From The Desk Of…Brent Montgomery & Courtney Montgomery, The Village 

Village People! As the end of 2021 approaches, you may find yourself reflecting on the moments that meant the most to you this year. Think about your’s for a second…For myself and Courtney, many of our memorable moments involve you, our community and the opportunity to bring people together in meaningful ways –

• Babies, dogs and everyone in between on the Cisco patio, laughing, listening to music and having a good time.
• Folks gathering at The Wheel to grab a drink and share a meal.
• People from all different worlds coming together for events and experiences.
• National and global businesses joining the tenant community, with 600 people who will call The Village home every day.
• Students from nearby Waterside School learning about the food system and immersing themselves in how to grow their own food in our rooftop garden.

Back in July, we opened our hearts and doors to the city of Stamford and hoped our dream for what we believed this building could be would come to fruition. We have been overwhelmed by the response and are truly grateful to be part of such a special community. We know there’s a lot more to do and build upon as we continue to bring the core pillars of The Village to life across… 

Food – The Wheel and Cisco Brewers at The Village teams (with APICII at the helm) have worked tirelessly to create signature food and beverage experiences you won’t find anywhere else. Chief Food Curator of The Village, Mike Geller has kept The Wheel’s menu fresh and seasonal via relationships with the best local farmers and food purveyors, as well as the cultivation of The Village’s own rooftop garden, which The Wheel’s chefs pull ingredients from on a regular basis. Stay tuned for the launch of exclusive culinary experiences in our private chef’s kitchen, curated by Mike and featuring top chefs and makers. 

Community and Culture –

• Art – Jess Zackham, Head of Culture, has overseen collaborations with some of Connecticut’s most talented artists including Patrick Ganino, Sam Malpass, Jahmane and Yedi Fresh to create large scale, permanent murals for guests of The Village to enjoy. In addition, Fernando Alvarez has curated whimsical and inspirational pieces throughout The Village’s spaces, and will continue to create unique and thought-provoking exhibits in 2022 as Chief Curator. Also be on the lookout for another one-of-a-kind installation to be unveiled in January.
• Music – this year featured a lineup of incredible musical acts, from the bands on the Cisco patio programmed by Jeff Tuohy to live music during Sunday Jazz Brunch, plus a performance by two of Conan O’Brien’s longtime late night band members. Music will continue to be an important piece of our programming.
• Community-Building and Programming – Gary Dell’Abate has been a face of The Village, and has facilitated, hosted and added immense value to the events and programming we’ve rolled out to the community. He will continue to help us elevate experiences across a variety of disciplines at The Village.

Social Impact and Philanthropy – Duncan Edwards has brought his network of change-makers, dreamers, and do-ers into the building (one of which is featured on The Village’s 50 ft “Dream Big” mural, which depicts a special young lady in partnership with Waterside School). As Head of Social Impact, Duncan will forge meaningful collaborations in the new year similar to that of the Waterside program. We have also enlisted philanthropy powerhouse Nina Lindia to help build on these efforts and, to this end, we will announce an exciting community initiative in the year ahead. 

With 2022 around the corner, we’ve got big(ger) plans. We laid the foundation, but all of you bring the magic that makes this place the community and incubator of creativity and fun that it is and will continue to become. Thank you all for being a part of the journey with us – cheers to an even bigger year ahead!!!