JUNE 2021 EDITION
The 5th Annual Think Like an Entrepreneur Summer Academy Kicks Off!
The RCIE is thrilled to be kicking off the 5th Annual Think Like an Entrepreneur Summer Academy this week! The 2021 program is running virtually with nearly 100 students participating this year. Rising high school juniors and seniors will be developing soft skills- including fostering an entrepreneurial mindset - and developing specific entrepreneurial knowledge and expertise.

The students represent 43 different high schools, 3 states, and for the first time TLAE is hosting an international student! Dr. Michael Dominik is the professor for the 6-week course. accompanied by 5 student mentors that will work closely with the students. "It's our expectation that students who participate in Think Like an Entrepreneur will be able to really hit the ground running in their first year of college, wherever they end up going," said Dr. Sue Lehrman, Rohrer College of Business Dean.

Thanks to the generous support of TD Bank Charitable Fund, participation in the academy is free of charge! Students will earn 3 college credits for the participation and completion of the program.
StartupRU Accelerator Spotlight: Jacques Snacks
Meet Jacques Snacks, founded by Jacques Engelbrecht (Marketing '18 & Current MBA Student) in 2018. Jacques is a South African immigrant who has spent the majority of his life in New Jersey. While running Jacques Snacks and pursuing his MBA, he is currently an inventory analyst for Lassonde Pappas.

Jacques Snacks is a food brand offering delicious South African inspired meat snacks to the U.S. The products are made with 100% grass-fed beef and contain no artificial ingredients or preservatives. Jacques Snacks offers multiple flavors of biltong, a South African spin on beef jerky. They also offer a dried beef sausage, called Droewors. The products are nutritious, new to the U.S. market and delicious!

Jacques Snacks is currently selling to multiple accounts in the subscription box industry and offers the products on their website and on Amazon.

The StartupRU Summer Accelerator Program is a flexible 10-week program customized to meet the needs of participants. Participating companies receive mentorship, up to $7,500 in non-equity seed funding, day-to-day support, and space for their ventures.
APPLY NOW!
RCIE is accepting applications to join our student worker team during the Fall 2021 semester. This position would be ideal for a student interested in learning more about entrepreneurship, marketing, and event management. View the full job listing on ProfJobs by searching job title "RCIE Student Worker" or job ID "34475815".
Let's Chat!
Want to discuss upcoming competitions, seed funding and scholarship opportunities, get pitch feedback, mentorship possibilities, or how the RCIE can help advance your business idea, startup, or entrepreneurial goals? Click here to schedule a meeting.
E-NEWS TO KEEP YOU IN THE KNOW
Internship Leads to Innovative Business
Austin Fitzgerald '20 learned to be persistent and creative when internship opportunities plunged last spring due to the pandemic. Fitzgerald found an internship with a core drilling company where he developed detailed strategies to improve the business. A class project led him to present these ideas to his boss. In the end, his boss decided to lend Fitzgerald the money to start his own business. Just over a year after starting his internship, Fitzgerald runs his own thriving business, Scan Tech Services Corp., and now he and his former boss refer work to each other. Read the full story here.
Rowan Team Wins 2021 Smart Airport Student Competition
The Federal Aviation Administration is excited to announce Rowan as the winning team of the 2021 FFA Challenge: Smart Airport Student Competition and will receive a prize of $25,000. The 3 finalist teams each presented smart technology design solutions to improve travelers' transportation experiences from home, airport, and to their final destination. Read all the details here.
Halfday Founders Featured in NJ Monthly
Rowan graduates and Halfday founders, Kayvon Jahanbakhsh and Mike Lombardo, were recently featured in a NJ Monthly interview. They discussed the launch of Halfday, a line of health-conscious iced teas. Designing their own drink "evolved out of personal necessity," said Lombardo, referring to Jahanbakhsh's digestive disease and search for a healthier alternative. The two answered questions about the products, production, and the future of the company. Read the full article here.
All New Student-run Saxbys Café Coming to Campus this Fall
Saxbys, a Certified B Corporation and coffee company is partnering with Rowan to bring a fully student-run café to the Business Hall this fall. The café will run via The Saxbys Experiential Learning Platform in which one undergraduate student each semester will serve as the CEO. "Saxbys' model of experiential learning and leadership blends perfectly with our emphasis on providing hands-on, practical experience," said Rowan President Ali Houshmand. Read the full article here.
RCIE Leverages StartupTree As Centralized Online Community
Entrepreneurship at Rowan was recently featured in a case study for demonstrating excellence for their programming and use of StartupTree. The RCIE has leveraged StartupTree to become a force of nature in regards to running events. The platform has served as a centralized online community for all things entrepreneurship at Rowan. In the past year, RCIE has hosted 57 events with 1742 RSVPs. Read the full feature here.
Rowan Blog Feature: Idea Challenge Winner, Talia Tomarchio
Steminist Squad Founder & Idea Challenge Winner, Talia Tomarchio, was recently featured in a Rowan blog interview. Talia discussed the start of Steminist Squad and what knowledge and skills she gained through the challenge participation. "I developed teamwork skills by leading a team of team of volunteers for two semesters, and my presentation skills have dramatically improved," said Talia. Read the full interview here.
Two New A Level Journal Articles for Dr. Eric Liguori
Congratulations to Dr. Eric Liguori, Executive Director and Rohrer Chair of Entrepreneurship, on his recent article titled Woman Entrepreneurship in Developing Economies: A Gender-based Growth Model published in the Journal of Small Business Management and for his article titled Betting on the Wrong Horse: The Antecedents and Outcomes of Entrepreneur Opportunity Regret published in the Journal of Business Research.
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The RCIE team is here to support you!

The RCIE team is on campus and available to all Rowan students, faculty, and staff! Feel free to schedule a meeting to discuss upcoming competitions, your ideas, receive pitch feedback, and more.

Please contact Jessica Vattima if you are interested in mentorship opportunities, such as becoming a "Startup Guru", or if you have interest in hosting a webinar, virtual workshop, site visit, or speaking event.
Rowan's entrepreneurship team wants to remind you to keep ideating, making, and doing, especially during times of uncertainty and change.
Pictured: L-R first row: Dr. Michael Dominik, Professor Katie Loesch, RCIE Grad Assistant Brandon Graham, Professor Gregory Payton; L-R second row: Professor Susan Meyer, Dr. Eric Liguori, Dr. Cheryl Bodnar, Studio 231 Supervisor Andrew Bunoza; L-R third row: Dr. Susana Santos, Dr. Lee Zane, RCIE Outreach & Events Associate Jessica Vattima, the Rowan Prof

For more information of any of Rowan's student entrepreneurship programs or to learn how you can support entrepreneurship at Rowan, please contact Jess (Wolk) Vattima at wolk@rowan.edu.
Rowan Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Business Hall 209
201 Mullica Hill Road | Glassboro, NJ 08028