EforAll Secures over $300,000 to Serve Haverhill Entrepreneurs
U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) and Local Funders Invest in EforAll’s Haverhill Program Expansion
LOWELL, Mass. – September 8, 2022 – Entrepreneurship for All (EforAll), a nonprofit whose mission is to accelerate economic and social impact through inclusive entrepreneurship, is expanding its Merrimack Valley site to include an office in Haverhill. The expansion is expected to create 35 jobs and generate $1.1 million in private investment in the Haverhill community.
EforAll partnered with the Merrimack Valley Planning Commission to secure an EDA grant of $242,779, funded through the American Rescue Plan. The federal grant was supplemented with a 25% match from local funders including Pentucket Bank, Haverhill Bank, the City of Haverhill, and the Essex County Community Foundation (ECCF).
EforAll and its Spanish language offering, EparaTodos, are business accelerator programs that offer a unique combination of practical business training, dedicated mentorship from business and community leaders, and access to professional networks. All programs are offered at no cost and are available twice a year. EforAll focuses on supporting “under-represented” individuals including women, people of color, and immigrants.
“With increased presence in Haverhill, EforAll/EparaTodos Merrimack Valley will provide vital resources and better access to entrepreneurial opportunities for all residents striving to launch and grow businesses,” said State Representative Andres X. Vargas. “And for our community, this means more jobs and economic activity to help Haverhill thrive.”
“EforAll has a proven track record for success here in the region,” said Sophan Smith, Executive Director, EforAll/EparaTodos Merrimack Valley. “We started in Lowell back in 2013, and today we are proud to have 407 graduates from the Merrimack Valley, who collectively have generated over $43M in revenues and created 1,050 local jobs.”
One of these graduates is EforAll Merrimack Valley Summer 2020 participant, Alvania Lopez, founder of Peachbox Co., a personalized gift box company based in Metheun, MA. In 2021, the brand generated over $900K in revenues and has six full-time employees. “More than anything, the EforAll Accelerator helped me believe in myself and my business. It gave me the confidence to leave my corporate career and do this full-time. I love EforAll, and I’m forever grateful,” said Lopez.
On Thursday, Sept. 8, EforAll hosted a celebration at the Innovation Hub in Haverhill. Attendees included State Representative Andres X. Vargas, who helped lead this effort on behalf of Haverhill, and U.S. Representative Lori Trahan (MA-03).
To learn more about EforAll and its upcoming programs, visit www.eforall.org.
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 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, Merrimack Valley, Lynn, and Roxbury. To learn more about EforAll, please visit eforall.org.