Cranford, NJ The Artist Framer When Stefanie Lalor was 15, she visited a frame shop with her mother. As soon as she walked in the door, she knew it was what she wanted to do for the rest of her…
Name:
il Gabbiano
Location:
Cranford, NJ
Like most restaurant owners Alejandro Marin of il Gabbiano Restaurant in Cranford struggled during the pandemic. After being a server in the restaurant for years, he had only become its owner two years before restaurants were forced to close their…
Name:
Ceeze
Location:
Chatham, NJ
Connor Seltz, the Creative Director and Founder of Ceeze, started the company in 2015. He says he fell into the world of footwear and streetwear in college when he began restoring shoes. The bespoke studio that focuses on making and…
Name:
Presidents Club Barber Shop
Location:
Millburn, NJ
When Catherine La Vecchia (Katie) decided to become a hairstylist, she never intended to work for herself. She says, “I thought the easier option was to work for someone else.” For several years, she did just that. While managing other…
Name:
Carolina Rosa Arts Academy
Location:
Jersey City, NJ
Carolina Rosa always knew she wanted to try running her own business. She remembers being inspired by her old boss, who came to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic. He started out washing dishes before going on to own several…
Name:
Garden State Strength and Fitness
Location:
Springfield, NJ
When asked if he always knew he wanted to be an entrepreneur Mike Kelly, owner of Garden State Strength and Fitness, says, “I always knew I wanted to do this. I’ve been doing this for 20 years now. My first…
Name:
I Excel Childcare
Location:
Perth Amboy, NJ
When Elizabeth Sanchez worked for Citigroup in New York City, she was presented with a challenge. Her son was about to head off to elementary school, but she couldn’t find any after-school care that included transportation. Instead of waiting for…
Name:
Quisqueya Meat Market & Grocery
Location:
New Brunswick, NJ
Felix Abreu immigrated to the United States in 1983 when he was 20 years old. His first job was working as a dishwasher at a diner in East Rutherford. He also drove a taxi at night. Having little money and…
Name:
Renna Media
Location:
Cranford, NJ
Repeat loan clients are not unusual at UCEDC – we’re proud to say that many small business owners have looked to us to help support their growth over time with more than one loan. But few, if any, can match…