2020 Impact Accelerator Profile: Legacy Lineage

Sami Jensen • February 14, 2020

Meet the entrepreneurs participating in the 2020 Impact Accelerator! Legacy Lineage provides child-care and family support services and education.

Venture Name : Legacy Lineage Enterprises

Members: (from left to right in above photo) front: Destiny Hunt, Technical Support and Shadai Ealy, Bookkeeper. Back: Karen Benard, Board Advisor , Nichole Hawkins, Founder and Head Teacher and Sonia Santavenere, Board Advisor.

Venture Description : Legacy Lineage Enrichment Center provides exceptional child-care and family support services. Our goal is to positively impact future generations! Legacy Lineage…educate, enrich and empower!

Why did you apply to the Impact Accelerator?
I applied for the Impact Accelerator program to participate in a social construct of knowledgeable professionals who act as a support system and provide constructive feedback as I learn the various aspects to scale up, hone my professional skill set, strengthen my networking opportunities and gain exposure to working capital for expanding my start-up business.

What makes you the most qualified to start this particular business?
What makes me most qualified to scale-up and expand to Legacy Lineage Enrichment Center is my 25 years of experience in the early care and education profession. For 10 years I owned and operated a state licensed home day care. I have worked with all ages from prenatal mothers and infants to school-aged children. The population of children I have worked with includes individuals with autism, Asperger’s syndrome, behavioral, language and physical developmental delays. My professional credentials include the following: Bachelor of Science in Child and Individualized Studies, State of Connecticut Designated Head Teacher, 2013 completion of the Hartford Small Business Technical Program, 2017 recipient of Renovate to Educate grant. Additionally, I am a certified facilitator of several evidence-based programs including Circle of Security, Mental Health First Aid, Parents as Teachers, and Raising Readers.

How does your company create a positive social or environmental impact?
Legacy Linage Enrichment Center creates positive social impact for the communities we serve by providing year-round child-care, family engagement opportunities and communal benefits. We provide children safe, fun-loving developmentally appropriate play, social learning and meet school readiness goals as outlined in the Connecticut Early Learning Developmental Standards. Children receive a host of health and wellness benefits. They are provided plenty of time for outdoor play to encourage the restorative factors of physical activity, offered vision and dental screenings, participate in developmental assessments and are served healthy meals and snacks which combat issues of malnutrition.

In addition, families engage in several evidence-based workshops that highlight protective factors, strengthen resilience and address the many life stressors of inner-city communities. Education is paramount to fighting poverty. Affordable child-care and support services make it possible for families to pursue education opportunities, participate in training programs and remain gainfully employed.

To foster community qualified residence of the Center will be giving hiring preference, offered reduced child-care cost and giving opportunities for professional development. Partnerships community organizations provide summer youth employment opportunities and internships to college students pursuing degrees in early childhood education or a related field.

If you were to win the $10,000 grand prize at the Venture Showcase, what would you do with it?
The grant reward would be used to cover buildings/grounds, operations, advertising and administration.


Find Legacy Lineage Enterprises online: Website| Instagram: @legacy.lineage| Twitter: @legacy_lineage

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