Amidst the continuing challenges throughout 2021, the Hartford Chamber of Commerce and our community have had many successes this year.“Supporting our business community is at the heart of what we do. We’re hard at work continuing to make our capital city a great place for business to grow and thrive,” says Hartford Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Julio Concepción “We’re also big proponents of encouraging everyone to get out and explore, engage with, and enjoy Hartford.”

2021 Highlights

• Facilitated ribbon cuttings for 18 Hartford businesses
• Rolled out Chamber Chomps, a fun initiative sponsored by DoorDash that supports Hartford businesses by delivering local food and beverages to our community, and involved eight local businesses
• Introduced Hart Lift, which will provide property owners with funds to help incentivize small businesses to lease their vacant spaces

We hope you continue to collaborate and create with us and consider becoming a Hartford Chamber of Commerce member if you haven’t already.

Chamber Champions

Below, some members share about their collaboration with Hartford Chamber in 2021:Impactful Conversations“We would love to stay here in Hartford,” says Bloom Bake Shop Co-Owner Alexandra Pilon. “One benefit of joining the Hartford Chamber of Commerce is that we’ve been having great conversations with the leadership there about some of the vacant storefronts downtown.”READ MORE: Hartford-Based Startup Bakery is BloomingFostering Creativity and Opportunity“Connecting with the City of Hartford, the Hartford Chamber, and developers Shelbourne and Northland Investment, which granted us access to vacant storefronts downtown to produce the Winterfair holiday market, helps us lay the groundwork and the foundation for visionaries, entrepreneurs, and small business owners who can then use these spaces and environments to let their ideas run wild,” explains Breakfast Lunch & Dinner (BL&D) Partner Joshua Jenkins.READ MORE: Helping Initiate Retail Opportunities for Small BusinessesExpanding Your Network“The Chamber introduces us to good networking opportunities,” notes Zion St. Laundromat Owner Jannelle Marshall.READ MORE: Frog Hollow’s Own Zion St. LaundromatCommunity Collaborations“How do we continue to give these small business owners the opportunity and create the climate in which they can thrive? That’s really where we see, not just our services fitting into the mix, but our advocacy and our sense of community and collaboration with fellow businesses in the Hartford Chamber and beyond,” emphasizes The Small Business Collective (SBC) Founder & Principal Annisa Teich.READ MORE: Supporting the Hartford Region’s Small Businesses Community

“We joined the Hartford Chamber of Commerce because it provides necessary support and exposure to help expand and grow our organization and connect us to businesses, interested patrons, customers, and members,” says West Indian Social Club of Hartford, Inc. Director of Marketing & Public Relations Shauna Whitter.READ MORE: Creating Community for the West Indian Culture in HartfordIncreasing Exposure“I became a member for the exposure and because it’s a good way to network and meet other local business,” says YJ Cleaning and Maintenance LLC Founder Willie Jones.READ MORE: YJ Cleaning and Maintenance Networks and GrowsShowing Up and Providing Support“The Hartford Chamber of Commerce was very instrumental in helping us reach out to the city and organizing the grand opening for our building,” notes VASE Management President Vincencia Adusei. “When we had our grand opening, the city, the mayor, and the Hartford Chamber showed up to support us. It’s good knowing we have that support because we plan on doing more in Hartford.”READ MORE: VASE Management Finds Opportunities in HartfordWe look forward to sharing more of your stories in 2022! Feel free to contact us with your ideas.