Innovator's Toolkit: Building a Place-Based Organization - A Model of Community Entrepreneurship

​Founded in 2017, Collab is a community accelerator based in New Haven focused on supporting underrepresented entrepreneurs across the city. Since then, Collab has supported hundreds of local entrepreneurs, with over 100 businesses graduating from its Accelerator — where 84% are owned by founders of color and 76% are owned by women founders. Collab Accelerator graduates have collectively generated over $5 million in revenue, raised over $2 million in follow-on funding, and created over 240 jobs. Over the years, Collab has developed and honed a model for inclusive, community entrepreneurship centered on reaching, equipping, and empowering local entrepreneurs. In this workshop, learn more about this place-based approach for economic development and more about Collab's work. 

​Bio:
Rhonda Smith is the Accelerator Programs Manager of Collab, a community-centered accelerator for Connecticut entrepreneurs and project builders, and is a native of The City of New Haven. Before Collab, she graduated from Drexel University with a Bachelor of Science Degree majoring in Fashion Design and Cornell University for the Women in Business Certification Program. Rhonda designed apparel for fortune 500 companies in New York City such as Nike, Ralph Lauren, and Michael Kors. In addition, she spearheaded new business developments with international and domestic manufacturing companies that led to the increase in annual sales and revenue. Rhonda's extreme attention to detail in apparel and technical design transitioned her career within the fashion industry to the Global Manager of Product Development, Sourcing, and International Imports for corporations and small businesses.