HYPE Hot Takes in Hartford

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Episode Transcript

(00:04):
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(00:46):
more at OKKILLCT dot org. Nowhere's your host for Pulse of the Region,
Kate Balman. Welcome back to anotherepisode of Pulse of the Region.
I'm Kate Allman, and today wehave something a little bit different for everybody,
which I'm very very excited about.Today is our first episode of Hype
Hot Takes. We're here that again, Hype Hot Takes. So, as

(01:07):
many of you may remember from pastepisodes, Hype, which is also known
as Hartford Young Professionals and Entrepreneurs,is an initiative of the MHA focus on
talent retention. So for today,our Hype Hot Takes guests are going to
give us the pulse on the cityof Hartford from a young professional's lens.
So before we introduced all of ourguests who are here with their smiling faces

(01:30):
in studio at iHeartMedia in our capitalcity of Hartford, is I would like
to invite my colleague Mia Sanatro backto the mic. And so, as
you may or may not remember,but Mia is Hype's executive director. So
Mia, welcome back to Pulse ofthe Region. Morning, Kate, Thanks
for having us on today. Weare stoked to be here in studio.

(01:53):
Who I love it. I loveit. So first things first, Mia,
certainly a lot of our listeners arefamiliar with Hype, but do you
mind giving kind of a rundown justthe general overview of what Hype is.
Sure thing. We are Hype HartfordYoung Professionals and Entrepreneurs, a young professional
networking group that provides professional and socialopportunities for young leaders and entrepreneurs in the

(02:17):
region through curated event experiences. Weare all about learning, growing and leading
the way to a brighter future.Love it all right? And this year
first year is there's the Hype LeadershipCommittee, which is a volunteer group made
up of a ton of different organizationsall here doing great things here in the

(02:38):
region. So can you talk alittle bit about this and how did the
whole idea around the Leadership Committee begin. So we touched a little bit about
this awesome committee on our last episode, but I'll give a brief overview so
we can dive into the meat ofthe program today. The Hype Leadership Committee
is brand new to Hype this yearand it's a group of involved young professionals

(02:58):
that which to wish to take adeeper dive into what all that Hype has
to offer. They're involved on anadvisory board of sorts. We meet monthly
and they curate all the experiences thathyposts throughout the year to keep things relevant
and fresh. And we will beaccepting new involvement next year. So if
you have interest in joining the LeadershipCommittee, keep an eye out for all

(03:21):
the awesome things we're doing this year. And touch base with me either via
email or dmme on Instagram. Allright, so, today, as we
mentioned, it is the debut ofthe first ever hype Hot Takes. I
don't know if I could say thatten times fast, but at least can
say it once here, So tellus what this is, Mia, and
then I'm given the mic to you. At today's a day I get to
sit back and relax a little.I'm quite excited so and excited to hear

(03:46):
from all of our young professionals herein the studio. Thanks Kate. All
right, folks, we are live. Welcome to Hype Hot Takes, an
op ed table talk style podcast.Young professionals offer unfiltered discussions on talent,
lifestyle and workplace trends, challenges,and more through a refreshing, candid gen

(04:10):
z millennial lens. Though we toutourselves as young professional experts, we most
certainly do not know all of thethings. So the opinions share today are
not reflective of the values of MHAor hype hYP serves as a convener providing
a neutral, safe space for openand inclusive discussions. As Kate mentioned,

(04:31):
I'm your host, Mia Sinatro.You won't be hearing much from me on
these episodes as I serve as thefacilitator, guiding the conversation to allow Hartford
budding leaders to share their thoughts,experiences, and knowledge on passion projects and
areas of interest. Joining me todayin studio are two incredible hype leaders,
Max and Laura, and welcome guys, folm thanks for having me who We're

(04:57):
so happy to have you on today. Max and Laura and offer a unique
perspective on today's topic as they havetheir own set of opinions and experiences that
have shaped our conversation here today.I am so excited to have them sitting
at the table today and can't waitto dive into this morning's open dialogue.
So let's hear a little bit fromyou, guys. Tell us about yourself.

(05:18):
Who are you? Why don't westart with you? Lauren? Hi,
I'm Lauren the Chance. I'm apublic relations manager for Connecticut and while
Spark Health. Both sit here inthe greater Hartford area and I'm just really
excited to be here. Thanks forhaving me today. Awesome and over to
you, Max. Absolutely, I'm'sMax Gigal. I lead an innovation team

(05:40):
with the State of Connecticut. Mainlyfocus on digital technologies, but I've been
involved in Hype for a couple ofyears, especially since I moved back to
Hartford, happen to live in theWest End, and having after growing up
in Connecticut, just really passionate aboutthe heartbeat in the city that we have
here. Thanks Max and Lauren.I know if I recall, I believe
you're a transplant or came back froma little hiatus in DC. Can you

(06:03):
tell us how you got back involvedwith hype and why you made the move
back to Connecticut. Yeah, so, I actually grew up in Greater Connectic
I'm sorry, Eastern Connecticut, andafter some stints in Springfield, MASS and
Washington, DC, I decided tocome back to be with family and also
just you know, Connecticut is myhome, It's my heart. So I

(06:26):
moved to the central Connecticut and I'vejust fallen in love with the area amazing.
While we are very lucky to haveyou both in the region and without
further ado, let's get into it. On this premiere episode of Hype Hot
Takes, we will be discussing Hartfordas a magnet city, its assets and
its challenges, and exploring Hartford's pathforward of buzz and bustle for future growth

(06:49):
and prosperity, just like magnates positiveor negative, and there is no such
thing as a neutral magnet, nora neutral city. Basically, this is
a fancy way of saying, inmy opinion, thrive or dive. So
what do thriving attractive cities have incommon? They are highly atricious and energetic

(07:11):
people. Okay, we'll be focusedon the push and pull of Hartford and
it's appeal to young professionals as thecompetition for young talent is growing fiercer,
So kicking it over to you two, Lauren and Max, let's start by
discussing Hertford's foundational strengths and we'll startwith you again. Lauren, can you
comment on what Hertford does well?What is that the core that Hertford has

(07:33):
really polished and makes it an attractiveplace to visit, live, work.
I really love this question. Ithink, first and foremost, the vibrant
history of supporting the arts and culturesgoes back to the peak. We have
them, We have the historical Weeven have the Hartford Arts School, which

(07:53):
brings more people and attracts more studentsto area. I personally love Connecticut Murals.
It's a profit and they do alot of great work in multiple parts
of the city, including you know, they have a whole website where you
can download all the geo points andwalk around the city and see all the
very beautiful, diverse murals that theycommission. I would say Hartford has a

(08:16):
lot of heart. It's super diverse. There's so much culture here. There's
really something for everyone in every singlecorner of the city. I just love
exploring here. They do that reallywell. It's really the foundation of our
capital city. I agree with you. I feel that the heartbeat that is
Hartford is in our arts and culture. It's a great place for culture vultures

(08:39):
to come and enjoy themselves with everythingwe have to offer here. Now,
Max, I love to hear yourthoughts on this topic. Oh my gosh.
So admittedly I've moved back to thecity only about gosh i three years
ago, four years ago now,right before the pandemic, So the city
is probably very different for me thanfolks that have been lived here for twenty
thirty years there maybe they're inner lives. I will say, even in the

(09:01):
short amount of time I've been here, have been super impressed by the engagement
that communities have across the entire city. Even just this past weekend we had
Earth Day in April, went outand found a festival where there's plenty of
folks that are really passionate about theenvironment here in Connecticut and engaging communities on
what they find most important. Andhonestly at a number of folks here through

(09:22):
hype that come with their ideas andtheir passion on how to make this city
a better place to live and thrive. Banks Max, all right, as
we head into the next topic,I'd love to turn the mic over to
Max to give us a little bitmore of his thoughts on the narrative around
the presence of young professionals in Hartfordand exciting aspects that Hartford has to offer.

(09:46):
And yes, Bill the tea,Yeah, absolutely, I actually did
not know what to expect when Imoved here to Connecticut. Back home to
Connecticut had a different perspective growing up, and after spending ten years in other
place places and moving back home,I really did not know what to expect.
But Hartford is a very pleasant surprise. There's a as I said,
a vibrant community, but a lotof young folks that really want to get

(10:09):
involved and stay here because they seewhat's promising here in the city. There's
a lot of hope here in Hartfordand a lot of folks that really want
to make this city a place that'sgrowing for the community, growing for business
strength as a hub here in theNortheast that we really feel that we can
in other places in other cities.Certainly there's experts that can speak to it.
Where I've been, it seems thatyoung people are an indicator of growth

(10:35):
in a city, in a region, in an area, and this is
a space that we need to bein. Right There's a lot of young
people here that need to be connected, and we can build that space for
young folks, millennials, gen z, anybody else that might want to come
in and build their life here.There's two populate large population centers Boston,
New York. I'm sure there's plentyof folks that would like to be in

(10:56):
a central city here that can providethem that exact same lifestyle in a more
comfortable setting that's connected to whatever theymight need here. So let's talk about
let's talk about how we can growHartford into that space. Yes, and
I just want to touch on somethingyou said real quick. I love how
you encapsulated the spirit and energy,the unique energy of Hertford that, in

(11:20):
my opinion, Boston and New Yorkdo not offer to young professionals and entrepreneurs
planning routes starting careers and moving tothe area. And again, there's so
much to do here and it's agreat way for young professionals to start their
career, to build their career andexperience everything there is to offer in their

(11:41):
twenties, in their thirties, intotheir forties, and Hartford is the place
to do it. So as welook to kind of expand a little bit
more about Hertford and it's sense ofbelonging and the feeling of community, can
you both talk about and Lauren,we'll start with you first, you know,
discuss how Hertford's community is well roundedand welcoming to all. And I

(12:03):
know we keep saying this, butit is true that there really is a
place for everyone here. Yeah,if you have visited Hartford or if you
live in Hartford, I would saythat this city is honestly the melting pot
of cultures. There are so manydifferent restaurants and shops that nod to those

(12:24):
different cultures. We have a veryvibrant Hispanic culture here. We've got Alien
I mean, we've got Polish.Like there's just like everything here and they
all just live together so beautifully andlike it's just so much heart and like
to Max's point, there's a lotof hope here too. There's so many
different community events that are so welcoming. I know, last year in Bushnell

(12:46):
Park they did the Juneteenth Celebration.We have Hispanic Heritage Month in September and
yard Gooats is doing a lot withthat as well as They've had huge parades
where people come out and celebrate notonly just the Hispanic community, but everyone.
It's really a city where I thinkyou can come as a young professional
and thrive and also plant roots.There's so many really amazing places. The

(13:09):
North End is really cool to explore, and honestly, there's a lot of
community organizations that do so much greatwork in the city that are trying to
bring more young professionals gen Z's millennials, honestly, anyone to the city.
I'm part of one of those.We have yoga in almost every park free
to everyone through yoga and are It'samazing. It's super accessible. You can

(13:33):
come as you are, and Ithink that's one of the beautiful things about
Hartford two has come as you are, Like come as you are, and
there's going to be something for youhere to explore. I agree. And
on the theme of acceptance and exploration, Lauren, I'm curious to hear what
is it you like to do herein Hartford, And I bet you've got
some great ideas, so let's hearit. Yeah. I mean, I

(13:56):
would say, first and foremost,my favorite time of year here is spring
and summer. I think that's whenthe city kind of comes alive. But
I also, you know, asyou said, I'm a transplant here,
so I'm still trying to explore otherseasons. But I really enjoy the hockey
team here. I believe Wolfpack isthe name. Um. They allow you

(14:18):
to bring your dogs several times ayear. Yeah, and it's so fun.
So what we do is we takeour two dogs, we go to
the game. It's super welcoming,and then we get dinner Street because it's
literally right there, but so muchgoing on to all the new restaurants in
businesses, retail opening. It's incredible. Yeah. I would also say I'm

(14:39):
a huge foodie. I love showingfood online and there's so many new small
restaurants that are opening up. Soa lot of times on the weekends,
I will get together with my friendsand we'll try something new and then just
walk around. We all have dogs. It is a dog friendly city.
It is. I agree with thelove doing that. And then you know,
I love the Wadsworth music. I'mnot going to lie. Prior to

(15:01):
the pandemic, they used to dothese really cool like brunches where you would
like go and have breakfast there andthen walk around the museum so cool.
Which is really cool, and Imean there's a lot of live music of
all different varieties at so many differentI call them watering holes. But the
restaurants everywhere and just like bars,and I know, like Thomas Hooker live

(15:24):
Metro Harford had an event there.I had no idea it existed, and
we were able to see. Theyhad a DJ. It was really cool.
They do dueling pianos, drag brunches, they have everything. So really
there's so much to do. Icould go on and on. I also
did ice skating during Winterfest this winter, and I actually thought that was so

(15:45):
fun. My husband and I wentthe two of us in nice afternoon,
and there were so many kids thatwere just so happy. And they also
teach ice skating there you can booka lesson. Those are some of my
favorite things. And you know,I like going yard goats too. I
like going to a game and thengoing out and finding a new bar to
have a drink at with friends orwith my husband. And truthfully, some

(16:08):
of my best friends that I haveright now are from the Hartford area and
they've just opened me up to thisspace and it's it's just awesome. It's
really fun. I'm like smiling.You can't see it, but I do.
We can attest. I think it'sgreat that you know, a lot
of what we hear is that folkssay there isn't really a lot to do
here. But I love that youcame here with the intention to make an

(16:32):
experience out of your new home andmaximized everything that it seemed, really enjoying
it and taking advantage of all thefabulous things Hartford has to offer. So
thank you Lauren for sharing sharing thatwith us. So Max would love to
hear a little bit more from youabout you know, your sense of Heartford

(16:52):
community and why you believe that it'swell rounded and welcoming to all. Oh
my gosh. Yeah, each ofour neighbor neighborhoods have a very specific identity,
and each of them are very loudand proud about that identity. I
really feel when I when I visitanyway, and that comes out in what
you were saying, the festivals andthe and the restaurants and the local culture

(17:17):
in each of our neighborhoods. Totally. I do think, you know,
there's room for improvement, for integratingand making sure those identities are interconnected and
accessible for a lot of folks,and we can talk a little bit about
that, but nevertheless, people arethere and really proud of themselves in them
space, their space here in Hartford, and that's that's something not every city
does have. M There's plenty ofthings that I love to do here in

(17:38):
the city. I am as Iwant to hear what your ideal Hartford vibe
is when you come in and wanta true Hartford experience. And I'm definitely
stealing some of these ideas, andI know I'm not going alive. Oh
my gosh. Yeah, I meanon just on the fun side, right,
I'm a big fan of music,and live music, and the fact
that we have a blues vessel anda jazz vessel in the summer is next

(18:00):
level for folks that are really interested. If you haven't, haven't you got
to check it out now. It'stop tier talent that comes into downtown Hartford.
Many people come, it's a greattime, absolutely love it. But
we have a number of venues inthe city too that bring in great music
on the regular, local independent actsand cafes and whatnot that that have smaller

(18:22):
shows. I'm told that Hartford usedto have a reggae scene that I would
love to see up and coming again. But we have all sorts of music,
and frankly, just the fact thatwe're in between Boston and New York,
we should be able to draw agood amount of acts traveling through New
Haven can do it? Why can'twe do it? Totally agree with you,

(18:42):
absolutely, and you know, wetalked a lot about you know,
what Harford has to offer, whyit's so welcoming and well rounded a place
for all. I want us toflip the coin and I'm interested to hear
more about addressing the needs for changehere in Hartford. What are your thoughts?
Where areas of improvement, and Ishouldn't say improvement areas of opportunity where

(19:03):
we can really leverage our foundational strengthsand make them soar. And why don't
we do maxis time first? Absolutely, you know, as someone that works
in government, I realize that thisis a deeper question than what we can
address here in podcast format, Andthere's many smart people trying to figure out

(19:25):
a number of these questions on behalfof the city and with the communities here
in city. Honestly, what Ican reply here is really just top level
stuff that has a lot of activityunder the surface. I would say if
I looked out in the future andsaw Hertford that I thought was in a
better space for our communities and forthe connectedness of folks living here, I
would say, you know, abetter riverfront, a more integrated riverfront.

(19:49):
Frankly, I'm a big fan ofthe Heart for four hundred initiative and the
work that's going on there making surethat our highways that bring people in and
out of the city are more integratedinto the fabric at the community and not
cutting off different neighborhoods and communities fromthe rest of the neighborhood. I do
some drastic redesign of the downtown area, make sure that folks can live in

(20:12):
a walkable area downtown, and thatthere's a grocery store for folks to actually
live and thrive in the downtown area. I mean, there's a lot of
design things that could kind of improvethe interconnectedness of the communities that are here
in Hartford, But I suppose that'sjust a handful that come to mind immediately.

(20:33):
Thanks Max and Laura. Not toput you on the spot, but
I know you have experience in workingwith I Qualt and that initiative is such
a powerhouse. And Max touch onHertford four hundred and making the city more
beautification, walkability, activating the riverfrontsimilar to what the hard efforts of Riverfront
recapture is focused on. Can youtalk a little bit about Hertford four hundred,

(20:57):
your experience on the I Quote BoardAct, and what what what Jackie
Mandyke is doing over there. Firstof all, Jackie herself is such a
force. She's amazing. Shout outJackie, I hope you're listening. Um,
she's fantastic. She really is sopassionate about um making Hartford the city

(21:18):
the capital city of what of ConnecticutUM, And I would say, you
know, if you don't know whatI qual is or the Hartford four hundred,
I definitely encourage you to google it. We have an amazing website.
UM. And as a board member, some of the conversations we talk about
are very similar to what Max issuggests suggesting. So for me personally,
the riverfront UM, recapturing that andreally making it a place where we want

(21:45):
to spend our time is really reallyimportant. UM. I quill in the
Hartford four hundred actually does Winterfest,and that is a moment where we're trying
to bring our communities together and makecelebrations accessible. UM. Our biggest conversations
right now are really how we canconnect the communities in Hartford. As Max

(22:07):
mentioned, the highway kind of doescut that off, but there are a
lot of government officials downtown. Yeah, sorry, I should clarify the north
end from downtown. The highway doesdefinitely cut it off. I actually did
a poll on my social media accountsthis week and kind of asked, like,
what is it about Hartford that youmay think could change? And a
lot of people said they think it'sa pass through right now for them,

(22:32):
and I encourage people to stop beingon the board. We talk big picture
every day and pie in the skyand what we really want to focus on,
but we also talk about the smallthings too, how we can do
something now to bring the community together. The riverfront recapture. I don't know

(22:52):
if people know this, but theyalso have fitness classes because they do a
really really cool race in the summeron the river, the dragon Boat dragon
Boat Race. Yeah they oh yeahyeah. I quote is really focused on,
you know, improving accessibility in thecity. UM, and we talk

(23:14):
a lot about a lot of thethings max Um has mentioned, right,
the interconnected interest and just the convenience, so being able to be in the
city and also get your grocery shoppingdone UM is really important. And the
walkability of the city. If youlook around the city, I quote has
added extra lighting. UM. Wewe listen if you have ideas rejayfinding signs

(23:37):
way. There's still many beautiful maps. UM. They worked on a really
great map that they were distributing tohotels and UM the Visitor Center that really
shows uh, the different UM highlightsof the city, so that if you're
a visitor, you're coming in andyou kind of know where to visit.
So I love being a part ofI quote, um, I hope that

(24:00):
answers you. They're on Instagram,Instagram, Okay, we're on social media.
And then the website has a reallygreat layout of the Hartford four hundred
and the plans and what we wantto see when we get to four hundred
years from now. I hope we'rehere four hundred years from now. That
would be really amazing. And youcan visit and like I said, reach
out. You can message me onsocial media or message I qual if you

(24:22):
have if you want to join us, or you have ideas. Thank you,
Lauren. That was freaking fabulous.I want to we have a little
bit of time left. I wantto pivot from all things Hartford and talk
a little bit about Hype and inknowing you both are active members, I
wanted to ask what it is aboutHype that one you love the most,

(24:45):
and would you recommend others to joinbecause membership is free until May one?
I repeat, membership is free untilMay one, and why they should join
and get involved to experience what Herfordhas to offer. Putting us on the
hut. See, I know it'seasy for me. It's easy for me
It's the people. Yes, yeah, I have met some fantastic passionate people

(25:08):
through Hype and networking is really goodleadership, that's right. Um, But
yeah, it's really great to justmeet people, understand their perspective, learn
what they're all about, and frankly, learn more about the city. I
agree. I also think it's areally really cool way to come out of

(25:29):
your shell if you are just cominghere, if you're a transplant like I
was, Um, you get somereally good confidence from being surrounded by other
people who have differences of opinion,who can open you up to new experiences.
I met one of my best friendsthrough Hype. Um, Jackie if
you're listening, Hey, Um,she was, you know, encouraged me
to join Hype, and I've meta lot of great people. It's the

(25:52):
people, It's the camaraderie. It'salso the opportunities. I mean, I
wouldn't be sitting here talking about whywe love Hartford so much and why we
want to see it succeed and bevibrant if I wasn't part of Hype.
So I encourage you to join us. Well you heard it here first,
folks, take advantage of that freemembership and join Hype Part for Young professionals

(26:14):
and entrepreneurs, where we are allabout people, places and opportunity. There
is so much more to unpack heretoday and this is why we will be
continuing the conversation on next episode ofHype Hot Takes, where we will discuss
the power of placemaking, what isit, why it attracts young professionals,
and how it sets the stage foreconomic development and growth. Thank you both
for joining me today in studio andback to u Kate, Mia. That

(26:38):
was absolutely incredible. Thanks Kate,We are so happy to be here in
this premiere was amazing. We can'twait for you all to tune in and
here more. Definitely so Mia,you mentioned joining Hype getting involved. Where
can people go to learn more abouthype and all the activities. You can
get all the dates at www dothypepart for dot com and if you are

(26:59):
not about browsing the web, checkus out at Hype Hertford on Facebook and
Instagram, where our digital marketing managerJen is doing a fabulous job of showcasing
all that Herford has to offer froma young professional lens specifically rated to Hypes,
events, opportunities and much more.Fantastic. All right. Well,
as we close out the show today, we would like to welcome a new

(27:21):
investor to the MHA. We referto our members as investors because they are
investing in the work that we're doingto promote the region and get all of
our young professionals involved here in theregion. So today we welcome in Telehealth.
In Telehealth is changing the perception ofobesity and redefining how it is treated.
Their evolved platform allows care teams todeliver specialized obesity treatment and their flight

(27:45):
medical care team can help deliver treatmentwhen you need extra support. For more
information about in Telehealth, visit intelehealthdot co. For all the details about
today's show, you can visit Metrohartforddot com. Again. For all the
details of Hype, you can visitHypeheartford dot com. Big thank you,
big shout out to our partner Okillfor helping us produce this great show every

(28:07):
single week, and thanks always toyou for listening. So one last final
shout out too for Lauren and Max. So wonderful to have you here today
with us, And to sign theoff, I'm Kate Allman. Go out
and make today a good day herein Connecticut,