Get the free Morris County Fall Bucket List
60+ of the best things to do across Morris County this fall. Apple picking, corn mazes, hayrides, fall festivals, haunted attractions and cider donuts. Straight to your inbox, free.
Quick answer: Morristown’s Alan Levitan, the former president and CEO of Kings Super Markets, is a founding member of the Veteran Ventures Program, a free online course that helps veterans and their families start businesses. The next cohort starts Tuesday, March 16, 2027, and you can apply now at vvprogram.org.
Most people who spend a career running a supermarket chain would be happy to retire and stay retired. Alan Levitan of Morristown went the other way.
For years, the former Kings Super Markets chief has volunteered his time and business know-how to help veterans turn an idea into a real company. With Veterans Day on Wednesday, November 11, it is a story worth telling, and a resource every veteran in Morris County should know about.
From Kings Super Markets to mentoring veterans
Levitan led Kings, the New Jersey grocery chain, as president and CEO starting in 1998. Today the Veteran Ventures Program lists him as a founding member and its Executive Director of Consulting Services. His bio there notes he still works as a strategic planning, marketing and sales growth consultant, mentors business leaders and is an equity partner in a food manufacturing company.
In other words, the people learning from him are getting the same playbook that ran one of the best known grocery brands in North Jersey, for free.
What the Veteran Ventures Program is
The Veteran Ventures Program, or VVP, has been running since 2008. It started as a local classroom effort and has grown into a fully remote program, now offered through Centenary University, where it is a signature program of the university’s Veterans Institute. The team is made up of veterans and seasoned business professionals who volunteer as consultants.
- Business Planning Course: nine weeks of online lectures and workshops that walk you step by step through a full business plan.
- One on one coaching: every student is paired with an experienced business consultant.
- Pitch competition: the course ends with participants presenting their plans for cash awards.
- Innovation Seminar: a shorter, three session option for people who have an idea but are not ready for a full plan yet.
- Cost: free for veterans and their families. No business experience is required.
The veteran businesses it has helped launch
The program’s alumni spotlight reads like a small business fair. Graduates have launched companies like Bors Design Co., which makes artisan forged cookware and barware, and Original Zen Collective, which turns recycled books into art, cards and floral arrangements.
The program is reaching more military families every year, too. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, 18 Coast Guard affiliated participants graduated from the fall 2025 cohort, making up more than 90 percent of the class, and they took home six of the seven awards in the final pitch competition.
How Morris County veterans can get help
Because the program is fully online, a veteran in Morristown, Parsippany or Rockaway can take part from the kitchen table. The next Business Planning cohort starts Tuesday, March 16, 2027. Here is how it works:
- Fill out the online application on the VVP registration page. Applications are reviewed first come, first served.
- Qualified applicants talk through their idea with business leaders to make sure the program is a fit.
- Selected applicants are invited into the right class, either the full course or the Innovation Seminar.
- If it is not a fit yet, you get feedback and can reapply later.
Veterans and their family members are both eligible. The main ask is a real business idea and the time to commit over nine weeks.
More ways to honor veterans in Morris County this month
If you want to show up for local veterans this Veterans Day, start with our Veterans Day in Morris County guide for parades, ceremonies and deals. Our roundup of veteran resources in Morris County covers benefits, services and support, and if you love backing local founders, browse our list of new businesses in Morris County.
And if you know a veteran who has been sitting on a business idea, send them this article. A free nine week course and a mentor who once ran Kings might be exactly the push they need.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Veteran Ventures Program free?
Yes. The Veteran Ventures Program is free for veterans and their families.
Who is Alan Levitan?
Alan Levitan is the former president and CEO of Kings Super Markets and a founding member and Executive Director of Consulting Services for the Veteran Ventures Program.
When does the next Veteran Ventures cohort start?
The next Business Planning cohort starts Tuesday, March 16, 2027. Apply online at vvprogram.org.
Do I need to live near Centenary University to take part?
No. The program is fully online, so veterans anywhere in Morris County can join from home.
Photo: Jessa Leigh, Pexels.
Have a Morris County event coming up?
Share it with Morris County.
Festivals, fundraisers, 5Ks, school nights, grand openings. Send us the date, time, place and a flyer, and our team will reach out about getting it in front of Morris County.
Enjoying our Morris County coverage?
Add us as a preferred source and our stories show up higher in your Google results.
Add as a preferred source
