October 3, 2022

The Bristol Bazaar Creates a New Community Experience

Carolyn and Eric Verikas have been working with the City of Bristol to open The Bristol Bazaar, a community space for local artisans and makers to showcase their products.

Register for 10.19

IDH UNWIND Continues

Mark your calendar. The IDH UNWIND series you’ve come to know and look forward to has a new home in Hartford this fall and winter.

September 19, 2022

The Hartford “Harts” Local Small Businesses

“When you’re an employee in a company the size of The Hartford, you’re looking for meaning in what you do. The efforts we make are authentic; they come from a real place of our employees wanting to support small businesses,” says Steve Jones, Chief Marketing Officer, Small Commercial at The Hartford.

September 13, 2022

14 Greater Hartford Entrepreneurs Begin reSET Retail Incubator Program

reSET in partnership with Breakfast Lunch & Dinner has announced the start of its fall Retail Incubator program with 14 businesses participating.

September 9, 022

WORK_SPACE Supports Community, Artists, and Entrepreneurs

Find out why coworking, meeting, and gallery space WORK_SPACE has become a destination on Main Street in Manchester for startups, professionals, and artists.

August 16, 2022

Utilizing Local Resources

Local entrepreneurs, small business owners, startups, innovators, makers, and creators, here’s a PSA: You don’t have to go it alone. From free business advisors to incubators and accelerators, we’re fortunate that our community is filled with plenty of resources to help you build, scale, and grow your business.

August 4, 2022

Creating a Community of Literate, Workforce Ready Adults

“What started as a small group of volunteers helping a few dozen people in basic literacy has grown significantly over the last five decades. We now offer many different services to many more people throughout the Greater Hartford area,” explains Literacy Volunteers of Greater Hartford Executive Director Stephen Morris.

July 19, 2022

Hart Lift Adds Vibrancy to Hartford’s Pratt Street

“Bringing 10 new businesses to Pratt Street adds vibrancy to our city and contributes to our region’s economic success,” said Hartford Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Julio Concepción.

July 18, 2022

The 224 EcoSpace Is An Innovative Space for Creative Entrepreneurs

“We always tell people, ‘Your prosperity is our prosperity.’ One of our goals is to let people see that you can come here and build your side hustle the way you want to build it,” explains Rev. Lydell Brown, Interim CEO at The 224 EcoSpace.

July 5, 2022

Junior League Highlights Local Entrepreneurs, Makes Community Impact

Junior League of Hartford Show House co-chair Molly Towne shares about how the event creates opportunities for local entrepreneurs and innovators.

June 28, 2022

KNOX Encourages Community Growth

“We’re providing urban farmers with access to community space and learning experiences that can help them start businesses they can use to support themselves, whether that’s a side hustle or a full-time job,” explains KNOX Executive Director Patrick Doyle.

June 16, 2022

Rev. Dr. Shelley Best Helps Create Opportunities Through the Arts

“We’re looking at ways to help young people get involved, because innovation and entrepreneurship come from the gift of creativity. And if we don’t cultivate our young people, we’re not cultivating innovation,” explains Greater Hartford Arts Council CEO Reverend Dr. Shelley Best.

April 25, 2022

Hart Lift Uplifts Hartford

“The City of Hartford is going to look very different in the next 12 to 8 months,” noted Hartford Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Julio Concepción

March 10, 2022

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.

March 2, 2022

reSET Announces 2022 Impact Accelerator Cohort

“Connecticut is a great place to start a business, and we have an opportunity here to really stand out as a place that prioritizes sustainability and social impact,” noted reSET Executive Director Sarah Bodley.

February 16, 2022

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.

February 4, 2022

Connecticut Girl Scouts Launches Entrepreneurial Cookie Sales

“Having the opportunity to run their very own cookie business gives them essential tools to achieve their dreams today and in the future,” said Girl Scouts of Connecticut Chief Executive Officer Diana Mahoney.

January 20, 2022

CTNext Builds Mentor Network

CTNext is accepting applications for its 2022 Mentor Network Company Cohort. The deadline for applications is Friday, February 25, 2022.

January 5, 2022

Creating Luxury Living Experiences in Hartford, CT

“We’re excited about this new investment in Hartford. It’s Axela’s first foray into our capital city,” says Axela Group Property Manager Andrew Chapman about Millennium Luxury Living, the company’s latest property in downtown Hartford.

December 2, 20221

RiseUP Group Uses Mural Making to Uplift CT Communities

Matt Conway, Founder and Executive Director of The RiseUP Group, the parent organization behind CT Murals, shares about his work with the organization and the impact the murals are making throughout Connecticut.

November 18, 2021

BL&D Helps Initiate Retail Opportunities for Small Businesses

Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin has described Breakfast Lunch & Dinner (BL&D) as “some of the most creative and committed folks in the city.”

November 9, 2021

Key Private Bank Supports Small Businesses Through Important Transitions

"Many small business owners don’t really know the ins and outs of mergers, acquisitions, investment banking, how you value a company, and what kinds of trust structures you can put in place. Key Private Bank brings in that knowledge and helps to orchestrate the entire planning process," explains Key Private Bank Sales Leader Elissa Eddie.

July 22, 2021

reSET Retail Business Incubator

Applications are open for the reSET Retail Business Incubator, which will run September through October 2021.

June 25, 2021

CT Governor’s Innovation Fellowship Goes Statewide

“The Fellowship provides young professionals the opportunity to be one of the founding members of a professional community that will grow and contribute to shaping the direction of the state’s—and the nation’s—business future for generations,” said CTNext Executive Director Glendowlyn Thames.

April 21, 2021

Elevating, Enhancing, and Uniting Hartford’s Artists of Color

“We want to empower local artists, encourage collaborations, build a regional artists of color economy—and put Hartford on the map as a vibrant community that produces and exports cultural arts,” explains 224 EcoSpace Director Dr. Rev. Shelley D. Best.

April 14, 2021

Ignite Hartford Grant Promotes Student Entrepreneurship

Ignite Hartford is a new program the University of Connecticut is leading in partnership with Trinity College and Goodwin University to develop a series of educational workshops and pitch nights for student entrepreneurs.

March 23, 2021

The VBOC Provides Resources to Veteran-Owned Businesses

“One thing I learned in the military is that veterans understand strategy and tactics. It’s a matter of taking what they’ve learned in the military and transposing those skills over to the civilian world,” says Veterans Business Outreach Center volunteer Rich Laria.

February 10, 2021

AT&T Aspire Accelerator Accepting Applications for EdTech Startups

Applications for the 2021 AT&T Aspire Accelerator are being accepted now through February 16.

January 27, 2021

ShopBlackCT.com Creates Visibility and Provides Support for Black-Owned Businesses

“Our goal is to have every Black-owned business that exists in Connecticut represented on the site—whether they’ve been in business for years or they’re just starting out,” says ShopBlackCT.com Founder and Co-Contributor Sarah Thompson, who is also Senior Director for Marketing Communications at The Village for Families & Children.

January 7, 2021

Entrepreneurial Startups Descend on Hartford

reSET has accepted 16 Connecticut-based startups into its 2021 Impact Accelerator.

December 22, 2020

The Goodwin University ENet Program Proves Successful and Continues with Second Cohort

“We’ve seen a lot students come out of the ENet program thinking: I can do this. I am doing this. I will do this,” emphasizes Dr. Matthew Connell, Program Director of the Business Administration Program at Goodwin University and ENet Project Director.

December 15, 2020

InsurTech Fellows Program Launches Next Cohort

“Every year I’m impressed by the outstanding group of fellows selected into this program,” says Chereace Marcellin, a Program Specialist for the Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation (CCEI) at the University of Connecticut.

October 21, 2020

MakerspaceCT Launches Education Program to Prepare Local Residents for In-Demand Careers in 3D Additive Manufacturing

“Our vision and mission is to use making as a vehicle to lift up individuals and communities and to positively impact lives by enabling access, innovation, and education,” explains MakerspaceCT Executive Director Devra Sisitsky.

July 15, 2020

Camp Girl Boss Provides Entrepreneurship Opportunities for CT Middle School Girls

Members of Connecticut’s entrepreneurial ecosystem can help inspire the next generation of female changemakers in Danbury, Hartford, Groton, and New Haven by supporting teams of middle school girl bosses in the seven-week virtual entrepreneurship program and national business plan competition.

July 14, 2020

The Goodwin University ENet Program Provides Entrepreneurship Opportunities for The Reentry Population

“ENet provides individuals with the skills to start their own business and become financially independent,” explains Project Director Matthew Connell, who is Program Director of the Business Administration Program at Goodwin University.

May 5, 2020

CT Main Street Center Supports Small Businesses

"We’ve been looking to share practical information and innovative ideas," says CMSC Marketing & Development Director Christine Schilke.

February 25, 2019

CREC Teacher Residency Program Creates Job Opportunities

“CREC is on the forefront of taking new approaches to teacher preparation and the need for minority recruitment, which is long overdue,” says Glastonbury-East Hartford Magnet School Principal Kristi Hummel.

January 29, 2020

CRT’s YouthBuild Job-Training Program Helps Prepare Hartford-Area Workforce

“The YouthBuild program offers a unique opportunity for young men and women to get hands-on training in construction and other highly desirable job skills that will fully prepare them to enter the modern workforce ready to succeed,” said CRT’s President and CEO Lena Rodriguez.

November 25, 2019

Hands On Hartford Celebrates 50 Years—And Keeps Giving

"Celebrating our 50th year has meant reflecting on how far we’ve come and honoring and celebrating five decades of service to the low-income community," says Hands On Hartford Executive Director Barbara Shaw.

August 7, 2019

Connecticut Science Center STEM Careers Initiative

Connecticut Science Center President and Chief Executive Officer Matt Fleury spoke with MetroHartford Alliance Content Manager Nan Price about the new STEM Career Connections initiative launched by the Science Center this week.

May 9, 2019

KNOX Beautifies Hartford, Strengthens Communities

“We want to make sure Hartford is a city people are excited to come to—it’s green, it’s beautiful, it’s healthy,” says KNOX Executive Director Patrick Doyle.

May 7, 2019

Small Business Week 2019 Impacts Greater Hartford Community

Small Business Week recognizes the important contributions of small businesses, entrepreneurs, and small business advocates throughout the country.

May 1, 2019

Hartford InsurTech Hub Creates Economic Opportunities in Hartford

“Innovation is accelerating and our program partners understand the importance of integrating many innovation methods into their business models and staying connected,” said Dawn LeBlanc, Managing Director for Hartford InsurTech Hub.

April 10, 2019

New Owner Takes Over, Plans Expansion at West Hartford Coworking

West Hartford resident Annisa Teich and her mother Annette Farese of Bradenton, FL, purchased West Hartford Coworking through their family-run investment firm, Bromleigh Ventures, LLC.

March 18, 2019

Social Enterprise Creates Work Opportunities, Supports Community

Founded in 2012, the RiseUP Group provides young adults from urban communities in Connecticut with tools and guidance to help them become business and community leaders.

March 4, 2019

Social Impact Company Provides Community Space in Hartford

Social impact brand development and design firm CO:LAB is committed to supporting the community in Hartford. The company recently moved from its Parkville location to the Hartford Public Library’s Goodwin Branch, which closed in 2018.

February 21, 2019

Nassau Re Launches InsurTech Incubator in Hartford

“Our goal is to help accelerate Hartford’s transformation as a center for InsurTech innovation by fostering new companies that will continue to attract a new generation of talent to the city and state,” noted Nassau Financial Group Chief Executive Officer Phil Gass.

February 18, 2019

Miracle League of Connecticut

Miracle League of Connecticut Executive Director Mike Michaud spoke with MetroHartford Alliance Content Manager Nan Price about how a mission to make baseball accessible to children with special needs evolved into an organization that provides many opportunities for Connecticut children with physical and cognitive challenges.

December 17, 2018

Innovation Places Hartford/East Hartford

In June 2017, the communities of Hartford and East Hartford were selected as one of four Innovation Places in Connecticut.

November 26, 2018

Connecticut Innovations to Invest Up to $3.9 Million in Upward Labs

Connecticut Innovations will invest $3.9 million over two years in Upward Labs, a Hartford-area program focused on developing and nurturing early-stage companies developing pilot programs in the smart building and aged care market segments.

October 24, 2019

Startup Genome Features Hartford in National Early-Stage Ecosystems Report

Check out the 2018 report about Hartford’s the early-stage startup ecosystem in Hartford produced by Startup Genome with support from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

October 8, 2018

Middletown Entrepreneurs Work Space (MEWS+)

The Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce opened the Middletown Entrepreneurs Work Space (MEWS+) in Middletown, CT. The co-working initiative is designed for startups, small businesses, entrepreneurs, freelancers, and the Wesleyan University community.

July 16, 2018

Hartford Local Chion Wolf Enhances the Community with Activities

Chion Wolf’s recognition in the Hartford area has grown with her contributions to local entertainment including The Mouth-Off, Asking For A Friend, and her latest endeavor, Pedal to the Medal.

June 27, 2018

224 EcoSpace Encourage Arts, Entrepreneurs, and Community in Hartford

224 EcoSpace Director and Chief Curator Rev. Dr. Shelley D. Best provided background about the space and talked about its mission and evolution.

May 16, 2018

Future Leaders of West Hartford – Young Professionals Group

“We want to be able to inspire the next generation and ensure that our group is sustainable long-term. And we want to tie in the relevance of what the Chamber community and the FLOW community offer young professionals as they get into the workforce and they become more active parts of society,” says FLOW President Kristen Gorski.

February 1, 2018

Local Accounting Firm Supports CT’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem

Independent accounting firm Fiondella, Milone & LaSaracina provides many services to startups and entrepreneurs throughout Connecticut in all stages of growth.

May 6, 2016

The Connecticut YOUTH Forum

The Connecticut Forum also supports the community through the Connecticut YOUTH Forum, a community outreach program that “provides teenagers with an opportunity to grow as leaders and communicators,” explains Ruth Cullen, Director, Advancement & Communications at the Connecticut Forum.

November 10, 2015

Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities

Michael Zacchea, a combat-wounded medically retired Marine Lieutenant colonel who started the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV) explained how the program is helping veterans become entrepreneurs, start their own businesses and re-integration into civilian life.

August 6, 2015

Introducing Innovation Destination Hartford

Since its launch, IDH has worked hard to achieve its mission: To showcase the entrepreneur landscape in Greater Hartford and help connect entrepreneurs to resources. Read one of our core founder’s thoughts from 2015.