Meet our Current Entrepreneur-in-Residence: Marina Marmolejo

Marina Marmolejo’s style of entrepreneurship uniquely centers people, love, and creativity. She sees innovative thinking as a form of liberation and is excited to work in partnership with local entrepreneurs to achieve a more equitable, fun, and inclusive New Haven.

Marina is also the founder and Executive Director of DreamKit, a web-based app that teaches youth experiencing homelessness independent living skills, financially rewards their growth, and shares their progress with the community. She is excited to have more conversations about empathy-driven solutions within entrepreneurship, in order to benefit our most vulnerable communities.

As a first-time female founder and Collab graduate, Marina can’t wait to help other entrepreneurs combat imposter syndrome and unlock resources to help build their confidence and resilience. Since Marina graduated from the Yale School of Public Health and is now a New Haven resident, she is deeply interested in building bridges between these two communities. Marina is particularly excited to support New Haven entrepreneurs in leadership development, public speaking, customer discovery, grant writing, team management, and impact measurement.

EIR Office Hours – Virtual Meetings
Office Hours Tuesdays 4-6 pm and Thursdays 9-11 pm

Free Online Resources to Help Your Business During COVID  – Week-Long Workshop with Entrepreneur-in-Residence Marina Marmolejo
All Week-Long Monday to Friday, November 16 to 20, 12-12:30 pm
Learn about free, open-source resources that can help entrepreneurs grow their business. Each day’s 30-minute workshop will introduce helpful resources by theme and give you the basic rundown of how to use them effectively to help your business survive and thrive during this time of COVID.  

 

 

Monday, November 16: Social media and marketing  
Canva.com / Flaticon.com / Thenounproject.com

Tuesday, November 17: Community outreach
Calendly.com / Zapier.com

Wednesday, November 18: Website development
Squarespace.com / GoDaddy.com

Thursday, November 19: Prototyping 
Figma.com

Friday, November 20: Project Management
Asana.com / Airtable.com / Trello.com / Zapier.com 

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Meet our Current Creative-in-Residence: Nadine Nelson

Chef Nadine Nelson, Green Queen of Cuisine, is the eco chef and social entrepreneur of Global Local Gourmet, a roving community-supported kitchen. Chef Nadine was born in Toronto, Canada of Jamaican Heritage. She has always loved cooking and vegetables. She has studied the culinary arts in Paris at the Ritz Escoffier, has a certificate in food styling from the New School and a certificate in fundraising and philanthropy from New York University in New York, and earned a teaching degree from Tufts University in Boston, consequently, she brings a worldly perspective to seasonal food.

She is a social activist, cooking instructor, chef, writer, recipe developer/tester, food consultant, experiential epicurean event producer, and culinary artist. She is an expert in interactive cuisine and has worked with such clients as Harvard University, The Apollo Theater, the City of New Haven, Boston Office of Conventions and Tourism, The National Park Service, The Food Project, Disney, Bain and Company, Columbia University, International Association of Culinary Professionals, and the Tobago Jazz Festival designing and delivering cooking classes, culinary team building, wellness workshops, culinary tours, and epicurean event planning.

MacArthur Genius Will Allen, Executive Director of sustainable giant Growing Power said of her work “I have been a lot of places and seen a lot of things, but I have never seen people having the community come together and cook their meal together, that was something new. That put New Haven on the Map. The organizer is ingenious”. Nadine has been privileged to cook for various celebrities and dignitaries. She enjoys making you a star in your own kitchen where you can cook up delicious adventures far from expected yet close to home.

CIR Office Hours – Virtual Meetings
Office Hours Tuesdays 12-2 PM

Co-Create
Wednesdays, 6:30-8:30 pm
Each week during Wednesday office hours, Creative in-Residence Nadine Nelson will use MakeHaven as her studio space to work on a variety of projects for her installations and social sculptures. Simultaneously, another artist and/or creative will be creating in their own space on their own project. You are invited to be a voyeur on both artist’s processes and also ask questions about your artistic and creative ventures.  Creative engagement is an interactive and relational activity that creates community together. Artists will be announced at the beginning of each month on our Facebook and Instagram pages.

 

Wednesday, November 4

Wednesday, November 11

Wednesday, November 18

Wednesday, November 25

Arts and Manifestation
Saturday, November 7, 12-2 pm
It is a week after the election. Life seems so uncertain, what is your purpose and what are you going to do? Art is a powerful tool to use in a variety of ways and methods to manifest what you desire. Creative in Residence Nadine Nelson will lead you in a variety of art and wellness exercises to nurture creative abundance from constructing a portable vision board to making your own affirmation cards. Nikki Katz, a local New Haven artist, creative director, and community organizer who leads from the heart and mind will facilitate creating a “sigil” which is a personal symbol that signifies an intentional goal, dream, desire, or ambition that you would like to manifest. She will also talk about how manifestation work includes purposeful planning through breathing, meditation, yoga, learning, and connection with spirit. Both will talk about the role of healing in opening up space for what you want to manifest. This workshop will provide powerful tools that give a concrete form to an idea, and help to center all of the vigors of your unconscious mind to mold your thoughts into reality. 

Cost-Saving Holiday Cooking and Entertaining from the Pantry 
Saturday, November 14, 12-2 pm
Proper preparation prevents poor performance. 2020 has been a rough year. Whether you want a Norman Rockwell type holiday or a down-home Soul Food Feast, we fantasize about having friends and family over for stress-free, spontaneous, easy, and frugal celebrations. Learn fun, and easy recipes to wow guests that are also cost-effective. Stocking your pantry with essentials will have you celebrating all winter with dishes like rice and beans, curry glazed carrots, lemon whipped ricotta, and salmon pate. Chef Nadine will also show you have to create a beautiful holiday table with stuff you already have in your home. 

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The Switchboard is the welcoming front door for individuals to connect their interests to opportunity, services, databases and resources inside and outside the Library.

 

Community Mixtape Project

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gather your favorite songs & spread joy through the NHFPL Community Mixtape Project! To join in, simply create a 30min Spotify playlist & share it with us. We will feature your mix on social media & in the library cafe upon reopening. More Details

The Exchange offers an entrepreneurial and social space for collaboration and co-working around business, civic and community issues.

 

Exchange Resources

Collab Office Hours – ***In-Person Office Hours Temporarily Changed to Phone Hours until further notice***  Please visit collabnewhaven.org to make an appointment

Collab is a small business, nonprofit, and for-profit support program committed to serving Connecticut entrepreneurs. Get one-on-one advice about obtaining capital, mentorship, and other resources for entrepreneurs based in Connecticut. For more information about Collab, visit collabnewhaven.org.
Set an appointment

 

Digital Toolbox Resource (November): Gale Business Plan Builder Course

Ives Squared has launched its Digital Toolbox initiative to highlight helpful database resources for entrepreneurs that you can access for free with your library card. Gale’s Business Plan Builder is an in-depth resource that helps you build your business plan step by step.  Click here to visit our Electronic Resources Collection and visit the section for “Business, Jobs, and Nonprofits” to get remote access to this resource with your library card. 

 

Building a Business Plan with Gale: Digital Toolbox Resource Workshop
Friday, November 20th, 11 am-12 pm 

Learn to assess your market’s consumers and competitors using a quantitative approach. Also learn to balance a spreadsheet and effectively manage your assets and liabilities.  Zoom Link

 

A good business plan is the root of all successful startups. Learn how to create and organize a business plan to best showcase your products and services. We will also cover the fundamentals of pitching a business to maximize funding.  Zoom Link

 

 

Artrepreneur Series Goes Virtual! 
Join us for a conversation with prominent New Haven artists as they discuss the opportunities and challenges unique to being an artist and an entrepreneur. This series is facilitated by local artist and entrepreneur, Eric Rey. We are proud to partner with the Arts Council of Greater New Haven on this inclusive dive into arts and entrepreneurship which is generously funded by the New Haven Innovation Collaborative and CTNext. Click the links below for the Zoom information:  

Jocelyn Pleasant – Friday, October 30 at 1 pm 

Steve Driffin – Thursday, November 12 at 2 pm 

Ro Godwynn – Reschedule for November – DATE TBD

 

The Tinker Lab provides the training and tools for experimentation and an introduction to the world of creating and making, an essential element of the 21st-century learner.

 

Tinker Lab Resources

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Learn to Code with Page Swanson

Office hours every Monday from 6:30-8:30 pm, starting June 15. Virtual Meetings
Meet with full-stack developer Page Swanson to consult on any questions you may have about computer programming.

Learn to Code: Animated Life in the Browser – Virtual Class
Join full-stack developer Page Swanson to learn the basics of computer programming. This program will be held virtually via Zoom.  Bring your questions and learn about a new topic each week!
Nov 10 from 6:30 to 7:30 pm Register
Nov 24 from 6:30 to 7:30 pm Register
Dec 8 from 6:30 to 7:30 pm Register
Dec 22 from 6:30 to 7:30 pm Register

 

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Take and Make Project Kit – Request Your Kit
Request a kit with everything you need to make a new project. The kit includes all the supplies, plus a link to an instructional video that you can watch on Creativebug or another platform, which is free to use with your library card or join us for a virtual class. To schedule an appointment to pick up a kit, please call the Ives Squared department at 203-946-8130 ext 140. There are a limited number of kits available, and they will be given out first-come, first-served, with a limit of two kits per family.

Take and Make Project Kit – Paracord Bracelets- Oct. 28 – Nov. 7
Bracelets made from parachute cord are both attractive and could be used as a useful rope in an emergency. Make these bracelets to keep for yourself, or donate to Operation Gratitude to be sent to deployed troops or first responders. 

Take and Make Project Kit – Fall Leaf Wreath– Nov. 9 – Nov. 20
Decorate your home for Fall by making a wreath with leaves cut from colored paper and pages from old books.

Take and Make Project Kit – Painted Fabric Wall Art– Nov. 23 – Dec. 04
Learn how to transform painted cotton fabric into bold, abstract wall décor. Using expressive brush strokes in a color palette of your choice, a video from Creativebug shows you how to paint abstractly on fabric, then “frame” your painted fabric in embroidery hoops.

To schedule an appointment to pick up a kit, please call the Ives Squared department at 203-946-8130 ext 140. There are a limited number of kits available, and they will be given out first-come, first-served, with a limit of two kits per family.

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Take and Make Class: Paracord Bracelets – Virtual Program
Friday, November 6, 3:00-4:00 pm
In honor of Veteran’s Day, which is Nov. 11, we’re making a project from the charity Operation Gratitude, which sends care packages to veterans, deployed troops, and more. https://www.operationgratitude.com/   

 

 

 

Take and Make Class: Fall Leaf Wreath – Virtual Program
Friday, November 20, 3:00-4:00 pm
Decorate your home for Fall by making a wreath with leaves cut from colored paper and pages from old books.

 

 

 

Take and Make Class: Painted Fabric Wall Art – Virtual Program
Friday, December 04, 3:00-4:00 pm
Learn how to transform painted cotton fabric into bold, abstract wall décor. Using expressive brush strokes in a color palette of your choice, a video from Creativebug shows you how to paint abstractly on fabric, then “frame” your painted fabric in embroidery hoops.

 

 

Intro to Audio Editing with Audacity – By Virtual Appointment
Make a one-on-one appointment to learn the basic skills of editing sound with Audacity, an audio editing software. Audacity is a free, open-source, “Digital Audio Workstation” with an intuitive interface and a large community of users worldwide. It is a great program for learning basic audio production skills and concepts. To arrange a time for instruction, email Austin at alarkin@nhfpl.org 

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Equipment Certification ***Please note: All equipment training sessions are currently suspended due to building closure. We look forward to welcoming you back soon. Please stay tuned! 

3D Printer Makerbot Level 1

3D Printer Prusa Level 2 Note: ***You must be certified with the Makerbot before you may take the Prusa class.

Laser Cutter Basics Level 1

Laser Cutter Rotary Attachment Level 2 Note: ***You must be fully certified with the laser cutter before you may take the rotary attachment class.

Vinyl Cutter Note: We are currently performing maintenance on our vinyl cutter.  Thanks for your patience!

Carving Machine

Spanish Certification: By appointment only.

 

 

Low-Cost Maker Software

Lynda Maker Classes

Making Masks with Celeste

 

 

The Café and patio are currently closed. We look forward to re-opening The Orchid Cafe soon. Please stay tuned! 

We are excited to announce the arrival of our new partner, Orchid Café on the Green.  Orchid Café actively employs graduates and current students of ConnCAT’s culinary arts program and is intended to help local talent “transform their lives” through culinary arts. Orchid Café on the Green, located at the New Haven Free Public Library’s Ives Main Branch, will be their second café location to open. In this partnership, we are excited to support community-focused programming and exceptional hospitality.  Stay tuned for updates, special events, and more!

 The Café is an ideal spot for networking and social gatherings offering beverages and snacks to relax and recharge as well as a patio overlooking the New Haven Green.

 

 

 

Ives Squared Usage Policy

If you have any questions you can call 203.946.8130 ext.140