Success is
a journey.
Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.
Born in Hartford
2011
Civic Mind was founded in our Capital City as the political and economic climate of the “Great Recession” created a market in demand of social impact through community organization, creativity, and collaboration.
Our original tagline – “We Build Happier Communities.” – promoted our work on quality-of-life initiatives in Hartford including street fairs, movies in the park, a citywide anti-litter campaign, (Park)ing Day, and more.
The Commission
2017
We partnered with the State of Connecticut’s Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity & Opportunity to create strategies and initiatives to achieve multigenerational solutions.
We established expertise in two-generational (2Gen) public policy work aimed at systems change in state government that addresses intergenerational poverty and support of families in overcoming barriers to economic success.
This experience fundamentally changed the orientation of Civic Mind’s social enterprises with new metrics of success based on equity, access, and opportunity.
Yoga In Our City
2019
Yoga In Our City began to flourish with our renewed purpose to build stronger, more compassionate communities statewide. The program expanded into four cities across Connecticut joined by new partners and our growing audience as a result of our focus on outreach to families.
The program was also well-positioned as the 2020 pandemic struck and became an ideal resource to counter the negative impact of quarantine. Communities could safely enjoy classes outdoors together to develop new, healthy routines and combat social isolation.
Master of Public Policy
2022
We bolstered our public policy expertise and academic credentials so we could do more to shape change and take on systemic issues.
From 2000 to 2022, TJ was a Master of Public Administration Fellow at the University of Connecticut, where he was awarded the David B. Walker Award for his “tireless dedication to public service.”
2Gen Economy™
2023
Our collective experience in social enterprise design, public policy, and community finance culminated in the creation of the 2Gen Economy™, a new economic model based on community wealth building and civic engagement.
Our model recognizes that communities grow stronger when families can achieve their full potential together.
Downtown Yoga Studios
2012 to 2017
Downtown Yoga Studios was Civic Mind’s first venture. We designed and operated Hartford’s first yoga studio with a mission to make yoga more affordable, accessible, and approachable to the community.
We extended our studio programming to offer free classes in Bushnell Park to introduce ourselves and promote the city under the slogan of “Happy. Healthy. Hartford.” The rapid popularity of the community classes became the origin of what is now, Yoga In Our City.
Advancing Connecticut Together 2018
We made a major shift to our business operation by partnering with Advancing Connecticut Together as our non-profit fiscal sponsor and aligning with their mission to “ensure all people in Connecticut have equitable resources necessary to achieve multigenerational health, wealth, and happiness.”
Our partnership established future Civic Mind programs would operate as non-profit organizations “for the purposes of providing inclusive, quality-of-life programming, and public interest advocacy in areas of civics, equity and justice.”
The Hartford Times
2022
In 2015, we acquired The Hartford Times legacy media brand with the aim of improving Connecticut’s access to information, community connectivity, and media justice.
In 2022, we launched the new platform as part of our partnership Advancing Connecticut Together. Our solutions-oriented content cultivates a common regional identity and promotes civic participation to build an enlightened, assembled democracy.
We Design Social Impact
2020 to 2023
We recognized the opportunity to help businesses beyond our own create social impact while achieving specific financial and organizational goals.
We served as the outsourced Chief Impact Officer for a 45,000-member, $600m credit union responsible for driving their social impact strategy and brand identity development.
The experience cemented our expertise in community wealth building and multigenerational program design.
Driven To Do Good
2024
Civic Mind’s journey has led to our innovative “Agency + Venture Studio” operating model.
Our Agency has assembled a high performing team of talented strategists, creatives, and experts that provides services to other like-minded organizations.
We then invest our resources and capacity into Ventures that support our vision of building a more compassionate, equitable, and sustainable society.
Our Founder
Thomas Clynch
TJ founded Civic Mind in 2011 as the political and economic climate of the “Great Recession” created a market in demand of social impact through community organization, creativity, and collaboration.
His blend of social entrepreneurship and public interest advocacy has made him a recognized leader in community wealth building, social equity, and economic justice.
University of Connecticut
Master of Public Administration, Fellows Program
University of Pennsylvania
School of Social Policy and Practice, Social Impact Strategy
Yale University
School of Public Health, Climate Change and Health
Vice Chairman
Connecticut Sustainable Business Council