Elevating local community members to lead and excel.

Supporting Entrepreneurs

Elevar will provide a grant to entrepreneurs in Eagle County to accelerate their businesses to the next level. Entrepreneurs will receive training and support, mentorship, and become a part of a prestigious community of Vail Valley entrepreneurs! 

Our goals are to support the community with knowledge, training, and resources to launch a new business – or to take an existing company to the “next level.” 

• We will select 5-7 entrepreneurs to receive our first grant.
• Grant size will be up to $5,000, given once. You are eligible to reapply in future years.
• Please note that this grant is only available to Latinx, Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC). 
• Applications Open: October 16, 2023
• Applications Close: November 15, 2023
• Semifinalists selected: December 20, 2023
• Semifinalist Interview: Week of January 8, 2024
• Decision on Finalists: By the end of the month- January 2024

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

• When will the application go live?
  • Applications will go live on October 16th by 5 pm and it will remain live until the 30th of November.
• Is this for me?
  • We are looking for early stage entrepreneurs from the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) community. “Early stage” means that you are in your initial stages of operation, growth, and product or service development. You may still be refining your concept, conducting market research, and/or building your minimum viable product (MVP).
• Do I need to have revenue already?
  • This is not a requirement to receive the grant.
  • Early-stage startups usually have limited or no revenue, as you are focused on building a product, gaining initial customers, and establishing your place in the marketplace. If you do have revenue or other types of traction already in place, be sure to tell us in the application!
• How developed should my idea or business be?
  • You should have a clear vision of what you are solving and a roadmap of how you will get there. Show us your skills and areas of expertise, and why you are the “right person” to be running this company.
  • We encourage you to use our application as much as a thought exercise for you to consider new angles of business development as it is for you to show us your expertise in this area. 
• This is not the right time for me. Can I apply next year?
  • Elevar operates from a 3-year grant that we hope and expect to renew.
  • We expect that this opportunity will be available for years to come! 
• What is the time commitment?
  • We will meet twice monthly for educational sessions ran by members of the community, and expect to have additional opportunities throughout the months such as company visits, fireside chats, and more.
• Will you take equity in my company?
  • No!
• What is expected of me in return?
  • We seek entrepreneurs who want to make a positive impact in our community! Our primary ask is that you give your best efforts to make your company a reality during and after the development period.
  • We also ask that you serve as a mentor for future entrepreneurs once your company is off the ground in order to give back to ELEVAR and EVCF. Pay it forward! 
  • All selected grantees will be required to go through a background check prior to program participation.
• Can I be involved as a mentor or donor?
  • Yes! Consider applying to join the Steering Committee (info below.)
  • If you are interested in mentoring, please email Erin at erin@eaglevalleycf.org
  • If you are interested in donating, please reach out to Grace Anshutz, Director of Development & Marketing at grace@eaglevalleycf.org

Professional development and capital investments through grantmaking.

There are two key components that make up the Elevar program:

Members of the Elevar Steering Committee are identified by local nonprofit organizations and community leaders who have identified leadership potential among people of color or low-income members of our community who have had a lack of access to resources to advance their leadership journey.

• The Elevar Steering Committee members will benefit from community-based peer support through small, tight-knit cohorts, community leader mentorship and other leadership development training in order to give them direct experience on a board and in philanthropic grantmaking.
• The Elevar Steering Committee is comprised of 9-15 members who are responsible for creating an application process, identifying potential grantees, reviewing proposals, and ultimately recommend funding of 5-7 grantees (to be approved by the EVCF board). Elevar Steering Committee members are paid a stipend for participation to create more equitable opportunity to participate in the committee.

Elevar’s Advisory Board brings together diverse representatives of all stakeholders affected by our grantmaking to make funding decisions, the collective expertise, and experiences of the group leads to more effective and equitable grantmaking decisions and increased impact. Thank you to these individuals who have been selected to lead Elevar as Advisory Board members.

Apply to join the Elevar Steering Committee

2023 Elevar Staff Leads

Erin Janklow

Erin Janklow is an accomplished entrepreneur and MBA graduate with a passion for empowering others through education and innovation. Trilingual in Italian, Spanish, and English, she possesses a deep understanding of cultural diversity and intersectionality - and is always eager to continue learning. Erin is driven by her commitment to social impact and has demonstrated her expertise in product development and management throughout her career.

As the Founder and CEO of Entrada: Employer-Sponsored Learning, Erin developed a framework to teach front-line immigrants English in just 100 days. By combining grammar and psychology, the company provided a sustainable path to upward mobility within the workforce. She was recognized as a Power Woman of DC Tech as well as DC's 40 Under 40 Entrepreneurs in 2019. As a consultant for the Eagle County Community Foundation, she now leads programming for ELEVAR. Erin is also a meditation guide, intuitive channel, and Soul Body Fusion Teacher Trainer.

Maria Julieta Cavallo

Maria Julieta Cavallo is from Argentina, she is the youngest of three sisters. Her parents are descendants from Europeans (France, Italy and Spain). She lived in Argentina until she finished College and moved to Colorado after graduating. She is very fortunate to live in this beautiful community and enjoys life with her husband and two boys.

She studied to be a Teacher, after that she graduated as an “Educational Psychologist”. Her full-time job is in one of the many wonderful schools of the Eagle County School District, she started working there from the time that she moved into the valley. At the same time, she  is passionate to participate and collaborate  with the community, for that reason, years  ago she got involved in different non-profit organizations.

 Today, she is grateful to be part  of EVCF as an“Elevar” Coordinator. She loves the outdoor life and she enjoys hiking, skiing or having a coffee in the company of her family, and of course, the beautiful people who lives in the  Valley of Eagle County.

Virginia Lecea

Virginia is originally from the south of Argentina and graduated from The Argentinian Business School with a degree in Public Relations and Communications. 

She moved to Colorado to work and enjoy winter sports in the year 2006. Her professional path mainly focused on serving employees from a human resources role in the hospitality industry. During this time, she also enjoyed being involved with different nonprofits around the Vail Valley. With a big desire to be more involved with our community, in late 2020 Virginia joined the Eagle Valley Community Foundation (EVCF) as the MIRA Bus Operations Manager. Virginia now serves the community as The Director of People & Programs for EVCF.

In her free time, you’ll find Virginia enjoying the beautiful Colorado outdoors with her husband and two young daughters.

Melina Valescia

With broad experience in community organizing, advocacy and strengthening leadership of the Latinx community, Melina has a vision to build an inclusive community where the Latinx population in Eagle County is empowered as leaders and where economic opportunity, innovation, and the ability to thrive within Eagle County can be attained by ALL community members.

Prior to accepting the leadership role as the ED with EVCF, Melina led a collaborative effort for Eagle Valley Community Foundation to initiate MIRA, the Mobile Intercultural Resource Alliance. 

 Melina grew up in a small rural community in Argentina and her parents taught her by example, in their everyday behaviors, to choose fairness and equality. At age 17, Melina won an award to participate in an international training addressing nutritional education. While working her way through school in Argentina, Melina’s dedication to addressing discrimination was fostered. Melina taught health and nutrition in Argentina and Paraguay to indigenous peoples and migrants.

Melina’s leadership journey is just beginning and her desires and vision to impact systemic change and break down barriers and systems of oppression, racism and inequity are taking root throughout the Eagle River Valley. 

Melina is also the mother of two young children and is a mentor to young Latinx women and girls who aspire to follow in her footsteps and be changemakers within their communities as well.