Category Archives: Downtown

Shana Schlossberg Creates a Thriving Space for the Hartford Community

 Walk into Upward Hartford, and you’re immediately drawn to a wall covered in brightly colored sticky notes, or the “Idea Wall” as Shana Schlossberg, founder of Upward Hartford, calls it. “A few months ago, I thought to myself, why are we not seeing more entrepreneurs in Hartford? Why are we not seeing more startups […]

Jamie McDonald Uses BBQ to Give Back to the Hartford Community

 Jamie McDonald, owner of Hartford’s Chango Rosa, Bear’s BBQ, and Blind Pig does so much more than just feed people… Originally from Kansas City, Jamie McDonald came here out of the Navy, where he worked for United Technologies for many years. About four years ago he started his search for a spot Downtown when he […]

Hugh Russell Expands the Flavors of Hartford’s Historic Pratt Street

 Hugh Russell’s inspiration to open ‘The Russell’ came from his family roots back home in Jamaica. “All of us were responsible at home for cooking and cleaning. Even if it was peeling potatoes or seasoning the chicken. Growing up we were all domesticated.” So when Hugh immigrated to the U.S., it was about the […]