Letter to Our Collab Community 

Dear Collab community,

We are writing to you with important and special news!

Collab is in a pivotal and exciting moment. We are entering into our fourth year of operations, have doubled our staff in this past year, and are on track to becoming our own 501(c)(3). Over the past four years, we have worked with hundreds of entrepreneurs with over 100+ graduates from our Collab Accelerator. We are continuously blown away by the resilience, courage, and tenacity of our entrepreneurs.

As we enter into this new level of work, we are so delighted to share that we are hiring for an experienced Executive Director to join the Collab team in Spring 2022. After a lot of thought, we have decided that now is the ideal time in Collab’s development, and we are excited about the opportunity to partner with a mission aligned, values driven, and strategic leader. Together, we have decided to step out of the role of Co-Directors to allow for new leadership to take the organization to new heights and new directions. Caroline will stay onboard in a new role as Director of External Affairs and Organizing, working with the Collab team on managing our community of entrepreneurs and supporters. Margaret will transition out of a full-time role once the new Executive Director is onboarded.

We are thrilled for this moment and for the future of Collab. As we enter into this new level of growth, our goal is to double our reach and impact — ensuring that every single entrepreneur in New Haven gets a chance. In addition to excitement, we are filled with gratitude for the amazing community that built Collab, and with your support, we will be able to launch it forward even farther. We are excited to introduce you to our new Executive Director, and we know that the Collab community will make them feel welcomed and supported.

We are excited to launch the Executive Director search process — see and help us spread the word about the position here. In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to be in touch if you have any questions or reflections. Thank you, as always, for believing in us and our entrepreneurs.

Sincerely,

Margaret Lee, Co-Director
Caroline Smith, Co-Director