HUBCAP cultivates new businesses and helped local high-school students create a pop-up restaurant. Photo courtesy of HUBCAP Wallingford
On the block between Knuckleheads and Alyssa’s Cakery lies an unassuming building with a sign that reads “HUBCAP Wallingford: Community, Business, Education.” At first glance, most students would be confused by the vague sign. However, HUBCAP’s purpose is actually quite simple: to provide opportunities for new businesses to grow and high school students to gain real world work experience. The organization accomplishes these goals by providing rental spaces for new businesses and helping high school students work at these businesses. The name “HUBCAP” is a portmanteau of these two ideas: the organization is the business hub of Wallingford, and it assists high school students with Capstone projects.
HUBCAP first began to take root in 2013 when co-founder Mr. Vincenzo M. Landino met with Wallingford Center executive director Ms. Liz Landow to discuss ways to support local businesses. “We started talking, and then, I just happened to say, ‘I’ve heard of these new incubator businesses.’ And his eyes lit up, and he said, ‘That’s what I wanna do here,’” said Ms. Landow of the meeting. After reviewing the idea with Wallingford’s Head of Economic Development, HUBCAP was established in February 2014 with the support of the Wallingford Center.
HUBCAP’s incubator model specifically supports small business owners who are intimidated by the high costs of brick-and-mortar stores. To guide these business owners, HUBCAP provides “incubator suites,” cheap rental spaces with free internet and access to printers, scanners, and photocopiers. The design of some incubator suites also facilitates interactions between business owners so they can bounce ideas off each other during lunch or share business plans in a conference room. HUBCAP also offers a mentoring program that helps entrepreneurs develop their business ideas.
Since its establishment, HUBCAP has helped a number of small businesses. Most of these success stories begin as pop-up businesses in a HUBCAP incubator suite and grow to become fully fledged businesses. One example is the Wallingford store “We Are Micro.” This store began when a college graduate and former Wallingford public high school student worked with HUBCAP to create a graphic T-shirt store. Following a very successful launch, the business was eventually able to afford a storefront elsewhere in Wallingford.
In addition, HUBCAP connects these businesses to local high schools, such as Lyman Hall High School and Mark T. Sheehan High School. Students can obtain real-life work experience by working at a HUBCAP-sponsored business. In fact, beginning with the class of 2020, a new Connecticut state law will require all public high school students to complete a Capstone project that demonstrates their ability to use the knowledge and skills they have acquired for some kind of real-world application. Some of these projects take the form of temporary restaurants. In 2017, as part of the Wallingford Public Schools Culinary and Hospitality Program, HUBCAP helped students create self-run, fully functioning pop-up restaurants, including an Asian fusion restaurant and a bakery café. Another Capstone project made possible by HUBCAP was an art auction held in the HUBCAP building by a local high school student. The student auctioned 34 pieces of artwork and donated all the proceeds to charity.
HUBCAP also provides an educational program named the Credit for Life program. During this one-day program, all 500 sophomores from Lyman Hall and Mark T. Sheehan participate in a “Game of Life” where they learn how to pay taxes, pay student loans, and buy a house in addition to many other important life skills. At the end of the program, students talk to financial advisors and discuss their monthly financial plan.
HUBCAP is focused on helping young innovators in Wallingford bring their ideas to life while stimulating economic growth in the local Wallingford community. According to Mr. Landino, “To me it’s really about the next generation of entrepreneurs. It’s about those upcoming, the future of our towns.”
