“It’s a marathon, not a sprint,” said local entrepreneur and CEO of Cena Health Vanessa Sena. “You have to utilize what you [have] through the small steps.”
When Sena began providing medically tailored meals for patients in Hartford, CT during the COVID-19 pandemic, she didn’t expect that in less than three years she would have transformed from a food provider to a full-fledged, multi-state, food-as-healthcare clinic. Today, Cena Health partners with hospitals to provide food as a clinical intervention for patients managing chronic conditions.
Experiences like Sena’s illustrate how important the right environment and resources can be for growing organizations and entrepreneurs. This same principle sits at the heart of NCRC’s Fellowship for Equitable Development (FED), which places dedicated fellows within community organizations to provide hands-on support, fresh perspectives and additional capacity. The program’s core mission is to ensure these organizations are equipped to move the needle toward a just economy.
The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven (CFGNH), a FED host organization, leveraged the additional fellows to develop and launch a digital portal for its entrepreneur network that provides resources and connections to local small business owners like Sena. A founding participant in the New Haven Equitable Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Network (NHE3), Sena received guidance from her fellow entrepreneurs and was introduced to key investors and venture networks.
“There’s a huge gap between the small business mindset and the scalable start up mindset,” said Sena. “When I began getting into the startup ecosystem [through the NHE3 network] and connecting with other founders … who have seen it all before and know that the skies the limit, [it] totally changed my perspective.”
She now has the right organizational strategy and partnership opportunities to secure the needed funding to expand nationwide. The story of Cena Health and CFGNH reflects a broader truth about community development: when organizations are given the right mix of resources, relationships and strategic support, they can move from promising ideas to systems-level change.
This same principle is at the core of the FED program model.
“The fellowship added meaningful, flexible capacity during a period of growth and allowed us to advance multiple initiatives aligned with our mission,” said CFGNH’s Project Director Andrew Forbes.
Forbes’s reflection underscores how fellows do more than support operations. They sustain momentum and expand what is possible.
In the past two years, NCRC’s FED fellows have supported CFGNH in moving their E3Connector initiative from the development phase into full implementation. In 2024, FED Fellow Joseph Enyonu helped coordinate E3Connector’s stakeholder engagement campaign by building out strategy sessions with community members.
Following the program’s official launch, 2025 Fellow Jaspreet Kondola supported this work by helping entrepreneurs understand how to use the E3Connector portal so they could find and apply for resources more easily. She also reviewed over 90 small business grant applications, supporting the evaluation and selection of businesses for funding.
Since 2021, the NCRC Fellowship for Equitable Development has expanded the capacity of 41 nonprofits nationwide, equipping them with essential staff support. Hosting a fellow is not simply filling a staffing gap. It is investing in the future of the community development field by building up the next generation of emerging leaders who will build wealth in our nation’s communities.
NCRC is excited to announce the host organizations selected for this year’s NCRC Fellowship. These organizations are driving real change in their communities, from advancing community health and wellness to expanding economic opportunities. Graduate students eager to make an impact, gain hands-on experience, professional mentorship and the opportunity to contribute to strengthening communities can apply until May 8, 2026.
Dia Henderson is a Program Manager with NCRC’s Community Impact team.
Photo courtesy of the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven.
