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First EforAll business accelerator in Spanish cohort to graduate this week

All program participants graduating will be female entrepreneurs.
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File photo | Unsplash

Seventeen entrepreneurs — seven of whom are Latina  —  graduated from the EforAll business accelerator program. The seven Latina business owners represented an array of service industry businesses and were the first to complete the Spanish-language cohort, which launched last year, , according to Karen Veraza, Spanish program manager for EforAll. 

“We usually would have accepted people starting their businesses but because of the pandemic a lot of the business owners needed to restructure their businesses or come up with new ideas to still be relevant being online,” Veraza said. “We had an array of entrepreneurs who have had their businesses from three to six years but needed to establish a new structure and focus on things they wouldn't have beforehand in order to be successful.”

Marinela Maneiro-Goodwin, owner of Intrepid Connections, offers mental health and socioemotional services to support Spanish-speaking people. Intrepid Connections uses workshops, coaching and personalized counseling to help community members. . 

Maneiro-Goodwin joined the EforAll program to better structure and consolidate  Intrepid Connections, which  has been in the works for two decades. 

"My business arose from the need that I have seen for access to this type of services for our community, our immigrant community, and I work in collaboration with nonprofit and government organizations that have funds to make services available to these people," she said. "This last year has been so difficult and stressful for many people and the demand for services has increased … it is time to do something that is a win-win."

Although the pandemic caused many businesses and clients to utilize technology to connect, it has been the connections Maneiro-Goodwin has made through EforAll that kept her pushing forward. 

“I had the opportunity to join a group of all Latina entrepreneurs, which resulted in an interesting synergy between what the program offers and the fact that everything was virtual. Each of us as entrepreneurs began to support each other and make business ideas come true,” she said. "To see how businesses can be so different but the motivation and concern is the same, how to grow, how to clarify an idea of something that could be your project, that will not only maintain itself financially, but will also have a social impact."

In 2019, EforAll launched as a  business accelerator in Longmont offering intensive workshops, local mentorship and quarterly support to entrepreneurs in the area. 

“One of the things that it offers us is the access to mentors, they support us as part of the accelerator to help each one advance their projects,” she said. "In terms of my business, my goals are to consolidate the team and have more presence in the market, not only in Boulder but across Colorado for now."

A global pandemic can place challenging barriers to those entrepreneurs chasing after their dreams, especially those coming from other countries who may struggle with the language and the culture, she said, adding having the free support EforAll offers can make a world of difference.

“To dare to put my dreams into action, that has been a key takeaway for me, and to do it hand in hand with a team of entrepreneurs gives you a lot more courage to be able to start something,” she said. "Maybe it will never be the perfect time to undertake something, you have to start doing it and see how things turn out. We are lucky to have this type of support."

The cohorts from the winter program celebrate their graduations via Zoom. The public is invited to attend online, for Spanish ceremony tomorrow at 6 p.m. or the English ceremony today at 6 p.m.. 

The English-language program will feature Longmont's own Glenda Robinson, a nationally recognized civil rights activist, who will provide the keynote speech, according to Kelly Musick, program manager for EforAll Longmont.


Silvia Romero Solís

About the Author: Silvia Romero Solís

Después de viajar por el mundo, Silvia llegó a establecerse en Longmont. Ella busca usar su experiencia en comunicaciones y cultura para crear más equidad y diversidad en las noticias de Longmont.
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