EforAll Hires Executive Director, Accepting Applications for Business Accelerator Programs

Entrepreneurship for All (EforAll), the nonprofit whose mission is to accelerate economic and social impact through inclusive entrepreneurship, today announced that Rodrigo Salas has been appointed executive director of EforAll’s free English and Spanish Business Accelerator programs in Northwest Arkansas. After announcing the launch of EforAll and EparaTodos in the community earlier this year, applications for the Winter 2022 accelerators are now officially open for both English and Spanish speaking residents in the region.

EforAll’s Business Accelerator program as well as its Spanish language program, EparaTodos, help under-represented entrepreneurs start and grow successful businesses. These one-year programs use a unique combination of practical business training, dedicated mentorship from local business and community leaders and access to a large professional network. These programs are offered at no cost and will be offered twice a year in Northwest Arkansas.

As executive director, Salas will run both the EforAll and EparaTodos programs. Originally from Mexico and now a Bentonville-based start-up founder, he is a strong business leader with extensive entrepreneurship experience. On top of 20 years in various marketing, strategic and directorial roles, Salas took his company, Kualli Foods, from a concept to a successful business with distribution in over 400 grocery stores nationwide. His family-run business, Molli Sauces, was founded in 2013 as a subsidiary of Kualli Foods.

“Being an entrepreneur myself, I’m aware of the challenges and hurdles to launching a business,” said Salas. “I’m thrilled by the opportunity to join an organization like EforAll, and support entrepreneurs who may lack access to the mentorship, networking and skills they need to be successful, especially women, people of color, and Hispanic and immigrant entrepreneurs in the Northwest Arkansas region.”

Salas will also be joined by Ana Ortiz, the program’s newly hired EparaTodos Program Manager. Ortiz is a first-generation college graduate who has over ten years of retail sales, teaching, and small business consulting experience and owns her own photography business. Salas and Ortiz are the ideal team to get these programs started, and they are searching for an equally experienced Program Manager for the EforAll program. Interested job applicants can learn about the position and apply at  www.eforall.org/program-manager-northwest-arkansas.

Applications for the EparaTodos and EforAll Business Accelerator programs, beginning the week of Jan. 10, 2022, are now being accepted. To learn more and apply to the Winter 2022 EforAll program, visit eforall.org/NWAwinter2022. For more information and to apply for the Spanish language EparaTodos program, visit eparatodos.org/NWAinvierno2022.