11/27/2019 - Every year, hundreds of military veterans flock to an annual business summit in Moreno Valley that’s hosted by the Southwest Veterans’ Business Resource Center (SWVBRC). Attendees look for job and government contract leads from state agencies, including the California High-Speed Rail Authority. Watching with pride is Albert Renteria, who founded SWVBRC after 26 years in the U.S. Marine Corps. 

Renteria was 17 when he joined the Marines in 1974. He eventually became a warrant officer and worked on a huge computer project. “During the 1991 Gulf War, we established a system to electronically track all deployed Marines enabling us to report a fatality within 8 hours of learning of the deceased,” he explained. “For the first time, we used technology that wasn’t available on the battlefield.”

After earning a degree in computer science, Renteria retired from the military and launched ARRC, an online company that provides marketing, advertising, video production and web development.

A master’s degree in e-commerce helped him build his firm which includes his wife, daughter and two sons. “We have grown substantially and have a large network and global clients,” Renteria said.

In 2008, he established SWVBRC and donates part of his earnings to the non-profit which educates veterans, active duty military members and their families about benefits and services available to them.

In the military, Renteria won two Meritorious Medals for designing a computer network and training fellow Marines. His greatest reward now is hearing from someone sharing the value of what they learned from him. His mission is ongoing. He said, “My purpose is to eradicate the notion of a homeless veteran by 2035.”  He invites anyone willing to help to get on board.

Read more about the SWVBRC in the Small Business Newsletter at https://www.buildhsr.com/flipbook/vol_07_issue_03/default.html#page=16

UPDATE 09/30/20: Due to COVID-19, Albert launched a virtual summit and virtual exhibitor hall, leveraging what he learned during the Gulf War deploying reach back technology. Fine out more about the virtual exhibitor hall and check out a video for the virtual exhibitor hall. He has positioned what he’s done for years, and COVID-19 has allowed him to take this route with his turnkey process.