The D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families, along with its founding partner, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., operates a program called CEOcircle, which brings together veteran and military spouse senior business leaders.
Through a unique accelerator program, veteran and military spouse CEOs and executives boost entrepreneurial prowess, operating companies at similar growth stages and revenue levels of $5+ million investment or $1+ million revenue. This program leverages executive cohorts that extend peer learning networks.
We connect with Ashley Driscoll, Founder and CEO of Bancroft Construction Services, a business specializing in environmental compliance, stormwater management, and biological services. Since establishing Bancroft in 2017, Ashley has transformed the company into a leading provider within the utility, transportation, and renewable energy sectors. She shares her insights, having participated in the cohorts as a successful veteran business leader.
Inside the CEOcircle
Kim O’Brien (Military.com): As a veteran and founder leading a company in highly regulated sectors, what unique advantages have your military experiences given you as you’ve grown Bancroft Construction Services?
Ashley Driscoll (Founder and CEO, Bancroft Construction Services): My time in the U.S. Navy as a Surface Warfare Officer fundamentally shaped how I operate as a leader because it trained me to function in complex, high-stakes environments where the consequences are real and immediate. When you’re standing watch, supporting counter-piracy or counter-narcotics operations, safety matters, accountability matters, and the mission matters. You don’t get the luxury of opting out because you’re tired or because things are hard—you do the work because people are counting on you.
That mindset translates directly to running Bancroft Construction Services. Day to day, as a business owner in a highly regulated, safety-critical industry, you’re constantly managing tight deadlines, compliance requirements, operational and logistical challenges, and real-world risk. People’s livelihoods are on the line. Their families are counting on the company being run well.
Just like in the military, safety is non-negotiable, and the people you are responsible for matter deeply. What the military really prepared me for is the reality that leadership is about developing a clear vision, getting people aligned, and making sure everyone is rowing in the same direction—even when you’re exhausted, even when the pressure is high. In the Navy, you do that after standing watch all night, and you don’t think twice about it.
In business, it’s the same. You show up, you put in the work, and you make the hard calls because the stakes are high and you believe in what you’re building. At the end of the day, mission focus and teamwork are the common thread. Whether in uniform or leading a company, success is never a solo effort. It’s about trust, discipline, shared purpose, and taking care of your people while executing the mission the right way.
Military.com: CEOcircle is built around peer learning among executives leading high-growth companies. What insights or shifts in perspective have you gained from being surrounded by CEOs facing similar scale and operational complexity?
Ashley: For the first five years of building Bancroft, I didn’t have a true peer group. I was figuring everything out in real time—making mistakes, fixing them, learning the next hard lesson, and then immediately being confronted with another one. It was exciting and challenging, but it was also exhausting.
I remember thinking more than once that there has to be a better way to learn than drinking from a firehose all the time. CEOcircle changed that for me. Being surrounded by other veteran CEOs who were facing the same scale, regulatory, and operational complexity was incredibly grounding. These were leaders dealing with workforce growth, multi-state operations, capital decisions, and the same weight of responsibility—for their teams, their clients, and their families.
Very quickly, I realized that many of the challenges I had been carrying alone weren’t unique at all. They were simply part of scaling a business the right way. What made it even more powerful was the immediate connection that comes from shared military service. There’s a level of trust and candor that shows up right away. People are willing to be honest, share hard-earned lessons, and genuinely help one another succeed. That sense of shared mission and service - to each other and to our communities - felt very familiar to my time in the service.
The structure of CEOcircle really matters too. The program is thoughtful and well-run, with strong sponsors, meaningful training, and speakers who understand what high-growth leadership actually looks like. You can tell the team at Syracuse University’s D’Aniello Institute for Veteran & Military Families truly cares about the work they’re doing and the veterans they’re supporting.
It’s not just networking - it’s accountability, mentorship, and perspective. Ultimately, CEOcircle reinforced something the military taught me long ago: no leader succeeds alone. Being part of a peer group that understands both the mission and the pressure has helped me step back, think more strategically, and build Bancroft with a clearer long-term vision - and with far less isolation along the way.
Military.com: For other veteran or military-spouse entrepreneurs considering the CEOcircle program, what would you say is the most valuable aspect of joining a cohort of peers operating at similar revenue and investment levels?
Ashley: For veteran and military-spouse entrepreneurs, the most valuable aspect of CEOcircle is the combination of peer credibility and shared accountability. It recreates the trust, shared purpose, and candor many of us experienced in the military—but at a level where the conversations are centered on real scale, real risk, and real responsibility.
This is not an early-stage founder group. You’re learning alongside CEOs operating at similar revenue and investment levels who understand the weight of payroll, capital decisions, regulatory exposure, and long-term strategy. That common baseline elevates the conversation immediately. You’re not explaining fundamentals—you’re pressure-testing decisions, comparing approaches, and learning from leaders who are actively navigating the same complexity. CEOcircle also significantly shortens the learning curve by pairing peer insight with high-quality mentorship and financial expertise.
The program’s backing by J.P. Morgan Commercial Banking added meaningful depth, particularly around capital strategy. It sharpened how I think about financing, balance-sheet strength, and positioning Bancroft for disciplined, sustainable growth—not just growth for growth’s sake. Most importantly, the program helped me prepare intentionally for the next phase of Bancroft’s evolution.
One of the most impactful outcomes has been implementing an entrepreneurial operating system across the company. That shift has been transformational for our team. It strengthened accountability, clarified priorities, and brought real structure to how we operate. As a result, our pipeline visibility is stronger, our execution is tighter, and we’re heading into 2026 with confidence and control rather than reaction and fatigue.
The CEOcircle - D'Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families website provides more information about the criteria, though any industry can qualify, and how future applicants can start the process by filling out the interest form.
