Meet the Vessel Team! Describe the business/organization you work for: Vessel is a Veteran-owned, employee owned, mission-driven company dedicated to reshoring and strengthening the resilience of U.S. manufacturing. At the core of Vessel is a custom-built technology, specifically designed to deliver measurable economic impact for private, state, and federal agencies that consult or advise underserved U.S. manufacturers. The Vessel Smart Assessment Platform (VSAP) enhances agency effectiveness by providing more accurate recommendations, fostering sustainable relationships, and enabling ongoing engagement through an evergreen approach. The technology integrates industry-specific, geography-based, size-based, and topical manufacturing assessments with AI-matched agency resources, partners, and external supply chain data points. This tailored matching system ensures that the unique needs of each manufacturer are met with precision. Vessel prides itself in being a self-funded team of innovators committed to delivering high-impact solutions across the United States. Originally founded as a consulting agency, Vessel helped manufacturers visualize, clarify, and implement strategies to overcome barriers to growth and profitability. Today, their consulting services focus on supporting partner agencies closely in managing the tools, strategy, and timely recommendations more effectively, enhancing their ability to drive results and build lasting awareness and relationships with their network of manufacturers. Vessel is dedicated to helping U.S. manufacturers not only compete but thrive in a global economy. By equipping experts with the tools, insights, and strategies necessary for success, Vessel aims to foster a more sustainable and prosperous future. What inspired you to start your own business, or why did you decide to work for this specific organization? At Vessel, we are united by a shared belief in the power of U.S. manufacturing to strengthen the national economy. Every team member is driven by this mission, and we each bring our own experiences and dedication to advancing this vision. Over time, Vessel has refined its focus to address the most impactful areas for U.S. manufacturers, leveraging our hands-on industry experience to develop technology solutions that empower small to medium-sized manufacturers and the agencies supporting them. Our commitment is to fortify U.S. manufacturing through clarity in supply chains and operational alignment. We aim to give manufacturers the agility and resilience they need to thrive amidst global challenges, ensuring their enduring success and impact. What sets this business apart from others in the industry? Not many for-profit companies have the culture and shared belief that the Vessel team has. There are other software offerings that perform elements of what our Smart Assessments platform can accomplish, however we are the only multi-dimensional program with advanced and custom smart matching, data visualization, and dynamic reporting that infuses behind the scenes to create efficiencies and strength in data collection/reporting. With our Vessel Smart Assessments platform now in multiple states across the country, we are able to reach into vertical markets to provide our tool as a solution across a variety of industries and use cases that include supporting Veterans as they transition into the workforce, bolster economic development, and support the full continuum of education onto meaningful careers. Our team has created an efficient and intuitive framework to analyze and visualize data and serve up AI-enhanced informed recommendations. We LOVE the work we get to do! What challenges have you faced as a business owner or employee, and how did you overcome them? Culture is extremely important to our team. Fortunately, for us it has been a way to separate out people that may have the needed skill sets but don’t have the passion for the work we get to do, or appreciation for the people on the team. On the flip side, our mission and culture have also been catalysts for finding really talented and dynamic people who deeply care about the work of Vessel and want to be a part of building a company and product we can all be proud of. What advice would you give to someone looking to join your industry? Being an entrepreneur is hard, overcoming external doubt is daunting, building technology is expensive, however, if you are willing to overcome those challenges, there is a seat at the table and a great need for supporting our U.S. Manufacturers and the cottage industries that fuel them. Connect with Vessel HERE Social Media Handles/Tags: @Vessel, #SmartAssessments #SupplyChainSoftware