Creative entrepreneur Jane Krantz is an artist, a dancer, and a yoga instructor. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, she founded Afterglow Studio to maintain her community connection and provide opportunities for other creative wellness entrepreneurs to utilize space.MetroHartford Alliance Content Manager Nan Price spoke with Jane about being a part of a creative community in Hartford and stepping into a business ownership role.NAN PRICE: Was it intentional to locate your studio in Hartford?JANE KRANTZ: It was. A lot of the yoga studios in Hartford had closed. I had lost all my yoga teaching jobs because they were all located in Parkville, which has a distinct yoga community that’s very inclusive and diverse. That’s something I wanted to keep going and providing for our community. So, Parkville was definitely an intentional location for where I wanted my studio to be.NAN: It was also intentional to allow other creative entrepreneurs utilize the space.JANE: Right. The studio has big windows with a lot of natural light. It’s great for natural light photography. Starting out, I reached out to local photographer Jeff Hong of J Hong Photography to offer the space, which he’s been using for his photography business. I’ve also been able to provide a space for other photographers and videographers to come in and create content.NAN: As you’ve been developing the business, did you tap into any local business resources or did you find your way on your own?JANE: A little bit of both. It seemed like the studio was very sudden—and it was. At the same time, I realize I’ve lived in Hartford for a while. I spent years teaching at so many places, and I’ve hosted pop-up classes at several different businesses. So, when I look back, I can see how everything is connected.I had a loyal client base; I didn’t have to do a lot of work to get people into the studio. I also learned so much from working at The Dance Collective. I was a part of the team before they had a space. Jill and I worked closely together and I learned so much from building that business with her. I really want to highlight that too because I owe a lot to that experience. It helped set me up to open my own studio.Read the entire interview at Innovation Destination Hartford

Photo of Jane Krantz courtesy J Hong Photography