community | Innovation Destination: Hartford

Hartford-Based Social Enterprise Company Shares Updates

September 17 2018 Innovation Destination: Hartford Social Impact Startups, Startups, Where Are They Now? 0 comments Tags: Breakfast Lunch & Dinner, community, Hartford, KNOW GOOD Market, reSET, social impact, startup social enterprise

Where Are They Now? Follow Up with Breakfast Lunch & Dinner Co-Founder Jeff Devereux

Breakfast Lunch & Dinner Co-Founders Jeff Deveroux (right) and Onyeka (Ony) Obiocha.

Innovation Destination Hartford spoke with Jeff Devereux, Co-Founder of Breakfast Lunch & Dinner, in December 2016. (Read: Hartford-Based Social Enterprise Startup Committed to Community.) At that time, BL&D was working on “creating collective culture” in Hartford. The company has made significant progress since then. Most notably, it formed a partnership with reSET and is finalizing details for a collaborative retail space in Hartford.

IDH Website Curator Nan Price checked in with Jeff for some updates.

NAN PRICE: BL&D has been busy since our IDH feature. Let’s start with the reSET partnership. How did that come about?

JEFF DEVEROUX: BL&D Co-Founder Onyeka (Ony) Obiocha and I met at reSET’s first accelerator class in 2013, when reSET had just moved to Pratt Street in Hartford. We’ve been connected and peripherally involved with reSET for a long time since then. We encouraged them to move to Parkville and were excited when they did.

We forged the partnership because we felt the need to build a stronger entrepreneurial community. Last fall, Ony and I took road trip. I ended up out in Oakland and visited their Impact Hub co-working space, which shared a lot of similarities to reSET. It was an amazing hive of activity. I was inspired, and I realized: This is what we need in Hartford.

NAN: What is BL&D adding to reSET?

JEFF: We’re responsible for community, including coworking and events. We think entrepreneurship and social change are social in nature, so the closer we can get those people to one another, the better we’ll all be.

With reSET, our focus is to get more ground-up businesses and organizations involved. This fall, we will be launching regular convenings—forums to provide opportunities for discussion and learning around topics including social enterprise, community development, the business of art, technology, media, and journalism.

NAN: BL&D recently announced plans for Niche, a collaborative retail space in Hartford. Tell us more.

JEFF: Niche will be a brick and mortar retail location for local brands, fashion, and goods.

The Know Good Market created great sales opportunities specifically for food vendors, which was encouraging. BL&D felt the need and desire to create local revenue generation at a larger scale for these other local businesses. Not a lot of retail in the Hartford region is locally owned, which makes it challenging to promote and grow a local brand.

And, with the advent of ecommerce, there’s not a lot of energy being put into local brick and mortar retail, even though brick and mortar is still much greater than ecommerce . We thought there needed to be more support of local business growth. We hope that brands will succeed in Niche and be able to then open their own store around Hartford.

NAN: How did you find the space?

JEFF: It was a natural progression. Our partner Josh Jenkins has been working in the back of How Bazaar in Hartford for more than a year as his design space and cut and sew facility of his menswear brand demuerte. So, we’d been eyeing the space and, when it became available, we jumped on the opportunity to utilize the rest of the space.

BL&D formed a partnership with How Bazaar where we plan to sell goods up front and have space for makers (tailors, fashion brands, etc.) in the back. BL&D will be responsible for the half the space, as far as curation, and How Bazaar will be responsible for point of sale for the entire space.

NAN: When will Niche open?

JEFF: We’ve been working on the buildout over the last few months and anticipate a soft opening at the end of September and a grand opening in October.

The process has been great so far—there’s been a lot of interest. We received a couple dozen applications from people who are interested in the space.

The hope is for Niche to become an active retail space. If we do our jobs right, we could create a successful retail space in Hartford’s West End that supports the growth of local brands.

Brick and mortar retail is suffering, with a lot of high-profile bankruptcies and likely more to come. We believe if we can be creative, find new avenues, and support local, we’ll be able to help fill empty spaces and create some local ownership in the void left by the big-box stores and mall closings.

Niche seemed like a good solution. The West End isn’t far from being a destination shopping space. We want it to be a thriving retail space. We’ve seen this “concept shop” idea growing recently in larger cities like Boston, New York City, and Los Angeles. It’s kind of modeled as an antique store—brands are essentially renting space in the store as part of a larger retail space. The idea is that it can act as a stepping stone.

NAN: It’s a great way of supporting local economic growth.

JEFF: Right. We’re hoping to capture attention of national and international vendors too, so they can test the market in Hartford. The idea being to allow that to bring attention to the brands in the store and make brands think about Hartford. And local vendors—or even startups—can test their business assumptions, either by renting space at Niche or renting the space out for a more elaborate pop-up experience.

NAN: Any other notable collaborations?

JEFF: Yes. We’ve connected with Jasmine Jones, who launched Aislin at the beginning of 2018. The quarterly magazine that covers Greater Hartford arts, culture, and lifestyle. We loved what she was doing and wanted to find a way to help her grow the product as a business.

When we saw the magazine, we thought: This is a beautiful thing. We need more of this. How can we help? So, the plan is we’ll be running a campaign in the fall to help establish subscriber base.

When we started BL&D, we knew we needed to be in charge of doing our own media. We made a conscious effort to create our journal/blog, monthly newsletter (known as the Feast Up) and we’ve dabbled in podcasts and video content all to cover the things we thought needed to be covered and to build our brand. We’re excited about doing this with Aislin. Jasmine is covering a lot of things we wanted to cover so it made things easy. We want to support the growth.

Local media serves a vital purpose. The problem is, there’s not robust media in Hartford or the region. That’s why we need more of what Innovation Destination Hartford is doing. The more people know, the more they’re able to solve their own problems and better connect with their community. With good information sharing, it’s easier for things to be sustainable.

Find out more about Breakfast Lunch & Dinner

VISIT: www.breakfastxlunchxdinner.com
FOLLOW: Facebook | Instagram

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Hartford Local Chion Wolf Enhances the Community with Activities

July 16 2018 Innovation Destination: Hartford Initiatives 0 comments Tags: Asking For A Friend, Chion Wolf, community, Connecticut, CT, Hartford, Pedal to the Medal, The Mouth-Off

Chion Wolf, a technical producer, announcer, and photographer for WNPR, has spearheaded activities in Hartford including The Mouth-Off, Asking For A Friend, and Pedal to the Medal. (Photo courtesy Cara Paiuk, Face Forward Headshots)

The enthusiasm Chion Wolf has for Hartford is contagious. The Hartford resident is well known in the community—and throughout Connecticut—for her voice work on WNPR, where she serves as technical producer, announcer, and photographer.

More recently, Chion’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.

When Innovation Destination Hartford Website Curator Nan Price interviewed Chion in 2016, they discussed Chion’s general love of Hartford. The two caught up for lunch at one of their local favorites, Tangiers, to talk about her latest activities.

NAN PRICE: First of all, congratulations on becoming a first-time homeowner! Tell us a little about how it happened.

CHION WOLF: Thanks!

My love, Emily, and I decided to buy a home through the Northside Institutions Neighborhood Alliance (NINA), which is a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) organization that refurbishes and builds houses in Hartford’s Asylum Hill neighborhood. Since most people in Hartford rent, this organization helps people within certain income limits afford to make it happen. And this house is in the name neighborhood where we’ve already been living for nine years.

We’re hoping to close at the end of July. I’m excited—and nervous. I’ve only ever been a renter! But Emily and I make a great team. She used to run all the community gardens in Hartford, so we’re going to turn our big backyard into our own personal foodbank, complete with chickens! It’s going to be awesome.

NAN: There’s a lot to be excited about. Let’s start with your new bike ride, Pedal to the Medal. Was this completely spearheaded by you?

CHION: Yes! Two years ago, I was hit by a car while I was riding my bike here in the West End of Hartford. My collarbone was shattered—I got a plate, eight screws, and six weeks out of work. As soon as I healed up, I started riding my bike again. One day while riding through the intersection where the crash happened, I was thinking about how much I hate sharing the road with cars. It occurred to me that on the morning of the Hartford Marathon, they close the streets down to set up. I thought this would be a cool opportunity to ride on streets that had few to no cars on them.

So, six months after the crash, early on marathon morning, Emily and I rode the route with a couple of friends and it was glorious! I contacted the Hartford Marathon Foundation and I told them about my idea, which I was calling “Pedal to the Medal.” I thought I could pair up with them and, if we sold tickets for the ride, the proceeds could go to BiCi Co., Hartford’s only educational bike store.

Beth Shluger, Founder and Director of the Hartford Marathon Foundation, wrote back and said: We’re intrigued, but we would need more time to work on it. She told me to go ahead and do the ride again in 2017 and get back to them afterward. We agreed we should start our ride early, so we didn’t interfere with incoming marathon traffic, and we committed to leaving at 4:00 a.m.

For that 2017 ride, I made a Pedal to the Medal Facebook page with a hand-drawn logo and did some flyering, but otherwise not too much advertising. I expected maybe 15 people to show up, because it was so early in the morning. I printed 42 (my favorite number) releases just in case, but by 3:45 a.m., we ran out of forms! We had over 50 people show up at 4:00 a.m. in downtown Hartford, some dressed up in costumes, and lots of lights. It was awesome!

After the ride, I emailed the people who filled out the releases, and asked: What went wrong? What went right? What would you pay for this ride if it was a charity? How much would you pay if it wasn’t? I got some good ideas.

I met with the Hartford Marathon Foundation to tell them how it went, and they were in! Two other marathons in the country do a bike ride before the marathon, Los Angeles and Boston, but I’m pretty sure they don’t work with the marathons. So, Pedal to the Medal will be the only pre-marathon bike ride that works in tandem with the marathon organization. Because of this, we’ll have a police escort, insurance, and actual medals! People love medals.

The Hartford Marathon Foundation told me I needed to raise $20,000 to do all this. I swallowed hard. But I thought: Obviously, I’m going to try. I had no idea how hard this is going to be—or how easy. Through this experience, I learned so much about fundraising. You can’t just make one generic appeal to everyone. Stipulations with the Foundation prevented me from using online crowdfunding—I needed sponsorships, which are different than donations.

It was a lot of work, but I hit my goal one month and one day after starting. The two biggest funders were my dear friends at Freed Marcroft, LLC and Maki Law, LLC, which was my law firm after my crash. I also received donations from Pedal Power, Watch For Me CT, and a ton of personal friends and community leaders who were totally sold on the idea.

I love that two Hartford breweries, Hanging Hills Brewery and Hog River Brewing Company, got in on it right away! In fact, Hog River will host a fundraiser for the 2019 Pedal to the Medal ride on October 27, just a few weeks after the ride, which is on October 13 at 3:30 a.m.

I think my success in fundraising was a combination of it being a great story with the broken collar bone and aversion to riding alongside cars, and it just being a great, goofy, fun event. Everybody who rides bikes remembers the moment they realized “riding a bike is awesome!” And, for newer riders, I want that memory to be Pedal to the Medal. The more people who ride bikes, the more people who may advocate for new street design that protects cyclists and pedestrians. And they’ll be healthier and happier, too!

We half sold out two weeks after registration opened. I can’t wait to celebrate it selling out!

Chion Wolf (left) and a group of panelists at an Asking For A Friend event.

NAN: Let’s talk about Asking For A Friend.

CHION: Asking For A Friend came about after the election. I realized that the degree to which I was surprised by the results of the election was the degree to which I wasn’t really listening to other people who have been telling me all along about the state of our country. I wanted to find a way to build a platform for people who are smarter than me in different ways to be heard more, and I thought it would be cool to do an advice show on the radio.

Since the station wasn’t in a position to develop that kind of thing at the time, I sketched out on a napkin (where so many great ideas start) the idea of it being a live show somewhere in Hartford. I contacted Julia Pistell at Sea Tea Improv and, as soon as I told her the basic premise, she said: Don’t ask anybody else. We’re in. Let’s do this.

Asking For A Friend takes place every third Saturday of the month. The show features two panelists of my choice, and one Sea Tea Improv member. We discuss three prepared problems, which I pick from things I’m hearing in my community, in the news, and, well, from Reddit. There’s a lot of good problems on Reddit.

We have a “Y U So Salty” round where audience members take the microphone and talk about what’s irking them off lately. There’s another round where the panelists talk about a philosophical question, like last month’s: “Do you believe in vino veritas?” The final problem of the night is one chosen from an audience member. That’s always really fascinating and thrilling to work something out with someone in front of other people. Audience members judge the panelists throughout the show, and whoever gets the most points wins a loofah. At the end of the night, I read anonymous confessions that audience members submitted before the show in a special confession chest. It’s like PostSecret.com, but in real life.

I love that Sea Tea Improv houses the event, lends me one of their talented cast members, takes care of selling the tickets and refreshments, and plugs my recorder into their soundboard so I can turn the audio into a podcast. It’s a wonderful partnership!

NAN: It’s great that you’ve created another community event for Hartford. It’s bringing people downtown and showcasing another thing Hartford has to offer, which is Sea Tea Improv, an organization the community may not otherwise know about.

CHION: That’s true! Our event might get Sea Tea Improv more shows too, because Asking For A Friend is from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. and there’s always a 9:00 p.m. improv show.

Speaking of Sea Tea Improv, I want to invite some of their cast members to tell stories at The Mouth-Off, because comedians are sometimes really good storytellers. I love how things overlap in Hartford. Happens all the time in this little city.

NAN: That’s a good segue into The Mouth-Off. How many years has it been running?

CHION: Six! I’ve got every single story recorded. The Mark Twain House & Museum has been really supportive. They’ve been great at promoting it—we even have merchandise now in the gift shop! And now we’ve got someone helping me figure out how best to turn that into a podcast and find a sponsor for it. It would be Connecticut-based stories told by Connecticut people at that Mark Twain House. It’s an easy sell.

I’d like the podcast to be a combination of The Moth and TED Radio Hour. You’d hear the recording of the story from the stage and then a short interview between me and the storyteller, pulling out a few more details.

What I really love about The Mouth-Off is that, because none of the storytellers audition—they just send in story summaries—I never know how it’s going to go. Neither does the audience. Some people are experienced storytellers, like Speak Up co-founder and many-time Moth Grand-Slam winner, Matt Dicks. Some people have never spoken in front of an audience before in their lives. How cool, to be treated to that kind of diverse, intimate, vulnerable storytelling?

NAN: That’s the differentiator between The Mouth-Off and Speak Up, right?

CHION: Right. Speak Up is a lot more engaged with their speakers. They work with them one-on-one to help them develop their stories to be as concise and powerful as possible. For the most part, they do know how the story is going to go. As a result, you can always expect some pretty polished stories, and it benefits the storyteller to have the guidance.

NAN: I love that there’s room for all of it.

CHION: Me too! I also like the idea Pedal to the Medal, Asking For a Friend, and The Mouth-Off are open to people of all experiences and all abilities.

So many people need and deserve a platform to express themselves. I’ve realized doing all these shows that it’s not hard to accomplish this. People show up when you make room for them! I don’t have a ton of power in the grand scheme of things, but with whatever power I do have, I want to share it. I need to.

NAN: What I love about your involvement in these projects is that you’re known as this “voice” in Connecticut. And you’re stepping aside, handing over the microphone, and putting others in the spotlight. I think it’s admirable. Your message is: Let’s hear from other people. Let me listen. Let me ride along.

CHION: I’m grateful to. But it is somewhat self-serving. I don’t know what I don’t know, but I do know that there are plenty of people who are so much smarter than me in so many different ways. I’m eager and impatient to learn, to evolve.

NAN: In your original interview, you noted that a little goes a long way in Hartford and, if you have something to give, or think you do, there are resources to make it happen. You’re definitely showing that by collaborating with Sea Tea Improv, the Hartford Marathon Foundation, and the Mark Twain House & Museum. You do an excellent job promoting Hartford and promoting the community.

CHION: Thank you. This city is important to me. I was born in Hartford. I’d like to get married in Hartford, and own a home in Hartford, which I will soon. I’d like to die in Hartford, too. I remember getting hit by the car feeling: Okay, at least it happened within Hartford city limits! I’d love to die in Hartford—just not for a very long time.

Learn more about Chion Wolf and her Hartford-based activities.

READ: Hartford’s Own Chion Wolf on Why Hartford Has It

Interested in learning more about activities and organizations in Hartford? Read these stories:

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Parkville Sounds Provides a Creative Space for Musicians

July 12 2018 Innovation Destination: Hartford CT Lifestyle 0 comments Tags: artists, community, Connecticut, CT, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, Hartford, musicians, Parkville, Parkville Sounds, startup, startups

Stephen Cusano, Founder of Parkville Sounds, developed an innovative business concept that created a practice space in Hartford-based and touring musicians.

Innovation Destination Hartford Website Curator Nan Price visited Parkville Sounds and met with Founder Stephen Cusano to learn more about his startup, which provides space for Hartford-area musicians and artists as well as touring bands passing through the city.

NAN PRICE: Have you always been entrepreneurial?

STEPHEN CUSANO: Yes, absolutely. I’ve been playing the drums for a long time, which started me on my path playing my own gigs and trying to start my own band.

NAN: Artists and musicians are inherently entrepreneurial. You are your brand and your business, and you always have to market yourself.

STEPHEN: Right.

NAN: How did you develop the business concept for Parkville Sounds?

STEPHEN: It started out with a personal need. I went to the University of Hartford Hartt School of Music where I studied jazz specifically for just drums. I had a practice room at the school, but once I graduated I had to move my drums into my West End apartment. I couldn’t play there. I needed to figure out how I was going to practice. And I needed a place to make music whenever I wanted.

I wanted to stay in Hartford because I love Hartford. I found this place on Park Street in the Parkville neighborhood, which has allowed me to meet those goals. I can play 24/7 and I can make as much noise as I want.

I guess the entrepreneurial part of me had a vision. I saw bands needing a place to practice, needing a facility, and needing the services we offer. I saw a need in the Hartford area for local musicians and people passing through needing a facility where they could create.

I realized I could really help other artists and musicians hone in on their craft. For bands passing through, Parkville Sounds provides a space to practice and get a good video session. And it gives them another reason to stop in Hartford.

NAN: Did you base the idea on any other business model?

STEPHEN: Not particularly, but I knew there was no practice facility in Hartford for musicians. Growing up as a musician, I once took a lesson from a well-known drummer in New York City. We went to a rehearsal studio with many rooms. That was the first time this seed was really planted. I had never seen anything like that before. Usually my lessons were at a teacher’s house or at the school.

NAN: At what point did you realize this business model was viable and sustainable?

STEPHEN: We provide practice and rehearsal space, video sessions, and instrumental lessons and we also rent sound. It’s sustainable for me because I give lessons, I run this, and I perform. I’m also a touring musician. I’m out playing on the weekends with a lot of different bands.

Parkville Sounds is home to multiple musicians who live in Hartford. It helps them out because a lot of our lesson teachers live in a place where they can’t bring students in. For example, it’s been great to see people want to take lessons from Mike DiPanfilo, the guitarist for Hartford-based funk/soul band West End Blend.

And renting out the space for band practicing is a huge part of our business. Some people just want to make some noise or get together and play with each other. I love that! There’s a guy who comes here twice a week and plays bagpipes at 6:00 a.m. There’s no other place in Hartford where you can do that!

NAN: Was your overhead relatively low when you opened? Did you already have most of the equipment?

STEPHEN: I’ve got drums for days because it’s all my stuff! Little by little, I’ve been getting more equipment. Before I opened the business, I didn’t have too much. I knew what to get and I bought what I knew would be needed.

NAN: And you’re entirely self-funded?

STEPHEN: Yes. I’ve never asked for funding; the business has been floating and paying for itself. It’s really working quite well.

NAN: And how are you marketing?

STEPHEN: Mostly social media. We’ve gotten a fair amount of press, too.

NAN: Aside from you, who else is involved in Parkville Sounds?

STEPHEN: It’s me mostly. Connor Millican, co-founder of IdleWilde Printing Company helps me out with a lot of the video editing, branding, and graphic design. IdleWilde is just across the hall, so that’s convenient. Jillian Foley, owner of The Dance Collective is our operating officer. She’s very talented. Jill schedules our lesson teachers, runs social media, and developed our website. She’s our point of contact.

Hartford-based Parkville Sounds provides a creative space for musicians.

Connor and Jill have helped me a lot. When we first moved here, this basement was an empty space. We got a great deal, but the deal was that the landlord would put up some walls and we would do the rest. We moved in January 2017 with just some bare walls. We did all the interior stuff ourselves.

It took us from January to April to finally open the doors. The landlord saw what we did and helped increase the space for us, which has doubled our size. Now we have three different rooms where we can have a lesson, rehearsals loading in, and another person practicing. Having multiple rooms has opened up a lot of opportunities for our business.

NAN: As far as the business side of things, do you have a business background?

STEPHEN: No. My father is a successful businessman. I’ve learned so much from him. He worked on some well-known products at Anheuser-Busch, Famous Amos, and Cape Cod Potato Chips. With anything business-oriented, he’s the first person I call because he gives me the guidance I need. I don’t have that study, but he has given it to me, in a way.

NAN: Any other local mentors?

STEPHEN: The co-owners of Hog River Brewing Co. have been huge mentors to a lot of the people in the Parkville neighborhood. Watching Ben and Joy Braddock run that business has been instrumental to our growth. We’ve been working closely together now with Connor to develop a weekly concert series called Twang Thursdays. We’re trying to get more music and more collaboration in the neighborhood.

NAN: Parkville is becoming a hub of creativity and innovation. There’s so much energy with places like reSET, Hands on Hartford and the Café at Fifty Five, Hog River Brewing, IdleWilde Printing, and Hartford Denim. Do you see it building?

STEPHEN: Absolutely. I’ve always seen it as a stomping ground for artists. We’re in a niche market—Hartford is not like New Haven or New York City. Anything you can put your mind to is really possible. It wouldn’t be possible for me to do this in New York City.

Hartford has so many talented artists throughout this entire city. They’ve been living here, working here, and touring the world using Hartford as their home base. I see the love they have for the community and what everyone is building around the neighborhood. It’s inspiring to see all these musicians and artists work here and live here and try and hustle their businesses.

NAN: What’s next for Parkville Sounds?

STEPHEN: We recently had a meeting with CPTV. They’re interested in turning some of our Parkville Sessions into a four-part series of 30-minute episodes throughout the neighborhood. Parkville Sounds takes musicians on a guided tour of Parkville, sharing unique stories of how this area is being revitalized by emerging creative businesses. We will showcase live music, unique stories of the historic neighborhood, and the artists who use the empty factories to ignite creativity.

It’s been crazy and so much fun. I knew there was a need for this kind of space and I know we can grow here. This is not the end-all-be-all space for Parkville Sounds. We’re going to continue to grow and we’re going to continue to push.

This is already a home for a lot of musicians, but I’m always looking for the right space—a real place where I can do some more serious recording and really make it like a residential home for recording.

Each avenue of the business has been growing and developing rapidly. It’s been great to change and roll with it.

Learn more about Parkville Sounds

VISIT: www.parkvillesounds.com
FOLLOW: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

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Hartford-Based Marketing Company Helps CT Businesses

June 29 2018 Innovation Destination: Hartford Startups 0 comments Tags: community, Connecticut, CT, CT startup, entrepreneur, Greater Hartford, Hartford, Hartford-based startup

Fitzgerald Council is CEO and Founder of Hartford-based marketing company Pathos Digital.

Fitzgerald Council, CEO and Founder Pathos Digital, spoke with Innovation Destination Hartford Website Curator Nan Price about the process of launching a marketing company, the importance of tapping into Connecticut startup resources, and how he hopes his business can add value to the community.

NAN PRICE: When and why did you start your company?

FITZGERALD COUNCIL: I officially started in 2016. However, the concept started around 2012. I took a few years to do some due diligence and make sure I knew as much as I could before I took the leap.

I had spent about six years in the retail space, so I was very familiar with customer service. I was already coming from a creative background and I’ve always been good with the sales part of things.

To me, a business model was a huge concept that was very intimidating, so I did a lot of reading and research and developed self-taught concepts.

I also asked a lot of questions. At networking events, I’d engage in conversations with people I considered more successful than me. I’d try to absorb as much information as I could.

NAN: Is your first startup? Did you always want to have your own company?

FITZGERALD: Yes, this is my first startup. Launching a company wasn’t always something I had in mind. One thing led to another, which led to me saying: You need to just do it yourself.

NAN: When did you have that “aha” moment?

FITZGERALD: In 2015, when I was living in downtown Hartford, I was doing side projects building websites, doing social media, and throwing events. I kept seeing one trend, which was a lack of communication. There was no cohesive branding or messaging with business owners or at events.

The dissonance wasn’t because the business owner was offering a bad product or service, or the event wasn’t run well. It was caused by a lack of communication, a lack of branding, a lack of consistency with branding, and a lack of preemptive thought in terms of thinking about how someone was going to experience an event, service, or product.

Around that time, I was encouraged and began researching how to do everything I was doing—how to integrate the creative and business branding—and figure out if I could make a business out of it. I started Pathos Digital a couple months later in 2016.

NAN: Let’s talk a little bit about the startup evolution. You have other people working for you. What has that experience been like?

FITZGERALD: When I first started, I was doing everything myself. I realized I need help. I wanted to bring in a sales person, a creative, and a technical person. It was difficult because I was in the process of learning how to run a business while I was running a business. I didn’t have the time to mentor or develop someone else. I needed people who had their own strengths.

So, I had a not-so-great experience at first. The consistency of the work wasn’t good and there wasn’t a good communication system. All of this was because I didn’t have the right processes in place.

NAN: What did you learn from that experience?

FITZGERALD: After a few months working like that, I decided to retract from that model. I implemented more of a subcontracting model instead of employing in-house, where I would hire people per project. I took the subcontracting approach because it was more flexible, and I could curate the work better and keep the quality more consistent. Now I have people I work with pretty much all the time. I’ve established relationships.

Through trial and error, I realized if you’re doing things on a whim without certain systems in place—whether it’s onboarding a client, making partnerships, creating a referral program, or developing a community outreach program—you can find yourself right back where you started and end up going in circles.

What I’ve seen with businesses is the more successful ones have better systems in place. With my own business, I noticed nothing was really progressing until I realized if I systemized things I could benefit from the results. If something isn’t working, I can see where in the system that something is breaking up.

NAN: According to your website, Pathos Digital is “run by millennials.” How do you think that sets you apart from the competition?

FITZGERALD: I put that in our bio because marketing and branding through social media has become part of a lifestyle. The business environment and the work environment have changed. So, the innovation has been woven into the millennial lifestyle.

In the past, branding and marketing were more segmented. We’re in a Renaissance kind of time now with technology, where we have to try multiple approaches because there’s so much to learn. That’s just a part of the millennial culture. We understand certain concepts about branding almost subconsciously. I think the reason why millennials have an advantage is because it’s been woven into our culture.

NAN: Your site also notes Pathos Digital is “Helping Connecticut businesses market smarter.” How so?

FITZGERALD: Earlier I was talking about the dissonance I would encounter. I was noticing business owners would hire a photographer, a graphic designer, and a copywriter. But they didn’t necessarily all work together. I kept noticing this pattern repeat. There was a huge efficiency leak between communication and having a consistent workflow.

And I noticed with other agencies downtown, there were either creative agencies that focused on storytelling and video or agencies run by retired corporate people who were in the data analysis and results field. They were more focused on ad management, scaling, and paid traffic. I kept seeing these two extremes and I saw, especially in Connecticut, that when businesses reached out, they go to one or other extreme.

That helped us develop our mission statement: “Where creativity meets purpose.” Creativity can have structure to it. And structure can be creative. Pathos Digital can help Connecticut businesses by providing that balance.

NAN: Are all your clients in Connecticut?

FITZGERALD: Yes.

NAN: What is your niche? Do you work with a specific industry?

FITZGERALD: That’s an interesting question. It’s changed a little bit. We started with food services, gyms, and one-off projects where the clients were general market service providers. Now we’ve niched into more healthcare clients. We’ve been in that field for about a year or so.

We still work with other industries. We never deny people unless were not a good fit for them in terms of what we can offer. But for the most part, we try to have a proficiency in a certain area. And we’ve noticed in the healthcare industry the services we can provide have a better return on investment for that market.

NAN: Aside from funding, can you tell us about any startup challenges you encountered?

FITZGERALD: For me it would be utilizing startup resources. They were right in front of my face! I just didn’t look hard enough to find them. I didn’t really tap into Hartford-area startup resources until the second year of my business. It wasn’t until I’d already established the business that people began telling me about tools like reSET and Innovation Destination Hartford. I remembering thinking: Those things exist? That’s so cool!

NAN: As a marketing company how are you marketing?

FITZGERALD: Earlier on, that was another challenge. When you’re learning how to be a business while being a business, you can lose sight of your own house.

I was investing so much time into clients, I wasn’t marketing myself. Then we weren’t getting as many leads and earning more clients and referrals. I remember thinking: Why is that? The answer was obvious: We weren’t really doing any outreach.

NAN: So, how do you address that?

FITZGERALD: That’s all a part of my motivation behind getting involved in more community-based activities, because it’s a win-win situation.

Looking toward the future, I want to try to build a platform in which Pathos Digital can provide value that directly impacts the surrounding community and local businesses, which people can then use to do the same for others. Doing that directly in the community, we’re indirectly and vicariously advertising ourselves. That’s the strategy I’m trying to work on right now.

I want to create a community in which businesses or those who want to build a business in this area can access information. It doesn’t have to be monetary. I want to provide free information that can help people perhaps through mentorship or courses.

It would be for people like me when I was starting out. Instead of doing hours of research wading through good and bad information, I think there’s a way to better present helpful information to startups and entrepreneurs. Because I think advertising and marketing shouldn’t be a closeted thing.

And for me, providing transparency and providing value to my clients is a good thing. If a client learns how to do something as well as we know how to do something, we did our job. That’s the aspiration.

Learn more about Pathos Digital

VISIT: pathosdigital.co
FOLLOW: Facebook | Instagram
CONTACT: business@pathosdigital.co

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Retention, Expansion, Attraction… Business Creation

June 12 2018 Innovation Destination: Hartford Entrepreneurial Insights 0 comments Tags: business expansion, business retention, community, economic development, entrepreneurs

Courtney Hendricson is Vice President of Municipal Services at the Connecticut Economic Resource Center.

We all know the foundation of local economic development as business retention, expansion and attraction. But an exciting new dimension to our traditional definition of economic development is “business creation.” What we mean is assisting entrepreneurs in our communities. What are we doing to engage and support the home-based businesses, the small one- and two-person shops, the folks who are baking, tinkering, consulting, and landscaping—who are experts in their skill but perhaps don’t know much about how to set up and grow a business.

We are seeing communities take cool and creative measures to provide support to this growing business sector. Some are providing co-working space, some are providing “office hours” to help early-stage entrepreneurs navigate the process of forming a business. Some are providing legal counsel, IT support, accounting, and bookkeeping. Helping individuals go from an idea to a company is an exciting pursuit and one that more and more municipalities are realizing is critical to their local economy.

I encourage you to think about ways you can help “create” business in your town or city. A few suggestions:

Hold an event that brings entrepreneurs together for networking with one another and with town leaders. Have a speaker or a panel focused on how to start a small business or financial resources aimed at home-based businesses.
Ask local attorneys, accountants, or IT experts to donate a few hours a month for entrepreneurs to ask questions about starting up.
Ask an owner of an empty storefront if they would be willing to use the space for a co-working center that provides meeting rooms, a copier, and other office-type resources that startups often need but can’t afford on their own.
Meet with the entrepreneurs in your community to ask them about their goals, how/when they plan to expand and then help them find the right space in your community that meets their growing business needs.

Contact me to brainstorm ways to help support new businesses in your community.

About the Author
Courtney Hendricson is Vice President of Municipal Services at the Connecticut Economic Resource Center (CERC).

Prior to joining CERC, Courtney served as Assistant Town Manager in Enfield, CT and as Economic Development Director in Farmington, CT. She also was the director of community development for Connecticut Main Street Center.

Courtney currently serves as board president of the Connecticut Economic Development Association (CEDAS) and immediate past president of the Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW CT). She is past chair of MetroHartford Alliance’s Regional Economic Development Forum, past co-chair of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) P3 Retail Program in Connecticut, and a graduate of Leadership Greater Hartford’s QUEST leadership

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Art2Unite Encourages Hartford Arts Community, Supports Local Charities

June 08 2018 Innovation Destination: Hartford CT Lifestyle 0 comments Tags: Art2Unite, arts, community, Connecticut, CT, Hartford, innovation

ARt2Unite event coordinator Christine Chaise Greenwood with participating artist Maurice Robertson (Photo courtesy Maurice Robertson)

Art2Unite, the first International Art & Music Fundraiser Show in Hartford, took place Saturday, June 2, at Hartford ArtSpace.

The event was spearheaded by local artist and event coordinator Christine Chaise Greenwood, who had two missions. “I wanted to bring the community together and raise money for Hartford-area charities,” she explains, emphasizing the importance of making the event open for all to participate.

making connections, building a community

“I think it worked, because we connected,” she says. “I think art has the power to do that.”

The idea to make the event “international” is a personal one for Christine, who was born and raised in France and move to the United States in 1988. Like Christine, many of the participating artists descend from other countries, including Chile, England, Haiti, Poland, Russia, and Sweden.

“We all come from somewhere in the world,” emphasizes Christine, “And we are all a part of the community here in Greater Hartford.”

When it came to finding local charities to support, Christine decided to spread the wealth among three. “I researched and reached out to each organization—they were thrilled,” she says.

Bloomfield, CT-based Foodshare; the Greater Hartford Harm Reduction Coalition, which is working to fight opioid abuse; and the Hartford homeless shelter South Park Inn will receive 10% of the proceeds from art sales and all of the proceeds from an art raffle.

Raffle contributors included Non-Scents Flowers, Hartford Flavor Company. Sponsors included Hog River Brewing, Division West, Hall’s Market, and Mystic Cheese Co.

Art2Unite attendees admire a piece of art by event coordinator Christine Chaise (Photo courtesy Ron Crowcroft)

Art2Unite was well attended, with a turnout of about 250 people who spent an evening in Hartford viewing and interacting with art, music, and dance from more than 25 national and international artists.

artists as innovators

Attendees were also able to watch a live 3D printing demonstration from MakerspaceCT co-founders Devra Sisitsky and Brian Patton, which provided an opportunity for artists to see how they can create three-dimensional sculptures.

“Artists are truly innovators,” notes Christine. “I reached out to Devra because I thought she would be great to introduce to the artist community.”

She adds, “We want Hartford to be dynamic and vibrant. A lot of that can be done thought the arts. Hartford has the talent—you can find that bridge between technology and art. MakerspaceCT provides a big potential for doing things together.”

Hartford-area artist Benjamin Grippo agrees. “I was really glad to see that a place like MakerspaceCT exists,” he says. “I have a lot of hobbies that I feel could burn out or become a ‘one and done’ project. I think MakerspaceCT would be cool to check out because others like me can always follow up with their projects and not have them left behind at home.”

Ben played an integral role in Art2Unite, not only displaying his artwork, but also brainstorming with Christine early on and helping find food and drink contributors for the event.

Christine is the first to admit her gratitude for all those involved, from all the artists to the musicians and DJ, to the food and drink suppliers, and volunteers.

Art2Unite took place June 2 at Hartford ArtSpace. (Photo courtesy Maurice Robertson)

“It sounds clichéd, but it really does take a village,” she admits. “I feel I really created a ‘family’ of people working together to create and to give back to the community. Everyone who participated was so generous. When it comes to helping coordinate an event, the community is always there.”

Christine says the community involvement and participation exceeded her expectations—and it started when she was building the buzz about the event. “I was encouraged from the start,” she says.

artists as entrepreneurs

Art2Unite is likely to be an annual event. Christine admits she learned a great deal organizing the community event. “As an artist, you have to know how to market, and sometimes do event planning. This is the second time. But really my first time planning something on my own.”

She continues, “Being an artist and planning these types of events is entrepreneurial in some ways—you have an idea and you go for it. Having an idea is not enough.”

Learn more about ArtSpace Hartford

VISIT: www.artspacehartford.com
FOLLOW: Facebook
READ: Interview with Amy LaBossiere, Co-Director of Hartford ArtSpace Gallery

Learn more about MakerspaceCT

VISIT: makerspacect.com
FOLLOW: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
READ: MakerspaceCT Fosters Innovation in Connecticut

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Hartford’s Groove Is Coming Back!

May 14 2018 Innovation Destination: Hartford Entrepreneurial Insights 0 comments Tags: advanced manufacturing, community, Connecticut, entrepreneurship, Hartford, innovation, Leadership Greater Hartford, MetroHartford Alliance, reSET, technology, Upward Hartford

One year ago, I wrote in the Hartford Business Journal that “Hartford stands at a tipping point: Bankruptcy? Revival? Or both?” And I focused on how common negative perceptions must be rebutted. David Griggs, the new President of the MetroHartford Alliance, observed recently in his debut presentation before 400 business and community leaders that “a community’s positive self-image is key to advancing economic revitalization.”

In tours of Hartford that I lead regularly for Leadership Greater Hartford, we see so much positive change in the last year that the city’s future looks brighter than in decades. The dramatic transformation underway makes Aetna’s departure announcement last year seem like a bad dream. CVS, Aetna’s expected new parent, understands Hartford’s strength as an insurance “center of excellence” where Aetna will thrive. The threat of the city’s bankruptcy is now history, and the state and major insurers are ready to bolster Hartford’s fiscal position.

In a fascinating twist, today’s rapidly expanding entrepreneurial spirit strongly recalls 19^th-century Hartford. Historians today call Hartford the innovation epicenter, the “Silicon Valley,” of 19^th-century American industrialization. Between the birth of the U.S. patent system in 1790 and 1930, Connecticut residents were awarded more patents per capita than anywhere else in the United States.

Today, numerous new “incubator/accelerator” launching pads build upon Hartford’s traditional strengths in insurance, financial services, and advanced manufacturing and production. The University of Connecticut and the University of Hartford have collaborated with business leaders on the Downtown InsurTech program that launched the StartupBootcamp accelerator. Working with Techstars, Stanley Black & Decker’s Advanced Manufacturing Center of Excellence in Downtown will accelerate its global Industry 4.0 “smart factory” initiative, and UTC has opened a state-of-the-art manufacturing innovation center at its Pratt & Whitney campus in East Hartford.

Upward Hartford and reSET Social Enterprise Trust exemplify the think tanks that assist entrepreneurs, large and small, in launching new cutting-edge products. Their rich menu of services includes funding sources, mentoring, periodic competitions and public recognition. reSET is unique in stimulating new enterprises that serve the common good.

National publicity about Connecticut’s highly skilled and educated workforce, Hartford in particular, is reinforcing the city’s momentum. Connecticut boasts New England’s highest percent (72%) of advanced manufacturing jobs. Fortune magazine reported that the Hartford metro area has America’s fourth highest number of digital tech-related jobs. And with more than 50% college-educated millennials, the Hartford area ranks sixth in the nation. It is understandable why Infosys announced plans for a major tech/innovation hub in Hartford that will create 1000 high tech jobs by 2022.

Job training, strategically focused on present/future workforce needs, is fast complementing Hartford’s many corporate and pubic internship programs. Goodwin College exemplifies institutions with specialized degree programs in manufacturing technology and other jobs in highest demand. The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving has announced major grants to boost employment among Hartford residents and an innovation grant to the Hartford Public Library’s “Crossroads to Connectivity Project” that narrows the city’s “digital divide.” These kinds of efforts reach down to the Hartford Boys & Girls Clubs, which initiated a new program to promote college/career readiness.

The vitality of Hartford as a place to live, work and play continues to unfold in highly visible ways. CIL’s renovation of the historic Capewell Lofts, their housing/retail plans at the Main/Park street entrance to Park Street’s vibrant Hispanic commercial area, and Spectra Boutique Apartment’s unique amenities (including a theater) that will be replicated in the apartments being created at Pearl and Trumbull streets are transforming housing in the city.

Complete new multi-purpose neighborhoods are on the drawing boards adjacent to the Dunkin’ Donuts Stadium and along Capitol Avenue. New residents and the 3,000+ members of the new Downtown UConn Hartford campus community are generating more “feet on the street.”

Merchants and Downtown institutions are responding; TheaterWorks plans a $ 2.5 million renovation, and free admissions are available to the Wadsworth Atheneum and to Hartford Stage in partnership with Hartford Public Library. Infinity Music Hall and Sea Tea Improv Comedy Theater are huge draws, and new restaurants like The Republic, Sorella, and Spectra Café are three of many.

This dynamic transformation is strong fodder for revamping our historic self-image. And that strong and proud belief in who we are will be the foundation for more ambitious and comprehensive goals than ever before.

About the Author
Greg Andrews is the Program Director for Leadership Greater Hartford’s Executive Orientation Program and Hartford Encounter Tours.

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YES Empowers Young People to Strengthen CT

February 25 2018 Innovation Destination: Hartford Initiatives 0 comments Tags: community, Connecticut, Connecticut Main Street Center, CT, Hartford, Partnership for Strong Communities, YES, Young Energetic Solutions, young professionals

Young Energetic Solutions (YES) is a joint initiative of the Partnership for Strong Communities and Connecticut Main Street Center.

Innovation Destination Hartford Website Curator Nan Price spoke with Christine Schilke, Communications Director at Connecticut Main Street Center, and Kayleigh Pratt, Policy Analyst at the Partnership for Strong Communities to learn more about the initiative and its future goals.

NAN PRICE: Give us a little background. When, how, and why did the initiative form?

Christine Schilke is Communications Director at Connecticut Main Street Center.

CHRISTINE SCHILKE: The idea for Young Energetic Solutions (YES) started around 2013 with the Partnership for Strong Communities. It was an evolution based on a recognized need.

One of the aims of The Partnership is to reduce homelessness and increase affordable housing throughout Connecticut. At the time, it was thought that if more young people could get involved on boards and commissions advocating for this type of housing they would be able to better influence the system. So that was the early start of YES.

Connecticut Main Street Center became involved because we have a statewide network of members in local Main Street programs. These members can be volunteer-based, professionally managed, or a municipality. A lot of those members comprised city employees who are planners, economic development officials, and Main Street professionals as well.

We decided to have a joint event with YES and Main Street people to encourage a conversation about what young people are looking for in their neighborhoods and how to help create that change through the eyes of planners and zoners.

It was a great conversation, actually. We hosted two events, one in New Haven and one in Hartford. Everyone agreed: I want to be in a place where it’s okay if I have to drive to work, but when I get home, I really want to be in a walkable neighborhood. That was the young people’s perspective. And the older people’s response was: That sounds really good, can we live there too? Let’s be neighbors!

NAN: How has YES evolved since those initial discussions?

CHRISTINE: Over the next few years, YES became more focused and underwent some transitional changes. There was always recognition of this need in Connecticut: How are we going to attract and retain young people? How are we going to empower them to create the type of neighborhoods they’re seeking?

Then, around 2015, we formalized the relationship between Connecticut Main Street Center and the Partnership for Strong Communities because our goals are so closely aligned: The ideas around developing vibrant towns, creating more affordable housing, and attracting young people.

Kayleigh Pratt is Policy Analyst at the Partnership for Strong Communities.

Once Kayleigh came on board, we really started to coalesce those ideas and think about how we could restructure this initiative to better engage young people, so we can really activate them and move our ideas forward. Right now, we are trying to provide education and awareness around the issues millennials are facing.

KAYLEIGH PRATT: We relaunched YES this year and really defined our mission, which is to empower young people to create a vibrant Connecticut. We created a statewide YES network to give young people the tools they need to help their communities within Connecticut become places where young professionals want to live, work, and play.

NAN: Does YES have members or does it act as a resource that makes connections to other organizations?

KAYLEIGH: Right now, we are an advisory committee. Christine and I are the co-chairs.

CHRISTINE: In the future, we may move toward a membership because it seems like a lot of people want to get involved and we’ve had inquiries about how to join YES. Right now, we don’t have the capacity to offer membership.

What we’re trying to do is to be that resource and say: Here’s how you can get involved. You don’t need to join YES. You can write a blog for your local paper or you can join a board or a commission.

NAN: In what ways does YES collaborate with other local young professional groups?

KAYLEIGH: We acknowledge and recognize that there are a lot of thriving young professional groups in Connecticut. We’re not trying to recreate the wheel; we’re working with them to further this idea of fostering a space where young people want to be.

Our hope is to engage people from local chambers of commerce and local business owners, entrepreneurs, and innovators.

We also tried to make sure we had representation from young professional groups like Hartford Young Professionals and Entrepreneurs (HYPE) on the advisory committee. The idea is to have this kind of parallel track of networks where we have access to young professional groups—and not just young professionals, young people in general of all types who can provide us with a link to Connecticut’s young people.

At the same time, we’re connecting with day-to-day influencers and organizers to perpetuate change—so policymakers, businesses, kind of the flipside of the coin. Who can help create that change?

We think of ourselves as a bridge between them to say: This is what young people are looking for. This is how we need to attract and retain them. And then, we come back to the young people and say: Here are the opportunities available. Here’s how you can become more involved in your community, so you can create the change you want to see.

CHRISTINE: I think that’s what YES is all about, convening all these young professional groups. There are obvious efforts trying to get young people involved. Let’s bring it all together.

KAYLEIGH: Also, in the past we’ve reached out to organizations including the Connecticut Economic Development Association (CEDAS), Leadership Greater Hartford, and the Connecticut Chapter of the American Planning Association (CCAPA) to help promote YES events and share relevant information.

NAN: How are young people finding out about young professional groups and getting involved?

UConn students bring vitality and fun to Connecticut Main Street Center’s awards celebration in Storrs Center.

CHRISTINE: We try to work with others to spread this message. For instance, we partnered on an event with HYPE, which was great because that gave us access to their audience and we were able to bring in Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin, Middletown Mayor Dan Drew, and Windsor Deputy Mayor Jody Terranova, who talked about different ways young people could get involved in their communities.

That led to some very interesting revelations. For example, someone in the audience asked: I thought about joining a board or commission, but it’s not necessarily my profession, so am I qualified?

It was helpful to be able to dispel those kinds of myths about how to get involved. And we realized we needed a way to provide answers to those types of questions.

So, right now we’re talking with one of our advisory committee members, Emily Hultquist, who is a Principal Planner and Policy Analyst at the Capitol Region Council of Governments (CRCOG), about creating a brief educational how-to guide explaining how young people can become involved in their local government from general to more complex issues.

NAN: What kind of feedback have you gotten about YES?

CHRISTINE: Nan, you probably have similar experiences—you were telling us the Hartford-area entrepreneurs you talk to feel like they can make a difference here. They want to be here. That’s been our experience as well talking to young people. They’re glad our initiative is happening, and they have ideas about how we can do more and get more people involved. People think there’s opportunity here in Connecticut.

NAN: What’s next for YES?

CHRISTINE: At this point, we are working with the advisory committee to really articulate our goals. We’re starting with education and awareness. But I think long-term, we would like to act as advocates and put forth perhaps policy recommendations or commentary about specific ways municipalities, the state, or businesses can change what they’re doing. We’re just not there yet.

I think there’s a tremendous need for young people in Connecticut. We need the kind of dynamic places that will attract them and keep them here—not just bring them here for college and then watch them move away. How do we keep everyone here?

KAYLEIGH: We’re also redoing the YES website with information we’re compiling, such as best practices from other states. Like Innovation Destination Hartford, we want to act as the connector, not necessarily the generator of all the resources, but point people to the resources available.

Learn more about Young Energetic Solutions (YES)

VISIT: www.pschousing.org/YES
FOLLOW: Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter @PSCHousing

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Hartford-Based Coffee Startup Story and Soil

January 10 2018 Innovation Destination: Hartford CT Lifestyle 0 comments Tags: coffee, community, Connecticut, entrepreneur, Hartford, social impact, startup

Michael Acosta is Founder of Hartford-Based Coffee Startup Story and Soil.

You could say Story and Soil Coffee Founder Michael Acosta lives and breathes coffee. The young entrepreneur was pursuing neuroscience at Trinity College when he became involved in the coffee scene. His coffee-related work experience began when he was a graduate assistant running The Underground Coffeehouse, which is a student-run shop on campus.

Michael spent some time traveling to shops around the United Stated and then working with coffee shops in Connecticut. “I found myself in a position where I became obsessed about coffee,” he admits. “I wanted to know everything about the supply chain and the culture and the more technical aspects of it. I made it my job to know as much as possible about the local coffee scene, as well as the national coffee scene—this is even before getting any formal training.”

FORMING A BUSINESS IDEA

“It’s always been a dream to have some sort of impact with the coffee industry,” says Michael.

Through a connection with J. René Coffee Roasters in West Hartford, he became involved with The Specialty Coffee Association of America. “That’s where I found a way to have an impact on coffee that involved events and community engagement” says Michael. “I wanted to take a more approachable and service-orientated approach to specialty coffee, which was something I feel has been missing within industry in general, but particularly within Connecticut.”

Michael traveled to Colombia, where he says he had “a fairly transformative experience.” When he returned, he knew he wanted to do something locally in his last year at Trinity.

Michael’s first startup venture was N2 Coffee, which he founded with business partners Jesus Gomez and Ted Do beck.

“When we launched N2 Coffee, it was the first mobile nitro cold brew in Connecticut,” he notes. “We started N2 as a way to pop up at fun events and bring coffee to people in an approachable way that added to the experience. The idea was to use coffee as conduit to combine media, art, events, and community engagement.”

RESET IMPACT ACCELERATOR EXPERIENCE

To help get the startup off the ground, Michael tapped into more of his connections, namely with Christopher Mazziotto [former Program Director at reSET), who he had known for a while.

Michael Acosta pitching his idea for N2 Coffee at reSET.

“I approached Chris with my idea for N2 a year before I even executed,” recalls Michael. “I told him about cold brew and how it was becoming interesting. A year later, cold brew and nitro brew were popping up in Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts and available in cans. Chris took note of that and told me I should participate in the reSET Impact Accelerator.”

Michael is grateful for the suggestion. “It was a great experience,” he notes.

“I was able to put together a 40-page, a 25-page, and a 15-page business plan. It helped to put everything on paper, take all my observations, and create projections. I also enjoy public speaking, giving presentations, and communicating my business model,” he adds.

Michael’s original idea was to have short-run bottling of cold brew to expand the N2 brand and create a presence on grocery store shelves. “I had never really wanted to open up a coffee shop if I couldn’t do something interesting—this all happened very serendipitously,” he admits.

“I found myself in a position with N2 where I knew I needed to pivot—it’s why I signed up for the Accelerator. I needed to find a way to have more of an impact, get more revenue, and have a more sustainable business model. I needed to see what was possible and whether I was just spinning my wheels,” Michael explains.

“I remember telling Chris: I don’t see N2 having the same social impact as the coffee shop I’m working on can have. So, I started switching my focus completely onto opening a coffee shop,” he says. “I had originally signed up for the Accelerator as N2. My initial pitch was for N2. The last pitch I did was for Story and Soil.”

FUNDING THE STARTUP

Michael worked with the team at reSET to help secure a Small Business Administration loan from Farmington bank.

“There’s a lot of coffee industry growth within Connecticut. Within the last six years, more than 20 stores have opened. Of those stores, a handful are hyper-specialty, like we are. So, there is still no proof of concept,” Michael explains. “It was surprising that Farmington Bank took this chance. It was awesome because that let us get to the point where we could outright buy a lot of our equipment. We also used the funding for licensing and doing the build out.”

Other forms of funding came from angel investors and family members. “We have no investors,” says Michael. “We have sole ownership of the business, so we got away unscathed.”

FINDING A PLACE IN HARTFORD

Story and Soil opened its doors on Capital Avenue in Hartford in July 2017.

Story and Soil opened its doors on Capital Avenue in Hartford in July 27, 2017. With regard to location, Michael says, “It just made sense. If a coffee shop is going to go anywhere within Frog Hollow, it’s going to go here.”

Sarah McCoy, one of three partners including Michael McCoy, approached Michael at a local farmer’s market and introduced the idea of the space on Capital Avenue. “The building owners were interested in seeing a coffee shop come in because they knew the value it would add to the neighborhood,” Michael notes.

“I needed to pivot in some way. I saw an opportunity and jumped on it,” says Michael. “I went with my gut feeling. I think I had enough passion combined with the experience I have within the coffee industry, so that gut feeling was an interesting intuition.”

He adds, “It felt right. And it was something where I knew I could make a difference. There’s an opportunity here. We’re all anticipating the momentum that’s already been happening within the whole food scene in Hartford.”

Getting the word out about Story and Soil wasn’t too much of a stretch, since Michael had already made connections through N2 Coffee. “I had this contingency that was interested in N2, which encouraged them be interested in this coffee shop. It was an active effort.

Story and Soil popped up at different markets and events, including The KNOW Good Market, which is run by Breakfast Lunch & Dinner.

Innovation Destination Hartford Website Curator Nan Price interviewed Story and Soil Coffee Founder Michael Acosta on a busy morning at the café (inset, table at right). Locals sat on the adjoining stoop enjoying their coffee beverages and the autumn weather. (Photo courtesy Ali Oshinskie)

“I saw the value of being on the front lines and being able to tell our story. I had taken the lean model of: I’m going to do my research, see whether there’s a market for this, and see what the reactions are. I had done five years of that, so I had a good understanding,” he says.

AN INNOVATIVE COFFEE SHOP EXPERIENCE

One of Michael’s goals is to have Story and Soil be a staple within the neighborhood.

“We want to offer something unique—whether that’s with experience or by curating a space that’s welcoming,” he says. “What makes Story and Soil different is the approach we’re taking—we want to reflect the community we are in. We want to do more than just serve a cup of coffee. We want to be able to connect people and make an impact through media and events and by bringing people together.”

FUTURE GROWTH

“If you’re intentional from the very beginning about your growth and what you value as a business, you can make it a sustainable place for your employees to grow as well. It’s very much an inward/outward focus. That’s always been valuable to us, emphasizes Michael.”

“We want to keep the team we have now. We want to allow our team to grow with us and give them more leadership opportunities and opportunities for growth to ideally make this a sustainable career for a lot of us,” he adds.

Learn more about Story and Soil Coffee

VISIT: www.storyandsoilcoffee.com
FOLLOW: Facebook /storyandsoil and Instagram @storyandsoilcoffee

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Women-Owned, Hartford-Based Yoga and Spa

November 27 2017 Innovation Destination: Hartford Women In Business 0 comments Tags: Arbor Arts Center, community, Connecticut, CT, entrepreneurs, Hartford, small business owners, VASU Tribe, woman entrepreneurs, women business owners, women-owned business

Innovation Destination Hartford met Holly Wheeler in May 2016, before she joined forces with her twin sister Natalie to launch VASU Tribe. At the time, Holly was focused on her organic beauty bar Field to Face Organics (read the interview: CT Entrepreneur Launches Organic Beauty Startup), which has been absorbed into the new startup.

VASU Tribe Co-Founders Holly (left) and Natalie Wheeler wanted to create a “conscious community.”

VASU Tribe has built a brand and found its place in Hartford. IDH Website Curator Nan Price chatted with Holly and Natalie to find out more about their startup journey.

NAN PRICE: A lot has happened since Holly launched Field to Face Organics in October 2015. Tell us about the evolution. How and why did you two decide to join forces?

HOLLY WHEELER: Natalie and I had always talked about working together in the future.

NATALIE WHEELER: The thing was, we were never in one place at the right time! Then we finally were.

HW: Natalie’s yoga studio closed and my lease where I was operating Field to Face Organics was ending.

NP: The stars aligned.

HW: Exactly. We saw green lights. And, once we saw the space here at the Arbor Art Center it was go time.

NP: Was it important for you to have a presence in Hartford?

HW: We always had our eyes on the Arbor Art Center. Parkville is a very creative district and it’s a great community of “creative entrepreneurship”—entrepreneurs whose business is an extension of their art.

There’s a lot of passion and energy with a lot of young movers and shakers. We work in healing arts, so the energy around us is important.

Also, Hartford is where we live. We thought: If we’re going to live here, let’s bring our business here.

NW: We moved quickly, too. It was just six weeks between seeing the space and launching the studio.

VASU Tribe treatment room, located inside the Arbor Art Center in Hartford, CT.

NP: Tell us about the studio. What makes it unique?

NW: We chose the name VASU because it’s Sanskrit for “the light that dwells in all being; the universal soul.” Our goal was to create a “conscious community,” so we offer empowering yoga classes, organic spa treatments and products, and soulful events.

NP: VASU Tribe is larger than just the two of you. How many employees do you have?

NW: In addition to Holly and me, there are six other teachers and two other therapists.

NP: Let’s talk about community—it’s obviously very important to you.

HW: Definitely. We wanted the yoga studio to become a hub of community. It’s one of the reasons we started. It’s important to that we’re making connections and helping to build and support a strong community.

NW: I want to note that it’s been great to tap into the college scene to extend our community. Our classes draw a lot of students and student artists from the University of Hartford and Trinity. It’s helped build our “conscious community.”

VASU Tribe Co-Founder Natalie Wheeler teaches an outdoor yoga class at the “Talcott Mountain Magic” event.

It’s also important to us to support and attend events so we can be in the scene and collaborate with the local community. And we support other local businesses, too—as well as our teachers, students, and clients. For example, we have locally sourced artwork, clothing, and wall décor.

HW: And being here in the Arbor Art Center has been a great way for us to barter and trade services with other small businesses here. It’s like a creative hive!

NW: Right, and we’re cross-pollinating with like-minded entrepreneurs and small business owners whose businesses are driven by passion and creativity. There’s a lot of cross promotion. We all support each other.

NP: What’s next for VASU Tribe?

HW: We’re working on a space expansion, which will be open in January 2018. Our focus is to bring lifestyle into our brand. We offer classes and services and now we’ll be offering a lifestyle lounge. Our tagline is “Sip, shop, learn.”

We’ll have a tea bar, a library of books, and a DIY classroom. We want to extend and enhance the experience at VASU—encourage people to stay after a treatment or class and connect with others.

Learn more about VASU Tribe by visiting vasutribe.com and follow on Facebook and Instagram vasutribe.

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