Flat is Where It’s At!

reSET Communication • April 3, 2015

By: Kate Emery

We’ve been looking for a Senior Vice President at reSET for some time now. We needed someone to manage the day-to-day operations and oversee the talented work of the team that’s in place, freeing me to concentrate on strategic development.

In the months of searching, a funny thing happened: The team stepped in, stepped up, and kept moving the ball forward. In the absence of a leader, they took the lead.

Program manager Rosie Gallant pulled in Ben Simmons-Telep to assist her in delivering the programs she leads, giving her bandwidth to start developing new programs. Ben didn’t just step up and help with the existing work, he took on a whole new initiative – setting up an Internship program – and saw it take off.

Ojala Naeem, who has been managing the day-to-day operations of our co-working space, took it upon herself to research several co-working spaces from here to Toronto. She then put together various space crawls and surveys to find out what local entrepreneurs are looking for and conducted an exhaustive search in the Hartford area for suitable spaces for us to relocate to. We signed a lease earlier this week and will be open for business at our new location-where there will be easy, free parking-May 1 (more to come on that!).

James Woulfe, who was instrumental in helping us propel the nation’s most comprehensive social enterprise legislation through the Connecticut Senate and House of Representatives (while at the same time working his way through law school), began establishing the connections we need within the city to help entrepreneurs navigate through and connect with the resources they need to succeed.

And Joanne Donaghue continued to plug away at sowing the development seeds, applying for grants, and developing relationships that will support our efforts.

Meanwhile, the search continued. We interviewed many strong candidates. But as the days became weeks and weeks became months, the perfect match did not emerge. And then the reSet team approached me to suggest that perhaps we didn’t really need to find a single leader. Perhaps, they ventured, they could lead together.

Yeah, but… I felt the need for a right hand to take details off my plate. (My other important role is as CEO of The Walker Group, a large and growing technology services firm. It’s my day job and takes at least half of my 80 hour week.) I don’t have the time to not have strong leadership… I don’t have time to take on that leadership role I explained. I wouldn’t have to, they explained…

And here’s what happened: They created a tight-knit team that got the job done. They met among themselves to figure out what was needed and made it happen. They pulled me in for the high level discussions or when a tie-breaker was needed but for the most part they figured it out on their own. For my part, I found myself enjoying my time at reSET more than ever, because watching a well-oiled team at work is a thing of beauty, and because I was increasingly able to work at the strategic level that interests me and where I can add the most value. There’s respect and silliness, hard work and ping pong, planning and follow-through action. What we’re distinctly lacking is petty BS. There is no whining, no games of one-upmanship, no grand-standing, no turf wars, and no passing the buck. The work is getting done. And then some.

So as of April 1 (no fooling) we’ve decided to forgo the position of Senior VP. Instead we now have a team of directors who will blow you away:

Joanne Donaghue will continue as Director of Development
Rosie Gallant is now Programs Director
Ojala Naeem is now our Director of Operations
James Woulfe is our Director of Advocacy and External Affairs

And Ben Simmons-Telep – our new Program Manager

When you next see one of these guys – congratulation them on their well-earned new roles. I am grateful and inspired to be working with them and excited to explore the possibilities of this flat, nimble organization that’s trying to do so much for a community that’s ready to rise.

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Transform Your Business This Fall: Applications Open for 2 reSET Programs

By awalsh • July 17, 2024

Transform Your Business This Fall: Applications Open for reSET's Retail Incubator and Digital Marketing Mastermind Programs Hartford, CT – July 17, 2024 – reSET, the Hartford-based entrepreneur support organization committed to nurturing businesses with a social mission, is excited to announce that applications are now open for two separate programs designed to help entrepreneurs grow with impact: the Retail Incubator and the Digital Marketing Mastermind. Both programs are set to run this fall, providing invaluable resources and mentorship to early-stage and established entrepreneurs alike. Applications close at midnight on July 21, with classes set to start mid-August and run through October. “Both of these programs were developed because of demand from our alumni and local entrepreneurs,” said Sarah Bodley, Executive Director of reSET. “The Retail Incubator has been popular with Hartford-area founders preparing for fall and holiday markets, or opening their own storefronts. We developed the Digital Marketing Mastermind to help local entrepreneurs build an online business presence and stand out in the online world.” Retail Incubator The Floor-Plan Retail Business Incubator is a partnership between reSET and Hartford-based Breakfast Lunch & Dinner, a community venture-building studio. Now in its fourth year, the program is designed to support product-based businesses in their stages of entrepreneurship. Participants will learn to understand customer needs, define pricing strategies, address key legal and financial topics, all to prepare their businesses for fall and winter markets. Entrepreneurs will gain insights from industry experts, access a supportive community, and receive practical tools to enhance their business acumen. For more information and to apply, please visit https://www.resetco.org/retail-incubator . Digital Marketing Mastermind The Digital Marketing Mastermind is tailored for entrepreneurs who already have a business and are looking to elevate their digital marketing efforts. This program will provide advanced strategies to boost online presence, engage with target audiences, and convert engagement into sales. Participants will learn from seasoned marketing professionals and peers, gaining the knowledge and skills necessary to thrive in the digital marketplace. Entrepreneurs interested in more information on the program and application should visit https://www.resetco.org/digital-marketing-mastermind 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. Visit reSET | Where Great Companies Grow (resetco.org). # # #