Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1465380
30 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | APRIL 25, 2022 INDUSTRY: Business Services TOP EXECUTIVE: Candace Freedenberg, Founder HEADQUARTERS: Hartford WEBSITE: www.UPotential.org Q&A talks to Untapped Potential Inc. Founder Candace Freedenberg. The organization offers services that help women return to work after caregiving, including networking and mentoring. Untapped Potential also hosts events, such as return- to-work client/candidate speed interviews, matching market-ready talent to workplace demands for a placement fee. How did you get into this business? What motivated you? Do you know a smart mom focused on family, yet un-engaged in the workplace? Motivated by the potential of such 'idle talent,' I valued caregiving yet sought to untap this group's potential in a flexible way. Bias and barriers of a fixed workplace sidelined this group beyond their caregiving years. Describe your target customer. Our model targets companies and candidates. Companies include business clients from entrepreneurs to corporate leaders who benefit from top talent and Untapped Potential Inc.'s unique onboarding model. Candidates include educated and experienced professionals needing flexibility now or transitional support to return to their caliber following caregiving (mothers returning to work). Looking into the future five years, where do you see your business? Our goal is to grow our platform to serve communities nationwide. What has been your biggest accomplishment? Is there anything that you would change or do differently? I get the most satisfaction out of returning women to their high- caliber professions via this new mode. We receive appreciation from each individual candidate. It is a validation that entrenched traditions in the workplace can be overcome. Can you tell us a little bit about the culture of your business? We commit to a bold goal of equity in the workplace. We value the difference our candidates made as caregivers and the difference each can make in business. Our team's motto: 'Everything is figure- outable.' WOMAN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Untapped Potential Inc. INDUSTRY: Manufacturing TOP EXECUTIVE: Matt Westfall, Owner HEADQUARTERS: Cheshire WEBSITE: www.CounterWeightBrewing. com Q&A talks to Matt Westfall, owner of Cheshire-based Counter Weight Brewing Company, which makes Belgian ales, German lagers and American IPA beers. Its core brands include Crucial Mass, Headway, Voided and Workhorse Pilsner. How did you get into this business? What motivated you? I got into the beer business after learning to make beer at home. The process was something that I could share with people that they enjoyed, and was very rewarding. Dedicating myself to the business after a formal brewing education was the only career I could imagine. How long have you been in business? Counter Weight Brewing Company has been in business for five years and began after my 12 years in the beer industry. Describe your target customer. Our target customer is anyone who wants to explore and experience thoughtfully produced beers. Whether that be a beer inspired by tradition or innovation, we aim to accomplish both. Looking into the future, where do you see your business in five years? We hope to be in a position where our team is continuously creative while ensuring that the quality of our products is ever evolving. We hope to always be working to improve our working environment, grow employee compensation and provide great benefits. What has been your biggest accomplishment? I think our biggest accomplishment has been forming a thoughtful team focused on quality, consistency, customer service and teamwork. They have allowed us to achieve Counter Weight's goals every single day. How have you handled strategic change in your business? Sticking to our guiding principles has helped to keep us on the right track. As new challenges present themselves, we look at each challenge, first and foremost, by evaluating how we can find our way through while always maintaining quality, value, service and a thoughtfully-curated experience for guests and customers alike. VETERAN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Counter Weight Brewing Company