Episode 28 · Season 1
Kate Stoker (Merivis) & the Military-to-Tech Path: Structure, Community, Purpose
Merivis went from a side-project in Central Texas to a nationwide engine for military tech careers, and Kate Stoker explains exactly how they scaled without losing the “high-touch” support that makes Veteran transition programs actually work.
What you’ll learn
- How Merivis built a structured cohort model (coaches, squads, accountability) that helps people finish—and get hired
- The 10-year milestones that changed everything: Salesforce seed funding, Dreamforce spotlight, and the pandemic pivot to virtual
- What Merivis is shifting toward next: platform-agnostic foundations + AI/data skills + soft skills that don’t get automated
Who it’s for
For veterans, military spouses, and supporters who want a clear path into tech (and a community that sticks).
Guest + credibility
Kate Stoker, Executive Director of Merivis —nonprofit builder and tech marketing leader who helped grow Merivis from its first cohort (Oct 2015) into a national model.
Call to action
Explore Merivis programs (or volunteer as a coach/mentor) to help the next cohort transition into tech.
Recommended Links
For questions or feedback, please contact us at CirriusTalk@CirriusSolutions.com
We cover
- Big milestones: seed funding, Dreamforce spotlight, growth beyond Texas
- Meet Kate Stoker + what Merivis is
- Pandemic pivot: virtual delivery + rapid scaling
- The “structure, community, purpose” model
- Keeping camaraderie alive online (squads, mixers, summit)
- Inside the bootcamp: mentors, coaches, squads, and accountability
Chapters
- 0:00Big milestones: seed funding, Dreamforce spotlight, growth beyond Texas
- 4:14Meet Kate Stoker + what Merivis is
- 8:04Pandemic pivot: virtual delivery + rapid scaling
- 19:33The “structure, community, purpose” model
- 22:47Keeping camaraderie alive online (squads, mixers, summit)
- 28:37 Inside the bootcamp: mentors, coaches, squads, and accountability
- 35:37Kate’s path: tech + nonprofits + “passion for potential”
- 47:45Leading without being a veteran: how to support without overstepping
- 55:20The “pit stop” mindset during growth and transition
- 1:03:4990-second pitch: why Merivis works
- 1:11:14Other trusted resources (Hiring Our Heroes, FourBlock, etc.)
- 1:15:32What’s next for Merivis in 2026 (AI/data + soft skills)
Kate Stoker
Merivis
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Keep going: See careers at Cirrius, Learn why veterans choose Cirrius, More from the Cirrius blog