Entrepreneurs Heart Hartford

ewalsh • July 7, 2014

reSET is excited to announce the launch of a new blog series, posted in partnership between HYPE and reSET, which will provide a space for the Entrepreneurs of Hartford to talk about the work that they do and the impact they are having in the community.

For our first post, we will showcase HYPE and all of the incredible ways they are able to support Hartford’s growing entrepreneurial community. In exchange, HYPE has a blog on their website all about reSET!

So, Why Hartford Entrepreneurs? Why do we all LOVE to LOVE Hartford, Caitlin Thayer, HYPE Program Director answers that question and more!!

“There are so many things that I love about Hartford, and community is at the top of that list.”- Caitlin Thayer

[fa type=”comments-o” size=3x]Why Hartford Entrepreneurs? Tell us about your organization.

Hartford Young Professionals & Entrepreneurs is an initiative of the MetroHartford Alliance, which provides networking events and programming for young professionals in the Region. Entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship is important to us (that’s why it’s a part of our name!) and we do what we can to support them however we’re able to. Part of the mission of both the MetroHartford Alliance and HYPE is to create a Region that encourages people to live, work and play here. We recognize that this is a great place to start a business, and we want to support young professionals who are doing so.

[fa type=”comments-o” size=3x]Tell us about your role helping support entrepreneurs in Hartford.

HYPE holds two major events during the year to support entrepreneurship in the Region. The first is the Entrepreneurship Awards, held in April of each year, which recognizes young professionals who are succeeding with the businesses. Business owners nominate themselves to be recognized, and finalists are chosen who present their businesses in front of a panel of judges. Winners are chosen based on how well they’re doing, and their plans for growth. This past year we had a record number of nominations, and had a really hard time choosing finalists because there were so many great businesses!

The other event we hold is called Startup Weekend Hartford. Startup Weekend is an international event series where entrepreneurs and non-entrepreneurs alike come together in one weekend to pitch an idea, form teams and create business plans. After 54 hours, they present their business to a panel of judges and the winner receives a prize pack that will help them turn their idea into a real business. It’s a crazy, awesome, tiring weekend that promotes startup culture.

[fa type=”comments-o” size=3x]What do you love about Hartford?

There are so many things that I love about Hartford, and community is at the top of that list. As a business owner myself, I can attest to the tight knit community we have here. I moved here 7 years ago and decided to start a business. I’ve been successful with it in part due to the help I’ve received from people in this Region.

[fa type=”comments-o” size=3x]What motivates you to do what you do?

Before I worked for HYPE, the organization provided me a way to make friends, to socialize, ways to get involved with the community, and helped me with my business. I’m thrilled that I now get the opportunity to work at HYPE and to do the same for others.

[fa type=”comments-o” size=3x]What was the impetus for this blog series?

Through HYPE, I’ve been introduced to dozens of amazing businesses owned by young professionals in this region. I want to make sure that others hear about them as well, so why not have a series of blogs about Hartford entrepreneurs? I want to feature entrepreneurs from all industries, all backgrounds, all experiences. I think people will be interested in this series because we live in an incredibly supportive and curious community. I think many people are also generally curious about Why Hartford? Everyone has their own story and their own connection to the City, and I can’t wait to hear the stories and to share them on our blogs.

Boilerplate: This blog series, done as a partnership between HYPE and reSET (reSET and HYPE on your side), offers a platform to showcase the commitment that Hartford Entrepreneurs have for their work and this City. It will examine how young entrepreneurs have chosen their work, and give examples of the ways in which they are having an impact in Hartford.

Community Builder, Meryl Willett’s Blog about reSET HERE

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Leadership Transition Announcement: reSET Executive Director to Step Down in 2026

By awalsh • February 13, 2026

Dear reSET Community, The Board of Directors today announces the departure of Sarah Bodley as Executive Director of reSET in a planned transition later this year. The Board has immense gratitude for Sarah and all her contributions over the years. Over the last seven years, Sarah has built an amazing foundation for the organization and she leaves reSET in a strong position for continued growth and service. Sarah joined reSET in 2018 and over the past seven years has solidified and expanded reSET’s mission of supporting impact-driven entrepreneurs throughout Connecticut. Here are a few key highlights from Sarah’s time here: Facilitated the acquisition of Collab New Haven, expanding reSET’s footprint to a statewide geography and further enhancing our mission Developed and implemented new core programs including the award-winning Food Incubator, as well as the Food Accelerator, Retail Incubator, Measure What Matters, and Digital Marketing Mastermind Established reSET as a founding partner of the Hartford Culinary Collaborative, enabling greater connectivity and cooperation among food-centric support organizations in our region Doubled the organization’s budget to over 1 Million Dollars, securing multi-year State government grants Won the prestigious Neighborhood Builders Award from Bank of America, and the Leadership Greater Hartford Polaris Community Award in 2022 Established an endowment fund thanks to support from the Zachs Family Foundation to support the long term sustainability of reSET’s mission Over the coming months, we will be continuing our search to find reSET's next Executive Director. Sarah will stay onboard through June to ensure a smooth handoff to our next leader, and will be available as a resource throughout 2026. It is the Board of Directors’ priority, along with Sarah's, to make this transition as smooth as possible to continue the great work Sarah has helped us do over her tenure. The Executive Director’s Job Posting can be found at this link, and we invite you to keep in mind any potential candidates in your community or network that you think might be a great fit. The Board of Directors wishes Sarah the best of luck in her future endeavors. We are appreciative of the dedication and enthusiasm she has given to reSET over the last seven years, particularly navigating our organization seamlessly during the historic times of the pandemic, changes in administration, and an ever-evolving landscape of opportunity for entrepreneurs. We are confident that with Sarah’s support, this transition will be a smooth one for our Connecticut entrepreneurs, partners, and generous supporters. We look forward to continuing our growth and to serving our mission of supporting the social enterprise sector. If you have any questions or concerns during this transition, please don’t hesitate to reach out via contacting admin@resetco.org to get in touch with the board. Sincerely, Ali Lazowski + Dave Menard, co-chairs, reSET Board of Directors

Applications Open for Spring 2026 Impact Accelerator

By awalsh • February 10, 2026

Inviting Impact Entrepreneurs Into Transformative Growth

reSET Announces Pitch Competition Winners from Fall Food Accelerator and Floor–Plan Retail Incubator Programs

By awalsh • November 25, 2025

21 Businesses Participated, Gaining Valuable Impact-Driven Business Training

reSET to Host Two November Events Celbrating Connecticut's Next Generation of Food and Retail Entrepreneurs Making an Impact

By awalsh • October 27, 2025

Special Discount Available for Attendees Purchasing Tickets to Both Events

reSET Announces Second Food Accelerator Cohort

By awalsh • October 1, 2025

11 Impact-Driven Food Businesses Ready to Scale Operations and Community Impact

reSET Announces 5th Cohort of Floor - Plan Retail Incubator Featuring 10 Emerging Entrepreneurs

By awalsh • September 22, 2025

Program Partnership with Breakfast Lunch & Dinner Supports Early-Stage Retail Businesses with Social Impact Focus

reSET Food and Retail Programs Featured in Radio Interview

July 7, 2025

Listen in to the replay of John Voket of Connoisseur Media's interview of reSET Food Program Manager Katrice Claudio and Program Manager Ndubisi Okeke that aired on Sunday July 6, 2025. They talked about the reSET programs that are enrolling for the fall--the Food Accelerator for food businesses looking to scale, and the Retail Incubator for early stage product-based businesses looking to ramp up for holiday markets in Connecticut. Listen here: https://audioboom.com/posts/8745230-reset-fall-program-preview The interview aired on the award-winning "For the People" show on Sunday, July 6 on WEBE 108 FM, STAR 99.9, WPLR FM and THe VOICE of Connecticut and on the podcast.