Finance Pressroom | School of Business | University of Connecticut

A group of UConn students, professors, CTSBDC advisors, and Cricket Press staff on campus

Cricket Press Taps UConn Students to Explore AI-Driven Growth Strategies

CTSBDC – Sometimes all it takes is a fresh perspective to unlock new growth. Through a recent collaboration between the UConn School of Business and the Connecticut Small Business Development Center (CTSBDC), Cricket Press—a West Hartford staple since 1971—gained valuable insights from some of UConn’s top business students, opening the door to new opportunities and ideas.

As part of its Honors Program, the UConn School of Business offers a Case Competition which gives students a chance to work directly with real-world businesses to address a challenge. In years past, students have worked with larger enterprises, but during the Spring 2026 semester, students worked with CTSBDC’s client, Greg Confessore, owner of Cricket Press. For Confessore, working with the students was about continuing a legacy of being forward-thinking and using new technology—and the knowledge of others—to allow his small business to operate at a higher level.

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