Four Local Business Owners Pilot Center for Inclusive Growth's Neighborhood Opportunity Acceleration Project

NEW HAVEN, CT—The Center for Inclusive Growth has selected four New Haven business owners to pilot the Neighborhood Opportunity & Capacity Building Acceleration Project.

Designed as a comprehensive resource hub, NOCAP provides small to mid-sized businesses in New Haven with low- to no-cost back-office and operational support for budgeting and finance, human resources, strategic planning, marketing, and more, according to a news release from the Center.

It's noted that the four "represent a cross-section of New Haven’s diverse economy—from retail and hospitality to youth advocacy and professional services."

Businesses were chosen based on "demonstrated market traction, commitment to community impact, and their readiness to implement the advanced financial systems required to scale their business."

They are:

• O Positive LLC (Ali Oshinskie): A consulting practice specializing in community engagement and storytelling.
• Higher Heights Youth Empowerment Programs, Inc. (Chaka Felder-McEntire): A mission-driven nonprofit that has served college-bound youth for 23 years.
• Bloom (Alisha Crutchfield): A Westville-based multi-concept retail, floral, and wellness space.
• Little Lion Collective (Cara Santino): A pop-up vinyl bar and hospitality group known for curated community events.

Now through April, these business owners will "create robust systems for budgeting, bookkeeping, strategic pricing, inventory, automated workflows, and operational systems," the news release reads.

Central to the pilot’s success is a partnership between The Center for Inclusive Growth and Aropa Consulting, which will provide high-touch, fiscal management support.

"NOCAP is bridging the gap between entrepreneurial potential and the institutional systems needed to build and sustain growth," said Malwin Dávila, Associate Director for Programs, Strategy, and Engagement. "Together with our partners, we are dismantling the hurdles that have historically sidelined small and mid-sized businesses, making operational excellence an accessible reality for everyone."

It's noted by the Center in its media release that "NOCAP was developed in direct response to feedback from the New Haven community, local businesses, and New Haven Equitable Entrepreneurial Ecosystem partners."

Dawn Ragsdale, executive director of The Center for Inclusive Growth, noted that by the end of the pilot ptogram, the business owners will have "strengthened their back-end financial systems that will provide a critical competitive advantage."

"They enable founders to make data-driven decisions, optimize profit margins, and maintain the "audit-ready" transparency required to secure traditional bank financing," Ragsdale said. "This operational foundation is the essential bridge that allows these business owners to move beyond daily management and focus on turning their current business success into a scalable, lasting legacy."

According to the Center, chiefly, the project "offers support at a growth point where established community businesses stall—where access to sophisticated financial systems can aid growth."

About the Center for Inclusive Growth

Founded in 2024 through a partnership between the City of New Haven and Yale University, The Center for Inclusive Growth is an independent, stand-alone organization with a mission to help create a flourishing New Haven where all residents have access to the necessary tools and resources to achieve economic security and contribute positively to a vibrant community.

The Center works with community members, academia, government, and local businesses and organizations to identify economic gaps, strengthen current efforts, and implement high-impact programs that reduce systemic disparities and ensure the city’s growth benefits everyone