STATE REPRESENTATIVES ARCE AND MCGEE VISIT THE RESET COMMUNITY SPACE, EXPRESS SUPPORT OF BENEFIT CORPORATION LEGISLATION

reSET Communications • November 5, 2013

HARTFORD Conn. – On Friday November 1st, State Representative Brandon McGee (D-Windsor, Hartford) and State Representative Angel Arce (D-Hartford) met at reSET, the Social Enterprise Trust, for a tour of the Community Coworking Space, located at 99 Pratt St., Hartford Conn.

The representatives met participants in reSET’s current Accelerator Program to learn more about their social enterprise businesses. Accelerator participants are developing businesses that generate profits and solve community problems at the same time. Moved by the level of innovation and community commitment, Representative McGee said the business plans shared by reSET’s Accelerator class left him feeling empowered.

“The reality is we are encouraging more than economic growth, we are inspiring a new sector of business, one that gives back, which is why I’m so encouraged by these social entrepreneurs.” Said McGee “I want to see these social entrepreneurs become successful, and hopefully I can come back one day and buy coffee from A Happy Life Coffee Company.”

reSET is working collaboratively with the Connecticut Bar Association and B-Lab to encourage passage of legislation allowing businesses to incorporate as benefit corporations in the state of Connecticut. Language for this bill is the most comprehensive of its type proposed in the United States.
State Representative Arce of the 4th District spoke with several social entrepreneurs currently enrolled in reSET’s Accelerator Program, and said social enterprise is what Connecticut needs.

“This is my district, I’m very proud of my district and these are the types of businesses I want in my district.” Said Arce “I voted last year in support of the benefit corporation legislation when it was presented to the House, and I will continue to support it again this year and push it forward to the Senate. Benefit Corporations are not just socially motivated, but they will also create more jobs for Hartford.”

reSET is looking forward to continuing to engage lawmakers and the public to build awareness about social enterprise.

reSET opened the Community Space in Hartford in June 2013. Social entrepreneurs, small businesses and freelancers have joined the growing community. In addition, reSET has supported the launch of 19 new social enterprises in the state of Conn., and supported the growth of nine social enterprises in the state. reSET has also established the Social Enterprise Investment Fund, which will begin to offer loans to investment-ready social entrepreneurs in January 2014.
For more information about reSET, visit www.socialenterprisetrust.org or call 860-560-9120 to make an appointment to visit the reSET Community Space, or drop in Monday through Friday between 8:00 am and 6:00 pm without an appointment.

Contact Information:
Meryl Willett
Community Builder
Phone: 860-560-9120 ext. 204
MWillett@www.socialenterprisetrust.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.