Shana is a serial entrepreneur who is passionate about Hartford’s’ potential.

She has 16 years of experience directing a broad range of technology initiatives in the Internet, media, telecom and emergency services industries.

She founded EZBZ in 2011 with the goal of creating an efficient and fair platform which uses innovative technology to connect consumers and local businesses in real time.

Shana is also the founder and CEO of Upward Hartford (www.upwardhartford.com), a 27,000 square feet high tech hub that will open in January 2017 in downtown Hartford CT with a goal of providing an ecosystem for the area's entrepreneurial and startup communities.

Prior to founding EZBZ, she was the founder and CEO of Israel Now, a chain of forty local news websites in Israel which offered comprehensive advertising, marketing and PR solutions for more than 25 thousand local and small businesses in Israel.

Earlier in her career, she was a senior business analyst at HP during which she participated in the NYC Emergency Communication Transformation Program (ECTP) as a liaison to FDNY and developed and implemented AVL, GIS and Automated Triage solutions to improve emergency response in the five boroughs of New York.

Prior, she was a project manager and business analyst at Amdocs where she led the development and implementation of numerous projects for Verizon and SBC (currently AT&T).

In 2015, Shana was honored in the White House by the Sustainable Business Council for her work in sustainable enterprises and for supporting local businesses.

She also frequently mentors startups and entrepreneurs, guiding them through the process and helping them build the best business possible.

Favorite food: Steak.
Favorite musical or play: La Boheme (opera).
Country to visit/want to: Brazil.
How do you take your coffee: Americano.
Best vacation destination: Thailand.
Favorite artist/or type of music:  Jazz and Opera.

Contact Shana at [email protected]

Samantha is a multi-faceted and courageous leader, oftentimes referred to as the Swiss Army Knife of any group. She is able to draw from a wide variety of life experiences to solve any problem at hand and enjoys facing challenges with a positive, can-do attitude.

She has over 15 years of management experience in a variety of industries, including hotels, restaurants, marketing, and retail. She comes to us from Costco, with experience managing eight locations in four different states, including Colorado, California, Virginia, and Connecticut. She was responsible for the grand opening marketing efforts of 5 separate locations across the country. At Costco, she served as an Ambassador for Journeys, an organization designed to help women network and exchange information, develop professionally, and create healthier lives, while overcoming the challenges associated with working in a traditionally male-dominated industry.  Samantha has remained passionate in her quest to raise funds for Children's Miracle Network, to benefit specific Children's Hospitals across the country. Prior to her work with Costco, Samantha served as Catering Director for Goldman Sachs in NYC, and was responsible for the initial Training Headquarters relocation as well as the Cayman Island Disaster relocation project in 2004.

Samantha holds two Bachelors degrees from Virginia Tech in both Marketing Management and Hospitality & Tourism Management. At Virginia Tech, she served as an Editor at the Collegiate Times and continues to work on free-lance editorial projects. She was President of the Hospitality Managers Association and Vice President of the Marketing Managers Association. Samantha is a commissioned artist, and works with oil, acrylic, watercolor, charcoal, and pencil. She is an enthusiastic gardener, yogi, snowboarder, rockhounder, and appreciates anything that involves being outdoors and celebrating nature.

Having moved 13 times in the past 10 years, Samantha now calls Connecticut home and is looking forward to helping build the Innovation EcoSystem here at Upward Hartford.

Favorite Hartford Restaurant:  Republic
Favorite Hartford Museum:  Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art. I grew up near Washington DC and was able to visit/study at the National Gallery of Art and the Hirshhorn frequently. Art museums will continue to be an important part of my life and will continue to help me develop as an artist.
Best part/thing about Hartford:  Everyone knows everyone-- you don't see such an intimate work environment in larger cities
Favorite Hartford neighborhood:  I am going to have to say downtown (20 Church Street to be exact).
Favorite Coffee Place:  The Coffee Exchange in Colorado Springs, CO-- especially on snow days!
Favorite food:  Chevre, kalamata olives, old world sourdough paired with a robust red wine
Favorite musical or play:  Singin' In The Rain is my ultimate #1-- but I appreciate any Rodgers & Hammerstein Musical
Country to visit/want to: Patagonia
How do you take your coffee:  Black Cold Brew-- Lightly Sweet or Double Espresso-- Lightly sweet
Best vacation destination: I absolutely loved diving and hiking the hidden coast of Na'pali- Kauai, HI (where they filmed part of Jurassic Park).  Mostly because I love the idea of being stuck on Jurassic island-- it would be such an adrenaline rush!
Favorite artist/or type of music: I appreciate too many types of music to claim a favorite artist or type.  My favorite concert ever was Bob Seger with Joe Walsh in Denver, circa 2012.

Contact Samantha at samantha @upwardhartford.com

Carla has 16 years of event and trade show management experience in the aerospace and movie exhibition industries.  A Hartford Native, she spent several years in Boston planning events before moving back to her home state of CT where she worked for UTC companies for 16 years, managing international events, many of which become industry favorites.. A true travel junkie, she had the opportunity to plan events around the globe. Her strong customer focus attitude and servicing clients’ needs is an important part in helping build Upward Hartford’s EcoSystem.  Carla calls herself a “serious amateur” when it comes to cooking, always managing a way to take all types of cooking classes in NYC frequently and passing the knowledge on to family and friends. She is a strong supporter of Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, a charity fighting childhood cancer.

Favorite Hartford Museum:  New Britain Museum of American Art

Best part/thing about Hartford: We’re a small city with a big heart and diverse neighborhoods!

Favorite Hartford neighborhood: Other than 20 Church Street, obviously, I like the vibe of Frog Hollow these days.

Favorite Coffee Place: Story and the Soil

Favorite food: A very difficult question to ask of someone who considers herself the original “foodie”. I love all foods from all cultures but can live on a loaf of bread, cheese and wine!

Favorite musical or play: West Side Story.  How can you not love a 1960’s urban version of Romeo and Juliet, set in Manhattan?

Country to visit/want to: Australia. If you visited a new Australian beach every day it would take 27 years to see them all!

How do you take your coffee: As strong as possible with a small dash of half n half or preferably at a coffee bar in Rome.

Best vacation destination: Anywhere in Italy

Favorite artist/or type of music: Everyone who knows me knows I have very eclectic taste in music.  Growing up where music played a major role in my life, my musical favorites range from Pavarotti to the Rolling Stones and a lot of interesting artists in between.

Jess - or “JMo” if there’s another Jess in the room - is a master of marketing: from digital account management for global advertisers, to creative strategy and design for local businesses, Jess has managed to do it all in just 4 short years. Upon graduation from Boston University’s College of Communication, Jess worked as an intern, and later, full-time account manager at video ad tech company Pixability in its Boston and New York City locations. During her nearly 2 years at Pixability, Jess managed some of the world's largest brands' paid and organic advertising efforts across Google and Facebook platforms. In pursuit of making an even greater impact for the brands with which she worked, Jess left Pixability to found her own marketing consulting firm in 2016, serving the branding/web/social media needs of small businesses in her home state of Connecticut. When seeking an office for her business in 2018, she was instantly attracted to Upward Hartford’s metropolitan space and inspiring culture, and knew she needed to find a way to lend her talents to furthering Upward’s brand. Soon after, she joined the team as Marketing Manager.

Jess is an avid traveler, experimental chef, a music enthusiast - you can catch her rapping a hot 16 while enjoying a maple grilled cheese before a redeye to Europe with absolutely zero shame. Her other passions include photography, dogs, going for incredibly long drives, and spending time with her family.

Favorite Food: I said I was an experimental chef, but the foundation is always pretty basic - pizza is my clear winner. Truthfully, I have never had a bad slice of 'zza.

Favorite Place To Travel: Costa Rica or Iceland

Favorite Artist/Type of Music: Each week I rotate between rap, heavy metal or 70s soul or disco - issa vibe

How do you take your coffee: With a splash of almond milk

Favorite Musical/Play/Performance: Féerie at the Moulin Rouge truly changed my life

Best Fortune Cookie You’ve Ever Opened: “Your life’s path is moving upward” (30 minutes after accepting the offer to work with Upward)

Contact Jess at [email protected]

Uchenna currently resides in Hartford where she calls the South End her home. She is  extremely proud of her Jamaican roots and has always been drawn to the color and culture of the city.  She is a spoken word artist who you'll see at almost any open mic night in the tri-state area.  She says that besides her family, her poetry is what best defines her. 

Uchenna has a substantial Administrative background and has most recently worked as an assistant to a Bankruptcy Attorney. Prior to that she was a retail store manager.  Uchenna believes there is strength in diversity, and her work history is what makes her ready and excited to become integrated into the flavor and passion at Upward Hartford. 

Favorite Restaurant: Puerto Sagua (Cuban cuisine based in Miami)

Favorite Museum:  Imagine Nation (Early Learning Museum in Bristol, CT)

Best Thing About Hartford:  The varieties of nationalities, languages, and way of life

Favorite Neighborhood: Downtown is really growing and has a lot to offer; it's definitely tied with the south end of town for me

Favorite Coffee Place:  The ones that also serve a cool glass of Merlot

How Do You Take Your Coffee?  Dark roast, one cream, one artificial sugar

Favorite Food: I love a good seafood dish, prepared island-style

Favorite Musical:  Gianni Schicchi   

Favorite Country To Visit: Jamaica

Best vacation destination: It's got to be Paris, France.  I've never been but I've dreamed about it all of my life

Favorite artist/type of music: It sounds cliche but I listen to EVERYTHING.  One of my favorite sounds would definitely have to be 90's R&B  

Contact Uchenna at [email protected]  (she goes by "Chenna") 

Rachel sees the beauty in everything, even coding. She has over 7 years of experience in innovative hi-tech companies in Israel and the US. Her expertise includes wind range of skills in technology, design and art.

She is a front-end developer with backgrounds in graphic design, website and mobile application design, and maintenance and website management. In addition to her role at Innovate Hartford, she also manages the tech team at myEZBZ.com – an online concierge service for businesses and individuals.

Rachel passion lays in interactive art. She developed a software which was featured in various art exhibitions, dance performances and private events. She was one of the feature artist at the “Exhibition of Note” installation at the ARS Electronica Festival in Linz, Austria.

Rachel holds a Bachelor’s degree in Art and Digital Media and served as a Manager Officer in the Israeli Defense Force.

Favorite Hartford Museum: Mark Twain House, I love the story and how authentic it is
Best part/thing about Hartford: Lots of creative poeple in one small place.
Favorite food: Any Breakfast kind of food.
Favorite musical or play: Recently I saw ‘The Nutcracker’ by the NYC Ballet and was blown away.
Country to visit/want to:  Caribbean.
How do you take your coffee: Hot good espresso.
Best vacation destination: Santorini, Greece.
Favorite artist: I love interactive art! Art that combines technology and since in different ways.

Contact Rachel at [email protected]