OUR TEAM

Nova Raft is a visionary in fashion who began her career designing best-selling collections for some of New York City’s most iconic brands, including Nike, Ralph Lauren, and Michael Kors. Her meticulous attention to design and detail propelled her into a leadership role as Global Manager of Product Development, where she oversaw sourcing, international imports, and manufacturing for both corporations and small businesses.

Leveraging her industry and leadership experience, Nova founded Nova Raft Business Advisors, a state and federally certified contractor offering business development classes, workshops, and one-on-one advisory support to help entrepreneurs strengthen operations and achieve sustainable growth.

She served as a Business Advisor for the Minority Business Development Agency Advanced Manufacturing Centers (MBDA AMC), a federal initiative under the U.S. Department of Commerce. In this role, she supported socially and economically disadvantaged businesses nationwide with funding assistance, certifications, contracting opportunities, and strategic guidance to accelerate growth and scalability.

Committed to advancing economic opportunity, Nova completed Cornell University’s Women’s Entrepreneurship Program, the Harvard Alumni Entrepreneurs AI and Web3 Certificate Program, participated in multiple bank and nonprofit accelerators, and won grants and pitch competitions for her innovation.

As a philanthropist, Nova has served as a Project Manager for 48in48, a nonprofit that helps women entrepreneurs develop and launch websites within 48 hours, among other community initiatives. She also serves on the Board of Advisors for the University of New Haven Women in Leadership Program, supporting emerging women leaders in business.

She is currently developing a unified digital solution that provides one site, one login, and one platform to simplify the search for grant funding.

As a visionary CEO and philanthropist, Nova bridges the gap between businesses and funders, using technology and strategic insight to drive financial success and foster economic development.

Cara is the Food Entrepreneurship Director at CitySeed. She has expertise with writing and winning grants. With 17 years of experience in the food and beverage industry.

She is currently leading the development of Little Lion Collective in New Haven, CT. Little Lion Collective is a mobile wine, mocktail, and music bar that unites people and makes wine approachable.

Brooke is the CEO of BO.ON a high-end USA fashion production company that handles everything from sample creation to full-scale production for luxury brands.

With her expertise in managing large budgets and scaling operations, she keeps logistics running smoothly, ensuring every project stays on track and meets deadlines. Her company specializes in sourcing, pattern-making, quality control, and manufacturing. Brooke leverages her Turkish roots and bilingual skills to provide premium production services through a trusted network in Turkey that delivers world wide.

Business Relationship Manager

MBA - Marketing & Marketing Management

Currently pursuing a Ph.D. System Modeling and Analysis with a focus on Statistics and Data Science.