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Meet Our Staff

Collab aims to provide entrepreneurs with impactful, rigorous business support using a compassionate, fundamentally heart-centered approach so that they can build good businesses, create economic power, and shape their communities for themselves and their families. 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

The Community Economic Development Fund is a mission-driven, nonprofit, Connecticut economic development organization. They provide business loans in disadvantaged communities defined by the state. In other Connecticut municipalities, they lend to business borrowers with household incomes below the state median.

CEDF offers a number of free webinars. Check out the recordings here!

The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven is a philanthropic institution that was established in 1928 and is one of the oldest and largest community foundations in the United States. They also run grant and funding opportunities throughout the year, including the annual Great Give in May. Many local non-profits, such as NHFPL's Foundation, work with them in some capacity.

The Community Foundation offers a number of low-cost and free workshops. Check them out here! Please note that some of these classes may have a fee involved.

NXTHVN is a new national arts model that empowers artists, curators, and the community through education and access to a vibrant ecosystem. Supported by intergenerational mentorship, cross-sector collaboration, and local engagement, NXTHVN accelerates the careers of the next generation and fosters retention of professional art talent while helping catalyze New Haven into a world-class, sustainable arts community.

NXTHVN offers free events as well as fellowship and apprenticeship opportunities for artists. Check them out here!

SCORE has the largest network of free volunteer small business mentors in the nation. No matter what stage your business is at SCORE has a mentor for you. Easily request a mentor to help you start, grow, or transition your business today!

SCORE offers a number of free webinars. Check them out here.

Women’s Business Development Council is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that is dedicated to providing the tools and resources to help women thrive in business. They believe that when desire, education, and preparation come together, opportunities are created, ideas are ignited, and economies are expanded.

WBDC offers some classes online. You can find them here. Please note that some of these classes may have a fee involved.

Community Resources

EcoWorks, Inc. is a creative reuse center and a re-Boutique gift shop of up-cycled and re-purposed goods made by Connecticut artists run by volunteers who are passionate about the arts and hate waste. They offer low-cost art and craft supplies (scrap/surplus) to artists, teachers, and other creative people. They take items that may have otherwise ended up in the trash and strive to have these items reused in a sustainable way as to not contribute to the waste stream. In addition, they offer classes and workshops that increase skills and understanding of the creative arts using scrap materials, waste reduction, and reuse.

MakeHaven, Inc. is a not-for-profit, membership-driven organization, gathering place workshop for makers, creators, tinkerers, and dreamers. The environment supports the development of and collaboration on a wide variety of projects, including prototyping, fabrication, mechanics, electronics, crafts, art, and woodworking. Through free public events, skill-building workshops, and the independent projects of our membership, MakeHaven enables people to make things.

Are you interested in enhancing your skills on machines not available in Ives Squared? Find out more information here!

Meet Our Current and Former Sponsors