reSET Receives $2.225 Million DECD Grant

awalsh • October 24, 2022

reSET Announces Receipt of $2.225 Million DECD Grant

-Programs Will Develop New Retail and Food Businesses over 5 Years-

HARTFORD, CT, October 24, 2022 –reSET, a non-profit business support organization based in Hartford, announces its participation in the $46.6 million Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development Grants Program to Support Small Businesses. Over five years reSET will be awarded $2.225 million in DECD grant funding to support its work with primarily Black, Indigenous, people of color (BIPOC) and women interested in founding, launching, and scaling food and retail businesses in the Greater Hartford area.

Entrepreneurial Food Business Support

Programmatic elements targeting food entrepreneurs will begin in early 2023 and will include a new Digital Marketing Mastermind training curriculum to help businesses adopt digital tools and marketing techniques that enable sales beyond their physical footprint; a 12-week Food Incubator for early-stage food businesses; a new 12-week Food Accelerator for growing food businesses; networking events and workshops offered by the Hartford Culinary Collaborative; and coaching, mentoring and ongoing support for food entrepreneurs at all stages of development. The Food Program expects to target over 425 entrepreneurs over the course of the grant.

Entrepreneurial Retail Business Support

The grant program also will support the Floor–Plan Retail Activation Initiative in partnership with Breakfast Lunch & Dinner, launching this Fall in Hartford and will include a 12-week Retail Incubator program; opportunities to access an incubator storefront in Hartford; an e-commerce platform; vendor space at Winterfair Hartford holiday market; and additional pop-up market events. The Retail Program elements expect to target over 450 entrepreneurs over the five year grant.

Both the Food Business Support and the Entrepreneurial Retail Business Support programs will include grants to businesses who complete the program, totaling $170,000 over the course of the grant period.

“This DECD support helps reSET to expand the reach of our impact-driven food and retail business support programs. We’re thrilled to be recognized for our work along with the other grant recipients focused on the crucial work to grow Connecticut’s economy through small businesses,” said Sarah Bodley, reSET Executive Director. “We believe that business is a powerful force for positive change in the world. Food and retail entrepreneurs have a lot to consider when you look at their supply chain, workforce, and how they show up in the community. The targeted assistance to these sectors will make a significant impact on the number and quality of new businesses in our region.”

reSET is greater Hartford’s only business accelerator that supports the creation and growth of mission-driven businesses. The Impact Accelerator has had 143 businesses graduate since its launch in 2011, and the Food Incubator has had 62 businesses graduate since its launch in 2019. reSET program alumni have generated over $25 million in revenue, have raised $17 million in outside capital, and supported more than 400 jobs. Alumni companies are addressing a wide range of impact areas including food, agriculture, energy, environmental sustainability, education, arts, health, wellness, economic empowerment, and workforce development.

About reSET

reSET is a nonprofit organization in Hartford, CT, whose mission is advancing the social enterprise sector. reSET specializes in social enterprise ― impact driven business with a double or triple bottom line. In addition to providing coworking space, accelerator and mentoring programs, reSET aims to inspire innovation and community collaboration, and to support entrepreneurs in creating market-based solutions to community challenges. reSET’s goal is to meet entrepreneurs wherever they are in their trajectory and to help them take their businesses to the next level. www.resetco.org

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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.