Following the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Melida Alfaro, cofounder of San José-based Prosperity Lab, saw a connection between the need for motivation, positivity, community, and support for entrepreneurs.

“Being a business owner, it can be a lonely road,” she reflected.

In addition, from her own experience, she was aware that, despite businesses owned by Black/African American and Latina women outpacing male-owned businesses during the pandemic and after, female entrepreneurs still faced more obstacles than their male counterparts, including caregiving responsibilities, lower access to funding, and mental health challenges.

It was these experiences that led her to spend three years planning the creation and launch of MEE Motivando, Educando, y Empoderando (Motivate, Educate, and Empower) — San José’s first Spanish-language female entrepreneur program that earlier this year graduated 77 entrepreneurs.

Above: Melida Alfaro of Prosperity Lab

A Gender-Focused, Holistic Training for Entrepreneurs

Sponsored by the City of San José’s Office of Economic Development and Cultural Affairs (OEDCA) with support from Prosperity Labs, the MEE Program delivered a Spanish-language curriculum tailored to the unique needs of women entrepreneurs. Topics included business finances, leadership, management and taxes, and marketing as well as soft skills such as networking, time and stress management. This holistic approach was mean to transform participants’ mindset, knowledge, and skills in order for them to be successful businesspeople and leaders in their communities.

“I expected a theoretical program, but MEE surprised me with practical exercises that helped us understand ourselves—our attitudes, abilities, and behaviors,” shared MEE participant Melba Hernandez. “The focus on self-knowledge was invaluable.”

“It told me a lot about how to be a leader”, added Columba Ramos, another graduate of the program, “because I did not know exactly the difference between being a leader and a boss.”

“This is Not Just a Program; We’re Building a Community.”

The MEE program provided flexible times and accommodations to learn and build community, as many of the participants, “are mothers balancing jobs while starting or operating their businesses,” according to Melida.Each cohort had 8 sessions with roughly 30 members each, with 88% of participants eventually completing the program. In Cohorts I and II, 75% of participants were from San José. The participants also had diverse nationalities, hailing from countries like Mexico, Colombia, El Salvador, and more.

The program was held in Spanish, and was expected to be all female, but a few men graduated as well.

At the end of 2024, MEE also held its first bootcamp, a “critical addition” to their program to act as a networking event, and to teach technical information like administration, marketing, and taxes.

All these elements of the program were to build a community among the participants. Through the cohorts, bootcamp, and other events, people were able to meet, connect, and do business with each other. “This is not just a program,” Alfaro stressed. “We’re building a community where we help each other and we do business with each other.”

MEE Creates a Thriving Business Community

Between Cohort I and Cohort II, at least 14 businesses by MEE graduates have opened, including El Viejon Mexican Food, La Herradura Ranch Style Wear, and Bright Beginnings Bilingual Daycare.

When asked about plans for the future, Alfaro said MEE would continue because it “cannot stop. This is not a program. It’s a community. It’s a movement. And if it depends on me, it won’t stop.” The next Cohort of the program launched this month. To learn more about the MEE program and future cohorts, contact Melida Alfaro at melida@prosperitylab.org.