We are honored to receive Platinum Seal of Transparency for 2024 by Candid. The Platinum Transparency Rating is the highest level a nonprofit can achieve, signifying an exceptional commitment to transparency in sharing, our goals, strategies, financial data, capabilities, achievements, and progress.
The Economic Growth Business Incubator (EGBI) provides training, coaching, and support to aspiring and existing business owners who face barriers to growing a successful business. Barriers include education, finance, and language. We believe that all businesses should be profitable, sustainable, and an asset to the community.
Notes from the nonprofit
Economic Growth Business Incubator (EGBI) is a non-profit organization which provides training, coaching, and support to aspiring and existing business owners who face barriers to growing a successful business. EGBI believes that all businesses should be profitable, sustainable and an asset to the community. To that end, we offer a comprehensive package of business coaching, group workshops, and support services for aspiring and existing businesses. We frequently work with micro and small business owners and a lot of the businesses that we work with are still in the design state and are not active yet; or they have been in business for less than five years. Some of the businesses who partner with E.G.B.I. could be considered informal businesses and the owners are ready to transition into a more structured business entity. Typical businesses that partner with E.G.B.I. are mom & pop businesses and lifestyle businesses.
Executive Director: Larissa Davila
Main address
1144 Airport Blvd Ste 260
Austin, TX 78702 USA
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
The Economic Growth Business Incubator aims to be a better organization and increase our impact in the community while moving towards a more self-sustainable model for funding because we want to… Read more
Our programs
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
What are the organization’s current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Training, Coaching and Support
EGBI is industry-agnostic, in that we work with aspiring and existing business owners who bring the expertise around their idea; and we bring business practices, strategic thinking, and other resources. Many of our clients come with years of industry experience; but lacking opportunities to advance in their place of employment, choose to start their own business. Their knowledge of the industry gives them the competitive advantage to be successful. However, they often lack the business acumen to manage a successful business. Through our training, coaching, and support services, we assist our clients to understand how to run and manage their business effectively and efficiently.
TRAINING EGBI’s signature program is a two-part, foundational workshop series: Build Your Business PLAN and MANAGE the ABCs of Business. These workshops are geared to help participants focus on their business idea, develop a useful plan, and learn the tools to manage their business.
COACHING EGBI offers private coaching sessions: one-on-one time for clients to explore deeply their business idea and strategy. Coaches help clients develop their business model, create financial projections using spreadsheets, identify specific strategies for marketing their business, and work through next-step action plans with an accountability partner in EGBI. Private coaching often uncovers life issues and barriers in the way of moving forward; and the opportunity to identify experts, resources, tools, and opportunities to resolve these issues.
SERVICES EGBI offers bookkeeping support, helping our clients set up manual systems for very young businesses, and moving to QuickBooks Online as soon as it makes sense. EGBI can offer an hour of questions and answers, set up services, support for payroll through an online partner, and monthly reconciliation services. As part of our monthly service, we review financial statements with our clients, practicing how to use these statements to manage and grow.
Austin, TX – After an extensive search process led by members of its board of directors, Economic Growth Business Incubator (EGBI), a nonprofit business support organization in Austin, has named Larissa Davila as their next Executive Director. She begins her tenure on March 27, 2023.
For the past 8 years, Davila has been owner of BCO Consulting Group, offering services to micro, small and mid-sized business owners, government agencies and nonprofit organizations around strategic planning, budgeting, pricing strategy, process improvements, market research, marketing services, and bi-lingual community outreach. Larissa started her company after about a decade of corporate experience with Bentoli, Inc, Fed Ex and Sony Corporation. Her experience includes community project and process management, international logistics, customer support, and business in general. She also served as the Executive Director of LACE, the Latino Arts, Culture & Education Organization and Amhiga Hispana in Austin.
Davila is no stranger to EGBI. She has taught many EGBI workshops, provided volunteer expertise to clients, and in 2022 was named EGBI Volunteer of the Year. Currently working towards her MBA at the University of Texas, Davila is married and has a son at home.
“Larissa is a great choice for EGBI. She has been an active leader in the Austin community and a faithful volunteer to EGBI,” said Mike Lancaster, EGBI board chair and VP at Broadway Bank.
Come out to support EGBI and network with business owners in Central Texas at EGBI’s fundraiser, #WeAreEGBI Happy Hour on April 19th from 6 PM to 8 PM at Simar Seafood Cocina. EGBI’s new Executive Director, Larissa Davila will speak about her vision for the organization and local small business. Register HERE.
EGBI is a non-profit organization working in Central Texas with the mission of providing training, coaching and support to aspiring and existing business owners who face barriers such as knowledge, finances, or language. In 2022, EGBI provided services to over 360 aspiring and existing business owners in Central Texas. EGBI provides services in English and Spanish.
Join EGBI and subject matter experts to take your marketing to the next level this summer with our 3 part marketing series.
Get your local business on Google Search and Maps
Showing up when customers are searching online is more important than ever. Ensure customers can find accurate, updated information about your local business on Google Search and Google Maps, no matter which device they use. In this workshop, you will learn how to create and manage a Google Business Profile from start to finish.
Speaker: Creative writer, blogger, world traveler, and proud Latina leader, Vicky Sepulveda.
Join us on June 16th from 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM. Register HEREtoday to reserve your spot!
Use Facebook and Instagram to Grow Your Business
Heard you can grow your business using social media, but not sure how? This workshop will help you learn:
How to use your time effectively on social media
Different content strategies that work
What you need to know to run a successful Facebook and Instagram campaign
Speaker: Bill Combes is the founder of No Time for Social.
Join us on June 23rd from 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM. RegisterHEREtoday to reserve your spot!
PRESENT YOURSELF CONFIDENTLY ONLINE AND OFFLINE
You are the face of your company, but are you representing your company well? Are you standing out from others in your industry? This workshop will help you be prepared to appeal to the customers and clients you are trying to attract with your appearance online and offline. You will learn how to:
Be prepared to be a representative for your company at all times
Use body language to elevate your message
Leave a memorable impression to help grow your business.
Speaker: Well-known personality in the Central Texas community, Leslie Montoya.
Join us on June 30th from 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM. Register HERE today to reserve your spot!
EGBI is heartbroken to share the news of the passing of Al Lopez, our beloved board member, and first executive director. When describing Al, three words immediately come to mind: “Faith, Family, and Community.” Al professed his faith daily through action. Along with his beloved wife Judy, his eyes would gleam with pride when talking about his three children and the love he had for his 12 grandchildren. As a community leader, Al was always willing to roll up his sleeves to get the job done.
Al’s dedication to his community stemmed from the lack of guidance and resources available to him growing up. Most recently, his passion for quality education led to his services as a board member and interim CEO of IDEA Public Charter School. He was also involved in other area schools and education-related organizations. His work in education led to him being named the AISD Latino Volunteer of the year in 2012.
A humble leader, during the relaunch of EGBI, he helped us set a solid foundation to help our small businesses make a long-lasting impact in our community. He loved visiting with clients to help them figure out how to take their idea and turn it into profitable businesses. The desire he saw in their eyes to provide their families with opportunities was no different from what his parents wanted for him and what he wanted for his children. It was truly a privilege to work alongside Al.
Thank you, Al, for your service to our organization and community. You will always remain in our hearts. Please keep Judy and his family in your thoughts and prayers.
Business owners in the area get the assistance they need to grow.
AUSTIN, TX– Economic Growth Business Incubator (EGBI) is excited to partner with School of Business and Technology Huston-Tillotson University to help small businesses owners who face barriers to start or grow a successful business. Especially in challenging times where many small businesses have been forced to close their doors, both organizations are pleased to come together to serve historically disadvantaged businesses in our community.
EGBI in partnership with School of Business and Technology Huston-Tillotson University will be hosting Build Your Business Plan series that helps business owners develop a useful plan to open and grow their business. It will run February 3rd through March 31st 2022 from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM on Thursdays in English and February 1st to March 29th from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM on Tuesdays in Spanish at the School of Business and Technology 5701 Springdale Rd, Austin TX 78723. Attendees will build their financial projections and a marketing plan. They will learn about topics needed for businesses like competition, pricing, and how to find their clients.
“EGBI is excited to collaborate with Huston-Tillotson University to help all local small business thrive to help our economy grow.” Barbra Boeta, Executive Director of EGBI
“Matching the incubator and its collaborative efforts with Huston-Tillotson University’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation within the School of Business and Technology elevates our intentions of removing barriers to success for small business owners,” Colette Pierce Burnette, HT President and CEO.
Economic Growth Business Incubator (EGBI) provides training, coaching, and support to aspiring and existing business owners who face barriers to growing a successful business. Our mission is to provide training, coaching, and support to aspiring and existing business owners who face barriers to growing a successful business.
Huston–Tillotson University is Austin’s oldest institute of higher learning and the city’s only historically black college and university.
For more information about the workshop series, please click HERE.
Meet Pilar Sanchez. In 2000, she was responsible for starting another Housing Authority City of Austin (HACA) subsidiary, SHCC, from the ground up. SHCC now generates the revenue to fund the social services provided by Austin Pathways, the non-profit she currently leads at HACA.
Sanchez’s entrepreneurial spirit was instrumental in co-founding a business incubator in East Austin in 2008. Sanchez brokered a three-tiered partnership between her employer, the Housing Authority (HACA), the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (GAHCC), and the Hispanic Technology Institute of Austin (HTIA) to start an incubator that would help small to medium business thrive and create new jobs during the recession. This became the Economic Growth Business Incubator (EGBI), which spun off as its own independent non-profit in 2010. HACA still supports EGBI in many ways; they provide the space at Eastland Plaza, and have provided over $1 Million in funding for operations since 2010.
As a co-founder and lifelong EGBI volunteer, Pilar hopes that EGBI can encourage others to not only support themselves but to also support their families, friends, and community through the value of philanthropy.
Pilar shares a quick fun fact about herself. “While my mother taught me to be a strong, independent, and caring person, she never taught me to bake. My daughter asked me to make her a castle made of cupcakes for her 4th birthday. John, my husband, knew we were in trouble when I could not find a box of cupcake mix in the cake-mix aisle. Don’t ask me to bake for you; you might regret it. ” Although we may not ask her to bake for EGBI, her unwaivering commitment to EGBI and the local community is evident through all the areas she has volunteered for the organization. She has served on the board, various committees, and different projects throughout the years.
In 2020, EGBI volunteers put in more than 130 hours to help EGBI support and serve over 400 small businesses. Volunteers like Pilar 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 get involved.
