Celebrating CTSBDC's Success Stories

Explore CTSBDC's impact on the small business economy. From Main Street to manufacturing, these are the stories of some of the small businesses our advisors help to start, grow, and thrive.

 

CTSBDC Advisor Christine Sullivan and HAYVN owner Felicia Rubinstein working at a table together in the coworking space

HAYVN: Growing a Coworking Community

HAYVN’s name tells you everything you need to know about this coworking space that puts an emphasis on culture and community. Founder Felicia Rubinstein started her first  HAYVN location in 2019 after years of working for herself and for big tech companies. “I needed a place like this throughout my professional journey,” she says. Guided […]

Felicia Rubinstein

CTSBDC Advisor Christine Sullivan and HAYVN owner Felicia Rubinstein working at a table together in the coworking space

HAYVN: Growing a Coworking Community

HAYVN’s name tells you everything you need to know about this coworking space that puts an emphasis on culture and community. Founder Felicia Rubinstein started her first  HAYVN location in 2019 after years of working for herself and for big tech companies. “I needed a place like this throughout my professional journey,” she says. Guided […]

Felicia Rubinstein

The logo of Chokaico Bean-to-bar chocolate on a sign.

Chokaico: Trading in Congas for Craft Chocolate

Fernando Velez took a circuitous route to the chocolate business. From spending days on his uncle’s cacao farm in Ecuador to working as a graphic designer to traveling the world with Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings—all the while looking for great chocolate—to making sweet treats at home and selling them at pop-up stores, it […]

Fernando Velez

The logo of Chokaico Bean-to-bar chocolate on a sign.

Chokaico: Trading in Congas for Craft Chocolate

Fernando Velez took a circuitous route to the chocolate business. From spending days on his uncle’s cacao farm in Ecuador to working as a graphic designer to traveling the world with Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings—all the while looking for great chocolate—to making sweet treats at home and selling them at pop-up stores, it […]

Fernando Velez

A picture of Hartford Film Company's logo on the side of a van.

From Startup to Spotlight: Hartford Film Company Doubles Revenue with Strategic Support

Tucked away in a corner office high above one of Hartford’s premiere independent cinemas and alternative arts organizations is another building block in Connecticut’s growing creative scene: Hartford Film Company. Founded in 2023 by TJ Noel-Sullivan with the intention of bringing the highest standards in film production to the city of Hartford, the company’s dynamic team of homegrown talent specializes in the production of narrative films, commercials, and more. In 2024, Hartford […]

TJ Noel Sullivan

A picture of Hartford Film Company's logo on the side of a van.

From Startup to Spotlight: Hartford Film Company Doubles Revenue with Strategic Support

Tucked away in a corner office high above one of Hartford’s premiere independent cinemas and alternative arts organizations is another building block in Connecticut’s growing creative scene: Hartford Film Company. Founded in 2023 by TJ Noel-Sullivan with the intention of bringing the highest standards in film production to the city of Hartford, the company’s dynamic team of homegrown talent specializes in the production of narrative films, commercials, and more. In 2024, Hartford […]

TJ Noel Sullivan