service, and unity at the Houston National Cemetery.

🎖️ September 11, Tuesday
Patriots Day Commemoration

🕡 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
📍Katy

Join American Legion Post 164 in Katy for a Patriot Day commemoration honoring those lost on September 11, 2001, and the first responders and service members who answered the call.

🥎 September 12, Saturday
Veterans Softball Honoring Veterans

🕡 12:00 PM
📍Houston

Join fellow veterans for a day of softball, camaraderie, and community while honoring the service and sacrifice of our nation’s veterans.

🎉 September 12, Saturday
Backing the Brave TX Fall Festival

🕡 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM
📍Spring

Bring the family for an afternoon of live music, local vendors, food, kids activities, and community fun, all while supporting veterans and first responders.

🌟 THE CIVVIE SPOTLIGHT

This Veteran is Brewing a New Mission in Houston

Rhian Rogan did not necessarily set out to become an entrepreneur. In fact, the idea that eventually became Chopped & Brewedstarted with something much simpler: seeing a smoothie truck outside her gym and thinking it looked like an interesting side hustle.

Today, that idea has evolved into a mobile coffee business serving companies, schools, apartment communities, gyms, and private events across Houston.

Rhian's path to entrepreneurship began with an unconventional military journey. After graduating from the University of Pittsburgh and moving to Los Angeles to work in the music industry, a call from an Army National Guard recruiter prompted her to consider military service. Within eight weeks, she was headed to basic training at Fort Jackson.

She went on to complete Officer Candidate School and train as a Signal Officer while simultaneously pursuing her MBA at UCLA. Over seven years of service, Rhian balanced her civilian career, graduate school, military training, and activations before transitioning to the Individual Ready Reserve in 2022.

After returning to Houston, Rhian worked for several technology companies, including SiriusXM and LinkedIn. When she was laid off from LinkedIn in September 2024, the business idea she had been developing suddenly became an opportunity worth pursuing.

Instead of a traditional food truck or trailer, Rhian chose a more flexible mobile coffee cart model. Just two months after her layoff, she hosted her first Chopped & Brewed pop-up. What began as an experiment has since shifted primarily toward private events, where companies and organizations bring her in to create an on-site café experience for employees, customers, residents, and guests.

The menu includes espresso drinks, lattes, cappuccinos, chai, and creative seasonal offerings, with locally roasted beans from Houston's Tenfold Coffee. But behind every event is something Rhian traces directly back to her military experience: preparation.

Packing lists, staging equipment, backup supplies, contingency planning, and anticipating what could go wrong have become part of how she operates the business. She describes each event almost like a small training exercise, where preparation allows her to adapt quickly when circumstances change.

Looking ahead, Rhian wants to expand Chopped & Brewed's presence at corporate and community events while developing sponsored coffee experiences that give local businesses a creative way to engage directly with Houston communities.

Her journey is also a reminder for other veterans considering entrepreneurship. The skills developed in uniform do not always have to translate into a similar civilian career. Planning, leadership, communication, adaptability, and the ability to execute under changing conditions can become the foundation for building something entirely new.

With corporate gatherings, community events, and the holiday season approaching, organizations interested in bringing a mobile coffee experience to their next event can connect with Chopped & Brewed on Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn.

🫡 Know a Veteran or Passionate-Patriot We Should Spotlight?

Help us shine the light on those who are making an impact in the Houston veteran community → [Share here]

🤝 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]