NJIT in the News

The Enterprise Development Center at NJIT was featured in the August 2010 issue of TechNews magazine. The article, “Talk About a Win-Win!” People 2 Business Teams Up Startup Executive Mentors,” appears on pages 12 and 13.

NJIT's Enterprise Development Center has received a Soft Landings international incubation designation from the National Business Incubation Association (NBIA). Through its Soft Landings program, the NBIA recognizes incubation programs that are especially capable of helping nondomestic companies enter the incubator's domestic market. The EDC was selected for the program because of its slate of business services for nondomestic firms and its demonstrated success at helping these firms enter the U.S. market.

Flyanic, a cementitious mineral processing technology company and licensee of NJIT, has developed an industrial scale and affordable process for grinding cement, fly ash, and other cementitious materials to a median particle size of one micron. The processing costs range from $30-75 per ton, depending on feedstock,  and they can be scaled to industrial levels of production using proven equipment.

Heath Ahrens, founder and CEO of iSpeech, Inc., a company based in NJIT's Enterprise Development Center, took first place in the Venture Association New Jersey's Elevator Pitch Olympics, where entrepreneurs gave two-minute presentations — about as long as it would take to ride an elevator — to investors about business opportunities. Read the Daily Record article.  

“The Enterprise Development Center (EDC) at NJIT is still growing rapidly to be the largest high-tech business incubator in the USA with 95 portfolio companies, despite the tough economy! Entrepreneurs and individual initiatives in the EDC are working to help NJ solve economic growth problems and make NJ a state leading in technology development and the right place to live and work!,” said Jerry Creighton Sr., EDC Executive Director.

Aron Spencer, PhD, an assistant professor in the School of Management at NJIT, will be the instructor and facilitator for the Advance Invention 2 Venture (AI2V) Venture Acceleration Bootcamp, May 18 through May 21, 2010 in NJIT's Enterprise Development Center III, 211 Warren St., Room 407. To register, click here. For additional details, call Judith Sheft at 973-596-5825 or email sheft@njit.edu.

CGC Genetics, Inc., the first private medical genetics laboratory in Portugal, celebrated the grand opening today of its U.S. operations in NJIT's Enterprise Development Center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and press conference. Newark Mayor Cory A. Booker, whose office brought CGC to Newark and the U.S., led the ribbon-cutting ceremony with Stefan Pryor, deputy mayor for Economic Development; Joao Vellera, Portuguese ambassador to the U.S.; Maria Amelia Paiva, consul general of Portugal; Robert A. Altenkirch, president of NJIT; Donald H. Sebastian, senior vice president for research and development at NJIT; and Dr. Robert Johnson, dean of the New Jersey Medical School.

Urovalve, a medical device company located in the NJIT Enterprise Development Center, has announced that President and CEO Harvey Homan PhD has been appointed to an advisory panel for urology and small business at the Center for Scientific Review (CSR) a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Sandi Webster and Peggy McHale, founding directors of Consultants 2 Go, will discuss "Empowering Women through Entrepreneurship: Practical Tips to Get You Started" at the Albert Dorman Honors College Colloquium Series on March 24, 2:30-4 p.m. in the Campus Center Atrium. Judith Sheft, associate vice president for technology development at NJIT, will join Webster and McHale for the panel discussion. 

A drug to stop bleeding during a brain injury and a bed that will prevent bedsores are among the scientific discoveries at NJIT that received earlier this week more than a million dollars in funding from the New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology.

The Enterprise Development Center (EDC) at NJIT will host "Financial Modeling Essentials for Raising Capital" on June 25-26, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. in the EDC III, 211 Warren St., Rm. 407. The two-day workshop will cover all the key aspects of developing a financial model that is defensible to all types of investors. To register, click here.

"Secrets of Winning SBIR/STTR Proposals," a half-day seminar that will provide participants with an introduction to and overview of the SBIR and STTR programs, will be held on June 24, 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at NJIT's Enterprise Development Center, 211 Warren St., Rm. 407. Sponsored by the NJ Commission on Science & Technology, the seminar will feature representatives of the U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC) at the Picatinny Arsenal. Registration: $35 in advance; $45 at the door. To register, click here.

"Staying Out of Government Auditor Quicksand: Accounting System Compliance for All Types of Federal Grants and Contracts" is the topic of a seminar on June 5, 8:30 a.m.-12 noon at NJIT's Enterprise Development Center. The seminar will be presented by Anthony J. Faugno CPA, Partner (at left) and Matthew Herdman, MBA from the Federal Government Contracting Group at Amper, Politziner & Mattia, LLP. To register, click here.

The New Jersey Technology Council will present roundtable sessions on nano entrepreneurship and nano applications on June 2, 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at NJIT's Enterprise Development Center. Satya Prakash, associate professor in biomedical engineering at McGill University, will give the keynote presentation. To register, click here.

Entrepreneurs and startup companies (and their advisors) who are planning to present to investors in the next few months will have the opportunity to obtain direct feedback and expert help with their presentations at the "Dry Run Your Investor Presentation" workshop on June 1, 8 a.m.-3 p.m.in NJIT's Enterprise Development Center. Coaching will be provided by Steve Bowman, the “Pitch Doctor.” To register, contact: Bill Coons, 908-553-6775. 

The New Jersey Center for Innovation Acceleration, a joint initiative of the NJIT School of Management and the NJIT Enterprise Development Center (EDC), will offer a series of business planning and financial modeling courses for entrepreneurs funded by North Jersey Partners. 

NJIT's Center for Innovation Acceleration and North Jersey Partners WIRED will host several seminars and certification programs. The Advanced Invention 2 Venture (AI2V) workshop will be held on June 8-11, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., in the Enterprise Development Center III, Rm. 407. Click here to register (click on June 8-11 link). Contact: sheft@njit.edu or call 973-596-5825. In addition, The New Jersey Center for Innovation and The Entrepreneurs Group will present "Build Your Financial Model and Develop Cash Management/Valuation Skills," a program consisting of two hands-on and intensive workshops to assist small businesses and entrepreneurs in raising capital. For more information as well as dates and locations, click here. 

"How to Appreciate Great Work(ers)" is the topic of a seminar by Chester Elton, co-author of several successful leadership books, on April 3, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in the Guttenberg Information Technologies Center 3720/30/40 at NJIT. RSVP is appreciated: 973-596-5275 or vidal@adm.njit.edu.

Technology and life sciences-related businesses, service providers, and state universities are invited to attend a roundtable discussion on the financial resources and incentives available to New Jersey's most promising technology companies at NJIT's Enterprise Development Center III. Hosted by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, the Edison Innovation Roundtable will be held on March 30, 8:30-11:30 a.m. Click here to register. 

Chuck Daniels of ACBB-BITS, Inc., a highly successful entrepreneur and NJIT alumnus (BS '80) who received NJIT’s Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award in 2000, will be the guest speaker at a Monthly Entrepreneurs' Gathering on April 2, 10 a.m.-12:30 pm at the Enterprise Development Center, 211 Warren St., Room 407. RSVP to Kelly Carthens or 973-643-4063 would be appreciated.

A former CEO and global sales and marketing executive will tell small business owners and others how to survive this tough economy without cutting costs.  Jim Lewis, CEO of Princeton Sales Partners and author of Five Deadly Sins CEOs Make in Sales, will speak at NJIT on March 4, 2009 from 10 a.m. -12:30 p.m. 

Best-selling business author and Harvard Business School Professor Clayton M. Christensen will focus on creating and surviving disruptive innovation at a free talk open to the public set for Feb. 28, 2009, at NJIT. The event will be held from 5-7 p.m. in Room 112, Eberhardt Hall and Alumni Center on the NJIT campus, located at 323 MLK Blvd. at Bleeker St.  

Have a great idea for a business or invention but don't know where to turn? Then consider yourself a candidate for the Young Alumni Club's Entrepreneurial Network program. On Saturday, Jan. 24, the Alumni Association of NJIT’s Young Alumni Club and the NJIT Enterprise Development Center co-sponsored a workshop for aspiring entrepreneurs that was attended by 90 alumni and guests. For more information about the program, go to www.njit.edu/alumni/yac.

Have a great idea or invention but don’t know where to turn? Then consider yourself a candidate for an upcoming day of four workshops for first-time entrepreneurs sponsored by the NJIT Enterprise Development Center and the Alumni Association of NJIT.

The bond between NJIT and Newark grows stronger every year.  Since NJIT’s founding as Newark Technical School in 1881, NJIT has been a vital partner in education, economic growth and civic betterment in the city. 

Student entrepreneurs have the opportunity to participate in Randal Pinkett’s Campus CEO Challenge as part of the IFEL North Jersey Business Plan competition.  For additional details please click here.  Deadline for submission of executive summaries is January 14, 2009.  The Competition will culminate with an awards luncheon on April 30, 2009 at New Jersey Institute of Technology Campus Center. The business plan competition is part of the North Jersey Partners WIRED (Workforce Innovation for Regional Economic Development) grant.  

NJIT's Enterprise Development Center (EDC) will host the Eighth Annual New Jersey Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)/Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Conference on Nov. 19 and Nov. 20. Companies will be reimbursed by the EDC for the attendance fee and will receive a free proposal review just for attending. Phase I (Proposal Development) and Phase II (Cost Proposal Preparation) program attendees will be eligible to receive a complimentary proposal critique by the Greenwood Consulting Group. Inc. within one year of the programs. For more information and online registration visit www.njsbdc.com/scitech.

Technology and life sciences-related businesses, service providers, state universities and research institutions can learn how New Jersey helps early-stage technology companies grow their businesses at a networking and information session at NJIT's Enterprise Development Center (EDC) on Nov. 7, 8:30-11 a.m. in the EDC III, 211 Warren St., Newark. Register online at seminars.njeda.com or call 609-777-4880 for more information. 

"Creating and Surviving Disruptive Innovation" a talk by Clayton M. Christensen, the Robert and Jane Cizik Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, on Nov. 1, has been postponed to a later date.

NJIT's Enterprise Development Center will host a free seminar on "Technology Commercialization from Lab to Commercial Success: Tiptoeing through the Minefield" on October 23, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the EDC, 211 Warren St., Conference Room 407. Yaniv Sneor of Blue Cactus Consulting will draw on his experience starting, managing and growing companies in a variety of industries and fields and his involvement in numerous technology commercialization endeavors encompassing a broad range of technologies and markets. All are welcome. RSVP to Kelly Carthens is appreciated.

High school students enrolled in NJIT's Real World Connections Summer Internship Program will be recognized for their achievements at an awards ceremony on August 7, 12:30-4 p.m. at the Enterprise Development Center 3, 211 Warren Street, Conference Room 407. Through the Capstone Open University Connections Program, students work in small project teams to solve real-world problems based on scenarios drawn from actual industry cases in a broad array of fields, including health, communications, sports, and entertainment.

NJIT postdoctoral students and companies in the Enterprise Development Center (EDC), NJIT’s high technology business incubator, were awarded eight grants totaling $480,000 from the New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology to bolster company growth and jumpstart the careers of young scientists.

Twenty youngsters enrolled in the Colgate EMPOWER Summer Biz Camp will receive certificates of recognition as well as participate in a business plan competition at a graduation ceremony on July 25 at 10 a.m. in NJIT's Enterprise Development Center III, 211 Warren Street, Newark. The Honorable Robert L. Bowser, Mayor of the City of East Orange, M.J. Peterson, Manager of the Division of Employment and Training, and Councilwoman Virginia Cross will be on hand at the event.   

NJIT's Office of Technology Development and the Enterprise Development Center (EDC) along with North Jersey WIRED will host an Advanced Invention to Venture Workshop on June 9-12, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. at the EDC, 211 Warren St., Newark. An optional SBIR Proposal Writing workshop will be held on June 13. Scholarships are available for NJIT faculty and students. Contact: Judith Sheft at  NJIT's Office of Technology Development at x5825.

NJIT’s Enterprise Development Center (EDC) has given startups an edge since 1988.  Now celebrating its 20th anniversary, this high-tech business incubator housed at NJIT is open to early-stage companies that have, or will have, a proprietary technology as a significant source of revenue.

NJIT’s Enterprise Development Center will host “Getting the Most Out of Advertising, Promotion, Communications and Brand Development,” a special free panel and information/networking session, on April 24, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at 211 Warren Street, Newark. Panel members include Elizabeth (Beth) Fitzgerald of the Star-Ledger and Patrick Regan of NJN. For information on directions or parking, call Claire Dougherty at 973-643-4063.

A computer software program developed at NJIT for early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other diseases has won the most coveted title at a recent New Jersey Technology Council competition. 

Neurotrax, a medical device and technology company based in the Enterprise Development Center at NJIT, received the "Most Likely To Succeed" Award last week at the 2008 New Jersey Technology Council Venture Conference.

High school and college student entrepreneurs attending Newark-based schools or who are Newark residents have the opportunity to win money for start-up capital and a consultation with Randal Pinkett, chief executive officer of BCT Partners, based in NJIT's Enterprise Development Center. Students are invited to submit their mini-business plans to Newark's Most Promising Young Entrepreneur Contest by March 14, 2008.  

The Enterprise Development Center at NJIT will host a special free Monthly Entrepreneurs Gathering  Forum and Information/Networking Session on Jan. 17, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. in the EDC, 211 Warren St., Rm. 407. Contact: Jerry Creighton at 973-643-4063; e-mail: Jerry.creighton@njit-edc.org.

NJIT will host Tech Industry Day, a conference and exhibition of NJIT projects as well as Enterprise Development Center incubator projects, on Oct. 30 in the NJIT Campus Center. For more information, contact Ranya Tawfik at 973-596-5519.

The Enterprise Development Center (EDC) at NJIT will celebrate the graduation of Great American Technologies (GAT) from the EDC on Oct. 18, 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in the Campus Center Atrium at NJIT. The event will include a celebration of GAT’s technological achievements and the launch of the Mobile Vision Player and Mobile Priority Communication System™.  Seating is limited. To reserve your ticket for this free event, please RSVP by Oct. 16 to Joan Guarino; 973-848-9393; e-mail: jguarino@gat-usa.com.

Randal D. Pinkett, PhD, chairman and CEO of BCT Partners, located in NJIT’s Enterprise Development Center, will discuss how students can take the entrepreneurial leap by starting and running a profitable business on Oct. 3, 3-4:30 p.m. in the Jim Wise Theater in Kupfrian Hall.

The Enterprise Development Center (EDC) at NJIT will host Angel Event 2007, a free participation and feedback session for startup and early-stage companies, on Sept. 27, 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m., NJIT EDC III, 211 Warren St., Rm. 407.

Science and technology entrepreneurs and small businesses in New Jersey will have the opportunity to gain information that will help them compete more effectively for SBIR/STTR grants and contracts at the Seventh Annual NJ SBIR/STTR Conference on June 7-8 at NJIT's Enterprise Development Center III.

Bo Kemp, business administrator for the City of Newark, will deliver the keynote address at the “It's Time” Young Entrepreneurs Conference for existing and future entrepreneurs on March 1, 12:30-7:30 p.m., NJIT Campus Center. Sponsored by the Prudential Young Entrepreneur Program, The Greater Newark Business Development Consortium and NJIT's Enterprise Development Center (EDC), the event celebrates Entrepreneurship Week USA. Pre-registration is required. For more information, visit www.GNBDC.org or call the EDC at 973-643-4063 ext. 103.

“You are the epitome of creativity and innovation,” Randal Pinkett told the more than 250 students who attended the Albert Dorman Honors College Colloquium today in NJIT’s Campus Center Ballroom. Pinkett, who is chairman and CEO of BCT Partners, located in NJIT's Enterprise Development Center, outlined the path that led to his achievements as a Rhodes Scholar and as the Season 4 winner of NBC’s “The Apprentice" and urged students to take advantage of the many opportunities available at NJIT. “I challenge you to set sights for yourself to far exceed your own expectations,” he said.

Randal Pinkett, chairman and chief executive officer of BCT Partners, located in NJIT's Enterprise Development Center, and the Season 4 winner of NBC's "The Apprentice," will share his experiences along the road to establishing several socially responsible business ventures and lessons learned as an entrepreneur and protégé to Donald Trump on Nov. 15, 2:30-4 p.m., Campus Center Ballroom.

Supertron Technologies Inc, a leading developer of next-generation cryogenic Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) coils and accessories, today announced the acquisition of leading MRI coil manufacturer Spin Systems based in Brisbane, Australia. Supertron is based in the Enterprise Development Center at NJIT.

“Technological innovation is key to the State’s success,” said New Jersey Governor Corzine at NJIT today. Corzine outlined his economic growth strategy for New Jersey before a capacity audience in the Campus Center Atrium that included leading members of the Governor’s cabinet and senior staff, Newark Mayor Cory Booker, State legislators, corporate CEO’s, chamber of commerce and trade organization executives, labor union leaders, and college and university presidents, in addition to many NJIT faculty, students, and staff who also attended. Prior to his announcement, the governor toured NJIT’s Enterprise Development Center, New Jersey’s oldest and largest business incubator facility. Corzine, who recently named NJIT President Robert A. Altenkirch to serve on his Economic Growth Council, said that his strategy will help to attract new capital investment in a highly competitive global marketplace and promote the state as a place in which to locate and grow successful high-tech businesses and attract federal research dollars. “It is time to make sure we’re pushing for long-term job growth,” Corzine said. “We have a great future ahead of us.”

The Enterprise Development Center (EDC) at NJIT will host a Monthly Entrepreneurs Gathering Roundtable Session on Sept. 7, 10 a.m.-12 noon, EDC III, 211 Warren St., Rm. 407. Topic: The New Jersey Homeland Security Systems Technology Center. Refreshments will be served. For more information, call 973-643-4063.

Supertron Technologies Inc., a leading developer of next-generation solutions for high-performance preclinical and clinical Magnetic Resonance Imaging coils and probes, announced today successfully financing $3.5 million with Amphion Innovations PLC. Supertron is based in the Enterprise Development Center at NJIT.

Science and technology entrepreneurs and small businesses in New Jersey will have the opportunity to gain information that will help them compete more effectively for SBIR/STTR grants and contracts at the Sixth Annual NJ SBIR/STTR Conference on June 15-16 at the NJIT Enterprise Development Center III, 211 Warren St., Room 407. Sponsored by the New Jersey Commission on Science & Technology, the program is open to the public.

The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) will host a breakfast workshop that will provide information to prospective applicants seeking assistance through the Technology Business Tax Certificate Transfer Program as well as other EDA financial assistance initiatives, on May 4, 9-11 a.m., at the NJIT Enterprise Development Center III, 211 Warren St., Room 407.

Noble Device Technologies Corp., a tenant in the Enterprise Development Center, an incubator program at NJIT for young businesses, has raised $8 million in Series A equity financing to expand development of its unique visible/infrared image sensor. The company is developing high-resolution, reliable, and inexpensive shortwave infrared image sensors for the medical and military marketplace.

Randal Pinkett, PhD, a Rhodes Scholar and the founder of a company located in the business incubator program at NJIT, was named the apprentice last night on NBC's reality television show, "The Apprentice." Pinkett, who founded and now heads BCT Partners, which is located in NJIT's Enterprise Development Center, was selected last September to compete from among more than a million applicants.

Randal Pinkett, PhD, the founder of a company located in the business incubator program at NJIT, remains in the running to win NBC's reality television show, The Apprentice. Pinkett founded and now heads BCT Partners, located in NJIT’s Enterprise Development Center. The show’s final episode will air on Dec. 15. 

The NJIT Enterprise Development Center (EDC) will host a briefing on TECHNIIUM, a new NJ Economic Development Authority funding program that helps early-stage businesses, on Oct. 27, 10-11:30 a.m., EDC III, Room 407. Admission is free. Call Claire Dougherty at 973-643-5740 for travel or parking directions.

Kay Etzler, program analyst, National Institutes of Health (NIH), will provide an introduction to and overview of the Small Business Innovation Research and the Small Business Technology Transfer programs with a focus on the NIH at a half-day seminar on Oct. 21, 8:30 a.m.-12 noon, Enterprise Development Center III, Room 407. Sponsored by the New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology, the seminar will provide information on collaborative opportunities available to life science entrepreneurs.

Imagine driving in the car, sitting in the airport, or relaxing on the beach, while listening to breaking news or viewing stock market changes in real time without using a computer or television. MailCall, a division of Great American Technologies, Inc., a start-up company based at the Enterprise Development Center at NJIT, now offers such a service using a cell phone. "We believe that our technology will change the way investors conduct business, schedules, even lives,” said Vincent Sette, MailCall vice president of business development.

Randal Pinkett, PhD, a Rhodes Scholar and the founder of a company located in the business incubator program at NJIT will compete on Sept. 22 on NBC's reality television show, "The Apprentice." Pinkett, who founded and now heads BCT Partners, located in NJIT’s Enterprise Development Center, was selected from among more than a million applicants.

Menssana Research, located in the small business incubator program at NJIT, is seeking companies to license its federally-approved Heartsbreath test, a life-saving technology that determines whether patients with heart transplants are showing signs of rejecting their new heart. It is non-invasive and risk-free. The Enterprise Development Center at NJIT, which keeps new technology businesses alive and growing in New Jersey, operates the incubator program.

The New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology recently met at the Enterprise Development Center (EDC) at NJIT. Prior to the meeting, commission members mingled with entrepreneurs and inventors from the New Jersey incubators, including the EDC program itself, which the commission supports through competitive grants. EDC entrepreneurs displaying their work included: Vincent Sette, executive vice president of business for Mail Call; Larry Gardner, chief executive officer of CyberExtruder (at left); and Harvey Homan, chief executive officer of Urovalve.

Last week, NJIT unveiled five new programs to bolster small businesses and help them grow bigger. The Enterprise Development Center at NJIT, the state’s oldest and largest incubator program, now offers client companies programs to improve the marketing skills and business acumen of company principals. The New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology has funded the project.

Four motivational speakers, tips on starting a business and more recently highlighted an event at NJIT to encourage business men and women to launch a technological business. Event organizers included the School of Management, the Enterprise Development Center and the Office of Technology Development, all at NJIT.

Menssana Research, a tenant in the Enterprise Development Center, an incubator program at NJIT for young businesses, was named by the Wall Street Journal as the second runner-up in the biotechnology and medical category of the publication's annual technology innovation awards.