EDC Companies Honored at NJTC Annual Venture Conference

Thursday, March 26, 2010

NJTC held their Annual Venture Conference on Thursday, March 26, 2010.  Two EDC Client Companies were honored with awards from NJTC:

Acquisci's Ms. Linda Sharkus, Co-Founder and President accepted the award for  Best Life Science Company

Hilin Life Products' Ms. Helen Denise, CEO accepted the award for Company Most Likely Succeed

From Left, Linda Sharkus, Co-Founder and President Acquisci, Helen Denise, CEO, Hilin, Life Products, Francine Glick, CEO, Water Journey, Judith Sheft, NJIT

CGC Genetics Celebrate it's Grand Opening at the EDC

Thursday, April 1, 2010

The city of Newark celebrated the grand opening of CGC Genetics , a Portuguese genetics testing laboratory, at the New Jersey Institute of Technology-Enterprise Development Center III.  The center, an incubator that houses more than 90 high-tec and life science companies, will serve as CGC's U.S. headquarters.  The arrival of CGC in Brick City was the result of international business attraction efforts made by the city of Newark and Brick City Development Corporation, said Stefan Pryor, the city's deputy mayor of  economic development.  Pryor and his team made three trips to Portugal and also hosted mulitple visits from Portuguese businesses in its efforts to woo the company to the city, he said.  The city introduced CGC to University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, with which the company will partner for medical research, and helped to facilitate its office lease, Pryor said.  Brick City Development also worked with the state Economic Development Authority to secure a Business Employment Incentive grant that qualifies CGC Genetics for up to $ 500,000 over a ten-year period and is based on creation of jobs.

Members of CGC Genetics, UMDNJ and City of Newark Council

Honorable Mayor Cory Booker of City of Newark & Purificacao Tavares, PhD., President CEO

AC  Birox Featured in LifeSciTrends

April, 2010

AC Birox Al Limaye, company President and Waleed Maswadeh, PhD, AC Birox chief scientist, are featured in LifeSciTrends April, 2010 issue. Al discusses Ac Birox's current version of the AC Birox detector (ACB2000) which is a highly capable tool for military and civilian security applications.  In addition to many types of explosives, chemical agents and narcotics, the unit can quickly warn of biological dangers such as anthrax spores, plaqure bacilli and Ebola virus.  The ACB2000 works on the principal of "sniff and tell".

Limaye aims to build even greater utility into the detector for use in industrial and medical settings. "We want to continue making our product better, to produce analytical results faster, and at lower costs."

It's working toward this goal that has led to relocation at the EDC in New Jersey. "I knew about the EDC from my connections to NJIT as a graduate, Limaye said. "I also knew that there would be many advantages in moving there. Some are those needed by any new business, including affordable office and lab space, and being able to network with interested investors.  But there are also the resources that you will find only at a research university such as NJIT.

EDC Client Company Consultants2Go, Featured in Newark Star Ledger

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Peggy McHale and Sandi Webster, Co-Founders of Consultants2Go, was recently featured in the Newark Star Ledger article, entitled, "Female entrepreneurs venture into male-dominated industries and thrive", on Sunday, April 11, 2010.

The Center for Women in Business Research, which estimated there are now 10.1 million women-owned firms across the country generating $ 1.9 trillion in annual sales, the roster is increasingly expanding beyond just such "soft" industries like marketing, public relations and retail.

Peggy McHale and Sandi Webster, who started Newark-Based Consultants2Go in 2002, said it took nearly four years to secure one of their first clients, a New York services firm, because their female contacts at the company were at the junior level. Working their way up to the male executive at the top took many phone calls and a lot of patience, they said.

Both women decide to take up golf as a way to network to other companies who need Consultant2Go's services. "You're out there for five hours on average and you're playing 18 holes, and from there you start to make connections," Webster said.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Consultants2Go tell of Starting Million Dollar Company

Sandi Webster and Peggy McHale was recently interviewed by Deborah L. Cohen of Reuter.com. Both co-partners spoke of the effects of 9/11 on their careers.  Ms. Cohen writes, when the twin Towers fell on 9/11, the offices of American Express marketers Peggy McHale and Sandi Webster were right across the street. The two executives survived the day, but not the corporate culling that followed after the financial markets tanked.

Peggy and Sandi saw the need to start their own outsourced marketing firms.  Eight years later Consultants2Go enlist an army of more than 400 senior-level contractors, mostly women, who handle varied assignments in industries ranging from financial services and telecoms to pharmaceuticals. Sales are projected to reach roughly $ 3 million this year.

The main point is not to dwell on the 9/11 attacks, but recognize it made their dream of starting a business seem less of a gamble. McHale was in her office when the attacks occured and Webster was on a bus headed downtown, which was forced to turn back.

The two tell how race was noticed in various contracts they pursued. But again, Sandi and Peggy prevailed by writing a self-published book entitled, "Black and White Strike Gold".

"People found it very strange that we could be partners," said Webster, who was raised in Brooklyn by Jamaican parents, and has retained a Caribbean accent.  "We never thought about it until they brought it up".

Both women speak about their home office which is in the Enterprise Development Center, which is a part of New Jersey Institute of Technology. By renting space at the EDC, this helps C2G to diversify their clients as well gain more clientele.

One such contractor, Annette Giordano says, "This is really an opportunity for me to craft my own destiny and not have to sit behind a desk in a building." Ms. Giordano is a former full-time corporate marketing executive and a mother of two.