Obama Administration Official and Federal Delegation join Mayor Pedro E. Segarra in Celebrating SC2 Hartford Award Winners.

Top six teams share $800,000 in EDA-funded prize money

May 29, 2015, Hartford, CT-Ten teams were heralded by a number of officials for their participation in the SC2 Hartford Challenge this morning at Hartford City Hall, Burr Mall. Joining Mayor Pedro Segarra were Jay Williams, Assistant Secretary of Commerce, Senators Blumenthal and Murphy, and Congressman Larson. Six of the ten teams were awarded EDA-funded cash prizes totaling $800,000 for their work to develop robust economic development strategies for the City of Hartford. According to Mayor Pedro Segarra, “The SC2 Hartford Challenge has lived up to both the spirit and the intent of the EDA-funded economic development contest.”

The Phase 2 Judges Selection Panel included Meghan Freed, Barry Feldman, Ashley Johnson, Solomon Hall, David Lee, Sam Hamilton, Colleen McGuire, Kristen Marcroft, and Thomas Deller. Committee members read and evaluated the ten submitted plans according to three criteria: Local, feasible and innovative. Judges were commended for their participation in the SC2 Hartford Challenge.

The winning teams are as follows:

     Team FotoFiction: Sixth place winner with cash award $25,000
Hartford Rocks: Fifth place winner with cash award $50,000
It’s all here: Fourth place winner with cash award $50,000
Entrepreneurship Foundation, Inc.: Third place winner with cash award $75,000
Made at Swift: Second place winner with cash award $100,000
Hartford.Health.Works.: First place winner with cash award $500,000

SC2 Hartford Challenge runners up include the following teams: Choose Hartford, CJM Innovations, Metropolitan Urban Design and Solutionists. All participating teams were congratulated for their hard work over the past 15 months.

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For more details, visit www.SC2Hartford.com or contact Stephen Cole at 860.757.9071 or [email protected]

SC2 Hartford Team Economic Development Plan Summaries

SC2 Hartford Team Summaries
Following are brief summaries, submitted by SC2 Hartford Teams, describing the focus of their respective economic development plans. Additional Team summaries will be added to this document as they are received. To learn more about what these teams are working on, please feel free to contact them directly. 

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#lovehartford will implement low cost interventions that promote economic development, foster social interactions, and support changing transportation dynamics founded on the growing demand for affordable urban environments that support the sharing economy and reduce reliance on the private automobile. Short-term projects include the demonstration of open streets with pop-up markets and food trucks. Longer-term projects include a bike share system and support for other evolving transportation technology, like the driverless car. #lovehartford will offer micro-loans to grow small business, and will look to provide locations that include creative placemaking through murals, public art, and other cultural programming.

Contact Rory Gale
[email protected]

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Choose Hartford is a comprehensive initiative to scale up businesses that will create a sustainable regional economy with long-term growth prospects and jobs. We will increase access to innovative capital options along with an across-the-board effort to ensure collaboration of local, regional, state and federal partners to create the best entrepreneurial ecosystem in the country.

Contact Anthony Price
[email protected]  

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Entrepreneur Foundation: Community bootstrapping through entrepreneurship.

Mike Roer
[email protected]
203-540-5903

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Hartford.Health.Works. (HHW) is an industry-led collaboration with the mission to increase the number of good quality jobs in Hartford by fostering healthcare technology development and manufacturing. To attract existing med tech companies and foster new companies, HHW is creating a FDA-approved, ISO-certified medical device prototyping and manufacturing plant in Hartford and implementing targeted programs to improve access to: A) expertise; B) capital; and C) markets. HHW is also developing biomedical engineering and precision manufacturing education and job training programs at the K-12, college, and graduate school levels. HHW founding partners include: Rising-Tide Health Care, BEACON, and Movia Robotics.

Contact Mark Borton, Founder, Rising-Tide Health Care, LLC (TM)
[email protected]
860-938-2991

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It’s All Here! is an asset based economic development model which will build wealth and raise incomes in all of Hartford’s neighborhoods. We believe that self-employment and small business ownership is the best way to build a new future for all of the city’s residents. Lasting, sustainable economic development has to be built on the talents of city residents. If they have the will, It’s All Here! can help them find the way by giving access and visibility to new markets and service providers using an interactive website, a multi-lingual call center, physical market locations, and turnkey digital street signage.

Contact Steven Yanicke, MakeHartford, President and Founder
[email protected]keHartford.com 
508-740-4851 

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Made at Swift: A food-driven innovation cluster to create jobs and improve population health.

Gina Federico Muslim
[email protected]
617-922-1477

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For more details, visit www.SC2Hartford.com or contact Stephen Cole at 860.757.9071 or [email protected]

Innovative Challenge to Result in Six Actionable Economic Development Plans for Hartford, CT

SC2 Hartford Challenge winners to share $800,000 in prize money.

February 24, 2015, HARTFORD, CT—The EDA-funded SC2 Hartford Challenge, launched February 2014, is in its final phase. Ten multidisciplinary teams are working on economic development plans that will establish Hartford as the city for entrepreneurs. Six winners will be announced in May 2015.

According to Thomas E. Deller, Hartford’s Director of Development Services, “The final deliverables must be comprehensive economic development plans that are both feasible and sustainable. Having read the initial proposals, I am optimistic that the impact of the SC2 Hartford Challenge will be significant and felt throughout the entire city.“

Plans are due April 20. Deller, along with other community leaders, will judge the plans and choose six winners who will share $800,000 in prize money, with the top plan receiving $500,000. The City of Hartford and the EDA will jointly own the winning plans and be able to implement the ideas—both in Hartford and in other cities around the country.

“It’s far from the typical process where the City hires a consultant, the consultant produces an economic development plan, and then we sell the plan to the City’s residents and business owners. SC2 Hartford plans are being developed, in large measure, by thought leaders, academicians and business leaders who either live in greater Hartford or have a strong connection to our city.”

Teams and their focus: 

1. Hartford.Health.Works: An industry led effort to create healthcare technology development and manufacturing jobs in Hartford.
2. Choose Hartford: Innovative capital to grow businesses.
3. CJM Innovations: Fostering an entrepreneurial ecosystem for students and young professionals.
4. Entrepreneur Foundation: Community bootstrapping through entrepreneurship.
5. Hartford Rocks: Addressing Infrastructure, transportation systems, arts and entertainment to attract and support young entrepreneurs.
6. It’s All Here: Translating talent into ownership.
7. Made at Swift: A food-driven innovation cluster to create jobs and improve population health.
8. MUD Workshop: People / Culture / Connections: An entrepreneurial ecosystem to empower Hartford’s Community.
9. Team Fotofiction: An affordable, creative, mixed-use urban development solution.
10. Solutionists: Social entrepreneurship to address high unemployment and poverty in Hartford. 

Hartford is one of only three U.S. cities selected as part of a competitive process to participate in the Obama Administration’s Strong Cities Strong Communities (SC2) Initiative. 

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For more details, visit www.SC2Hartford.com or contact Stephen Cole at 860.757.9071 or [email protected]

Mayor Segarra To Announce Phase 1 Winners on December 1st

Advancing Teams will be announced and $100,000 will be awarded

For the past six weeks, an esteemed group of judges have been busy evaluating SC2 Hartford proposals based on a fair and transparent judging rubric. On Monday, December 1st, finalists will be announced at Colt Gateway, Suite 628 located at 140 Huyshope Ave. beginning at 5:30pm. The top three winners will receive $60,000, $30,000 and $10,000 respectively. These winners and select runners up will be invited to develop their proposals into detailed, actionable plans, which must be submitted by April 20, 2015.

Back in February 2014, the City of Hartford was one of three cities to launch a Strong Cities, Strong Communities Challenge. SC2 Hartford is an EDA grant-funded competition that engages multidisciplinary teams to compete and win substantial prize money for creating the best economic development plans for the City of Hartford. The goal presented to these teams: To establish Hartford as the city where first time, serial and second-stage entrepreneurs start and grow companies with ease. Twenty-five proposals met the qualifications to advance to the evaluation panel.

Requirements for winners who progress to Phase II: Economic Plan Development will include community engagement and other deeper considerations not required in the Proposal writing process. Effective plans will provide actionable goals and objectives in the context of a deeper analysis of local and regional trends and will focus on feasible implementation. A separate Selection Committee will determine the six winning teams who will share $800,000 in EDA-funded prize money.

Ultimately, everyone wins. The City of Hartford and the EDA will have six fully developed plans and a comprehensive economic development strategy, which could ultimately serve as a national model for cities throughout the country.

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For more details, visit www.SC2Hartford.com or contact Stephen Cole at 860.757.9071 or [email protected]

SC2 Hartford Attracts 58 Teams Comprised of 168 Participants

August 24, 2014, HARTFORD, CT - Back in February, 2014, the City of Hartford was one of three cities to launch a Strong Cities, Strong Communities Challenge. SC2 Hartford is an EDA grant-funded competition designed to establish Hartford as the city where first time, serial and second-stage entrepreneurs start and grow companies with ease. Now 58 participating teams are hard at work developing their innovative economic development proposals.

Since the SC2 Challenge launch, over 7,000 visits from 56 countries have been logged on the website. “We have gained a tremendous amount of exposure for the City of Hartford and our progressive approach to economic development,” said Stephen Cole, senior project manager in Economic Development Services for the City of Hartford. “While the teams are busy preparing their economic development proposals, we are gearing up logistically to ensure a smooth and thorough proposal review by our distinguished panel of judges.” According to contest rules, each proposal must be read by five different judges to ensure a fair and balanced review.

The proposal submission deadline is September 22. Winning proposals will be announced on November 20. The teams with the top six proposals will be invited to develop their proposals into detailed, actionable plans, which must be submitted by April 20, 2015.

At the end of the contest, the City of Hartford and the EDA will have six fully developed plans and a comprehensive economic development strategy, which could ultimately serve as a national model for cities throughout the country. The winning teams will share $900,000 in EDA-funded prizes. The top prize is $500,000.

For more details, visit www.SC2Hartford.com or call Stephen Cole at 860.757.9071.

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SC2 Hartford Registration to Reopen on Thursday, August 14 at 8:00am Until Noon Monday, August 18, 2014

All participants must have registered and joined a team by the deadline.

The City of Hartford, with approval from the EDA, will reopen SC2 Hartford registration for a brief period in order to ensure that everyone who is interested in participating is registered and has joined a team through the SC2 Hartford website at www.SC2Hartford.com.

According to Stephen Cole, the City’s point person on the project indicated that after a series of phone calls with the EDA and the other two participating cities—Las Vegas and Greensboro—it made sense to reopen registration for several days. “We need a final count of participating teams so that we know how large a cadre of judges we need for the proposal review process.” According to contest rules, all proposals are required to be reviewed by five different judges.

Cole went on to state, “We believe we need to get ready to recruit more judges before the proposal submittal deadline on September 22.”

Here are the steps individuals must have completed by August 18 at noon in order to participate:

If you are registered

If you have registered for SC2 Hartford but have not formed or joined a team through the SC2 Hartford website, you must do so by noon Monday, August 18, 2014.

If you have not completed your registration

If you have not completed your SC2 Hartford registration, you must confirm your registration and join a team through the SC2 Hartford website by noon Monday, August 18, 2014.

If you wish to invite non-registered participants to join your team

If there are individuals who you wish to include on your team who have not yet officially registered, they must do so and join a team through the SC2 Hartford website by noon Monday, August 18, 2014.

If you have questions, please contact Stephen Cole at [email protected] or 413-246-8450.

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SC2 Hartford Community Outdoor Happy Hour:

May 5, 2014, HARTFORD, CT—In an ongoing effort to recruit and connect team members, SC2 Hartford will host an outdoor happy hour on Wednesday, May 14th at 5:30pm at "The Spot," located in Bushnell Park. The SC2 Hartford Challenge is an EDA grant-funded opportunity where qualified teams will take a fresh approach to developing transformative economic development plans for the city. Cash prizes totaling $900,000 will be awarded to finalists in the two-phased competition.

The event will be informative and fun. SC2 Hartford proposals are expected to capitalize on the city’s assets. Attendees will hear from an array of city project and community leaders who are working to make Hartford a more welcoming and accessible city for entrepreneurs. Featured topics will include results from housing, parking, cooperative workspace and EB5 for foreign investment initiatives among others. Anyone interested in participating in the challenge is encouraged to attend, learn more and ask questions. In addition, current team members and those looking to join a team are encouraged to mingle and learn from one another. Guests will enjoy live music, a cash bar and a beautiful outdoor venue at Bushnell Park.

SC2 Hartford invites all of the city’s bright minds who aren’t afraid to think big, and who see challenges as opportunities, to register at www.SC2Hartford.com, form teams and get to work.

WHO: Current and Prospective SC2 Hartford Participants
WHAT: SC2 Hartford Challenge Outdoor Happy Hour
WHEN: Wednesday, May 14, 5:30pm-7:30pm
WHERE: "The Spot," located in Bushnell Park, adjacent to the Pump House at Pulaski Circle. Rain location: In the Pump House.
MORE: at www.SC2Hartford.com

Click here to view the announcement poster.

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SC2 Hartford Community Information Meeting:

March 31, 2014, HARTFORD, CT—The second SC2 Hartford Community Information Meeting will be held on April 7 at 5:30pm at the Parkville Senior Center, 11 New Park Ave, Hartford.

Anyone interested in participating in the Challenge is encouraged to attend, learn more and ask questions.

Click here to view the full announcement poster.

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Hartford Launches the SC2 Hartford Challenge:

February 10, 2014, HARTFORD, CT—The City of Hartford is one of only three cities to be selected through a competitive process to participate in the Obama Administration’s Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2) Challenge. The SC2 Hartford Challenge is calling for qualified teams to develop a transformative economic development plan—one that establishes Hartford as The City for Entrepreneurs. The winning plans will be detailed, feasible and sustainable. They will include comprehensive strategies to attract, assist and retain first time and serial entrepreneurs as well as stage-two companies that want to grow.

According to Thomas E. Deller, Director of Development Services, the SC2 Challenge embodies the spirit of innovation. “Rather than hiring a firm to develop the economic development plan, SC2 Hartford is inviting people who would not otherwise participate in a government procurement solicitation—those who aren’t afraid to think big and who see challenges as opportunities. We believe these multidisciplinary teams will bring new perspectives to an entrenched set of problems.”

The SC2 Hartford Challenge has two phases. During Phase l, qualified teams will form and submit proposals. A panel consisting of community leaders will review the proposals. The top three proposals will receive cash prizes of $60,000 (1^st place), $30,000 (2^nd place) and $10,000 (3^rd place). They, and other selected finalists, will advance to Phase ll, further developing their proposals into detailed, actionable plans. The winning Finalists will receive the following cash awards:

1st place:       $500,000
2nd place:      $100,000
3rd place:       $ 75,000
4th place:       $ 50,000
5th place:       $ 50,000
6th place:       $ 25,000

The SC2 Challenge process promises to be open, fair and transparent. Qualified teams are strongly encouraged to enter. Registration deadline is July 24, 2014. Phase l proposals are due September 22, 2014. To register and to get more information, visit www.sc2hartford.com.

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