It was perhaps predestined that Sean Maloney would love hot sauce, because his mother had such strong cravings during pregnancy that she ate it straight out of the packet.

“By age 10, I was putting hot sauce on everything, even pancakes,’’ Maloney says.

Today, Maloney is the founder and owner of 13 Stars Hot Sauce, a veteran-owned small business with six sauces “ranging from mild to wild.”

Maloney attended UConn’s Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans (EBV) in July, seeking guidance on how to raise capital and increase production of his award-winning sauces. Now available in 50 stores, he hopes to soon get 13 Stars Hot Sauce into hundreds of retail locations.

EBV Graduates Offer Businesses from Food to Tourism

Maloney is one of 21 U.S. military veterans to participate in this year’s  Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans, a nationally recognized program offered through UConn’s Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CCEI). The one-year program, which included July’s intensive, in-person bootcamp, drew six participants from Connecticut, many more from the Northeast, and others from as far away as California and the Virgin Islands.

“The Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans is a lifechanging experience,’’ says program manager Nicholas Martinelli. “When our military members leave the service, everything they know goes away, including their purpose. That’s why so many go into entrepreneurship, because it enables them to lead with a purpose. This program helps them move on to the next stage in their life.’’

“Every year it becomes more and more challenging to select the entrepreneurs to participate in the program. They are all so talented and the business ideas they have are fascinating,’’ says Martinelli, noting that the program, founded in 2009, now includes more than 300 alumni.

The Class of 2026 included veterans Ena McPherson, who is creating a hair-replacement business for cancer patients and others; Noah Blanco, who is starting a residential elevator venture; Kendal Karstens, who is offering European tourism trips for military servicemembers; Laurasha Lovett, who is creating a luxury skin-care brand; and Daniel Monroe,  a Connecticut chef looking to provide fresh and healthy foods in gym vending machines.

Participants benefit from the wisdom of faculty and other business experts. This year, Rob Levin, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and a marketing expert who has worked for WWE and Nickelodeon, guided veterans in developing robust marketing plans. Accounting Professor Wayne Bragg taught veterans how to determine costs for their services and products and helped them determine their break-even mark. Michelle Cote, lead instructor for CCEI and currently serving as interim director of the Werth Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, taught the class how to create a strong business model.

This year, the bootcamp was sponsored by PMI U.S., which provided $25,000 in prize money for the aspiring entrepreneurs. The award fund was up more than $7,000 from last year.

In addition to intensive classes to enhance their business skills, the aspiring and early-stage entrepreneurs make new friends and form a network that will stay with them through their business journeys, Martinelli says.

‘I Need More of This in My Life’

Maloney is a Captain in the U.S. Air National Guard, holding the title of  Combat Communication Officer. After enlisting in the Air Force in 2015, he fulfilled two deployments, the first to Djibouti, Africa, and the second to Ramstein Air Base in Germany.

The experience of serving overseas gave Maloney a greater appreciation for family and friends, but also sparked his interest in business.

“When I was deployed, I read a lot of entrepreneurship books and I really wanted to start a business,’’ Maloney says. “I wanted something bigger than myself.’’

His mother, Cheryl, suggested he channel his love of hot sauce into a business, and she remains his best taste-tester, consultant, and product endorser.

Meanwhile, a friend grew a variety of peppers, and Maloney used them to start creating hot sauces, matching peppers with some 85 potential ingredients. The company’s distinguishing advantage is a thick sauce with a right-from-the-garden taste. Every ingredient is sourced domestically when possible.

13 Stars sauces include Dragon’s Breath, the most popular, an Asian-style, mild sauce that goes with everything but is particularly good on salmon. Mean Green, Maloney’s favorite, which took a year to perfect, is a zesty jalapeno and lime sauce that pairs well with hot dogs, tacos, and grilled veggies. Big Red One is a highly versatile, medium savory and classic sauce that “can be tasted but not described,’’ he says. “It could make a dirty shoe taste good. It’s irresistible on pizza, pasta, and ribs.’’

Tango Mango, a sweet heat Caribbean hot sauce, is great on burritos and pulled pork. The super-hot Nuclear Option, is a Louisiana-stye hot sauce that is popular with chili-heads and wings lovers. And F.U.B.A.R (the last three words being: “beyond all repair”) is a “mind-numbing’’ black garlic and reaper sauce and designed to be “as painful as possible for as long as possible.’’

Once he perfected his sauces, Maloney would share samples at events ranging from cookouts to New England Patriot games. He knew he had found success based on customer reactions.

“People would say: ‘I need more of this in my life!’’’ Maloney says.

So far, 13 Stars has won awards at four hot-sauce trade shows. Mean Green took third place at the New York Hot Sauce Expo; and Dragon’s Breath took first in Boston and Providence, and third in Texas.

A percentage of sales support veterans, first responders, and non-profits.

Entrepreneurs are Always Working

As a business owner, Maloney says, the most rewarding and most challenging aspect of the job is making all the decisions and solving every problem.

“I push myself to be the best version of Sean, but am also careful not to burn out. It’s a double-edged sword,’’ he says. “Any entrepreneur can attest to the fact that in the early days your head is down, working, working, working. But you’ve got to find the right balance.’’

Maloney used to do all the cooking himself, but now has a staff of culinary experts at his commercial kitchen in Warren, Rhode Island.

“I wish I had done it sooner,’’ he says. “Initially you have to do everything, and eventually you have to delegate. You can’t do it all.’’

With 13 Stars, named after the original colonies, Maloney wants to honor the melting pot of America and encourage people to come together. Different spices merge Korean, Mexican, and Caribbean-inspired flavors.

“This is about the soul of America and that’s a big part of our philosophy,’’ he says. “I’m humbled that something I crafted and created has been given so much recognition. But at the end of the day, food is a catalyst for conversation and camaraderie. I value that the most.’’

New EBV Hall of Fame Inducts Foundational Leaders

Another highlight of the bootcamp week was the creation of the EBV Hall of Fame and induction of its first honorees. The event honored Michael Zacchea, posthumously, co-founder and director of EBV from 2009 to 2022; Michael Wisniewski, co-founder of EBV; Mehgan Williams, EBV program coordinator who, for 11 years, has been an integral part of the program’s success; professor emeritus Tom O’Brien, a generous donor and supporter of the program; and Norman and Celeste LaCroix, longtime donors and advocates for the program.

Other inductees included former Dean John A. Elliott, a fervent supporter of the EBV; as well as long-time instructors in the program, including accounting faculty Leanne Adams and Wayne Bragg; Michelle Cote, interim director of the Werth Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation; and Bruce Ferris, retired CEO of Prudential Annuity Distributors.

“For 17 years they’ve invested their time, energy, wisdom and financial support to make this program a success,’’ Martinelli says.  “The program wouldn’t be the same without the support of these incredible people.’’