Thirteen early stage businesses and nonprofits have been selected to participate in the Entrepreneurship for All (EforAll) Summer Accelerator Program in New Bedford and Fall River. This cohort was evaluated by more than 40 community leaders, EforAll Mentors, industry experts, and entrepreneurs through a rigorous application review and interview process. Of the startups selected 15% are product, 31% are service, 31% are tech and 23% are retail.
This year long program comprised of 23% of startups have at least one founder of color and 85% of startups have at least one female founder. This is representative of EforAll’s mission to accelerate economic development and social impact through inclusive entrepreneurship in mid-sized cities. As part of the 2018 cohort, entrepreneurs will have access to expert mentorship, tailored curriculum, co-working space, and opportunities to win prize money.
The finalists are:
- Vanessa Everett, Marion – Angelic Mom – a food company that specializes in “JuneBug Pancakes” which are free of gluten, wheat, soy, yeast, corn, and egg.
- Meredith Birch, South Dartmouth – Artible – a program for young adults to learn, create, and sell their art in the South Coast area.
- Kimber-Lee Jacobsen & Keri Cusson, Westport – Be Light Yoga and Holistic Center- a studio and cafe that offers yoga, movement, & meditation classes, as well as frequent lifestyle workshops.
- Stephanie Christopher, New Bedford – Bead Me creates portrait with handcrafted beads which are produced individually.
- Sarah Mason, Forestdale – Cape Cod Nail Co. is a mobile nail salon servicing groups and parties and recently launched a private label nail polish line retailing online and in stores.
- Daniel Moriarty & Nicholas Caswell, North Dartmouth – Farm Thrift – a software platform that brings local farmers markets to your phone and delivers to your home.
- Kelsey Avila & Anna Frantz, North Dartmouth – Pole Fitness– tailored workouts for groups and individuals with the goals of empowerment, self confidence, and variety to your exercise routine.
- David Gariepy, Swansea – mealplan.io – a recipe app for meal prep and grocery lists to promote a healthy lifestyle.
- Anjana Chennagiri, Swati Sangwan & Supriya Shekar, Newton Upper Falls- Naan Americans– a web platform that provides opportunity to passionate home cooks to share their kitchen with strangers and offer cultural experiences through food.
- Sarah Moniz & Erin Poyant, Westport – Solshine Yoga – a studio with beautiful water views of the New Bedford, Ma Cove that offers yoga, reiki and meditation.
- Thayer Weinblad & Nick Weinblad of New Bedford with Weinport Creative- a graphic design and photography company that assists brands and individuals in telling their story through creative content and stunning visuals.
- Noi Sabal, Mattapoisett – Writing Ninja – a membership based website that helps fiction writers finish their stories through a prompted journey of character and plot development.
- Zoe Hansen-DiBello, New Bedford – Zoe Hansen-DiBello Consulting – an education consultant that focuses on family engagement and philanthropic advising.
More info can be found on the website www.eforall.org.
