Your 麻豆传媒在线 Student ID card can do a lot for you. You can use the Student Recreation Center to workout, print pages in the printing labs, rent a laptop, attend events and much more. But, did you know that your 麻豆传媒在线 ID card allows you to print 3D objects? It’s true! Located in room 014 (basement of the Feliciano School of Business), students of any major can learn about 3D printing and print their own design with assistance from our staff. There are some spots open for our course (ENTR 260_04) Tuesdays 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. for this spring semester.

The Feliciano Center for Entrepreneurship

Come visit our center in room 080 (basement of the Feliciano School of Business). Learn about our minor, concentration and events we hold throughout the semester.

Upcoming Events

Pitch Contest Info Session- February 13, 2:30-3:30 p.m., SBUS 140

Have a business idea or product? Enter our 2019 Pitch Contest!

The contest features a prize pool of $80,000 to be awarded as follows:

聽 聽聽聽 First prize:聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 $50,000

聽聽聽聽聽 Second prize:聽 聽 聽$20,000

聽聽聽聽聽 Third prize:聽 聽 聽 聽 聽$10,000

At each prize level, 20 percent of the award goes directly to the student team members and the remaining 80 percent must be invested in the startup venture under the coaching of the Feliciano Center for Entrepreneurship

During our information session, learn about our contest and how you can apply to be part of it.

2019 Pitch Contest- May 8, University 7th Floor

Cheer on fellow Red Hawks as they showcase their final live pitch. See which student teams are our top three winners.

Students on the winning team, Wheatpaste, celebrate as their name is called at the 2018 BulbHead pitch contest.

Last night the 麻豆传媒在线’s Feliciano Center for Entrepreneurship in partnership with Health Promotion ran an event focusing on Women’s Sexual Health. The title of the event, “Orgasmic Leadership” peaked many student’s interests as they were not used to seeing titles containing sexual language. Our guest speaker for the night was Rachel Braun Scherl, co-founder of and author of聽

This event was interesting for students because some of the topics brought up are considered to be taboo to talk about amongst friends, family or the people in your community. Rachel started by telling the audience that she refers to herself as a “vagipreneur,” and at that moment you could pan the room of students and see the excited looks on their faces to listen to what she had to say.

It was interesting to hear Rachel’s struggling journey to get her product (a product similar to viagra made specifically for women) to shelves. She spoke about being a woman in the industry and how that was a struggle in itself, but also how she was able to be taken seriously with an “out there” product. It took time, but Rachel eventually was able to come up with how to break into the industry and receive support for her product. This event was very inspirational for young women to hear as they are preparing to get into their own careers and building the confidence to do so.

Rachel brought along with her guests, Amy Buckalter (founder and CEO of Pulse) and Dr. Alyssa Dweck (gynecologist and author). Both were essential to the conversation about how to be okay with talking about women’s sexual health, why it is important to have these discussions and why there is a need for the types of products they sell.

Amy spoke about her products on聽聽which consist of聽a new revolutionary product with patented technology invented to dramatically improve the delivery of 鈥済oops鈥� – lotions, gels, creams, oils, lubricants, and other liquid or fluid consistencies within the health and beauty space.

We heard directly from students that they enjoyed having Dr. Dweck there to immediately provide positive medical feedback for the ingredients that were going into Amy’s and Rachel’s products. The conversation really brought awareness to the harmful ingredients found in some women’s sexual health products and what to look out for. From a business perspective, it was a great opportunity to learn about how to handle situations or topics in which not everyone may be on board or ready to talk about, but how we are making strides each and every day and can overcome the taboo talk and turn it into a serious conversation.

Alyssa Tenore is a current MBA student at 麻豆传媒在线 working in the Feliciano Center for Entrepreneurship. Alyssa received her Bachelors Degree in marketing from 麻豆传媒在线.聽

Now , the 2016 Women Entrepreneurship Week (WEW) will include events on 36 college and university campuses in countries including the Dominican Republic and Australia. In the United States, New Jersey institutions including 麻豆传媒在线, Princeton and Rutgers University-New Brunswick will also be participating, as will institutions including Cornell University and the University of Iowa.

"We are thrilled to have the state of New Jersey officially proclaim Oct. 15-22 as Women Entrepreneurship Week," says Feliciano Center for Entrepreneurship Program Manager Sharon Waters. "Women Entrepreneurship Week has become an international movement with events being held this year on every continent except Antarctica, but WEW will always be something with Jersey roots. We love that the largest number of celebrations will be in the Garden State, where nearly 20 universities and nonprofits are holding WEW events."

A pair of events highlight the 麻豆传媒在线 schedule for the initiative, including titled 鈥淧ower Play: What Makes Great Women Leaders鈥� featuring Community FoodBank of New Jersey CEO Debra Vizzi, Adenah Bayoh and Companies CEO Adenah Bayoh, Zinn Graves & Field President Ruthi Byrne and Wyndham Destination Network President and CEO Gail Mandel.

A , will feature high-powered guest speakers including New Jersey Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno, VP of ADP Client Experience Debbie Dyson, Bedtime Math Foundation Founder and President Laura Overdeck and Turtle & Hughes Inc. CEO Jayne Millard. The day of events will also feature keynote speaker and professional juggler Jen Slaw delivering a presentation titled 鈥淲omen: The Master Jugglers! How to Build a Fulfilling and Balanced Life.鈥�

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Larissa Elvers, Christiana Himiob and Sacha Vincent were clearly surprised that their team, which manufactures and sells coconut-oil-based skincare products, had won the university鈥檚 student pitch competition.

鈥淚 was in complete disbelief,鈥� said Elvers, a senior majoring in Child Advocacy and Policy. 鈥淭o know we have $10,000 to work with and move forward with just wow鈥檈d me. I was speechless.鈥�

Asked her initial thoughts when Karuda was announced as the winner, Himiob, said, 鈥淚 can鈥檛 tell you, because it鈥檚 profane.鈥� But then the Spanish Translation major, who is a junior, added: 鈥淢y initial thought was just 鈥楾hank goodness.鈥� It felt really good. It really inspired me to pursue this even further.鈥�

Vincent, a senior Finance major, said: 鈥淚 was completely surprised and baffled because I saw how great the other teams were. They were amazing, every single one of them.鈥�

The is funded by AJ Khubani, a 麻豆传媒在线 alumnus who is CEO/president of . Karuda was one of six finalists in the afternoon round of pitches, after 16 student teams competed in the prelim round in the morning on May 4. The 16 teams spent two semesters pursuing the Feliciano Center鈥檚 Certificate of Entrepreneurship (a Minor in Entrepreneurship is now available). As part of the Center鈥檚 curriculum, students identify a real-world problem, brainstorm a solution, test their product/app/service with real customers, finance their business with seed capital raised as private money donated to the Center, and then learn how to pitch the business to investors鈥攐r the pitch competition鈥檚 panel of judges who are entrepreneurs. The seed capital for the 2015-2016 school year was donated by Guy Falzarano, president and CEO of Lightbridge Franchise Company.

鈥淚 think Karuda has shown what a team of people who like each other and get along can achieve,鈥� said Prof. Ross Malaga, who taught Elvers, Himiob and Vincent in the advanced entrepreneurship courses of ENTR 301 and 302. 鈥淥f course it also comes with a great deal of hard work. Not only did they constantly work to refine their pitch, but they were out in the market selling their product and creating new products.鈥�

Sales to customers was one thing that impressed the judges about Karuda. The judges for the final round of pitches were: Manish Israni, vice president of Market Research & New Product Acquisition at TeleBrands; Andrew R. Gatto, a former executive with Toys 鈥楻鈥� Us and Russ Berrie & Co.; and Marjorie Perry, president and CEO of MZM Construction & Management Co. Khubani usually serves as lead judge for the competition, but Israni filled in after Khubani needed to be overseas for business.

Anthony 鈥淪ully鈥� Sullivan, the enthusiastic TV pitchman for OxiClean, served as the master of ceremonies for the final pitches.

The judges for the prelim round were: Rachel Braun Scherl, co-founder and principal of SPARK Solutions for Growth; Andrew Kangpan, associate at ff Venture Capital; Krishnamurty Kambhampati, serial entrepreneur; and Mukesh Patel, founder of JuiceTank.

The winning team can do whatever it wishes with the $10,000 prize money, and the teams that won the past two years decided to split the money among team members for their personal use. But Himiob, Elvers and Vincent asked for the $10,000 check to be made payable to Karuda so they can invest the money in the company, which was incorporated earlier this year. The women said they鈥檇 like to use the prize money to have their products professionally formulated and tested, which would allow them to produce and sell in large quantities.

The Karuda students thanked their professor, Malaga, for the guidance he provided.

鈥淭he whole program changed my life. Malaga changed my life. He鈥檚 one of those teachers,鈥� said Himiob.

The pitch contest鈥攁nd Feliciano Center entrepreneurship courses, in general鈥攈ad an impact on other students too.

Lam Nguyen, a senior majoring in Management, said the pitch contest was an exciting experience, even though his team Trash Talk was a finalist but did not win. He said he walked away with something else, even if he didn鈥檛 get a slice of the cash prize.

鈥淚t brings me a lot more confidence in public speaking and how to work cooperatively with people. It鈥檚 truly defining teamwork for me for when I get into a corporate level of work,鈥� Nguyen said. 鈥淚 really learned that entrepreneurship is very hard. It鈥檚 never an easy road, but it鈥檚 exciting nonetheless.鈥�

Prof. Jason Frasca, who also taught ENTR 301 and 302 and coached half of the student teams, said, 鈥淭he overall quality of the students鈥� presentation was very impressive. They communicated on a high level the problems they were solving and the markets they were trying to disrupt. Year over year, the presentations have significantly improved, and all the students should be very proud of what they accomplished this year. I鈥檓 looking forward to seeing next year鈥檚 presentations.鈥�

Although women are under-represented as entrepreneurs, four of the six teams that were finalists in 麻豆传媒在线鈥檚 pitch contest had all women members. The Feliciano Center has a special mission to nurture and encourage women entrepreneurs, including students who aspire to have their own business someday.

The final-round judges cited Layrd as first runner-up. Layrd created a product that makes replacing the garbage bag a simple process. Layrd team members are: Michelle Carcamo, senior, Management; Rohkaya Fall, junior, Marketing; Alexa Golieb, senior, Theater Studies; and Latrece McKenzie, junior, Psychology.

The second runner-up team was Wake鈥橢m Up, which created an alarm clock pillow, and consists of: Dana Egan, senior, Finance; Bryan High, senior, Management; Dylan Ocasio, sophomore, undeclared; and Anthony Woolford, senior, Physical Education.

The other finalist teams were:

• Park Along, which finds and rents vacant lots for parking, and is led by Eunice Choe, senior, Management
• PhiloStand, a product to decrease the chance of spilling wine, with teammates Jenny Patel, senior, Finance; and Lauren Szewczyk, junior, Animation/Illustration
• Trash Talk, a garbage can that makes noise to encourage people not to litter, whose team includes Gabriel Alves, senior, Management; Nicholas Capece, junior, Management; Lam Nguyen, senior, Management; and Salvatore Parrinello, senior, Marketing

The other 10 teams that competed were:

• Atlas, a social media platform enabling artists to act as agents, with Nicholas Castano, sophomore, Sports Events & Tourism Marketing; Wesley DeSouza, junior, Audio Engineering; Michael Gelvan, sophomore, Management; Christopher Giuseppini, sophomore, Filmmaking
• Bel Espwa, a luxury non-surgical neck shaping garment, with Jully Myers, Entrepreneurship Certificate student; and Nahkeekah Wall, junior, Economics
• BrandinStand, which puts advertisements on coffee cups and sleeves, with Anthony D鈥橝mato, junior, Marketing; Janina Rizzo, junior, Psychology; and Dylan Rubin, sophomore, Undeclared
• Budding Beauty, highly advanced all-natural skin care, with Amanda Batkin, senior, Fine Arts; and Odelson Julien, senior, Marketing
• Erocliptic, an online dating site with a focus on astrology and the user’s zodiac sign, with Hailey Aromando, senior, Management; Sarah Haycock, junior, Family and Child Studies; Alexandra Mezzina, junior, Sports Events & Tourism Marketing
• Noah鈥檚 Ark Professional Pet Sitting Service, convenient quality pet care in the comfort of your own home, with Michelle Blanco, junior, Economics; and Stephanie Odige, senior, Management.
• Poof, a diaper that blocks the smell of fecal matter, with Emmett Azzam, sophomore, Fine Arts Studio; and Anderson Mata, senior, Biology
• Stylo, a means to heighten the writing experience, with Nathalie Lythus, senior, Psychology; and Krystal Williams, junior, General Humanities
• SurfDry, the first side mirror wiper system, with Jessica Cella, junior, Sports Events & Tourism Marketing; Stephanie Da Silva, junior, Fashion Studies; and Joshua Miller, junior, Management
• Unwritten, a web service that helps people build their career, life, networking, experience, and skills, led by Nya Bobien, sophomore, Fashion and Business Studies

Media coverage of the event:

The is awarded annually by the , which recognizes and rewards academic excellence and encourages leadership, scholarship, service and philanthropy. The prize was established in 2002 by the foundation鈥檚 founder , in memory of her grandmother Marie Nesbitt, who was a great-granddaughter of slaves who held jobs ranging from domestic worker to welder.

The Promise Prize is awarded to a black entrepreneurship or business student with the following traits: academic excellence (high GPA), leadership, scholarship, initiative, service and entrepreneurship. The winners, who are called Scholars, become part of a community that networks together and holds an annual summit.

“For me, the Promise Prize is an incredible opportunity to pursue my goals and be a part of an organization that does so much to engage the community,” said Fils. “It serves as motivation to keep pushing, confirmation that all the sacrifices are worth it, and most importantly, it鈥檚 a challenge to live up to and exceed the expectations that you not only have for yourself, but that others have for you as well.”

It was fitting that the award ceremony was part of 麻豆传媒在线鈥檚 annual student pitch contest, where entrepreneurship students showcase their startup projects. During the ceremony, Vice Dean Kimberly Hollister delivered opening remarks describing the prize as well as background about Fils. The Promise Prize was then presented by Pryor and the 2015 winner, Dana LaCondre-Nugent, who is pursuing a Master鈥檚 in Accounting at 麻豆传媒在线, and received 麻豆传媒在线 Bachelor鈥檚 in Accounting in 2008.

“We are delighted that Stanley Fils has been selected as the 2016 Promise Prize Scholar,” said Pryor. “He joins other 麻豆传媒在线 Scholars, Alanda Alexandre (2014) and Dana LaCondre-Nugent (2015), as a part of the Promise Prize Scholar network. We are fortunate to count them as a part of the Change Create Transform Foundation community. We look forward to continuing our work and partnership with 麻豆传媒在线 and the Feliciano Center for Entrepreneurship in their commitment to developing emerging new leaders.”

Fils currently has a 3.80 GPA in 麻豆传媒在线鈥檚 MBA, and majored in Justice Studies with a minor in Sociology as an undergrad at the university. Fils has worked in 麻豆传媒在线鈥檚 Office of Student Financial Aid since 2010, where he has created, implemented and now manages a financial literacy initiative in which he travels to New Jersey high schools to tell students and their parents how to be better at financial matters.

In the area of service, Fils is a Male Leadership Academy Mentor for the university鈥檚 Education Opportunity Fund (EOF), a program to help disadvantaged and under-represented students succeed. Besides the direct mentoring he does with students, Fils has also helped organize cultural trips and events to collect professional clothing for the EOF students. Fils, who was once an EOF student as an undergrad, said he enjoys now being a mentor and 鈥渉elping someone once in your shoes.鈥�

Fils has also played a leadership role as the chairperson of the New Jersey Association of Student Financial Aid Conference Committee. When Stanley met with the Promise Prize selection committee members, he told them: 鈥淭he more things you get involved in, when asked not to, is what helps you long term.鈥�

Fils is also an entrepreneur. He has been a student in the Feliciano Center鈥檚 entrepreneurship classes, and recently started a business, Barblitz, which is a location-based app helping link bars and restaurants with patrons looking for discounts, coupons and promos. He is currently working with tech developers on the app.

Some of the students from Fils’ MBA cohort were in the audience during the ceremony. One of them, Daryle Abrahams, was carrying a handmade sign and balloons and praised Fils’ generosity.

“Our cohort is clearly the better for his enthusiasm and infectious positive attitude. He has joined in our group efforts with gusto and been instrumental in connecting people to each other as well as to MSU. I think I can speak for the group when I say we are all proud to know Stanley, and are delighted at his being recognized for this prize, but not too surprised. … A charming gentleman and a wonderful representative for all of us.”

The Promise Prize was first awarded at 麻豆传媒在线 in 2014, and 麻豆传媒在线 is one of nine colleges/universities in the U.S. with the award. The 2014 winner was Alanda Alexandre, who graduated in May 2015 with a Business Administration degree with concentrations in Finance and Management, and then enrolled in 麻豆传媒在线鈥檚 MBA program in fall 2015.

LaCondre-Nugent, the 2015 winner, said the Promise Prize continues to have an impact on her life.

“I am so honored to have received the award. It has inspired me to get more involved in giving back to my community. While my previous volunteer work focused on fundraising, this past year I have also gotten into mentoring by starting my company’s first internship program. It was great to be able to share things I have learned in my career and schooling with an upcoming 麻豆传媒在线 graduate, and help him to reach his goals. The Promise Prize and Change Create Transform Foundation has helped me in my career, and I am proud to carry on that giving spirit by helping others,” LaCondre-Nugent said.

The selection committee for the 2016 Promise Prize included: Marketing Professor Devon Johnson, Career Services Coordinator Mariah Mayers, Finance Professor Hermann Sintim-Aboagye, and Feliciano Center Program Manager Sharon Waters.

The eight other universities participating in UPitchNJ were: Drew, Fairleigh Dickinson, NJIT, Rider, Rutgers, Saint Peter’s, Steven’s and William Paterson.

鈥淚 was super honored to be pitching 鈥� and as soon as I saw the quality of the first and second place winners, it made me feel confident that we were in that arena,鈥� said Christi Himiob, a junior and Spanish Translation major, who is a cofounder of the 麻豆传媒在线 team, Karuda. 鈥淭his confirms our belief that no matter what your passion is there is a market for it.鈥�

Karuda, which also includes Larissa Elvers and Sacha Vincent, manufactures and sells a line of coconut-based beauty products such as hand cream, deodorant and makeup remover. BoxPower, Princeton鈥檚 first-place winner led by senior Angelo Campus and junior Aaron Schwartz, makes a renewable energy power box that has received a $90,000 grant from the EPA and is in discussions with the Navajo Nation about use of its product. , Seton Hall鈥檚 second-place team led by sophomore Ryan Skolnick, is creating a video-game format to teach foreign languages to elementary and high school students.

, the state鈥檚 first-ever collegiate pitch competition, was held April 15 at Rutgers business school. Princeton has agreed to host the 2017 UPitchNJ contest. The competition was sponsored by the New Jersey Collegiate Entrepreneurship Consortium, which represents the entrepreneurship education programs at New Jersey鈥檚 four-year colleges and universities.

The 2016 judges were: astronaut and serial entrepreneur Greg Olsen; Caren Franzini, formerly with the New Jersey Economic Development Authority; Betty Manetta, CEO of Argent Associates; Anthony Frasier, co-founder of The Phat Startup; and Marty Johnson, CEO of Isles, Inc. Melissa Orsen, CEO of the NJ Economic Development Authority, delivered a keynote to kick off the event.

Asked what set Karuda鈥檚 presentation apart from others, Frasier said, 鈥淚t was just more impressive. They were hustlers, in a very positive sense of the word.鈥�

Frasier added he liked that Karuda had actual customers who have been buying their products, and noted that the Karuda students answered every question he had during the pitch.

鈥淭heir pitch was very on point. It was a very solid pitch. They just won by the numbers,鈥� said Frasier, referencing the score sheet judges completed for each team.

Manetta, who called Karuda 鈥渙ne of the most professional鈥� teams, noted that Karuda was the only all-women team at UPitchNJ. 鈥淭hat shows the power of women,鈥� Manetta said.

Frasier said the gender makeup of Karuda was mentioned only at the end of judging. 鈥淭he fact that it was all women was an afterthought. They will go far.鈥�

Karuda won $500, which it plans to reinvest in its business, plus a coaching session with the New Jersey Innovation Acceleration Center at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. First prize for Princeton was $2,500, plus a coaching luncheon with Olsen, founder of GHO Ventures, which focuses on angel investing, and a 30-minute Skype coaching session with Andy Tang, CEO, Draper University and managing director, DFJ DragonFund. Second prize for Seton Hall was $1,000, plus a coaching breakfast with Mario Casabona, founder and managing director, TechLaunch, a technology and business accelerator.

The event鈥檚 supporters included , the , , the , and Draper University.

Each student team had a table during the event to demonstrate their products or distribute literature about their service.

鈥淚 think the most surprising part of being part of the process was how enjoyable it was to talk with people visiting our demo table and being able to warm up to them. It certainly relaxed the atmosphere and lessened my nervousness,鈥� said Elvers, a senior about to graduate with a Child Advocacy and Policy degree. 鈥淚 was also quite proud of our group for being the only public university to win a place, making us first place among public universities who participated.鈥�

The Karuda students credited the Feliciano Center for Entrepreneurship, and their professor , for making them ready to pitch on a statewide level.

鈥淢y experience at UPitchNJ made me realize how fortunate we are to have the entrepreneur program at 麻豆传媒在线. We were very prepared and that wouldn’t be possible without the program,鈥� said Vincent, a junior studying Finance. 鈥淲e worked hard and it paid off.鈥�

“I’m just blown away at the creativity you see in here,” said Debbie Coull, business manager of Information Technology, who took a tour of MIX Lab at the grand opening. “The potential is there to expand in so many different ways.”

MIX Lab has thirty-five 3D printing devices. It is part of the Feliciano Center for Entrepreneurship and is housed in the , but is a resource for the entire university.

MIX stands for Making and Innovating for X (or the unknown). “This is a lab where students come to solve problems,” said , director of the Feliciano Center for Entrepreneurship. “We have to come up with new ways to look at the world, to make changes, to come up with innovative ideas. That’s what innovation is all about.”

The co-directors of MIX Lab are Profs. and , who set up the lab when the 3D printers arrived in August and have been training students on 3D printing and design thinking ever since.

Vice President for IT Candy Fleming helped put together the MIX Lab and had been inside it previously, but said she had not seen the lab equipped with all the printers until Feb. 18. “It’s the new world,” said Fleming. “It’s phenomenal, actually.”

Matt Gallup, the university’s emergency preparedness coordinator, also took a tour and said the MIX Lab is “bringing the future to the present.”

Agatha Jeffers, an accounting professor, said after seeing the lab, “It’s remarkable what can be done鈥攖hat it could be used in so many areas.”

The majors of the students taking tours of MIX Lab during the grand opening represented every college/school on campus. That diversity is similar to the rich mix of majors that have taken ENTR 290-02 “Introduction to 3D Printing and Design.” Of the 19 students who took the intro 3D printing course in fall 2015, their majors were: Biochemistry, German, Jurisprudence Law and Society, Finance, Art History (2), Spanish Translation, Psychology (2), Marketing (2), Information Technology, Political Science, Economics, Fine Arts Studio and four undeclared.

Dean of Library Services Judith Lin Hunt called MIX Lab “fantastic,” and was quite interested in the diversity of majors that have taken the 3D printing class. “That, I think, is where the key is鈥攖o bring disparate majors together, because you bring their minds together.”

The MIX Lab grand opening included a random drawing for a 3D printed lamp that was displayed in the lab. The winner was Tashanda Rayne, a freshman Biochemistry major.

The students connected to the MIX Lab, who served as tour guides on Feb. 18, were especially excited that the grand opening had arrived. For weeks, they had been helping to decorate the lab and 3D print items.

“It feels special to be part of something up-and-coming. You’re not catching the end of it, but the beginning,” said Vinny Monaco, a sophomore majoring in Finance.

Brian Martin, a senior Political Science major who is in the second 3D certificate course “Applied 3D Design and Lean Fabrication,” was one of the students available to answer visitors’ questions about MIX Lab. “I’m glad that people are coming and asking questions. Seeing people from all different majors stop by and express interest in it, it’s good to see people want to learn about it and when they do, you see they are awestruck, as I am,” said Martin.

Kaitlyn Texel, a junior Animation & Illustration major, signed up for the intro 3D printing course after working in 3D modeling on her own but then deciding she wanted to be able to print the items. She enjoys “being able to see one of your creations, or someone else’s creation, in real life.”

Altarik Banks, who is also in “Applied 3D Design and Lean Fabrication,” had been busy designing and 3D printing a stool that was raffled off to an attendee at the grand opening event, “3D Printing Changes Everything,” held the evening of Feb. 18. The stool was won by , who had the most tweets during the event using the hash tag “.”

“Even though today was an official opening, it’s always been open. People have tons of questions,” said Banks, a junior Economics major, about the newcomers visiting the lab. “I never knew I’d be an entrepreneurship student moving into design,” added Banks, who has already obtained the Feliciano Center’s Certificate of Entrepreneurship.

Despite an onslaught of campus emails about the grand opening, other students had not heard about MIX Lab until the day of the tours. Joseph Williams found out about MIX Lab when he saw a staff member carrying balloons across campus for the event. The senior Public Health major was impressed when he came to the lab. “It’s absolutely magnificent. This is one step away from changing the world. So many possibilities,” said Williams, who was especially interested in health aspects of 3D printing, given his major.

The grand opening also attracted people from off campus, including a large contingent from the Feliciano Center’s , who came early to tour the MIX Lab before the evening panel discussion. Alumni were also present, including Erik Eklund, a 2008 grad and business major. Eklund marveled at the different types of printers in the lab. “You have several different technologies here.”

Even professors from other universities showed up. Mukesh Patel, the founder and CEO of JuiceTank is also director of innovation at Honors College at Rutgers University. “MIX Lab is kind of a tipping point of where creative innovation meets entrepreneurship students, which turns entrepreneurs into creators and makers.”

Patel, who is also a Rutgers adjunct, told his students he was taking a road trip to 麻豆传媒在线 to see the MIX Lab, extending an invitation to anyone who wanted to go. Andrew Zhang, a senior studying supply chain management, was one of the Rutgers students who said yes. He was impressed with what he saw at MIX Lab.

“I’m like a kid at a playground right now,” Zhang said while visiting MIX Lab.

After the tours, which were held 1-5 p.m., the event was held in the university’s conference center. The panel of experts discussing the latest in 3D printing were: Michael Rees, director of the Center for New Art at William Paterson University; Ben Reytblat, founder and CEO of 3DMonstr; Natalie Rodriguez, MIX Lab Design Entrepreneur in Residence; and Mina Zarfsaz, designer and conceptual artist. The panel’s moderator was Kerr, while Frasca and Bone delivered welcome remarks.

Media coverage of MIX Lab:

“New 3D Printing Lab at 麻豆传媒在线 Offers Students Lessons in Innovation” by Bergen Record

“麻豆传媒在线’s 3D Printing Lab Is Already Underway” by The 麻豆传媒在线 Times

“After MIX Lab Dedication, Future of 3D Printing Discussed at 麻豆传媒在线’s Feliciano Center” by NJ Tech Weekly

“The Frontier of 3D Printing Comes to 麻豆传媒在线” by The Montclarion

“MSU Hosts 3D Printing Lecture and Other Programs for the Community” by Passaic Valley Today

“麻豆传媒在线 Opens MIX Lab with 35 MakerBot 3D Print Devices on Campus” by 3Dprint.com

“It needed to be done,” she told her husband. “And I wanted to be the one to do it.”

Mimi Feliciano recounted this tale during a recent TV interview with Steve Adubato, a 1980 grad of 麻豆传媒在线, on “Caucus New Jersey.” The $1 million commitment by Mimi and Eddie Feliciano would fund the creation of the .

The couple’s commitment to 麻豆传媒在线 has only grown, expanding into a generous donation for what’s now the Feliciano School of Business.

In the interview, Mimi Feliciano also discussed getting her start by joining the family business, calling her parents “true entrepreneurs.” She also talked about Women Entrepreneurship Week, the statewide celebration started by the Feliciano Center as part of its mission to nurture and encourage women entrepreneurs. Mimi Feliciano also spoke about the new 3D printing lab in the Feliciano School of Business, an idea that started with Feliciano Center Founding Director Dennis Bone.

Also, in , Mimi Feliciano talked to Adubato about the number one leadership lesson she has learned, as part of Adubato’s “Lessons in Leadership” series.

鈥淎ll the hard work paid off,鈥� said Christi Himiob, a junior Spanish Translation major, after the pitch contest on Dec. 15.

Himiob is one of three co-founders of Karuda Skincare, a company created while the students were pursuing 麻豆传媒在线鈥檚 Certificate of Entrepreneurship. The certificate, which consists of three 3-credit courses, culminates with a student pitch competition each semester. Students who competed in the fall contest are eligible to pitch in the pitch contest on May 4, 2016, when the victorious team will win $10,000.

Himiob鈥檚 co-founders are Larissa Elvers, a senior Child Advocacy and Policy major, and Sacha Vincent, a junior Finance major. Karuda makes and sells beauty products that use coconut oil as a base, including makeup remover, lip balm, scrub, deodorant and hand cream. The three students each won a $100 Amazon gift card.

Vincent said the three entrepreneurship courses (ENTR 201, 301 and 302) helped her grow as a person, and business owner, while cementing bonds with her teammates.

鈥淓ven if we didn鈥檛 win, just our relationships worked so well. We would have won anyway,鈥� said Vincent.

Vice Dean Kimberly Hollister, one of the judges, said the Karuda team had moved the farthest along in its entrepreneurial journey.

鈥淭hey knew their market, they could articulate their position, they already had customers,鈥� said Hollister.

Another judge, alumnus Daryl Bryant, co-founder and CEO of Hudson Horizons, said he was impressed with 鈥渉ow quickly they鈥檝e gone from an idea, to where they鈥檙e hitting the streets with a product.鈥�

鈥淭heir presentation was flawless,鈥� said Bryant, who is also a member of the Feliciano Center for Entrepreneurship鈥檚 advisory board.

The third judge, , agreed that Karuda had the most well-developed idea. And then there was one other factor: 鈥淭hey had customers who paid them real money,鈥� said Sferra, a 2015 alum with a degree in Anthropology and the Certificate of Entrepreneurship. Sferra was on the winning team for the .

The three founders of Karuda said they will be working hard next semester to grow their business, and prepare for the TeleBrands contest. 鈥淲e won鈥檛 need the $10,000, but we want it,鈥� said Himiob.

The other teams in the fall 2015 pitch contest, which also are eligible to pitch during the TeleBrands competition, were:

• Amigo, low-cost and more convenient tour guides: junior Azucena Amez, Management; senior Vincent Behne, Management; junior Al Garcia, Psychology; and sophomore Naomi Hogan, Economics.
• Cannon Crate, a health and fitness subscription service: seniors Sean Donoghue, Marketing; Nadeer Faragalla, Psychology; and Dylan Heningburg, Anthropology.
• Erocliptic, a dating app based on horoscopes: senior Hailey Aromand, Management; junior Thiago Chiovaro, Marketing; junior Sarah Haycock, Family & Child Studies; junior Alexandra Mezzina, Sports, Events and Tourism.
• One Stop Shop, an app to make grocery shopping easier: senior Kayla Paladino, Sociology, and junior Chantel Simon, Marketing.
• Park Along, a marketplace to rent your driveway: senior Eunice Choe, Management; senior Stefanni Martinez, Psychology; and sophomore Matthew Meade, undecided major.
• Pick 6, a sports apparel subscription service: senior Brian Cherello, business; sophomore Manuel Martinez, business; junior Joseph Varrecchia, Finance; and junior Arabia Winston, undeclared major.
• Unwritten Path, a career counseling service: sophomore Nya Bobien, Fashion, and junior Lexi Tramaa, a business major.

To learn how you can get the Certificate of Entrepreneurship and be eligible to pitch for $10,000, contact Sharon Waters at sharon.waters@montclair.edu

The signature event was the all-day WEW Conference on Oct. 21, with Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno as the lunchtime speaker and former Wall Street executive Sallie Krawcheck as the evening keynote. Panel and workshop topics ranged from “Is Power a Dirty Word?” to “Marketing 101 on a Shoestring Budget.” . .

Guadagno was a popular hit among attendees, including senior Marketing major and entrepreneurship student Brittni Landers who texted the lieutenant governor after the event, and received a reply. .

Each panel and workshop during the conference included valuable tips for the 300+ attendees, wherever they are on the spectrum of being, or aspiring to be, an entrepreneur. Junior Economics major and entrepreneurship student Ashley Zahabian shared some lessons she learned from the entrepreneurs on the “How to Grow Your Business” panel. .

NJTV captured reaction from WEW Conference attendees, as well as the flavor of the entire event. .

WEW at 麻豆传媒在线 closed with the Oct. 22 event, “Future of Health Care,” which featured a keynote by renowned futurist Edie Weiner and a panel discussion with Julie Bauer, president of Panasonic Consumer Corp. of North America, Louisa Roberts, associate partner at IBM Watson Life Sciences, and Tina Garyantes, VP of Innovation at Chromocell.

Attendees at all three events shared their reactions on the page:

“Excellent session, great keynote and moderator, informative discussion with knowledgeable panelists. Very interesting, and great Q&A,” wrote Anita Allen about the Oct. 22 .

“Lots of great information and an extremely candid recollection of Bobbi’s rise from obscurity. Sincere and approachable. I was really impressed and thrilled. I took plenty of notes,” wrote Cathleen Mallett about the Oct. 19 .

“The conference was very inspirational. Entrepreneurship can be isolating at times, and programs like this one help you feel connected and supported. I will definitely attend again,” wrote Pamela Petracca de Waal about the Oct. 21 .

Yasmin Bendror commented about the : “The round up of keynotes, speakers and moderators was really top level! Such smart, powerful, successful and at the same time modest women! I learned a lot and connected with unbelievable women entrepreneurs. The top take away for me was how powerful NETWORKING is for entrepreneurs and business! It’s about the power of your network!”

The three WEW events at 麻豆传媒在线 would not have been free to the public without the generous support of all our sponsors. The Presenting Sponsors were Archer & Greiner and KPMG.

The second annual Women Entrepreneurship Week was a statewide celebration this year, with 20 universities and nonprofits all over New Jersey holding events. .

Women Entrepreneurship Week will return in October 2016 — our third annual. Don’t miss it!

Want to know more about these free events that are open to the public? Join our group.