reSET Executive Leadership Transition
ewalsh • December 5, 2018
Season’s Greetings!
I hope this finds you well, beginning to enjoy the holidays. Before the season got away from me, I wanted to reach out and share news about our leadership transition at reSET. Managing Director Ojala Naeem, who has been instrumental in our growth and success over her six-year tenure with reSET, will be transitioning out of her role in the New Year.
Sarah Bodley, a Connecticut native and experienced non-profit leader from Washington, D.C., recently joined us and will be taking over for Ojala. The two will be working closely over the next few weeks, transferring day-to-day responsibilities and meeting with our community partners.
While losing Ojala is bittersweet, the timing of this transition is good as we embark on a strategic planning process to establish new goals and action plans for the next stage of our development. Sarah’s experience in this process has helped other organizations she has led, most recently Empowered Women International as it merged with the Latino Economic Development Center. Sarah brings strong strategic, financial and operations capabilities, as well as a passion for social enterprise and we look forward to exploring new possibilities for reSET under her leadership.
Ojala has risen in the ranks at reSET, thanks not only to her work ethic, but also to the investment she’s made in our ecosystem. She has cared deeply about the entrepreneurs who have come through our door and been actively involved in larger entrepreneurial initiatives in the state. We’ll miss Ojala immensely, but take solace knowing that she’ll continue to be a force for good within the community.
So please join me in thanking and welcoming these incredible women, both online and in person.
Kate Emery
Founder & Chair
reSET
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
Inviting Impact Entrepreneurs Into Transformative Growth
21 Businesses Participated, Gaining Valuable Impact-Driven Business Training
Special Discount Available for Attendees Purchasing Tickets to Both Events
11 Impact-Driven Food Businesses Ready to Scale Operations and Community Impact
Program Partnership with Breakfast Lunch & Dinner Supports Early-Stage Retail Businesses with Social Impact Focus
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.
Food Accelerator and Retail Incubator Offer Comprehensive Support, Mentorship, and Grant Opportunities for Growing Businesses
Request for Proposal: Communications Consultant Services
Twelve Food Businesses to Present at Focus @ reSET on Monday April 14th in Hartford
