HARTFORD, CT – (Tuesday, April 8, 2025) – reSET, the Hartford-based entrepreneur support organization committed to nurturing businesses with a social mission, proudly introduces twelve businesses participating in the seventh edition of its Food Incubator cohort.

Since February, these entrepreneurs have been developing their food ventures via the Incubator program through customer discovery, market research, pricing strategies, building business plans, and navigating food-specific licensing and certification requirements.

"We're thrilled to continue empowering the next batch of food entrepreneurs through our incubator program," said Sarah Bodley, reSET's Executive Director. "This year's cohort represents an incredible array of culinary traditions and business models, from urban farming and beekeeping to vegan bakeries and cultural cuisines. Each entrepreneur has a unique approach to using food as a vehicle for positive community impact."

The program is facilitated by Katrice Claudio, reSET's Food Program Manager, with support from members of the Hartford Culinary Collaborative. Since launching the Food Incubator program in 2019, reSET has graduated over 92 food businesses, adding to more than 312 alumni companies across all of reSET's incubator and accelerator programs.

"This year's cohort showcases a remarkable range of business concepts," commented Katrice Claudio. "From urban farming initiatives and plant-based offerings, these entrepreneurs are not only creating delicious products, but also honoring cultural traditions and promoting sustainability. Our program equips them with the tools, resources, and connections needed to build businesses ready to contribute to Hartford's economy."

Thanks to a $2.225 million 5-year grant awarded in 2022 as part of reSET's participation in the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development Grants Program to Support Small Businesses, reSET's DECD-supporting programming includes the Food Incubator, Food Accelerator, Floor-Plan Retail Incubator, and Digital Marketing Mastermind program. All of these programs award microgrants to each participating entrepreneur for business expenses upon completion.

You're Invited to Focus @ reSET: A Community Focus Group Event

On Monday April 14, the public is invited to experience these emerging businesses at the "Focus @ reSET" concluding event showcasing the graduating entrepreneurs, to be held at the Lyceum in Hartford. Following the success of last year's event, Focus @ reSET provides a unique platform for these food entrepreneurs to showcase their innovative concepts while receiving valuable feedback from the community in an interactive focus group setting. Tickets are available at www.resetco.org/events.

Attendees will sample products, review business concepts, and offer anonymous feedback to help shape these businesses at a critical stage in their development. This event not only gives participants the chance to influence Hartford's next wave of culinary innovation, but also provides entrepreneurs with important market insights to refine their offerings.

"Last year's Focus @ reSET demonstrated how powerful community feedback can be for emerging food businesses," noted Sarah Bodley. "The entrepreneurs received actionable insights that directly shaped their business strategies, while attendees enjoyed being part of the entrepreneurial journey from the ground floor."

The 2025 Food Incubator Cohort includes:

• Aasaaska Foundation LLC (Aarvah Quinonez): An urban farming and beekeeping organization centered around inner-city young men.
• Butterscotch Supreme LLC (Phyllis James): Providing decadent desserts including a variety of cakes, cookies, cupcakes, and more.
• Char's Spicy Nuts LLC (Charmaine Johnson): Offering Jamaican-inspired spicy nuts with unique flavor combinations like Scotch Bonnet Pepper with Cinnamon Sugar.
• Chef Vena Eats (Chevena Murphy): A catering service creating memorable experiences that connect the community through food, culture, and music.
• Feed the Sol (Shenice Morris): Providing health products like sea moss gels and herbal capsules aimed at improving quality of life through plant-based healing.
• Gullah Galz Kitchen LLC (Carol Ali): Creating plant-based dining experiences inspired by South Carolina and Georgia's "Low Country," educating people on nutrition and Gullah Geechee cultural heritage.
• JA Spice Infusion (Sherri-Gay McEnnis): A female-owned business offering Jamaican cuisine with Mediterranean and Mexican influences.
• Lisa's Kitchen (Lisa Watson): Providing authentic Jamaican cuisine with versatile culinary offerings from an aspiring chef and culinary student.
• Pure Goodness Bakery (Alicia Fulvi): Crafting indulgent, all-natural desserts made with premium, non-GMO ingredients and eco-friendly packaging.
• Reggae Roots Farm (Joanna Iovino & Keith Simms): An organic farm specializing in vegetables used in Jamaican cooking, natural remedies, and community food distribution.
• Samba's Cuisine (Izolda Quinones): Celebrating Afro-Brazilian and Afro-Latine heritage through authentic, home-cooked-style meals and house-made spicy sauces.
• Veegmyeats (Sheena Salvador): A vegan bakery creating delicious dairy-free, egg-free sweets ranging from unique flavors to classic favorites.

About reSET

Founded in 2007, reSET is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Hartford, CT, whose mission is advancing the social enterprise sector and providing inclusive entrepreneurial support across Connecticut. In February 2025, reSET acquired New Haven-based Collab, combining complementary strengths to create a more robust ecosystem for impact-driven entrepreneurs throughout the region. reSET specializes in social enterprise — impact-driven businesses with double or triple bottom lines — providing coworking space, accelerator programs, and mentoring services that inspire innovation and community collaboration. To date, reSET and Collab have assisted over 500 small businesses to start with impact.

With the integration of Collab's entrepreneurial support expertise, reSET has strengthened its commitment to providing entrepreneurs with impactful, rigorous business support using a compassionate, heart-centered approach. The organization prioritizes serving people of color and women — particularly Black and Latinx entrepreneurs — who face persistent barriers due to structural inequities, delivering programming that combines high-quality business education with leadership development to help entrepreneurs build successful businesses, create economic power, and shape their communities. Visit resetco.org to learn more.

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