Pedro Bermudez is founder of Revisionist Films and co-founder of Small State Great Beer.

Hartford-based filmmaker Pedro Bermudez is founder of Revisionist Films and co-founder of Small State Great Beer. During Hispanic Heritage Month, he spoke with MetroHartford Alliance Content Manager Nan Price about creating opportunities in Hartford and where he sees the future of the city.

NAN PRICE: In what ways has Hartford become a part of you?

PEDRO BERMUDEZ: My involvement in the Hartford community is long-running. I grew up in Hartford and my entire family lives in the city of Hartford. It’s a place that has shaped me and molded my thinking, and it’s where some of the most important relationships of my life had been formed.

NAN: You moved away for a time and deliberately returned to Hartford.

PEDRO: Right. After studying filmmaking in Los Angeles, I did some traveling and lived in other places including Portland, OR. When I came back to Hartford about seven years ago, I wanted to make sure I was still working in an area I was passionate about and looking at the landscape. Also, there weren’t many places to do filmmaking at a very high level. I realized I had to make those things happen and create those opportunities for myself.

NAN: How did you go about creating those opportunities?

PEDRO: I began staging different types of events for filmmakers in the area. I worked on community-driven filmmaking projects wherever and whenever I could. One of the first things I did was a project along the riverfront that was influenced and inspired by the sculpture walk. Kristina Newman Scott, who was leading the Marketing, Events & Cultural Affairs (MECA) office at The City of Hartford, was incredibly supportive of my early community film screenings.

“The fourth Small State Great Beer festival took place this September. It was the biggest and the most successful in terms of attendance and the number of vendors we had on plaza,” says co-founder Pedro Bermudez.

NAN: Let’s talk about Small State Great Beer. How did that idea come about?

PEDRO: I had been collaborating with my business partner John Michael Mason and my wife, Rory Gale, who co-owns Hartford Prints! to film a series of high-end commercials. We were thinking about other types of projects within the community. Hartford Prints! carried pint glasses with the Small State Great Beer wording, which they were selling to local bars and breweries, so the brand was becoming well-known. One day we said to each other: Why don’t we combine beer and music and create a festival?

We had that initial conversation five years ago. The fourth Small State Great Beer festival took place this September. It was the biggest and the most successful in terms of attendance and the number of vendors we had on plaza.

Now we’re looking at the potential for Small State Great Beer to become more of a production itself. We’re excited to continue building the scope, size, and scale of the festival and considering doing it over the course of several days instead of just one day.

If you’re interested in doing anything in Hartford in terms of development or growing the capabilities and capacity of the city, I would suggest tapping into something here that’s already organically growing. That’s certainly what we did with the beer festival. It was already something people were excited about. Beer is a culture on its own. We just took the best aspects about that culture and amplified them. I think that’s a recipe that’s sustainable and repeatable—and it’s a human-centered design. It revolves around taking what people are already passionate about and finding ways to build upon that.

NAN: You’re already telling the story of Hartford through video and creating opportunities and events.

PEDRO: Yes, and I think you have to do it in very authentic and truthful ways. Once you can tell the story of Hartford from the most honest vantage point, that builds trust, then you can add dynamism and try to make the message as compelling as possible. But any message you want to communicate to a lot of people and have them buy into must begin with authenticity.

To tell the Hartford story, it’s a matter of telling the story of many different communities. Our diversity is what makes us great. And you have to find interesting and compelling ways to get that message out.

NAN: Where you see the future of Hartford?

PEDRO: I hope it continues to build and to grow, but in a way that it remains connected to the people who live in the city. If we could figure out how to celebrate and activate the wealth of cultures, communities, and people we have in the city and create plans for development in the city that were entirely human-centered, we’d be in a much better place. It’s a challenge, but I’m optimistic.

Learn more about Revisionist Films

VISIT: www.revisionistfilms.com
FOLLOW: Instagram

Find out more about Small State Great Beer

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

Hartford InsurTech has selected 11 companies for its 2020 Accelerator.

Hartford InsurTech Hub, powered by Startupbootcamp, announced its 2020 cohort of startups. In a surprising turn of events, Hartford InsurTech Hub selected eleven startups for their cohort. The past two cohorts have consisted of 10 innovative startups. With the help of the Hub’s partners, the accelerator program decided to select 11 companies to relocate to Hartford in February 2020. The startups selected possess a wide range of capabilities supporting health and property-casualty insurers.

The 11 successful entrepreneurs, who were selected from over 350 applications from 57 countries, will relocate to the city of Hartford for the accelerator program. These startups will be living in the capital city for three months as they embark on Hartford InsurTech Hub’s Accelerator Program. Eight of these companies are from the United States the other three are from Canada, India, and South Africa.

The startups will participate in a wide variety of workshops, which will focus on topics ranging from marketing to intellectual property law to business development. These workshops will change the way the teams understand the insurance ecosystem. There will also be introductions to industry leaders and investors who are interested in helping the startups grow their business. Hartford InsurTech Hub gives startups access to a powerhouse of partners, mentors, and investors, utilizing the accelerator’s global network.

The 11 startups selected to join the Hub’s acceleration program for its third year will work closely with insurers and collaborating partners Aetna, Capgemini, Conning, Cigna, The Hartford, Launc[H]artford, Travelers, InsurBot, LKP Global Law, Locke Lord LLP, USAA, White Mountains. The 2020 cohort includes:

• Allganize from Oakland, CA. Allganize’s artificial intelligence (AI) automatically finds the answer to insurance comapanies’ questions from myriads of documents.
• Digisure Insurance Solution from San Francisco, CA. Digisure’s technology platform provides Insurance-as-a-Service to digital platforms that have trust, safety or liability factors. Their APIs provide identity authentication, generates risk profiles for participants, develop risk scoring, a decision engine for underwriting rules and dynamic pricing for individual transactions, delivers protection packages, and handles claims.
• EDLORE from Dana Point, CA. EDLORE is a platform to view 3D images that provides a platform for O&Ms, 3D/AR, part numbers, videos, pictures, animations, etc.
• InvestSure from Johannesburg, South Africa. InvestSure created a world-first insurance product supported by global reinsurer Hannover Re. The product is parametric and protects investors from losses in the share price, which are caused by allegations of management dishonesty (including accounting fraud, bribery, etc.).
• iPill from Los Angeles, CA. The iPill is a digital health, mHealth, and hardware system with an app that controls a secure storage safe disposal dispenser to prevent opioid abuse and diversion.
• Livindi from Wayland, MA. Livindi is a platform of software, sensors, and services that enables seniors to live independently.
• Mitigateway from Toronto, Canada. Mitigateway is applying the specialty insurers model to the commodity insurer market..
• Stable Insurance from New York City. Stable Insurance is a distribution and analytics platform for consumers of commercial auto insurance that focuses on the rideshare and on-demand economy/mobility segment of the commercial auto space.
• TauruSeer from Jacksonville, FL. TauruSeer provides an integrated risk management platform that aligns with modern cybersecurity architecture, their management objectives of Secure DevOps, and next-gen governance to deliver business goals.
• UDoTest from Boston, MA. UDoTest is a B2B at-home disease testing software as a service (SaaS) platform that can detect disease risk early, improve the consumer experience, cut costs, improve the underwriting process, and increase sales.
• Wysa from Bangalore, India. Similar to a journal, Wysa builds insights and shares techniques with its users, providing an early intervention for high-risk populations (students, maternal health, high-stress workplaces) suffering from mental distress.

City of Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin congratulated the startups that participated in Selection Days and described Hartford as a “place with an unbelievable concentration of companies eager to partner and work with innovative companies.” He urged the 11 companies selected to return in February to “take root here and think of Hartford as your home for the long term.” Mayor Bronin noted that insurance industry leaders are partnering across sectors, adding that “our doors are open, and we’re ready to sit down with you at any time.”

VISIT: hartfordinsurtechhub.com
FOLLOW: Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter

The University of Connecticut (Photo courtesy Reuters)

Programming for entrepreneurship and innovation has put the University of Connecticut on the map as a top-ranked school, as evidenced by new reports.

UCONN RANKED 46^th BEST UNDERGRAD PROGRAM FOR ENTREPRENEURS

Entrepreneur magazine and the Princeton Review included UConn their list of the Top Best Undergrad Program for Entrepreneurs in 2020. This survey examines more than 300 colleges and universities in the United States and abroad and considers each institution’s ability and dedication to supporting entrepreneurship.

At UConn, 42% of the faculty has entrepreneurial experience. The school offers 19 entrepreneurship-related courses and has more than 550 students enrolled in entrepreneurship classes. In the last five years, 41 startups have been launched by UConn students.

UCONN NAMED 90^TH MOST INNOVATIVE UNIVERSITY WORLDWIDE

 Reuters included UConn in its list of The World’s Most Innovative Universities. The list identifies 100 educational institutions doing the most to advance science, invent new technologies, and power new markets and industries.

Of significant note: UConn has brought in more than $7 million in licensing revenue since 2013, formed 21 startups, and the university says its research’s annual impact on Connecticut’s economy exceeds $373 million.

VISIT: uconn.edu
FOLLOW: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter | YouTube

Cary Wheaton, Founder and Owner’s Representative at Firebox Restaurant and Executive Director of has Forge City Works.

By Nan Price, Content Manager MetroHartford Alliance

Serial entrepreneur Cary Wheaton is Founder and Owner’s Representative at Firebox Restaurant and Executive Director of Forge City Works.

Although she initially thought she wanted to teach or be a child psychologist, Cary acknowledges, “I was a very entrepreneurial person my whole life.” It was by chance that she entered the food service industry in her mid-20s—as a means of earning money to pay for school.

FINDING HER PROFESSIONAL CALLING

“I lied my way into a job as a waitress at a Tex-Mex restaurant right around the corner from Tufts University,” Cary admits. “When I walked into the restaurant I fell in love with it. I loved the comradery and I loved that it called on my social skills to be able to make people happy.”

Within six months, the owner promoted her to manager. In 1985, Chris Schlesinger, the brother of Cary’s best friend, graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and was looking to potentially open his own restaurant. Cary jumped at the opportunity.

With no business ownership experience, the two put their heads together, wrote a business plan, borrowed money from their parents, and contacted a broker. They visited a space in Inman Square in Cambridge, MA and made an offer. Two weeks later, they were restaurant owners.

BUILDING A REPUTATION

“East Coast Grill was ahead of its time. We were known as the first American bistro with an open kitchen and a wood-burning grill in the Boston area,” notes Cary. “We were open for 20 days when a food critic from the Boston Globe came in and reviewed the restaurant. He gave us five stars and we went from about 30 covers a night to almost 250 covers the next night,” she recalls.

The business partnership lasted 12 years. During that time, Chris and Cary started a catering company,

opened a barbecue restaurant and a fine-dining restaurant, and started a hot sauce company.

Every restaurant or business Cary was involved in has had a social justice tie in. “I was really committed to having a workplace that would take care of the people work for a long time,” she says. “We provided health insurance and promoted from within. We were always committed to providing opportunities to create a ‘longer-term family.’”

EMBRACING CHANGE

 After 12 years, it was time for a change. “I decided I wanted to have a life that was more than just the restaurant world,” explains Cary. “I sold out my part and adopted my daughter from China. I was home with her for about a year and then my sister and I had an idea for another series of restaurants.”

The two opened Full Moon restaurant. The concept was a bistro-style restaurant with a kids’ play area. They ended up selling the second Arlington location, but the Cambridge restaurant is still open.

It was time for more change. “What people don’t know about the restaurant business is, it’s wonderful. and exciting because you have all these opportunities, but one of the reasons I kept opening restaurants is, for me, it gets boring after a while!” Cary admits.

Cary knew it was time to do something different, but she didn’t know exactly what. “When we sold the Arlington restaurant, I knew I didn’t really want to open another restaurant, but I needed to do something,” she says. “I decided to have my sister be the operating partner at Full Moon and I would go out and find a job. I was completely free because I had worked for myself for about 24 years.”

After meeting with a job coach, Cary started to consult with nonprofits who ran food-related businesses and help them add a social enterprise layer. She had some experience with volunteer work and being on organizational boards.

From there, Cary got a job working at a shared-use food incubator in Boston, which she says was a fairly new concept in the early 2000s. Once again, the Boston Globe featured a story about her efforts.

COMING TO CONNECTICUT

The Boston Globe write up caught the attention of the Melville Charitable Trust then-president Bob Hohler. The Trust had recently purchased a group of buildings in Hartford that used to be Billings & Spencer Co. and was trying to figure out what to do with the restaurant space.

Attendees enjoyed the 2019 Firebox Farm To Table event, which provides a culinary walkabout experience between the three Forge City Works spaces.

“At the time, the Trust thought an incubator would be a great way to help people from the neighborhood start their businesses,” explains Cary. “But we talked through what the dollars would be and how challenging it is to actually run an incubator. I knew from experience.”

Bob sought out Cary and convinced her to take a look at the space that would become Firebox Restaurant. Then, the Trust hired her to find a restaurant operator.

“I spent six months driving from Boston to Hartford to tour the space with restauranteurs from New York and Boston I knew through my connections. This was right before the economic crash in 2007,” she recalls. “We couldn’t find any match. I finally told the Trust: This isn’t going to happen unless we do it ourselves. I could open this restaurant for you and we could provide many job opportunities and economic value in an undervalued area of Hartford.”

Cary created a vision of a bistro in Hartford people would come to as a destination restaurant. “I knew it would provide jobs for people because, from my history, I know that restaurants are often the first economic development engine in a community,” she says.

With her “whole life in Boston,” Cary committed to staying for a year to open Firebox. That was in 2007, and she’s still at the helm.

“I’m grateful I was able to convince the Trust to create a restaurant that’s become a positive driver in the community,” says Cary.

Find out more about Firebox Restaurant

VISIT: www.fireboxrestaurant.com
FOLLOW: Facebook | Instagram  | Twitter

Learn more about Forge City Works

VISIT: www.forgecityworks.org
FOLLOW: Facebook | Instagram

Best known as the Owner and Master Baker at A Little Something Cake Studio, Beth Bolton is retiring from baking, closing the shop, and opening the door to new opportunities. She’s taking her years of entrepreneurial experience and launching a new consulting business, where she will focus on coaching and mentoring early-stage entrepreneurs.

Beth shared her entrepreneurial journey with Innovation Destination Hartford in 2017 (read: Entrepreneurial Center Fosters Hartford-Area Startup Bakery). At that time, she noted, “I learned so much about myself and about business during this time. I could have closed my doors so many times and I could do it now—but something keeps me here. An internal voice tells me I’m not done with this journey yet.”

A LITTLE SOMETHING…DIFFERENT

Listening to that internal voice helped Beth accept the timing and gracefully step away from baking and into a new role as a consultant. Via social media, she acknowledged the joy she’s received from serving customers throughout the community and announced her retirement:

“I am not done yet—there is more work for me to do,” Beth wrote. “I will be pivoting my focus to helping and mentoring early entrepreneurs, helping them navigate the process, and coaching them to learn how to have a successful small business.”

With her new consulting business, Beth will provide the experience she has gained building a successful business and deep client relationships with entrepreneurs looking to launch their own ventures. Her expertise ranges from motivation and mentorship to business management and client relations.

“For me, opening a small business wasn’t about the money, it was about a feeling and providing a warm and inviting experience,” says Beth. “That feeling is what drives me and, with the pivot of my work toward personal and business coaching, I can provide that same feeling to my clientele in a different but equally meaningful way.”

RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

Beth’s consulting business will be the third layer in her successful career path. She spent 25 years in management at Filene’s (now Macy’s) overseeing staffing and budgets before opening A Little Something Cake Studio in 2009.

Beth also learned a lot from the University of Hartford Entrepreneurial Center and Women’s Business Center. In 2017, she acknowledged the help and guidance she received from taking classes and becoming more involved in the business community, noting, “I learned how to do small things that would better me as a businesswoman and better position my business to stay competitive. I learned not only who I was, but where I wanted my business to go.”

ICING ON THE CAKE

“I am very excited about where I am going and what I will be doing,” emphasizes Beth. “I look forward to helping some of you with your own dream.”

Holiday cookie orders are still available for purchase from A Little Something Cake Studio until December 20, 2019. Bolton is currently accepting new coaching client inquiries. Find out more. 

Silk City Coffee Co-Owner Rob May.

For Silk City Coffee, serving the community means more than serving well-made coffee beverages and homemade pastries. Serving the community means creating a community space and giving back by supporting local programs.

MetroHartford Alliance Content Manager sat down with Silk City Coffee Co-Owner Rob May to learn more about how the business came together and how it’s evolved since it opened in October 2016.

NAN PRICE: Give us a little background.

ROB MAY: Silk City’s four owners come from different backgrounds and bring different strengths to the business. Tammy Gerhard was a guidance counselor where my wife Sarah and I went to school. After graduation, Tammy remained a mentor to Sarah and we became close friends with Tammy and her husband, Glenn.

One night over dinner, Tammy and Glenn were talking about some traveling they’d done and how they visited a community-minded coffee shop. They loved the concept but knew they would need someone else to run a café.

Meanwhile, Sarah and I had been talking about how it would be awesome to open a coffee shop with high-quality coffee and simple but over-the-top baked goods, because there wasn’t really anything like that in our area. We all connected the dots and realized we could collaborate and open something together.

At the time, Tammy was still a guidance counselor, Sarah owned her own wedding photography business, and I was working two jobs, one in retail and the other doing quality control for a local manufacturing company. Glenn still has his full-time job working at Cigna.

From an entrepreneurial perspective, I knew I wanted a change; I didn’t want to stay in manufacturing and I’ve always been very passionate about coffee. Sarah is one of those creative people who’s always up for a challenge—and she’s an incredible baker. Tammy and Glenn really had the passion and skills to start a café.

We all work together and we have separate roles: Tammy is the community outreach person; Sarah runs the kitchen; Glenn does most of the backend financial stuff; and I run the coffee bar. It’s a really good balance.

NAN: Tell us about the mission “to support our community by bringing people together and empowering them to meet each other’s needs.”

ROB: We really wanted to connect the community as a catalyst for people helping people. We use our Love Coffee, Love People board, where people can post their needs and we encourage people to support those needs however they can. We also sell Love Coffee, Love People merchandise and use all those proceeds to support community programs.

NAN: What were the biggest challenges you faced when you were first starting out?

Silk City Owners Rob and Sarah May and Tammy and Glenn Gerhard (left to right).

ROB: A lot of people may find it hard to have four business owners—and it has been challenging at times—but, if you can work together well, it’s a beautiful thing. And it’s been great to have a diverse perspective among us.

I’d say our biggest challenge was finding a space. I think that’s a challenge for any restaurant or café, especially if you find a location without a kitchen and you have to build one. Finding a spot that already has a kitchen would have been incredible because building a kitchen was difficult and expensive. Building out a coffee bar is a little easier, but still there’s a lot of plumbing and electrical involved. So, even though this cafe is bigger than we initially planned, we’re happy to have landed in a central spot.

NAN: You mentioned there wasn’t a café like this in the area. Why Manchester?

ROB: We all live in Manchester and really love the city. It was a perfect location because everyone wants downtown to be better, so we had a lot of people supporting us.

In the beginning, I wish we’d asked for more help and advice from other local restaurant and business owners, but now we’ve built that community. We know most of the owners of all the restaurants and many of the local businesses. We’ve also come to know the new businesses launching nearby, like Urban Lodge Brewing Co. and Labyrinth Brewing Company.

We planted ourselves right in the middle of Main Street, right in the middle of the community. Downtown Manchester was already set up as a great community. There are a lot of events and things happening to help foster the community, some are beneficial for some businesses, some of them are beneficial for others. We’re happy to be a part of it.

Learn more about Silk City Coffee
www.silkcitycoffee.com | Facebook | Instagram

“I’m grateful that I love what I do and I’m excited for what’s next,” says Bare Life Founder Ali Lazowski.

Connecticut native Ali Lazowski went to school in Baltimore and then lived in New York City for several years while battling several chronic illnesses. During that time, she learned two vital things about herself: She wanted to create an allergen-free food product and she wanted to create a company to produce that product in Connecticut.

Ali connected with MetroHartford Alliance Content Manager Nan Price in early 2018, when she was participating in the reSET Accelerator (read: Food and Beverage Startup for Healthy Eating). Since then, she’s taken her company to new levels here in the Hartford Region.

NAN PRICE: Why was it that you wanted to launch your company here in Connecticut?

ALI LAZOWSKI: I wanted to be back in the Hartford Region because my entire family is here. I know the community too, so I thought it would be easier to start here. I didn’t even realize how much support I would receive from the community. It’s been incredible. Hartford is the right place to launch a startup.

NAN: Tell us about the starting out process.

ALI: The idea came from a need for me to satisfy my sweet tooth and be able to enjoy something that didn’t contain allergens, which were contributing to my illnesses. I also wanted something portable, because I was spending a lot of time in doctors’ waiting rooms.

I started making a hot cocoa mixture in my kitchen and brought samples to many friends and other chronic illness sufferers. I spent months refining the recipe. Everyone was really encouraging, telling me the cocoa mixture was so good I should sell it. I talked to my parents about the idea of starting a business and they agreed, saying this would be a great thing for me. My whole family was supportive. So, in 2018 I took the leap. Soon after I made that decision, I connected with reSET and Bare Life took off from there.

NAN PRICE: How your company has evolved since?

ALI LAZOWSKI: When we last talked, I was in the Impact Accelerator. I had a recipe, but I didn’t even have a product. I knew I needed a facility and a kitchen to make the product. Since then, I’ve found office space, created the product, and found a co-packager. The Bare Life hot cocoa product is in 14 stores throughout Connecticut and selling on our website. I still can’t believe it. It’s been an amazing experience.

NAN: How did you learn the next steps, like how to find a distributor?

ALI: reSET has been amazingly supportive—not just during the accelerator, but afterward with opportunities for the networking and getting to know the community and availability to answer questions.

Also, through reSET I met Denise Whitford from the Connecticut Small Business Development Center (CTSBDC), who became my advisor. We meet monthly and she helps me keep on track with what I’m working on now and what I need to be thinking about for the future of the company. It’s a huge benefit because, as an entrepreneur, I’m always thinking of new ideas and things I want to do and directions I want to go. Having a business advisor helps me stay focused.

I utilize a lot of the local business resources. I’ve made impactful connections, so I can reach out and see what other companies have done, get advice, and emulate them. It’s been great to have that support system and mentorship.

NAN: What’s next for Bare Life?

ALI: I want to maximize what I can do with the hot cocoa because I think it’s such a versatile product. I’m working on additional flavors and our website has a bunch of recipes for muffins and smoothies using the hot cocoa mix.

We recently redid our packaging to provide single-serving packets with a material that’s actually more sustainable than the individual glass mugs we started out with. Also, the new packaging has enabled us to offer bulk packaging for coffee shops, restaurants, and school cafeterias. I’m really excited about growing the channels and looking at different opportunities for distribution I hadn’t thought of before—again, that’s where mentorship and having a great community helps with that kind of feedback and suggestions.

The part that keeps me up at night is thinking about the next step, which could be a baking mix or protein powder. I want to stay in dry foods for a while, though. Eventually, creating clean, delicious, convenient prepared meals would be the dream.

I always say this is just the bare beginning! I’m grateful that I love what I do and I’m excited for what’s next.

Learn more about Bare Life
www.eatbarelife.com | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

CROSSNET co-founders (left to right) Greg Meade, MikeDelpapa, and Chris Meade.

What happens when three friends and Connecticut natives with an entrepreneurial spirit get together and decide to invent something fun? They come up with the idea for CROSSNET, a unique game that merges traditional volleyball with four square.

Co-Founder Chris Meade spoke to MetroHartford Alliance Content Manager about the ideating, creating, and manufacturing their product, which is now sold in well-known stores nationwide.

NAN PRICE: How did you and co-founders Greg Meade and Mike Delpapa come up with the idea for CROSSNET?

CHRIS MEADE: Back in May 2017, Greg, Mike, and I were brainstorming about inventing a product. We thought of almost 100 ideas before we came up with the idea for a four-way volleyball game you could play like four square, which was our favorite recess game. And we all love playing volleyball, too.

We did some online research to make sure it was a good idea, there was a need for this product, and no one else was out there making it. If any of those roadblocks came up, we knew we were probably just wasting our time. Once we were able to check those boxes, the next step was inventing and making the physical product. We bought two volleyball nets for about $20 each. We rigged them up and invited some friends over to play. Everyone loved it, so we knew were onto something.

NAN: What were the next steps?

CHRIS: Mike, who is our engineer, designed the prototype then we started finding manufacturers in China. We sent out a few non-disclosure agreements and sent samples to a few suppliers that were interested in the product. After about nine months, we finally had a product we were happy with.

NAN: Why so long?

CHRIS: During that nine-month period, we’d order the sample, wait 30 to 45 days to get it, unbox it, get super excited, and be let down—like the net wouldn’t stand up or there wouldn’t be enough tension in the strings. We realized that’s part of the process for any new company getting a product manufactured. Part of the time and cost were the waiting cycle to get revisions made and sent back to us.

During that time, we were busy building awareness about CROSSNET, building the website and customer database, creating marketing collateral, and working on the patent. We all had full-time jobs, which helped enable us to pool together enough money to buy the prototypes and buy our first 100 nets.

NAN: What makes your product innovative?

CHRIS: Growing up, when I was in elementary and middle school, I hated nothing more than standing in a line, hitting a ball, and getting it back. It wasn’t a fun way to learn volleyball. We’ve created a four-way net to keep everyone involved. It teaches awareness and hand eye coordination. Instructors can teach students how to serve, set, bump, and even spike in new way.

NAN: You talked about some startup challenges. What have you learned along the way? Any advice to others?

CHRIS: It helped that we researched other companies’ mistakes and reached out to other entrepreneurs who have invented products. We learned a lot from them.

Also, we were very frugal. We could’ve easily gone out and raised investment rounds and tried to get people to give us money to build our own product, but we would have given up a majority of our company. Instead, we were patient. Like I said, we bought 100 nets. I talked to some entrepreneurs who ordered 10,000 units of their product and they started their companies $100K in debt.

We started our company with a couple thousand bucks. We established first proof of concept, got people interested and excited about it, and then we doubled down once we started having those sales coming. So be patient. It’s a long game. If you want to make money quick, go to the casino. Otherwise, know that it takes a lot of time to build your brand up.

NAN: Aside from talking to other entrepreneurs, did you utilize any other business resources starting out?

CHRIS: Honestly, a lot was through social media. I’ve networked via Instagram and Twitter. Instagram is a great place to find people who are hustling with a new product and finding the next big thing. People love to talk about their brand and they love to network. It’s been helpful to connect with like-minded entrepreneurs, even if they’re not inventing a four-way volleyball net. If you learn one or two little tidbits from them, it could be the difference between making $200 in day and $2,000 in a day.

LinkedIn is another great resource, especially on the professional development side. I’ve had many buyers to reach out to me and I’ve reached out to them to create my partnerships. Most notable is S&S Worldwide, which distributes sporting goods products to the entire country. They’re based in Colchester and they have a primary focus in Connecticut.

NAN: I definitely want to talk about your Connecticut tie-in.

CHRIS: We all grew up in Woodstock and Pomfret, CT. Mike and my brother Greg played on the same soccer team together at Woodstock Academy. Our other tie-in to Connecticut is more than 2,00 schools across the United States are using CROSSNET—including dozens of Connecticut schools. For example, Pulaski Middle School in New Britain is using CROSSNET to teach the fundamentals of volleyball.

NAN: In addition to schools what other industries are in your marketing demographic?

CHRIS: We’re seeing a lot of interests in the 18-to-25-year-old demographic. And there’s been a lot of competitive interest. Our nets are being used in tournaments across the country. We’re planning one in the Hartford area for 2020, when the weather gets nicer.

Parents are another market. They’re purchasing the nets for their children because want to get their kids active and off their phones. We always say: The best memories are made without a phone in your hand.

Learn more about CROSSNET
www.crossnetgame.com | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube

By Connecticut by the Numbers

It seems that prospective entrepreneurial businesses and start-up ventures just keep on coming. To Hartford.

reSET, a local non-profit organization supporting social entrepreneurs, has announced the acceptance of 16 Connecticut-based startups into their 2020 Impact Accelerator. The cohort will work together over four months to accelerate individual business growth through peer feedback, mentorship, and one-on-one guidance from reSET. All accepted participants are given access to reSET’s coworking space, located in Hartford’s Parkville neighborhood, to be used as a place of business during the program.

This year’s companies—at various stages of development—address a wide range of issues including immigration, education, sustainable transportation, and sustainable fashion. Nearly two-thirds (62%) of the startups are based in Greater Hartford and all are based in Connecticut.

The pot at the end of the rainbow—or at least substantial encouragement along the entrepreneurial journey—is that the highest rated companies will have the chance to compete in reSET’s Venture Showcase as the four months conclude, for an opportunity to win up to $20,000 in cash awards.

Described as Greater Hartford’s only business accelerator that supports the creation and growth of mission-driven businesses, reSET’s Accelerator has graduated 112 businesses in recent years. Participants have advanced their businesses with progress evident, in numerous instances, as measured by customer acquisition, venture capital investment, and nationwide sales and recognition.

In addition, according to officials, social enterprises impact the city of Hartford in various ways including: creating opportunity for employment, solving a social or environmental challenge, building community wealth and giving back through philanthropy or volunteerism.

Impact Accelerator Alumni, Franz Hochstrasser, co-founder of Raise Green says, “reSET is unique in its design and purpose, since it is set up as the only Social Enterprise Trust that we know of in the state of Connecticut, and that creates a unique place for mission-driven companies like Raise Green to pursue our mission of tackling climate change and income inequality through inclusive financing approaches.”

In addition, reSET has announced a new partnership with Village Capital to receive support as one of six incubators and accelerators around the country that will receive a free license to Village Capital’s award-winning curriculum. Each of the incubators and accelerators will adopt Village Capital’s unique peer-selected investment methodology, which mitigates bias against underserved entrepreneurs. The selected organizations are each focused on building social and financial capital for entrepreneurs in communities that historically have not had access to capital, including Hartford, the Bronx, St. Louis and Atlanta.

Funding for the reSET-Village Capital collaboration was provided by the Travelers.

“As a small commercial insurer, we understand the challenges that entrepreneurs face when it comes to accessing capital and planning for the future,” said Tara N. Spain, Second Vice President of Community Relations at Travelers.

The participating companies in 2020 are:

Tip$ is a digital tipping service for hotel guests who do not have cash for tipping their room attendant.

our World. Care 4 Your Own LLC  was built to inspire growth and maturity, youth learning and career awareness through books, cartoons, the inspirational magic of music, autism awareness, puppetry, computers, environmental studies, clothing, games, and apps.

Her Move, LLC is a woman-owned boutique recruitment consultancy focused on hiring women into critical leadership positions at growing software companies.

Seedership is a social impact and storytelling platform to help local businesses deepen connections, grow and differentiate from the good they do in their communities.
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Outside the Box uses technology and minimized overhead to offer agency-level marketing expertise and support for a fraction of the cost.

Raggedy Rob Productions The Each One, Teach One Workshop: Where The Journey is More Important Than The Joke.

Flourish Bizcenter LLC provides customized coaching and business support programs to reduce stress for business owners around money and organize their financial chaos so that they can take control of their cash flow.

Mobility Bikes is an initiative that installs private bike-sharing systems in supportive housing facilities so that people can get to the places they need to, when they need to.

Legacy Lineage is committed to providing exceptional child care and family support services through its Entertaining Angels Enrichment Center and partnerships within the Promise Zone community.

Word Scientists provides early childhood educators with high-quality, affordable reading materials and professional training to dramatically improve student learning outcomes.

Moving With Health Oriented Physical Education (H.O.P.E.) is an innovative adaptive fitness, rehab, and learning center that is partnering with social entrepreneurs, teachers, providers, and technologists to dramatically improve the rehabilitation industry so all people can achieve optimal recovery.

The FunAbilities Company is the world’s first destination search service that connects people with accessibility needs to one another and to businesses that serve them.

The Law Offices of Isis M. Irizarry provides high-quality immigration law services, given with compassion and care, tailored to the needs of each individual and family seeking lawful status for themselves and their loved ones.

ImpaCT Training is a sports and wellness organization, providing academic and physical fitness programs to empower the community.

A Spirit of Joy Organic Skin Care is a West Hartford based business that handcrafts organic and vegan skin care products, for all ages and skin types, while prioritizing usage of fair trade ingredients and relationships.

Preppers Meal Prep provides a convenient solution to those who aim to live a healthy lifestyle while saving time. PMP offers macro friendly meals with poultry, seafood, keto & vegan options.

The Community Renewal Team (CRT) was recently awarded $1,202,143 by the U.S. Department of Labor to provide 67 at-risk teens and young adults (ages 18 – 24) from Hartford and East Hartford the opportunity to improve their education, occupational skills, employment credentials, and leadership capabilities over the next three years. Participants who complete the YouthBuild training program should experience a substantial increase in their standard of living and community engagement.

“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.

“We are thrilled to be able to offer this important job-training program to young people in our community,” said Fernando Betancourt, Chairman of CRT’s Board of Trustees. “There are so many obstacles to success these days, but we know that YouthBuild participants can complete this program armed with new skills that will lead to long-term career opportunities.”

CRT will offer a “Construction Plus” training program to the participants that is modeled after our multiple successful Capital City YouthBuild projects that we have run previously.

CRT guarantees that 32 students will be enrolled and complete construction skills training during the more than three year grant period of performance.

The Construction Plus training will also include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) training for 20 students through Capital Community College; and a selection of certified classes and on-the-job training for 15 students through Goodwin College.

CRT has selected Construction Plus fields of Security Guard Certification, Phlebotomy and Laboratory Services, Medical Assistant, and Machining/Manufacturing Technology.

“YouthBuild enhances the lives of its students and the community as a whole,” said U.S. Senator Chris Murphy. “The Community Renewal Team has been a positive influence on Connecticut families for years and grants like these go a long way to keep formal training and mentorship programs going. I commend their work, and will continue to fight in Washington for federal dollars to continue efforts to better the lives of the young people of Connecticut,” he added.

“Giving young people skills to compete in high-demand industries like construction, nursing, manufacturing, and medical research is exactly the kind of workforce development we need to do more of. I want to thank the U.S. Department of Labor and the Community Renewal Team for this new partnership,” said Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin.

“As one of the people who helped to start the first YouthBuild program in Hartford, it gives me great pride to know that CRT is continuing the vital work of this job-training program for disadvantaged youth in Hartford and East Hartford,” said Martin Alvarenga, Business Agent & Organizer with the Carpenters Local 326 in Connecticut, and new member of CRT’s Board of Trustees. “The young men and women who go through this training will come out with serious skills that will take them far in life.”

Individuals interested in joining the YouthBuild program in Hartford can contact CRT at 860-560-5308, or via email: youthbuild@crtct.org.

Learn more about the Community Renewal Team, Inc.
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