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2 8 C T I N N O V A T O R S , 2 0 2 5 MARIE Stamford's Rocha builds a nonprofit to help founders turn ideas into sustainable businesses Entrepreneur Support >> By Joel Berg Marie Rocha was advising a couple of entrepreneurs who seemed poised to make lucrative exits, and it got her wondering what she would do if she came into life-changing money. Rocha has yet to win the lottery. But her musings led her in 2022 to create Realist Lab, a Stam- ford-based nonprofit that has helped nearly 150 entrepreneurs shape and solidify their business plans. She worried at first that no one would apply for the nonprofit's services. But three years aer Real- ist Lab was born, there's so much demand that it recently removed language that sets a time limit on its replies to applicants. "e needs are there," Rocha said. "I think people are inspired to build. ey just don't have sup- port." Rocha has been offering support to entrepreneurs for more than a decade, as an entrepreneur, investor and adviser. Before launching Realist Lab, Rocha helped cra a program designed to help women entrepreneurs hone their pitches to investors. In 2018, she founded a venture capital firm aer informally helping people with business plans navigate the pitfalls of fundraising. "Rather than fixate only on funding, I focus on access, visibility, legit- imacy and connection," she said in summarizing the common threads of her endeavors. "e work is less about individual transactions and more about constructing durable bridges: between people and capital, ideas and markets, untapped voices and opportunity." Backed primarily by a $5 million grant from the state Department of Economic and Community Development, Realist Lab employs eight people, including engineers, marketing experts, wealth advisers and a go-to-market strategist. e organization's annual budget is about $1.2 million, Rocha said. e lab's team is "amazing," said Claudia Zimmermann, co-founder and CEO of Fairfield-based startups Everneat and Neatlist, which offer products and services for the cleaning industry. She and her husband, Angelo, went through a Realist accelerator program in early 2025. But it was Rocha's involvement and engagement with entrepreneurs that stood out. Rocha continued to help the Zimmermanns make connections, the couple said. "She always has great input, and you notice that she really cares, which is rare for a founder of these startup accelerators," Claudia Zimmermann said. "at's what makes Realist different." 'That nerdy, curious kid' Born in Haiti, Rocha emigrated to New Jersey with her parents when she was 12. Like most Hai- tians, she already spoke English, a language she picked up, in part, through listening to public radio and reading e New York Times. "I was fascinated with the science section," Rocha said. "And then, I would spend a ton of time in the library learning more about the topics I didn't understand." Marie Rocha Founder Realist Lab Education: Bachelor's degree in computer science Age: 45 Continued on next page Marie Rocha, founder of Stamford-based Realist Lab, works inside the nonprofit's innovation space, where she mentors early-stage founders.