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The winners and judges from the CTSBDC AI Pitch Competition
May 12, 2026

BrandChef.ai Wins Grand Prize at CTSBDC AI Pitch Competition

Connecticut’s next wave of innovation took center stage at the Westport Country Playhouse’s Lucille Lortel White Barn, where ten finalists pitched AI-driven solutions designed to tackle real-world challenges. Hosted by the Connecticut Small Business Development Center (CTSBDC) in partnership with PREDICTif Solutions, nClouds, and AWS, the AI Pitch Competition showcased the ingenuity of the state’s entrepreneurs while providing up to $135,000 in professional services and […]

Ciatlyn Grad in a pink sweater leaning in a door
April 29, 2026

CTSBDC Client Caitlyn Grad Marketing Wins $10,000 Grant from Verizon Small Business Digital Ready

At the Connecticut Small Business Development Center (CTSBDC), advising is just one part of the value we offer—our broader network of resources can open unexpected doors for small business owners. Caitlyn Grad of Caitlyn Grad Marketing experienced this firsthand when, through a CTSBDC newsletter, she learned about our partnership with Verizon Small Business Digital Ready, […]

April 10, 2026

CTSBDC Clients Among 2026 SBA Small Business Week Award Winners Connecticut

Connecticut Small Business Development Center is thrilled to announce that two of its clients are among this year’s SBA Small Business Week Award Winners. “Each year it is an honor to celebrate Connecticut’s outstanding small business owners, whose achievements over the past year standout. This years’ award winners embody the hard work it takes to succeed in […]

Dorian Zwierewicz sitting in a chair with a book.
November 14, 2025

Dorian Zwierewicz Named State Director of CTSBDC

East Hartford, CT — Dorian Zwierewicz has been named the State Director of the Connecticut Small Business Development Center (CTSBDC), effective November 14, 2025. Zwierewicz recently served as the regional director of the Florida Small Business Development Center at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, Florida – which received two awards of excellence in […]

West Haven Small Business Forum
June 13, 2024

CTSBDC Participates in West Haven’s First Small Business Forum, Receives Overwhelming Attendance

Mayor Dorinda Borer and the city’s Economic Development Commission presented the first forum of its kind for small-business owners at West Haven High School on Tuesday, June 11. With more than 100 business owners in attendance, the forum consisted of speakers from local, state, and federal agencies sharing the resources available for businesses to thrive. As […]

capital match from the news
June 5, 2024

Meet Your Dream Lender with SBA and CTSBDC

Bankers and business owners by the dozens gathered at Fairfield University’s Dolan School of Business on the morning of June 4 for the “Capital Matchmaker” event hosted by the Small Business Administration (SBA) and Connecticut Small Business Development Council (CTSBDC). Modeled after a speed dating event, representatives of banks sat at tables in one of […]

CTSBDC client Chocolena. Hadley Rosen and her father, Jim Weiss, are partners.
June 4, 2024

Hadley Rosen Teams Up with CTSBDC to Launch Chocolena in West Hartford

Hadley Rosen, a 15-year resident of West Hartford, has teamed up with her dad and launched the chocolate business Chocolena, which is renting kitchen space at GastroPark and has had regular pop-ups there as well. Rosen said she and her husband Todd (a wealth manager at May, Bonee, and Clark), have two children at Braeburn School, […]

August 26, 2023

Black Business Month Celebration Held in Bridgeport

People in Bridgeport on Thursday celebrated Black Business Month with an empowering event for entrepreneurs. It was held at the Housatonic Community College. There were inspiring panels and networking opportunities for Black entrepreneurs. The panel discussions provided insight for new business owners, on how to start and grow their business. “Unfortunately, a lot of businesses […]

July 25, 2023

CT Businesses Received Boost from CTSBDC in 2022

In releasing its annual report highlighting 2022, the Connecticut Small Business Development Center (SBDC) said the year “may well be remembered as the year we all took a deep breath and pushed on ahead. Small businesses worked through the residual challenges of the pandemic and moved cautiously in the face of rising inflation and uncertain […]

Steven Semaya, CTSBDC associate state director and Nalini Srinivasan, Owner of Curry Queen, LLC
July 20, 2023

The ‘Curry Queen’ of Lyme Brings New Flavor to Old Saybrook

It’s the most popular item on her menu, but finance analyst turned restaurateur Nalini Srinivasan has never tasted chicken tikka masala. Still, it was a plate of those moist chunks of chicken, marinated in a spiced sauce, that she asked chef Navin Mishra to prepare for The Day on Tuesday along with steamed basmati rice. […]