EforAll Maine Appoints Obinna Okani as Executive Director To Oversee State-wide Entrepreneur Support Programs
PORTLAND, Maine – June 6, 2023 – Entrepreneurship for All (EforAll), a nonprofit whose mission is to accelerate economic and social impact through inclusive entrepreneurship, today announced the appointment of Obinna Okani, director of partnerships for The Nimble Group in Portland, as the Executive Director of EforAll Maine, launching this fall to support aspiring entrepreneurs across the state.
Okani brings substantial leadership, community engagement, development and recruiting experience through his role at The Nimble Group and as former community and engagement manager for The Roux Institute at Northeastern University’s entrepreneurship team. Working closely with the small business community in Portland, Okani drove grassroots efforts to engage and grow the tech entrepreneurial ecosystem in the area and designed programs and events to ensure Roux’s Entrepreneurship team maintained a strong local network focused on inclusivity.
An entrepreneur himself, Okani is committed to supporting under-represented individuals, which led him to co-found Najia Made, a lifestyle brand focused on the empowerment of over 20,000 young Nigerian professionals, entrepreneurs, and creatives around the world.
“Working closely with the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Maine for the past two years, I’ve met incredible business owners and founders driven to make their dreams come true but lacking the right resources and support,” says Okani. “I am elated to be working with underrepresented entrepreneurs to provide them the roles and confidence they need to build businesses that can transform Maine’s economy.”
“Obinna’s social engagement and entrepreneurial track record are stellar. We are thrilled to welcome his leadership, commitment to empowering BIPOC communities and ethos to our new EforAll Maine location,” said Lisa Archibald, Regional Director for EforAll.
EforAll programs include regular pitch contests, community events that help early-stage entrepreneurs gain valuable exposure and feedback on a business idea, and a year-long, no-cost business accelerator. The business accelerator program is offered twice a year and uses a unique combination of practical business training, dedicated mentorship from local business and community leaders, and access to a large professional network.
To learn more and stay updated on EforAll Maine, visit eforall.org/maine/.
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 1,400 businesses. In 2022 alone, its businesses provided 2,108 local jobs and generated over $66M in revenue, despite the pandemic. Programs are available in both English and Spanish. EforAll current locations include Longmont, Colo.; Maine; Northwest Arkansas, Rhode Island; and the following Massachusetts communities: Berkshire County, Cape Cod, Fall River/New Bedford, Worcester,, Merrimack Valley, Lynn,Pioneer Valley and Roxbury. To learn more about EforAll, please visit eforall.org.