EforAll Northwest Arkansas Announces It’s 2022 Summer Accelerator Cohorts

Bentonville, AR., July 11, 2022 - Entrepreneurship for All (EforAll) Northwest Arkansas announced that fifteen early stage businesses have been selected to participate in two cohorts of their Summer Accelerator Program in Northwest Arkansas. These entrepreneurs were evaluated by more than 50 community leaders, industry experts, and entrepreneurs through a rigorous application review and interview process.?

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“I am honored to be a part of such a grand experience,” said Tahamara Ibarra, Founder of Taha Translations. “EforAll is providing me with a team of dedicated professionals to guide me on solidifying my idea into a business reality. I am empowered and know that by completing the program; I will be one step closer to having my own business and providing a service that will help the Hispanic community of NWA,”

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This month the selected entrepreneurs will begin the 1-year-long program focused on building and executing their Business Model Canvas. EforAll’s accelerator program model includes five essential components: dedicated mentorship, real-life curriculum, peer support, cash grants, and bilingual support? to help guide entrepreneurs through their journey. The diverse group is composed of entrepreneurs throughout the Northwest Arkansas region, with 88% of entrepreneurs being women, 80% identifying as African American, Asian/Pacific Islander, and/or Hispanic, and 7% of the founding team identifying as Autistic.

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"Northwest Arkansas is a vibrant place where everyone should have the chance to dream big about starting a business. For new entrepreneurs like me who may not fit the mold, EforAll is opening a door to this opportunity with access to training, mentorship and a warm community of support"said Domestique Founder and CEO, Myra Epp, one of the selected members of the English Cohort.

?The diverse business ideas that these entrepreneurs have are a clear reflection of the needs and personality of our region - community-oriented, innovative, inclusive, creative, and ambitious.

?“EforAll exists to help eliminate three major barriers for underrepresented individuals in our community: business knowledge, social networks, and access to capital.” says Rodrigo Salas, executive director of EforAll Northwest Arkansas. “So for us, it’s really important that we admit entrepreneurs that have a clear idea of what they want to do, that are committed to make it happen, and that they have an open mind. These fifteen entrepreneurs meet that criteria to the T. I am so excited to welcome them to our EforAll family!."

The summer EforAll Accelerator class will run from July 2022 to June 2023 and it will have a hybrid approach where most classes and meetings will be held virtually, but advance and final presentations will be held in person. In addition, EforAll’s Accelerator program is run simultaneously in English and Spanish to help as many individuals as possible in our community thanks to the support of the Walton Family Foundation. ?As part of the 2022 summer cohort, entrepreneurs will have access to expert mentorship, tailored curriculum, co-working space, and opportunities to win seed money.

?A closer look a the startups selected:

?English Cohort

Cindy Kaiser and Jacob Dawson - The Aumlet: all-day breakfast food truck?

Tori Newland - Capillum: it makes a sustainable and fairly-priced hair towel that will minimize microplastic pollution while providing consumers with a durable yet soft, texture-free drying experience.

Daniela Patino - Daniis_Sweets: a dessert food truck that sells a select variety of desserts such as chocolate covered strawberries, cake pops, and other baked items.?

Myra Epp - Domestique: provides home cleaning services carefully and thoughtfully curated to create harmony.

Andrea White -Ember Fine Art Tattoo & Gallery: Northwest Arkansas’s first high end and fine art driven tattoo studio.

Rebecca Nimrod - Mango Magnolia: developing a practice of movement, make up and mindfulness which will elevate individuals to living a life where they perform at their very best.

Mary Beth Beshears - Mary Beth Photography: product and brand photographer with a subscription photography business model.?

Tina Gilbert - Next Level Training Solutions Group: HR training and development consultant services for non-profit, government agencies, and mid-size organizations.

Spanish Cohort

Gloria Rios - Locos Chamoy: gummies and candy covered in chamoy sauce.

Ricardo Palos - Los Cuatro In: Pork carnitas and meat market specializing in pork cuts.

Lourdes Valverde - Lulart: high quality reproductions of her original art for sale.

Alvin Lopez - Papa Rap Productions: produce shows in schools and family venues using his bilingual music to help parents and children learn together.

Tahamara Ibarra - Taha’s Translation: translation of visual and audio materials (print, video, audio) for training purposes.

\Yesenia Zeron - The Cheesecake Spot: dessert shop for catering and corporate events.

Naibel Vargas - Vendesigns: Personalized and custom printed party and event supplies.

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About EforAll

?Entrepreneurship for All (EforAll) is a nonprofit organization that partners with communities nationwide to help under-represented individuals successfully start and grow a business through intensive business training, mentorship and an extended professional support network. To date, EforAll alumni have launched over 1,100 businesses. In 2021 alone, its businesses provided more than 1,734 local jobs and generated over $54M in revenue, despite the pandemic. Programs are available in both English and Spanish. EforAll current locations include Buffalo, NY; Longmont, Colo.; Northwest Arkansas; Rhode Island; and the following Massachusetts communities: Berkshire County, Cape Cod, Fall River/New Bedford, Worcester, Holyoke, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, and Roxbury. To learn more about EforAll, please visit eforall.org.?

For more information please contact:

Rodrigo Salas

[email protected]