In both 2024 and 2025 the Economic Growth Business Incubator (EGBI) was recognized by the working parents organization for being the best place for working parents® in both years.
The working parents organization is a national initiative that recognizes and celebrates businesses that support working parents and their families. They provide resources and information to businesses on how to help and accommodate working parents and their families.
EGBI got this award by demonstrating excellence in offering policies such as flexible work hours, parental leave, and wellness benefits. All of their clients are satisfied with how EGBI has worked hard to provide resources and help for all families or any color and background.
“The award reflects our belief that taking care of our team is essential to serving our community—when our clients thrive, so does our mission, and we like to take it the extra mile, when our clients come to our business coaching sessions, they can bring their kids. We have coloring books, legos, and toys for them to play. When our clients need to bring their kids, as long as they are well behaved, they can stay in the classroom. Sometimes the kids are more invested in the workshops than the parents. This is a reflection of who we are as an organization,” asserted Larissa Davila, Executive Director of the organization.
In May of 2023, the Economic Growth Business Incubator (EGBI) won an award for being the #1 Business Accelerator through dedication to their clients and the hard work their team put into it. They got this reward through the Austin Business Journal (ABJ) by having the most companies going through their program in 2022.
The Austin Business Journal provides local news, data, and networking around businesses in the city of Austin. They cover various industries like real estate, retail, commercial, restaurants, and more! Other things they do include the publishing of a book called “Book of lists”, which rank various businesses in specific categories, and hosting events for business professionals.
“This recognition from ABJ was a testament to the hard work of our team and the incredible entrepreneurs we had the privilege to work with. We were excited to have built momentum and to continue driving success for businesses here in Austin and beyond,” said Monica Peña, community relations director at the Economic Growth Business Incubator (EGBI).
In March of 2025 the Economic Growth Business Incubator (EGBI) was awarded the Promising practice award by the Central Texas Learning Festival (SXSW EDU). The Central Texas Learning Festival is a regional showcase held during SXSW EDU, part of the larger SXSW festival. They bring together a wide variety of educators to share new ideas and highlight programs that are community driven and that value inclusivity and equality.
“This award affirmed the real-world impact of our nontraditional teaching methods and our role in shaping inclusive, community-centered learning opportunities. We are extremely honored to receive this award and to be a partner of the Central Texas Learning Festival since its inception,” Monica Peña, Community Relations Director of EGBI stated.
EGBI got awarded the Promising practice award by working to educate business owners with limited access to resources and help them strive for excellence. EGBI meets people where they are and help them grow as confident entrepreneurs
In 2024 and 2025 the Economic Growth Business Incubator (EGBI) received the Platinum Seal of Transparency, which acknowledges organizations that are not only transparent about their operations, but also demonstrate a deep commitment to accountability, effectiveness, and the trust of their stakeholders. EGBI had to get the bronze, gold, and silver seal before qualifying for the platinum seal of transparency. They received this reward from Candid in both years.
Candid is a non-profit that provides data about the social sector. They help other non-profits find funding, access resources, and to support the right organizations. Essentially they help connect people to the resources they need to succeed in life.
“We are deeply grateful to Candid for this recognition and to all of our supporters who make this work possible. Together, we can continue to drive meaningful change, one transparent step at a time.” concluded Jose Lopez, the Programs Director of the Economic Growth Business Accelerator (EGBI).
In 2024 the Economic Growth Business Incubator (EGBI) earned the award Grow with Google – High impact Partner from the search engine Google. Grow with Google is an initiative that offers free digital skills and tools to individuals, nonprofits, and small businesses.
EGBI got this award by integrating Google’s resources into their work. They’ve helped hundreds of entrepreneurs gain critical digital skills, such as setting up websites, creating digital marketing campaigns, and managing their businesses using cloud-based tools.
“This recognition highlights our role in bridging the digital divide for small business owners who face challenges in accessing technology or digital resources. We are super proud of it, and we will continue to work on our partnership with Google to remain a High Impact Partner on a yearly basis. These tools are very powerful for small business owners, and we want to deliver them to them within our community,” stated Jose Lopez, director of programs at the local accelerator.
