Supporting Local Businesses and Restaurants

Local Community Programs

Resource Type: Business and Restaurant Resource

Age Group: Business Owners

Town Eligibility: Hamden, North Haven

Partnering with local small businesses and restaurant owners is a collaborative effort that not only strengthens the bond between the local and Quinnipiac community but also fosters unique offerings and shared success. It is important that together we create a thriving network of relationships where entrepreneurship flourishes.

Colors of CT Festival

A business owner smiles at a table selling books.

Quinnipiac University hosted the first “Colors of CT Festival,” which celebrates inclusivity and belonging in the entrepreneurial space.

Sponsored by Quinnipiac University’s M&T Bank Centers for Women & Business and Innovation & Entrepreneurship, the festival featured a “Sip & Shop” for business owners to feature and sell their products and market their services.

Business owners who identify as people of color, women, members of the LGBTQ+ community, veterans, immigrants and refugees, persons with a disability (seen or unseen) or neurodivergent also enjoyed networking opportunities with other business owners and potential mentors from organizations like M&T Bank, Small Business Administration (SBA), Community Investment Corporation, Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce, Hamden Chamber of Commerce, Connecticut Gay & Lesbian Chamber, Disability IN: Connecticut, IRIS, ConnCORP, CitySeed, QPlus and many others.

In addition, the festival featured a fashion show, panel discussions, live music, a DJ and food trucks.

Events

Vendor & Resource Group Networking Session
Keynote Speaker & Fashion Show
Tranquil Room
Sip & Shop
DJ Kahlucah
Lake Kyle and the Skulls
St Luke's Steel Band
Panel Discussion for Entrepreneurs
Panel Discussion for Employees

Quinnipiac University hosts an event to highlight small businesses owned and operated by Women of Color in the QU and Greater New Haven community, Tuesday, March 21, 2023 on the North Haven Campus. — Watch this interview with FOX 61 to learn more about the Sip and Shop Pop-Up Shop.

Explore opportunities and resources

Two small business owners smile and pose with their product in a Quinnipiac room

On-Campus Pop-Up Shops

We periodically have small businesses from the area set up on campus to sell products and network with potential customers. Past events have included a local business fair on the quad and a "Sip and Shop" event for minority-owned businesses. If you have a business you'd like to promote, reach out to us and we'll guide you on next steps.

A waiter serves sizzling dishes of food to two students at Ixtapa Grille

Add Your Business or Restaurant to the Q-Card System

Q-Cards serve as an identification and debit card system for students, faculty and staff. Students are able to add funds to their Q-Card and, at locations where Q-Cards are accepted, easily pay for goods and services using this declining debit system.

Sign your business up to accept Q-Card

An entrepreneur presents a poster board with his business plan to people who are listening

Entrepreneurship Academy with ConnCORP

Quinnipiac's Connecticut Community Outreach Revitalization Program (ConnCORP) supports the dreams of small business owners in the Greater New Haven-Hamden area.

Learn more

Students and professors sit on colorful couches and work at laptops in The Agency space

The Agency for Public Relations, Graphic Design, and Marketing Consultation

The Agency at Quinnipiac is an award-winning and student-run interdisciplinary firm specializing in public relations, graphic design, and marketing. Local businesses and non-profits can work The Agency to explore possibilities for services for their organization.

Learn more

A student and a business owner in suits talk with each other at a Quinnipiac career fair

Hiring Quinnipiac Students or Graduates

Hiring a Quinnipiac student to assist local businesses brings fresh perspectives and cutting-edge skills that can invigorate growth and innovation within the community. Their academic excellence and dedication make them valuable assets in driving success for small enterprises.

Learn more