Hartford, Conn. – On August 28th reSET, the Social Enterprise Trust, welcomed Sen. Art Linares, R- of the 33rd Senate District to tour the reSET office and coworking space, located at 99 Pratt Street in Hartford, CT.

Sen. Linares exchanged ideas with reSET’s social entrepreneurs, who are creating businesses that solve community problems and also create jobs. These businesses are innovative, market-supported, self-sustaining and mission-driven. In the past 12 months, reSET has helped launch and grow 11 social enterprises, associated with 20 jobs. Two of those businesses are working to become regional in scale and one to become national in scale.

“reSET’s social entrepreneurs are innovative and energetic,” Sen. Linares said “It’s great to meet people who are using their businesses for social good while also generating a profit. I share reSET’s goal of making Connecticut a hub for entrepreneurial activity. At the State Capitol, I will continue to do all I can to help business incubators like reSET to thrive and to spread the word about social enterprise throughout the state.”

Sen. Linares, who at the age of 19 co-founded a successful solar energy company based in Middletown, spoke with several social entrepreneurs affiliated with reSET. Among them:

• Willimantic resident Chris Brechlin, Founder & Community Partner at Blueprint for a Dream.
• Guilford resident Leslie Krumholz CEO of Good Streets.
• Granby resident Charlotte Creech CEO and Co-Founder of Combat2Career.

Sen. Linares also took the opportunity to learn another aspect of the types of programming offered through reSET, and toured reSET’s community co-working space at 99 Pratt Street in downtown Hartford. The coworking community space welcomes social entrepreneurs, small businesses, freelancers, and visiting businesspeople. On the web: www.socialenterprisetrust.org

Linares, who serves on the Connecticut General Assembly’s Commerce Committee, represents the 33rd Senate District, which includes Chester, Clinton, Colchester, Deep River, East Haddam, East Hampton, Essex, Haddam, Lyme, Old Saybrook, Portland, and Westbrook. On the web: www.senatorlinares.com.

reSET, works collaboratively with community partners to strengthen its mission including spreading the word about social enterprise throughout the state. Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream, operates as a social enterprise, and was invited by reSET to 99 Pratt St., where their traveling truck spent an afternoon building awareness, and inspiring support for social enterprise by handing out free ice cream to the public.