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n e w h a v e n b i z . c o m | M a r c h 2 0 2 2 | n e w h a v e n B I Z 9 EMCOR SERVICES NEW ENGLAND MECHANICAL We'll be there when you need us. With 50+ years of experience and more than 300 continuously trained, licensed, and certified facilities services technicians, we provide a wide range of building construction and facilities solutions across New England. COUNT ON NEMSI FOR: HVAC, Plumbing and Process Piping Design-Build Construction Electrical Services Energy Management Systems LEED Certification Programs Comprehensive Preventive Maintenance Programs 24/7/365 Emergency Response Call 860.871.1111 Toll Free 800.741.6367 Fax 866.481.3250 55 Gerber Road East, South Windsor, CT 06074 nemsi.com OFFICES IN Trumbull | New London | Palmer, MA | Albany, NY | Manchester, NH License #s: E1-0125666 • S1-302974 • P1-203519 • F1-10498 • SM1-192 • MC-1134 Do women in general get different feedback? Absolutely. ere is almost a tightrope we are walking. If you step on one side of it, you aren't assertive enough. If you go to the other side, where you are being assertive, you get called other words — you are too aggressive, you are bossy. ere is really this kind of dance you have to do as a woman to find the position that is going to make you feel heard and make you be taken seriously by others. What we are doing at Collab is taking some of the onus off of women. We shouldn't have to do this dancing act in order to be heard or to be considered legitimate, in order to be considered viable. So just some education to the public and the startup community that the change really needs to happen in people's perceptions of women and how we move through the world. What do you hope to accomplish in your new position? I hope to ensure Collab's longevity, that we sustain as a viable organization in the community that is making a deep impact. Growth — we want to be able to serve more entrepreneurs. I want Collab to have a greater impact on generating wealth and economic power in the communities we serve. Just really being collaborative with other organizations in the ecosystem. When you started, you said you planned to do a lot of listening to better understand where Collab is as an organization and where it should be heading. What have you learned? It is great to hear that we are well-received and are doing great work. That has been amazing. The co-founders of Collab have done an excellent job building strong relationships in the community. One of the pieces of feedback we get from entrepreneurs is that there is always a need for more access to financial resources and more access to information around marketing. The one-on-one coaching piece has been really huge for folks. To be able to offer that outside of the accelerator programs, to offer some additional coaching and mentoring would definitely be a need, and it's a priority for us. Has the pandemic impacted how Collab delivers its services? Our programs are running virtually right now. In some ways it makes things easier. You don't have to worry about travel time. You aren't having the same challenges of child care. It makes the program more accessible. We look forward to offering hybrid solutions in the future to accommodate people who need virtual programming. What impact has Collab had on entrepreneurs? We have been in operation since 2017. Our entrepreneurs coming through our programs have generated over $5 million in revenue. at is a great number and 87% of them are still operational today, so that is huge, because we know that nine out of 10 businesses go out of business. To have 87% of our graduates still operational and still generating revenue, and even being able to achieve follow-on funding, is huge. You have a general business accelerator for all businesses, and a food business accelerator. Has there been discussion about launching accelerators focused on other industries? at is definitely on our radar. ere are a lot of spinoffs we could do, retail, tech, health tech, fintech, makers — people who are creating things. e general accelerator does accept any kind of business, but it would be nice to offer a deep dive into more industry-specific areas. Where do you see Collab in five years? 10 years? In five years, we see Collab as a household name here in the Greater New Haven area. If you are thinking about starting a business or thinking about entrepreneurship at all, Collab is also popping into your mind. In 10 years we would hope to achieve that statewide. n Collab's Fall Accelerator 2021 cohort group pictured during the mid-cohort picnic.

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