A day of entrepreneurship, innovation, creativity and celebration |
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For the first time since 2019, the Rowan Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship held its 2nd annual New Venture Expo and 15th annual Rohrer New Venture Competition live and in person, and featured a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new School of Innovation & Entrepreneurship within the Rohrer College of Business.
Dr. Eric Liguori, Founding Head of the School of Innovation & Entrepreneurship, was joined by Morris Kalliny (Senior Associate Dean of the Rohrer College of Business), Sandy Tweedie (Dean of the Edelman College of Communication and Creative Arts), Heather Simmons (Deputy Director of the Gloucester County Board of Commissioners), Ernie Holtzheimer (Managing Director of the Rowan Innovation Venture Fund), Susana Santos (RCIE Associate Director), and Jessica Vattima (RCIE Assistant Director), to kick off the day with a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new school.
The 2022 New Venture Expo invited 42 idea-stage student startups to the Hub of Business Hall and 40 judges made up of entrepreneurs, business leaders and Rowan alum who circulated and scored the various business concepts and pitches. Siena Rampulla (Psychology '23) took home Best in Show for her business PULLAtracker, a safety app that protects women while traveling through Europe. The Expo also showcased student art work in the stARTup Gallery and awarded First Place to Tyler Allen-Williams (Radio, TV & Film '22).
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The 2022 Rohrer New Venture Competition presented its most competitive year yet with five innovative and high-growth business ventures. Xoaesis, 4Umedicaldesigns, Elemeat, Art for Hope, and Aeriform pitched their business plans to an industry-leading judges panel including Marty Buchalski (Chief Executive Officer of International Consumer Products, Inc.), Joseph Cosgrove (Chairman, President, and CEO of Pentec Health), Kara Moore (Senior Advisor, Senior Development of New Jersey Economic Development Authority) and Michael Josephs (Executive Vice President of Business Development and Mergers & Acquisitions at Townsquare Media).
Douglass Hartmann (Engineering Entrepreneurship '24), took home First Place for Aeriform, a new take on land surveying that aims to speed up the surveying process by implementing drones with sensors to scan the area. Using photogrammetry, Aeriform is able to render a 3D model of the land, which is much more accurate than traditional land surveying.
Congratulations to all of our winners and thank you to our judges for making events like this possible! Read more about the Rohrer New Venture Competition & Expo here and watch here in case you missed it! |
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Meet some of Rowan University's student entrepreneurs... |
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RCIE has various events and entrepreneurial engagement opportunities this semester! Be sure to check out StartupTree for the full line up of RCIE events, competitions, applications, and scholarships at Rowan. Click an event image below to RSVP on StartupTree. |
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2022 StartupRU Summer Accelerator Program |
StartupRU is a 10-week program running from June 6 – August 14. The RCIE Summer Accelerator Program offers support such as financial, strategic, infrastructure, in-kind, and potentially additional funding.
Click HERE to learn more and to apply. Applications are being accepted through May 8th. |
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Rowan Entrepreneurship and Adversity Program |
The Rowan Entrepreneurship and Adversity Program (REAP) seeks to help those in Camden and Gloucester counties facing economic or other hardships to start and grow businesses of their own.
Click HERE to learn more and to apply. Applications are being accepted through August 1st. |
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The Startup Opportunity Fund seeks to help first generation and/or underrepresented aspiring entrepreneurs get ther business started. The fund competitively awards non-equity startup seed funding ranging from $500-$2,500 to support the launch and growth of new ventures.
Click HERE to learn more and to apply. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis beginning in April 2022. |
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Want to discuss upcoming competitions, seed funding and scholarship opportunities, get pitch feedback, mentorship possibilities, or how the RCIE can help advance your business idea, startup, or entrepreneurial goals? Click here to schedule a meeting. |
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CALLING ALL RISING HIGH SCHOOL JUNIORS AND SENIORS |
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Apply to the 2022 Think Like an Entrepreneur Summer Academy |
Applications for the 6th Annual Think Like an Entrepreneur Summer Academy are now being accepted. The Academy is an eight-day, non-residential, educational experience for rising high school juniors and seniors. It will be held in person on Rowan University’s campus in Glassboro, NJ, and runs Monday through Thursday, June 20-23 and June 27-30, 2022, from 9AM-2:30PM.
Click HERE for more details and to apply. Applications are due by 11:59pm on May 29th, but apply by May 22nd for priority consideration. |
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E-NEWS TO KEEP YOU IN THE KNOW |
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RCB student named to LCL's 22 Under 22 list |
Congratulations to Nicholas Nastasi (Management '23), founder of 4Umedicaldesigns, who took home Second Place in the 2022 Rohrer New Venture Competition, was a semi-finalist in TCU's Values and Ventures competition, and was listed on the Life Changing Labs' "LCL 22 under 22" list. 4Umedicaldesigns aims to reduce medical anxiety and fear by decorating dismal medical devices to look more child friendly. |
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Joseph Cosgrove named Rowan University’s 2022 Distinguished Alumnus |
Joseph Cosgrove ('00), chairman, president and chief executive officer of Pentec Health, will receive the 2022 Distinguished Alumnus Award. Cosgrove has actively supported the RCIE and Rowan's student entrepreneurs over the years and we are so #RowanProud! Read more here. |
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UIF focuses on mental health at Rowan Innovation Weekend |
The University Innovations Fellows held a Rowan Innovation Weekend to teach students design thinking methods and challenged attendees to create solutions that combat mental health issues on campus. |
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Halfday secures RIVF funding |
Congratulations to Rowan alum Mike Lombardo and Kayvon Jahanbakhsh who received $75,000 from the Rowan Innovation Venture Fund (RIVF) for their startup, Half Day Tonics. Watch here. |
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RCB recognized among AACSB's Innovations that Inspire |
RCB Dean Susan Lehrman, Head of School Dr. Eric Liguori, and RCIE Assistant Director Jessica Vattima attended AACSB’s iCAM conference in New Orleans. Rowan University was recognized among AACSB's 2022 Innovations that Inspire for empowering underrepresented youth across the globe through the Think Like an Entrepreneur summer academy for high school students. |
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Juliana Mason, Saxby's SCEO, discussed the experiential opportunity available through Saxby's housed in the College of Business. Watch here. |
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Ashley Lamb hosts Coffee with an Entrepreneur |
Ashley Lamb, local entrepreneur and owner of Mortar & More Brick Decor, spoke with students about her experience as an entrepreneur and small business owner. "Do not give up and keep pushing!", she told students. "I promise it will give." Thank you for speaking with us, Ashley! |
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Santos and Liguori co-author article on racial identity |
Susana Santos and Eric Liguori have a new co-authored AACSB Insights article on racial identity and entrepreneurship. The article looks at how business schools can better support underrepresented individuals as they navigate their entrepreneurial journey and highlights RCIE's new Startup Opportunity Fund. Read the full article here. |
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Rowan Offers MBA Concentration in Cannabis Commercialization |
Assistant Dean Jennifer Maden met with CBS3 to discuss Rowan University's new MBA concentration in cannabis commercialization. It is an AACSB accredited program and will be accepting 20-30 students for Fall 2022. Learn more about it here. |
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Tina Solak hosts Making A Maker |
Tina Solak, owner of The Refill Market, shared her experience as a trailblazer in the east coast sustainability industry. She discussed launching her business during Covid and life as a small business owner. Thanks for joining us, Tina! |
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Want to stay connected with the RCIE? Subscribe to our mailing list today! |
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The RCIE team is here to support you!
The RCIE team is on campus and available to all Rowan students, faculty, and staff! Feel free to schedule a meeting to discuss upcoming competitions, your ideas, receive pitch feedback, and more.
Please contact Jessica Vattima if you are interested in mentorship opportunities, such as becoming a "Startup Guru", or if you have interest in hosting a webinar, virtual workshop, site visit, or speaking event.
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Rowan's entrepreneurship team wants to remind you to keep ideating, making, and doing, especially during times of uncertainty and change.
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Pictured: L-R first row: Dr. Michael Dominik, Professor Katie Loesch, RCIE Grad Assistant Brandon Graham, Professor Gregory Payton; L-R second row: Professor Susan Meyer, Dr. Eric Liguori, Dr. Cheryl Bodnar, RCIE Coordinator Andrew Bunoza; L-R third row: Dr. Susana Santos, Dr. Lee Zane, RCIE Assistant Director Jessica Vattima, the Rowan Prof
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For more information of any of Rowan's student entrepreneurship programs or to learn how you can support entrepreneurship at Rowan, please contact Jess (Wolk) Vattima at wolk@rowan.edu.
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Rowan Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Business Hall 209
201 Mullica Hill Road | Glassboro, NJ 08028
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