Author: Monica Peña

By Hilary Enriquez

Elsa Iris Reyes was born in Chicago to an immigrant Mexican family. She moved to Austin in 2016 on a whim, but ended up meeting amazing friends and decided to build a life in Austin, Texas. Her time is mostly spent with loved ones. She stays as active as she can by playing tennis, going out for long runs along the trails, and working on small projects around the house. She especially enjoys traveling around the world and learning about the history and cultures of the places she visits.

Elsa has over 10 years of experience in corporate finance and accounting and now serves as Vice President of Finance at IronClad Consulting. Her clients range from pre-revenue to pre-IPO stage companies in food, beverage, natural food supplements, and software. Most of her clients are venture backed and high growth companies eager to share their products and mission. She enjoys sharing her technical knowledge and experience with her clients in efforts to scale their businesses to meet an ever changing business environment.

Elsa shares her experience as a volunteer with EGBI.

Share a fun fact with us.

I have ran 3 marathons. They were all in Austin. I was not the fastest, but I finished all of them.

How did you first get involved with EGBI?

My friend Yolanda Davila and fellow board member, invited me to an EGBI event. I immediately felt connected with the community and mission of the organization.

Why do you volunteer for EGBI?

I believe in the mission to invest in entrepreneurs to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to achieve their goals. The entrepreneurs in our community can often face added barriers of language and lack of knowledge of how to navigate a business environment. EGBI helps to close this gap through their services and continued efforts to elevate and honor small businesses we serve.

How has your involvement with EGBI helped you grow professionally and personally?

I am very proud of the work EGBI does. The work the organization does gives me hope that there are ways to ensure that everyone with the vision and dream to start a business can do it with some help.

Want to get involved ? Contact us to find out how you can volunteer or donate.

By Hilary Enriquez

Aura Rainwater is the brainchild of Alexander M. Williams, conceived while meditating one morning.  Combining the concepts of Dr. Masaru Emoto’s research, which show the inherent vibration of positive and negative words can change the physical structure of water, with the intrinsic and unique properties of rainwater, Alexander knew that something special was being birthed.  Mr. Williams is the quintessential ‘Jack of All Trades, Master of Many.’ He has spread his wings in many areas including finance, small business development, child and adolescent development, adolescent substance abuse treatment and support, community development, fundraising and more!

Alexander is a firm believer that we do not have a water scarcity problem. “We have water abundance, but do not understand how to access this living gift from nature.” Founded in 2018, Aura Rainwater represents a collective of individuals that know the importance of rainwater, and that energy is information that has a great influence on everyone and everything in life – including water! Alexander knows in his heart that Aura Rainwater is a realistic  solution to the water needs for all of our communities as well as a solution to true hydration of the body.

Alexander shares his experience as a client with EGBI.

Share a fun fact with us.

The most incredible natural phenomena I’ve ever seen were Halos.  They were common when I lived in Italy and often seen on my visits to Switzerland.

How did you first get involved with EGBI? 

My involvement with EGBI goes back 6 months.  After hearing a presentation by Joni Foster, EGBI’s Program Director, and meeting with both Joni and Monica the relationship started.  Their positive vibes and high energy passion for helping people and businesses shinned.

Why is it important to support organizations such as EGBI?

EGBI provides both tangible and intangible resources.  This is important for entrepreneurs like myself to preserve capital and gain support to accelerate our businesses. The unique support and customized services help fuel business potential.   

“Working with EGBI has been an eye opening experience! There is ongoing mentorship and coaching support with no fixed start or end date from the staff.” – Alexander Williams

How has your involvement with EGBI helped you grow professionally and personally?

The power of networking is one of the most important elements in owning a business.  My involvement with EGBI has given me the networking power to expand professionally by meeting other business owners in the community and understanding the growing pains of scaling a business. Personally, it has helped me further develop my communication skills by sharing exactly what I need from those around me.

If you would like to find out more on how EGBI can assist you in starting or growing your small business, please click the link for information in English or Spanish.

By Hilary Enriquez

John B. McLellan has over 30 years of experience in organizational leadership, strategic planning, sales and marketing program development and project management. He founded Search 2 Sales, LLC in 2004, an advertising consulting firm that helps small and medium-sized businesses effectively implement Pay-Per-Click advertising on platforms such as Google Ads & Microsoft Advertising.
Prior to founding Search 2 Sales, John worked at the Hewlett-Packard Company for over 25
years in a variety of sales, consulting and leadership positions across many of HP’s business
segments. John holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering.

John shares his experience as a volunteer with EGBI.

Share a fun fact with us.

I hold dual citizenship with the US and Canada.

How did you first get involved with EGBI?

I first got involved with EGBI when I applied to volunteer on a project they posted on Catchafire. Catchafire is an online marketplace where nonprofits post projects that require a particular set of skills and individuals with those skills can volunteer. In this case, EGBI had received a grant for free advertising on Google, using the platform called Google Ads. EGBI selected me to help them develop an advertising campaign and teach them the skills that would enable them to optimize and expand on what we created.

Why do you volunteer for EGBI?

I believe that public service in any form, is not only an obligation, but a source of personal development and self-fulfillment. I currently serve on the board and as a volunteer for several nonprofits. I consider myself fortunate to have a skillset that even in my retirement years, is still relevant and in demand. Fortunately, I am able to work with organizations and individuals literally around the world, from the comfort of my home in Dallas. EGBI is one of several nonprofits I have helped with their Google Ads accounts over the years.

How has your involvement with EGBI helped you grow professionally and personally?

The time that I spend is personally gratifying because Monica is such a joy to work with. She sees the potential for the work we are doing and is excited whenever she makes progress or sees a new opportunity. For me professionally, I have grown by learning the ever-changing nuances of the Google Ad Grant program and how it differs from the advertising normally used by paying customers of Google Ads.

Want to get involved ? Contact us to find out how you can volunteer or donate.

By Alison Flangel

Meet Aamir Kutianawala, a summer program intern at EGBI. Aamir has been working with EGBI for the summer. He is a rising junior at Westwood High School and would like to go more into business/marketing as he progresses with his education. Outside of school and EGBI, Aamir is part of his school’s debate team, robotics team, DECA team, and various others as well. He loves playing and watching sports in his free time, and has also been pursuing guitar on the side!

Aamir shares his experience as a volunteer with EGBI and how you can get involved too.

To get started, would you mind telling us a fun fact about yourself?

I have been learning to play the guitar for 3 years.

How have you been involved with EGBI?

I have been working on a variety of tasks, but mainly help clients/business owners with finances and marketing. I also provide broad support by making lectures for entire groups of clients, along with helping to complete any general tasks.

Why do you think it is important to volunteer at EGBI?

I think it’s important to work with EGBI to support disadvantaged business owners, and help bridge the gap with underrepresented groups in business.

What has your favorite experience with EGBI been so far?

My favorite experience has been taking and editing pictures for a client’s Etsy shop.

“EGBI helps you make a difference in the community.”– Aamir Kutianawala

In 2021, EGBI volunteers put in more than 130 hours to help EGBI support and serve over 400 small businesses. Volunteers like Ken make this possible and continue to help EGBI pursue their mission of training, coaching, and supporting aspiring and existing business owners who face barriers to growing a successful business.

Want to get involved too? Contact us to find out how you can volunteer or donate.

By Alison Flangel

Hi! My name is Shamitha and I have been with EGBI for a month now and it has been an enriching experience. I am an incoming senior at Westwood High School, and as my education progresses, I hope to pursue a degree in finance or management. Outside of EGBI, I am in my school’s orchestra, Academy Ambassador program, GenShe, and several other clubs and honor societies.

Shamitha shares her experience as an intern with EGBI and how you can get involved too.

To get started, would you mind telling us a fun fact about yourself?

A fun fact about me is that I grew up mainly in London, England, and California.

How have you been involved with EGBI?

I mainly do research and analysis for clients’ businesses to see where they can improve financially. I’ve also recently worked on importing and exporting goods, bookkeeping, and more.

Why do you think it is important to volunteer at EGBI?

EGBI allows you to connect with people from all kinds of different backgrounds and changes your perspective on business and the world around you.

What has your favorite experience with EGBI been so far?

My favorite experience has been attending the 90 Days business workshop. I’ve been able to connect with a lot of different people and learn about their businesses and inspirations. I’ve also had the opportunity to meet with them one-on-one to help expand their businesses.  

“EGBI provides you the opportunity to learn new skills, communicate, and network.” – Shamitha Ramanan

In 2021, EGBI volunteers put in more than 130 hours to help EGBI support and serve over 400 small businesses. Volunteers like Ken make this possible and continue to help EGBI pursue their mission of training, coaching, and supporting aspiring and existing business owners who face barriers to growing a successful business.

Want to get involved too? Contact us to find out how you can volunteer or donate.