reSET to Host Beyond Business as Usual Summit in New Haven May 7 2026

April 2, 2026

reSET to Host Beyond Business As Usual 2026: Scaling Resilient Entrepreneurship

One-Day Summit Brings Together Connecticut Entrepreneurs, Policymakers, and Innovation Leaders During National Small Business Week

NEW HAVEN, CT – Thursday, April 2, 2026 – reSET, Connecticut's nonprofit entrepreneurial support organization assisting social entrepreneurs, today announced Beyond Business As Usual 2026: Scaling Resilient Entrepreneurship, a one-day summit taking place on Thursday, May 7, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at CT State Community College–Gateway in New Haven.

Made possible with lead support from Presenting Sponsor Wells Fargo, the summit will unite entrepreneurs, small business owners, policymakers, and funders from across Connecticut to forge bold strategies for a more inclusive and resilient economy. Tickets range from $75 to $150, and registration is now open at www.resetco.org/bbau.

Hosted during National Small Business Week, Beyond Business As Usual 2026 will feature three mainstage panels with state officials, mission-driven funders, policy advocates, and entrepreneurs, alongside an interactive breakout experience called the Trading Post—where attendees can workshop their most pressing business challenges in small-group roundtables facilitated by subject matter experts.

A Program Built for the Realities Entrepreneurs Face Today

The day's panel programming will tackle some of the most consequential issues shaping Connecticut's entrepreneurial landscape:

State Innovation for Future Resilience — A conversation with state officials and innovation leaders about upcoming grant and loan opportunities, priority investment areas, and new initiatives shaping the future for small business owners across Connecticut.
Breaking Barriers: Regulatory Reform for Small Business — An exploration of how policy shapes entrepreneurial opportunity and how business owners can engage in advocacy to drive change. Panelists will include entrepreneurs who have successfully navigated and influenced policy, alongside public officials and policy experts.
Funding the Future: Beyond Traditional Capital — A look at the evolving landscape of mission-driven lending beyond the typical bank loan or investment, including revenue-based financing, character-based lending, and other alternative capital models. Panelists will represent a range of funders with innovative approaches to impactful and inclusive financing.

The summit will also feature the presentation of original survey findings on the state of sustainable and mission-driven business in Connecticut, conducted in partnership with the Connecticut Sustainable Business Council. The resilience award will recognize funders and entrepreneurs who have demonstrated exceptional perseverance and impact in Connecticut.

"In today’s challenging economy for entrepreneurs, reSET is thrilled to convene the Beyond Business As Usual Summit to galvanize a statewide conversation on what it actually takes to build an economy that works for everyone,” said Sarah Bodley, Executive Director of reSET. “The Summit serves as an excellent platform for entrepreneurs and support organizations to engage and advocate for inclusive and equitable policy and programs."

About the reSET Trading Post

Running concurrently with afternoon panels, the reSET Trading Post offers a hands-on peer learning experience beyond networking. Attendees can join small-group roundtables of six to eight people to workshop a challenge with fellow entrepreneurs and facilitators. Facilitated topics will span AI, digital marketing, funding and banking, legal, insurance, food business, procurement, and more.

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 and grow with impact, and reached thousands more through low-touch supports. Visit resetco.org to learn more.

For sponsorship opportunities, contact Amy Walsh at awalsh@resetco.org.

Registration and event information are available at resetco.org/bbau.

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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

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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.