Accolades & Awards
From pitch competition and prize winners to grant recipients and local favorite busiensses, IDH celebrates achievements and award-winning activities throughout Connecticut that make our state a great place to live, play, and start and grow businesses.
CT Chef Supports Ukrainian Refugees
“I’m not the type of person to have the ability and opportunity to help somebody and pass it by—and these people really need it,” says Bear’s Smokehouse BBQ Co-Owner Jamie McDonald, who is serving food to refugees at the Ukraine-Poland border.
UK and CT Sign New InsurTech Corridor Partnership in the “Insurance Capital of the World”
“Connecticut’s government and organizations are committed to job growth, innovation, and furthering the [InsurTech] industry,” noted Connecticut Insurance Commissioner Andrew N. Mais.
Berkins Family Fund Gives Back To Entrepreneurs of Color and Organizations Supporting People of Color
At the recent Hartford Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting for Berkins on Main, Berkins Blend Co-Owners Andréa Hawkins and Doug Barber announced plans to give back to the community through a new fund set up with the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.
Meet The New Executive Director at CTNext
“If we can come together, have some big and small experiments, see what Connecticut needs, and continue to build and iterate much like entrepreneurs do, I think we’ll be in a very good space,” says CTNext Executive Director Onyeka Obiocha.
IDH 2021 Year In Review
We’re proud of our IDH community of dreamers and doers, innovators and inventors, executives and entrepreneurs, founders and franchisers, contractors and covidpreneurs.
EC-WBC Hosts Women Entrepreneurs Pitch Competition
“At the WBC, we’re excited to provide this opportunity to reward and spotlight innovative ideas from women entrepreneurs in Connecticut,” emphasized EC-WBC Program Manager Milena Erwin.
Hartford Included in 2021 Top 100 Best Places to Live In America
Hartford, along with Danbury, New Haven, and Norwalk, was included in the Livability.com 2021 Top 100 Best Places to Live In America.
Connecticut STEM Leaders Earn Women of Innovation Awards
“As these finalists demonstrate, women in STEM in Connecticut are leading innovation, achieving breakthroughs, and encouraging girls to do that and more,” says Giovanni Tomasi, President/CTO of RSL Fiber Systems and Board Chair of the Connecticut Technology Center.
Finalists Named for Women of Innovation Awards
The Connecticut Technology Council (CTC) and Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology (CCAT) announced the finalists for the 17th annual Women of Innovation® awards, which recognize and celebrate women throughout Connecticut for their achievement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
CT Ranks #13 Most Innovative State
Financial services website WalletHub recently shared the latest state-by-state analysis of where innovation is thriving in the United States, ranking Connecticut number 13.
Community Solutions Provides New Opportunities in Hartford
“We see an opportunity to provide spaces for businesses that would enable them to come in as a startup and then create the relationship and partnerships to help them scale up,” explains John J. Thomas, Assistant Program Manager Real Estate for Community Solutions.
ShopBlackCT.com and YWCA Hartford Region Join Forces to Drive Consumers to Local Black-Owned Beauty Businesses
“This is a historic moment for Connecticut, and what better way to celebrate than to help connect consumers with Black-owned businesses that specialize in beauty products,” said ShopBlackCT.com Founder Sarah Thompson.
The CT Insurance Industry: Dominant and Driving Innovation
Connecticut’s insurance industry, a mainstay for more than two centuries, is anything but stagnant. As the 2020 CT Insurance Market Brief points out, “A few years ago, insurance companies tended to look at InsurTechs as a competitive, disruptive threat. Now, they tend to see a growth opportunity.”
Entrepreneurship Increasing in Connecticut During Pandemic
Between March and October of 2020, more than 26,000 businesses started in Connecticut.
Best Tech Startups in Hartford
“I see a lot of innovation happening here in the BioTech, FinTech, and InsurTech space,” says WealthConductor LLC Co-Founder and CEO Sheryl O’Connor.
CT Ranked in Top 12 States for Technology & Science
Connecticut is among nine states earning a place in the second tier of the 2020 Milken Institute State Technology and Science Index.
Fish-food Entrepreneur Wins UConn’s Wolff Startup Competition
“This award is just the beginning for me,’’ says Pisces Atlantic Founder Peter Goggins.
Connecticut’s Economy Ranks 4th in Innovation in U.S.
For the second consecutive year, Connecticut has been ranked as the nation’s fourth most innovative economy.
reSET Announces 2020 Venture Showcase Award Winners
On June 2, reSET presented the 2020 Venture Showcase virtually.
Hartford Region Recognized for Its Diversity of Opportunities
MetroHartford Alliance President and CEO David Griggs was recently featured in blog by Matt Walker, contributing editor for BadCredit.org, talking about assets of our region.
More Reasons to Launch a Business in Hartford
Hartford ranks in the top 50 best places to start a business.
CT Innovations Announces Winners of 2019 Global Venture Challenge
Connecticut Innovations announced the winners the 2019 VentureClash Global Venture Challenge.
reSET Awards 2019 Accelerator Venture Showcase Winners
reSET hosted its 2019 Accelerator Venture Showcase Tuesday, June 11 at the Connecticut Science Center in Hartford, CT.
CT Startups Receive $54K in Grants at CTNext Entrepreneur Innovation Awards
CTNext awarded grants to five early-stage Connecticut companies at the most recent Entrepreneur Innovation Awards, held April 25, in Haddam, CT.
CT Entrepreneur Awards Announces 2019 Winners
The 2019 CT Entrepreneur Awards were presented April 18 at the Dunkin Donuts stadium in Hartford, CT. The program featured both judged and community-favorite categories.
UConn Receives National Award to Improve Precision Manufacturing
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Clean Energy Smart Manufacturing Innovation Institute (CESMII) recently announced nearly $10 million for 10 projects to help advance its goals and enable U.S. manufacturers to develop and implement innovations that will advance U.S. manufacturing competitiveness, sustainability, and innovation.
Hartford Business Improvement District Receives Top Honors from the IDA
During its 64th Annual Conference and Tradeshow in San Antonio, TX, the International Downtown Association (IDA) recognized the Hartford Business Improvement District (HBID) with two top industry honors.