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:
Johnson PR and Events
Location:
New Jersey
Two weeks after Shakira Johnson resigned from her position as Public Information Officer for The City of Perth Amboy to stay home with her newborn son, she began receiving calls to see if she could work on various events and…
Name:
Hudson Kitchen
Location:
Kearny, NJ
When Djenaba Johnson-Jones, a graduate of UCEDC’s entrepreneurship program, needed funding to purchase and improve the site for her small business, Hudson Kitchen, she turned to UCEDC for help. While the project wasn’t the right fit for UCEDC to take…
Name:
Train Wreck Distillery
Location:
Mount Holly, NJ
Aaron Diamond has never worked for someone else. At 15, before he could even drive, he started selling cars. And while he was still in high school, he took UCEDC’s Entrepreneurship 101 course. Five years later, Aaron now owns Train…
Name:
Wizdom Media
Location:
Rahway, NJ
When Sheryl Rosenstock-Marcus and Jacqueline Duboys-Lombardo tell the story of how they met while teaching graphic design over twenty years ago, it’s reminiscent of scenes from When Harry Met Sally. They finish each other’s sentences and explain how within two weeks…
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…
