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Melissa Rosario, regional director of the New Jersey Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at William Paterson University, has been nominated as a 2025 INNOVATE100 Honoree.
The annual INNOVATE100 initiative, developed by Innovation+, highlights and elevates “the finest innovation leaders from all sectors across New Jersey,” says James Barrood, who leads Innovation+, a curated global community of 10,000 entrepreneurs.
One hundred professionals from various sectors important to New Jersey’s economy and community, from startups to non-profits, have been nominated for this year’s recognition. Rosario has been recognized in the “community leaders” category.
Rosario, who joined William Paterson University in November 2023 as regional director of the SBDC, plays an active role in the startup and growth of small businesses throughout Passaic County. Through the SBDC, located in Paterson and housed in the University’s Costakos College of Business, she supports small business owners and entrepreneurs and fosters a vibrant ecosystem of business success and community development.
Since January 2024, the SBDC has advised 762 new businesses, providing over 3,484 hours of consultation; supported the creation of 138 new businesses; facilitated capital formation totaling $14,061,902 million; helped generate more than 306 new jobs; and assisted 66 businesses in achieving minority-owned certification. Rosario actively engages with the Passaic County Department of Economic Development, forging strong partnerships to enhance services for businesses.
Rosario also has launched innovative initiatives to connect students to the business community, including the Student Connect Program, which empowers students to directly support small businesses through a digital and social media communication course, the Leads Mentoring Program supporting women in businesses with educational resources to scale up their businesses and the Global Entrepreneurs In Residency program aiming to attract and retain international entrepreneurs to the state of New Jersey.
INNOVATE100 honorees will be celebrated at an event on May 13.
04/03/25
