TEN STORIES FROM AROUND THE STATE Although some days it seems as though Connecticut may never fully rebound from the Great Recession, there are certainly plenty of entrepreneurs and businesses around the state that are flourishing. Hard work, inspiration and determination continue to be rewarded, be it preparing sweet treats, crafting award-winning quilts, staging an annual music festival, creating digital solutions, selling real estate or opening an adventure park in an abandoned quarry. So here are ten stories that are well worth celebrating, local enterprises that have found what can be elusive for many: Success. SWEET DREAMS ARE MADE IN SONO Fritz Knipschildt's chocolates have come to define “sweet success.” Fritz Knipschildt has made a big name for himself in the rarefied world of chocolate. “On my father’s side of the family are all artists, and on my mother’s side are all entrepreneurs,” he says. “I guess a little bit of both rubbed off on me.” Indeed, creativity, a knack for entrepreneurship—and a whole lot of hard work—have led to extraordinary success of the Norwalk chocolatier. Knipschildt grew up in Odense, Denmark, and was working in restaurant kitchens by the time he was 13. He attended hotel and restaurant school, did stints at a couple of top French restaurants, and in 1996, at age 20, came to the U.S., working as a private chef, and at Le Chateau in South Salem, N.Y., to get his green card. Even then, young Knipschildt knew exactly where he was headed. “My dream had always been to one day be cooking with chocolate,” he says. He began experimenting with sweet-and-savory combinations in his Norwalk apartment kitchen, using only top-grade chocolate and adding in exotic flavors like chipotle, cayenne and balsamic vinegar. He moved to bigger digs, and soon got a huge boost when his dark chocolate truffles were named one of the Top 3 in the World by Gourmet magazine. In 2005, he opened Chocopologie in SoNo, a café/chocolate shop/manufacturing facility (where all of his Knipschildt chocolates are still made). Today, House of Knipschildt’s exquisite handcrafted truffles— made with the finest quality chocolates from Ecuador, Costa Rica, Thailand and Papua New Guinea (he imported six tons in 2013)—are carried at top national retailers like Whole Foods, Balducci’s and Dean & DeLuca. Each signature collection comes in a handmade paper box, marked with a six-month shelf life; there’s also a secondary, less expensive "Chocopologie" line. Knipschildt is also known to many from his appearances on “Chopped,” “Throwdown with Bobby Flay,” “The Martha Stewart Show” and “Food Network Challenge.” - VALERIE SCHROTH GOOD VIBES IN THE PARK CITY For many music fans, when Grateful Dead founder, singer and guitarist Jerry Garcia died on August 9, 1995, it was the day that the music—and the band’s never-ending touring party—died. For Deadhead Ken Hays, it turned out to be the birth of what started as a loving tribute and has become one of the premier summer music festivals in the nation. Wanting to honor Garcia, Hays brought together 3,500 other Deadheads for a love-peaceand- music fest a year later at SUNY in Purchase, N.Y. Originally called “Deadhead Heaven: A Gathering of the Tribe,” it soon became simply known as “Gathering of the Vibes,” and like the Dead themselves, happily kept truckin' around various venues in the tri-state area before finding a home in 2007 at Bridgeport’s Seaside Park, where it has been every summer since. The festival—now a four-day, multistage event—regularly draws 20,000 tie-dyed fans per day (many of whom even camp out for the duration). It also pumps millions of dollars into the local economy and has been a great opportunity to showcase the Park City's burgeoning arts and entertainment scene. Unlike many other major concert festivals that tend to get loud, raucous and commercial, however, the Vibes’ vibe continues to stay mellow; it’s a family- friendly event, where kids run barefoot and attendees have flowers painted on their faces. Past headliners have included the other founding members of the Grateful Dead (of course!) and have included many top acts, ranging all over the musical spectrum—Elvis Costello, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Allman Brothers Band, James Brown, The Black Crowes, Bruce Hornsby, Jimmy Cliff and Buddy Guy. This year’s festival kicks off July 31 and no doubt the love, like the Vibes itself, will continue to grow. - RAY BENDICI TOLLAND'S TECH TITANS It's looks like blue skies ahead for Tolland's OpenSky Corp. The founding of OpenSky Corp., which provides consulting services for the information- technology sector, sounds like something out of rock 'n’ roll history: Five guys who were successful with other groups get together and form their own, starting out in a basement (in Glastonbury). After putting in the hard work and long hours, they finally break through and enjoy dramatic success. “It absolutely was like the start of a rock band,” says OpenSky co-founder Tom Hazen, noting that it was the “professional services” arena where they got their self-funded start. “At first, we were sitting around card tables and working on some old laptops, putting our noses to the grindstone, so to speak.” Since that modest launch in January 2008, OpenSky Corp. has enjoyed a meteoric rise in the IT sector. The company moved from the basement to official offices in Tolland in 2009, gaining multiple Fortune 500 companies as clients along the way, In addition to annually doubling and tripling revenue over the past few years—it posted growth of more than 18,000 percent from 2007 to 2011—the company has expanded, opening offices in the mid-Atlantic, Southwest, South Central and Western United States. It has gone from the original five founders to nearly 150 employees, netting a fair share of accolades, including recognition for “fastest growth” (Inc. magazine, CRN and Marcum Tech), for being among the “tech elite” (CRN) and as a “Top Workplace” (Hartford Courant, Connecticut Magazine). Hazen calls the rapid growth “surprising,” but expresses confidence in the OpenSky team. “We live behind our values and one of those is doing the right thing for both our clients and our employees, and that has translated into a successful formula, and that’s driving our growth,” he says. OpenSky plans to continue its trajectory in the year ahead, expanding both services and presence, with an eye to adding international offices. “We’re still a growth organization,’ says Hazen. “We still have a long ways to go. We’re not done yet.” - RAY BENDICI QUILTING QUEEN MAKES GOOD Denyse Schmidt has been able to patch together a quilting empire. One of the more colorful quotes from the world of quilting goes like this: “Asking a quilter to mend is like asking Picasso to paint your garage.” Denyse Schmidt is Connecticut’s Picasso of quilting, or perhaps calling her the Josef Albers of quilting is a better analogy, as she was interviewed for a Yale University Press project to create a digital edition of Interaction of Color, marking the 50th anniversary of Albers’ masterwork about color. Schmidt is a master quilter working at the highest level of creativity, and her talents have been recognized far and wide—the national home-design juggernaut Pottery Barn, for example, scooped up some of her quilts for its line. Her work has been featured in the National Quilt Museum in Kentucky, and her latest book, Modern Quilts, Traditional Inspiration, had American Craft magazine rhapsodizing, “Denyse Schmidt's contemporary art quilts are things of enduring style and beauty … .” Schmidt grew up amid the mill towns of Central Massachusetts. Her father was an engineer and her mother an educator, but both had a creative streak—her father made furniture and her mother crafted clothes for the family, none of which looked homemade, Schmidt says in her website bio. In a more-than-modest understatement, she summarizes her creative arc like this: “I started making things when I was little, and never stopped. I studied graphic design at the Rhode Island School of Design, and had more than a few different careers over the years. I finally patched together my many eclectic experiences when I created my business 10 years ago.” As successful as Schmidt is, she remains genuine, passionate, accessible and caring. She still gives workshops at her studio, and she oversees a Quilt Donation Project that gives money every holiday season to the Bridgeport Rescue Mission, which feeds the hungry, shelters the homeless, and helps people conquer drug and alcohol addictions in the city. The Denyse Schmidt Quilts Studio, located in a historic factory building (once home to the American Fabrics Company) is a locus of art, style, and the greater good—and, of course, offers amazing quilts for sale. To connect, visit dsquilts.com. - DOUGLAS P. CLEMENT HARTFORD LEGEND CELEBRATES 75TH The Carbones have been feeding Hartford for the three generations— that's a lot of great pasta. Carbone’s Ristorante in Hartford celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, but the word “old” does not apply. “Legendary,” yes. “Iconic,” yes. An institution? That, too, but one that walks with a spring in its step because for all these years, as Hartford changed around it, this classic Italian restaurant has remained the abiding passion of the Carbone family. For three generations, younger members of the family have honored the past by personally carrying it forward, adding literally and figuratively to the magic of the myth that began when two brothers, Charlie and Anthony Carbone, emigrated from Bari, Italy, to Hartford. The year was 1938. It was not the best of times. Bari was dirtpoor and America was in the grip of the Great Depression. Jobs were scarce, immigrants unwelcome, but the Carbone brothers, resourceful and used to hard work, set up a stand serving sandwiches and beer across from Bulkley Stadium, home to professional baseball teams such as the Hartford Chiefs and the Hartford Bees. Soon business was so good the Carbones were able to open a casual restaurant serving southern-fried chicken in the rough. They called it The Southern Plantation. Years passed, times changed, but by 1961 Charlie’s sons, Gaetano and Carl (both with culinary school degrees), were ready for the challenge—transforming the restaurant, renaming it and taking it back to its Italian-American roots. At the time, the Franklin Avenue neighborhood was chock-a-block with Italian shops and restaurants, but Carbone’s was the place to go, particularly on special occasions. It was classy but friendly. You got dressed up to go there but you felt at home. It was also what it is today—a gathering place for movers and shakers in the capital city: politicians, sport figures, movie stars, celebrities of every stripe: Mayor Mike Peters, Senator Joseph Lieberman, Sammy Davis, Jr., Arnold Palmer, Dustin Hoffman—far too many to name. Their history, photos and memorabilia line the walls. When Vincent Carbone (pictured), third-generation and a fine chef, took over in 2004, he not only knew the restaurant business inside-out, he loved it. With Vinnie at the helm, Carbone’s has blossomed with changing times while retaining its Old World charm, 300-year old family recipes and warm, welcoming hospitality. As Vinnie puts it: “We treat you like family . . . alright, better than family.” - ELISE MACLAY WHIZ KID CONQUERS THE CLOUD Datto finds the gold lining of the data cloud. Let this sink in for a moment: In only 7 years, Datto Backup has gone from a basement startup founded by a 21-year-old to one of the fastest-growing tech companies in the nation—revenue increased 3,101 percent (you read that right) over the past three years, and now tops $50 million annually. It partners with more than 5,000 companies in North America and Europe. “It’s been kind of overwhelming,” says Austin McChord, Datto’s founder, who, fresh out of the Rochester Institute of Technology with a degree in bioinformatics, moved back to his parents’ home in Newtown and racked up $80,000 in credit card debt to launch the company. “Ultimately, I didn’t want to work for the pharmaceutical industry, and I thought I couldn’t possibly be anymore broke than I was, so it seemed like a good time to start a company because I didn’t have a whole lot to lose.” Following an idea that he came up with in school for a cloud-based computer backup system, he went to work hand-soldering his units while reaching out to every possible tech outlet and growing the business. He had modest success over the first year, but when in 2009 he decided to change the company’s focus and only sell to IT service provider re-sellers, Datto’s sales took off. In 2013, Datto continued its dramatic rise, adding its first major investor in General Catalyst and enjoying nearly 300 percent annual growth; it added 144 new employees and a production facility in Monroe, while opening offices in Toronto, London and Australia. The company and its founder also garnered accolades: “Fastest Growing Company in Backup and Security” from Inc. magazine; “Best Customer Support,” “Best Partner Involvement” and “Best New Product,” all from The ASCII Group; and “Top Innovator of 2013” from CRN.com. The company plans on adding another 150 employees by the end of 2014. “We’re always looking forward, so it’s sort of strange to be looking back to see how far we’ve come,” says McChord. “I think that when I started the business, not knowing how steep the mountain I had to climb was, was to my best benefit because if I had any idea how hard it was to get where we are now, there’s no way I would’ve started. If you had asked me two or three years ago what my company had achieved, I certainly wouldn’t have told you that we’ve covered as much ground as we have. We’ve been incredibly lucky and have a great team here.” - RAY BENDICI DIGITAL DYNAMOS Clients have gone gaga over Digital Surgeons. “Ideas are nothing without execution,” was the five-word speech Digital Surgeons co-founder Peter Sena delivered after the company accepted a 2013 Webby Award—the ultimate recognition in the digital world. Scan Digital Surgeons' client list— which includes Fortune 100 companies as well as national and international brands—and it’s easy to see just how many ideas have been executed by this digital marketing agency, created by Connecticut residents Sena and David Salinas and headquartered in New Haven. Eight years ago, the two were both working in marketing, with Sena running Digital Surgeons—then a creative and technology consultancy, Salinas says, adding that digital marketing was a “black box that few people understood” at the time. “We were of this new era and it was in our DNA, and we knew we could make a difference, so we joined forces and relaunched Digital Surgeons as a digital-first creative agency,” he says. “We were the perfect yin and yang for a partnership, and we saw a tremendous need in the industry for what we could deliver.” The company took off. What started in October 2006 with the two working sideby- side in a 300-square-foot office in Orange has grown into a 4,000-square-foot loft space with 30 full-time employees. The founding partners pride themselves on predicting trends rather than merely following them—and like to push boundaries, providing everything for a brand from social media presence to special events. “We consider ourselves digital artisans, and ‘hackers,’ if you will, of technology and life,” says Salinas. In addition to the Webby, the company earned a slew of other accolades for a campaign in which they created Lady Gaga’s Workshop online—a microsite that counted down the days until the entertainer’s promotional event launched, and then allowed fans to participate in the action if they couldn’t attend in person. A collaboration between Lady Gaga and Barney’s, the project led to a 70 percent increase in holiday sales for Barney’s. The Digital Surgeons motto, “Our Philosophy is Simple: Experiences Create Relationships and Relationships Create Brands,” makes it sound simple—the blueprints to their projects show it is anything but. - JENNIFER SWIFT WALLINGFORD'S ENERGY STARS Proton Onsite rises to the top of the renewable-energy movement. When you hear that Proton Onsite is “a global leader in hydrogen energy and innovative gas solutions,” it might sound like a lot of hot air, but the company has weathered some lean years and even a bankruptcy to emerge as a renewable-energy success. Back in the 1990s, Robert Friedland, Larry Moulthrop, Trent Molter and Bill Smith were all working at Hamilton Standard on military applications for hydrogen- generating technology when they realized that there were commercial opportunities to be had. They recruited Chip Schroeder to help raise the capital necessary to venture out on their own, and in 1996 started Proton Energy Systems. The company, which initially focused on creating fuel-cell systems that extract hydrogen from water, struggled to grow over the next decade. Unable to turn a profit, Proton ended up in bankruptcy in 2007. It was rescued by Tom Sullivan (of Lumber Liquidators fame), an alternative- fuel believer who bolstered finances and expanded the manufacturing scope to include additional renewable energy-related products. In the past four years, Proton has been growing at an annual rate of 20 to 25 percent, according to CEO Friedland. He says the company, which currently employs 80 in its 100,000-square-foot Wallingford headquarters, will add another 15 employees before year’s end. “The joke in the business is that we’re always ‘only five years away,’” says Friedland. “But the truth is that we’ve been inching closer. Fuel-cell technology is here, and as we’ve been able to bring costs down, we’re seeing growth.” In addition to seeing domestic sales continue to improve, he looks to China, India, Africa and Asia for increased fuelcell opportunities. Proton also has been at the forefront of the national effort to establish refueling stations for hydrogen- powered automobiles. - RAY BENDICI THE SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE The fun of turning an abandoned quarry into a thrilling attraction. Where some people saw an old hole in the ground, three brothers saw a gold mine (of sorts), for both themselves and the town of Portland. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Portland was renowned for its brownstone, which was used in buildings in Manhattan and across the country, including at Wesleyan University in Middletown, which owned the deed to the quarries for 50 years in the 1800s. Flooding in the 1930s eventually prevented any further quarrying at the site, and operations were shut down. After sitting abandoned for decades, in 1999 Portland bought the former quarries right off Main Street, next to the Connecticut River, and 2,000 feet of riverfront for $1,050,000. Following a few planning studies and the declaration of the site as a National Historic Landmark, the Hayes brothers—Ed, Frank and Sean—approached the town with an idea to start a sports park there. The proposal was approved at a town meeting and Portland entered into a 25-year agreement with Brownstone Exploration & Discovery Park in 2006 that the land would be used for an adventure park. Trying to build upon the fun of their youth—like many Portland kids, the Hayeses used to swim in the abandoned quarries during the summer—the brothers opened Brownstone, creating summertime adventures for the whole family including swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, rock climbing, zip lining, wake boarding and a water slide. The park, open from May to September, has been an unqualified hit, drawing thousands of action-seekers each summer from all over. The park also gives back to the local community. As part of the agreement, the town receives 15 percent of the gate receipts. With more than 300,000 visitors to the park since it opened, this deal has earned the town almost $1 million. “Our public-private partnership is a huge success and is working extremely well,” says First Selectwoman Susan Bransfield. “Portland residents enter the park at half price, and in addition there are four days of free admission to town residents every year.” Because of Brownstone’s success, Sean Hayes has since bought a nearby ski area in Middlefield, which he restored and opened this winter as Powder Ridge Mountain Park & Resort. He hopes the synergy between the two properties will be beneficial to both him and the surrounding communities. - VIKTORIA SUNDQVIST REAL ESTATE RUNS IN THE FAMILY William Raveis has made selling realty into a successful reality. Forty years ago, 28-year-old Westinghouse International systems analyst William Raveis Jr. was pretty disgruntled. Despite his success in spearheading a company project that integrated domestic and international shipping, involving long hours and weekend commutes to New York City, he got no recognition. The idea of spending his working life as a “company man” lost all appeal: “I wanted a business where I could succeed or fail on my own,” he says. The answer? Real estate—for two reasons. As a child, he’d accompanied his contractor father on new construction jobs, helping him mix the cement. “I’d walk through the houses being built and just love the smell of them,” he says. Of course, the fact that the real estate industry seemed financially promising didn’t hurt. On those NYC-bound train rides to Westinghouse he’d check out the Fortune 500, and saw that more than half the companies on the list were real estate. His own first digs were, by comparison, modest: one room above Mercurio Grocery in Fairfield. As of 2014, William Raveis Real Estate, Mortgage & Insurance stands as one of the top companies of its kind in the U.S.—the seventh-largest under family ownership— and is the No. 1 family-owned real estate firm in the Northeast, employing 3,500 agents and with annual real estate sales of $7 billion. The company currently operates 96 offices, more than 40 of these in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York and New Hampshire. Over the years it’s become even more of a family affair, with chairman and CEO Bill adding his two sons to the team— Chris, who manages the out-of state offices, and Ryan, company treasurer and manager of its mortgage operations. In December, Raveis announced plans to move from its 22,000-square-foot headquarters in Shelton to a 44,000-square-foot space a half-mile away, which will expand the company’s world-class IT platform and add employee-workout facilities and an interior garden. In order to keep employee commutes short, Raveis was determined to keep the business in town. This kind of consideration is only part of the reason Raveis has been named “Top Workplace in Connecticut” for the past three years by the Hartford Courant and Fox News, an accolade earned from reports by the company’s own employees. “Those are the awards that mean the most,” Raveis says. “I learned my lesson from the Westinghouse years: Treat people the way you want to be treated.” Raveis is also renowned for community involvement, benefiting more than 100 nonprofits from Save the Sound and Grassmere Eldercare in Fairfield to the American Red Cross and Girl Scouts. In 2013, the William Raveis Charitable Fund pledged $750,000 to UConn Health Center for the William Raveis Navigator Care Program, in which volunteers and medical professionals will help newly diagnosed breast cancer patients “navigate” the stresses of diagnosis and treatment. - PAT GRANDJEAN