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  7. Peabody Essex Museum Hosts EforAll and EparaTodos Showcase & Graduation, Celebrating 18 Local Entrepreneurs

Peabody Essex Museum Hosts EforAll and EparaTodos Showcase & Graduation, Celebrating 18 Local Entrepreneurs

Peabody Essex Museum Hosts EforAll and EparaTodos Showcase & Graduation, Celebrating 18 Local Entrepreneurs  

Six entrepreneurs awarded cash grants close to $12,000 in total

LOWELL, Mass. – May 2, 2023 – Entrepreneurship for All (EforAll), a nonprofit organization whose mission is to accelerate economic and social impact through inclusive entrepreneurship, today announces its first round of graduate cash award winners, following its 2023 Winter Business Accelerator Showcase & Graduation event, hosted by the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) on Tuesday, April 25. Winning participants include:

  • Sandra Woodward, Pearl Homecare Agency (Tewksbury, Mass.) – received the grand prize of $3,000 for her nursing agency focused on servicing the needs of Spanish-speaking patients. 
  • Sheila Boamah Adjei, M’aseda Unique Naturalle (Melrose, Mass.) – received $2,500 for her natural hair and body product business made with ayurvedic herbs. 
  • Norma Villeda, VicaraCakes (Everett, Mass.) – received $2,000 for her family-run artisan bakery business. 
  • Kecia Rideout, Chase the Chill Lynn (Lynn, Mass.) – received $1,850 for her nonprofit providing warm items to the Lynn community through community crocheting/knitting projects, the collection of warm clothing items, and donation to those in need.
  • Jenneht Arroyave, Mariangel Touch Studio (Revere, Mass.) – received $1,500 for her esthetician practice offering a variety of cosmetic treatments and massages.
  • Roger Normil, Cocotte’s Kitchen (Malden, Mass.) – received $1,000 for his small craft batch flavorful hot sauce business based on family recipes passed down through generations.

“We are immensely proud of each entrepreneur for taking this monumental leap to make their dreams come true and are honored to be a small part of their journey,” said Meralis T. Hood, EforAll CEO. “They have worked diligently and sacrificed much of their free time, family time and sleep to launch their businesses. They are a true inspiration, and we are looking forward to seeing them grow.”

The Showcase & Graduation event celebrated 18 graduate entrepreneurs from EforAll and its Spanish cohort, EparaTodos, 2023 Winter Business Accelerator. It presented an opportunity for the public to learn more about the graduates’ businesses and nonprofits impacting the local community – including a nonprofit aiming to provide a local hub for Lynn-based artists, an indoor educational children’s playground with a quiet coworking space for remote working parents and a homecare organization serving Spanish-speaking patients, among others. 

As part of its Civic Engagement program, PEM invited EforAll Lynn to host its biannual showcase and graduation at the museum.

“As a museum that strives to be increasingly accessible and equitable for Latinx, English-language learners and immigrant communities, PEM jumped at the opportunity to collaborate with EforAll,” said Kurt T. Steinberg, Ed.D., PEM COO. “By embracing the power of creativity, innovation, and cultural diversity, we can build stronger communities and brighter futures for all.”

As part of their collaboration, the PEM will be hosting EforAll Lynn and EparaTodos Lynn Spring 2023 pitch contests, an opportunity for aspiring entrepreneurs to receive feedback on their business ideas and win cash awards to help fund their dream.

To learn more about EforAll and its upcoming pitch contests, 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 Longmont, Colo.; Maine; 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.