Presented in partnership with the Hackettstown BID, the Sept. 15 event will empower the area’s small businesses to strengthen and grow. 

HACKETTSTOWN, NJ, Aug. 26, 2025—The Centenary University Institute of Entrepreneurship will host the Small Business Summit: Growing Stronger Together on Monday, Sept. 15, from 9 am to 4 pm at the David and Carol Lackland Center on the University’s Hackettstown campus. Presented in partnership with the Hackettstown BID (Business Improvement District), the event will feature workshops, panels, vendors, and networking opportunities to empower small business owners and entrepreneurs. 

            Workshop sessions will include The Art of Networking for Introverts led by real estate broker Tez Roro; Start With the End in Mind: The Value Today of Exit Planning led by Erin A. Madonna, financial advisor at Edward Jones; The Truth About AI in Small Business Marketing led by digital marketer Tim Rowe; Canva for Beginners led by Brie Devlin, owner of Something Good Marketing Company; Resources for Small Business Panel led by representatives of local, state, and national small business organizations; HR Solutions for Small Businesses led by Mark and Lisa Velez, owners of HR First Solutions; Starting Small, Serving Smart: What It Really Takes to Build a Sustainable Charity led by Holly Turner, business owner and founder of Raising Hands Literacy Project; and Customer Relations Panel: How to Make Good Connections and Keep Them, led by local business owners Brunno Pascale of Marley’s Gotham Grill, John Johnson of John Johnson Auto Group, Denise Maguire of Maguire Memorial Home, Ricardo Alvarado of Everitt House Bed and Breakfast, and Jordan (Falzarano) Ferrara of David’s Country Inn.

Founded in 2024, the Centenary Institute of Entrepreneurship provides business owners and prospective entrepreneurs with coaching and guidance from Centenary faculty, credentialed consultants, and experienced business students. A key part of its mission is to partner with leading business organizations to build a growth environment for small businesses in the Skylands region, as well as the broader New Jersey business community. The institute is the cornerstone of a strategy created to establish the University as an intellectual leader in New Jersey by Centenary University President Dale Caldwell, Ed.D., and Director of the Institute of Entrepreneurship Linda Poisseroux, Ph.D., professor of business and director of the University’s competitive business team, Enactus, which launched the initiative.

In addition to the Centenary University Institute of Entrepreneurship and Hackettstown BID, event sponsors include WRNJ, the Hackettstown Rotary Club/Foundation, and Centenary University’s Taylor Memorial Library.

The registration fee includes lunch and all event offerings. Early bird general admission registration is $25 per attendee with light refreshments, or $35 with lunch included. Vendors are $50, which includes one lunch. Early bird pricing ends on Monday, Sept. 1. Register here, call 908-852-1400 ext. 5071, or email [email protected]  

ABOUT CENTENARY UNIVERSITY                                             

Centenary University offers extraordinary learning opportunities that empower students to develop intellectually, emotionally, and interculturally—keys to career and personal success. Under the leadership of President Dale Caldwell, Ed.D., the University aspires to advance its reputation as a world class institution offering innovative programs, including the world’s first Ph.D. in Happiness Studies and first Master of Arts in Happiness Studies, to lift the future for our students and local communities.