A local nonprofit is helping local entrepreneurs with good ideas launch their ventures even though they lack the connections in the traditional business community, executive director Caroline Hafele said.
Entrepreneurship for All (EforALL) offers free business training and mentorship for those restarting their careers after a job loss or change in attitude, Hafele said.
“We focus on small businesses owned by local community members solving local problems,” she said. “So much of the county is focused on technology and high growth industries. Our program concentrates on brick and mortar business, lots of retail and restaurants and beverage industries.”
“We help them establish themselves and make a difference in the community,” she said. “We want to make their dreams a reality.”
EforAll recently graduated 12 new small businesses from the group’s fall accelerator programs. The cohort was selected from a pool of 60 applicants who were reviewed and interviewed by the EforAll team and volunteer local business leaders, Hafele said.
The EforAll accelerator program begins with a three-month intensive business training course, which includes five hours per week of virtual classes taught by subject matter experts, according to an EforAll news release. Each participant was also paired with two-to-three mentors from the great Boulder County area whom they met with on a weekly basis.
“Mentorship is so important to our program,” Hafele said. “We’ve found that social capital and guidance from mentors can instrumentally increase success rate for new entrepreneurs.”
EforAll offers programming in the Spanish language to better serve the Spanish-speaking community in Longmont, she said. Of the 12 companies from the fall program, five participated in the Spanish program (Epara Todos) and seven participated in the English program (EforAll), the news release states.
Those out of the mainstream business community are pivotal to EforAll programs, Hafele said. Since launching in 2019 in Colorado, 55 small business owners have participated in EforAll Longmont accelerator programs, of which 75% were female-owned, 55% are BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) owned and 50% are immigrant owned, she said.
“A lot of our applicants have never had a formal business education,” Hafele said. “We want to help get them the business capital they need to succeed.”
“A lot of our applicants are career switchers, people who got laid off, maybe because of COVID, or they just don’t want to stay in their career path,” she said. “To them, it is time for change.”
They are instructed in finance, operations and other facets of small business, Hafele said.
Last week, each entrepreneur pitched their new businesses and what they gleaned from the program to a panel of local judges, according to the news release.
EforAll provides seed funding to winners of the final pitch event to assist with startup costs and other growth expenses. The winners will be announced at the EforAll Virtual Showcase & Celebration Events on January 10th (Spanish) & January 11th (English) from 6pm-8pm, the news release states.
This event is open to the public. To register for the English Showcase event, contact Program Manager Kelly Musick ([email protected]).
To register for the Spanish Showcase event, please contact Jon Galindo ([email protected]).
EforAll Fall 2021 Graduates are:
Entrepreneur: Jasmine Sampson
Business Name: Curate Boulder
Curate Boulder is a nonprofit that aims to empower African American artists and curators
of color through educational events and exhibitions in Boulder.
Entrepreneur: Susan Loriho
Business Name: Susan’s Samosas
Susan’s one-of-a-kind, handmade South Sudanese Samosas are packed with flavor,
ready to be devoured! Each samosa is made with the finest organic ingredients. Selling
thousands of scrumptious samosas, Susan’s is quickly becoming a local favorite.
Entrepreneur: Traci Jones
Business Name: Rise Phoenix Rise
A nonprofit that provides animal assisted therapy and peer support groups for those
struggling with mental health and recovery challenges.
Entrepreneurs: Tondra & Kenneth Gaspard
Business Name: Nola Chefs of Colorado
A catering company that brings a taste of New Orleans to Colorado with a vegan twist.
Entrepreneur: Ethel Lazarte Gonzales
Business Name: Peruvian Immersion LLC
Spanish language immersion programs for health-oriented students, healthcare
professionals and educators.
Entrepreneur: Christa Jimenez
Business Name: Pura Vida Moms
An online community & ecommerce store to celebrate Costa Rican food and culture.
Entrepreneur: Peg McMillan
Business Name: (In) Visible
A community that celebrates women over 50 (or approaching) that is accessible and
Inspirational.
Entrepreneur: Carlos Uribe
Business Name: Berny’s Mobile Auto Detail
A mobile car detailing service offering in-home car washes and auto cleaning services.
Entrepreneur: Antonia Flores
Business Name: The Mobile Nail Salon
A mobile nail salon concept that offers quick service manicures and pedicures.
Entrepreneur: Diana Garcia
Business Name: Delichus
A Mexican-style empanada company that supplies delicious desserts to local restaurants.
Entrepreneur: Flor Fuentes
Business Name: Flor Fuenetes
An online women’s clothing boutique that empowers women to feel beautiful and
confident through accessible fashion.
Entrepreneur: Xiomara Sanchez
Business Name: Oh My! Empanada
A Colombian style empanada business that offers a variety of flavors, all gluten-free.
To learn more about these companies, visit the online directory.
Upcoming EforAll & EparaTodos Programs
Community Pitch Contests
Application Deadline: March 15, 2022
April 6th: English Pitch Contest
April 20th: Spanish Pitch Contest
Small Business Accelerator Programs
Application Deadline: May 12, 2022
Programs Begin: June 2022 (English & Spanish)
To learn more about EforAll & EparaTodos in Longmont, visit www.eforall.org/longmont or reach out to the team at [email protected]. Interested in becoming a volunteer with EforAll? Contact Executive Director Caroline Hafele
