NJ's Booming Female Entrepreneurship

Female entrepreneurs are thriving in New Jersey, with several initiatives and programs that support and celebrate women-led businesses. The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) and the Commission on Science, Innovation, and Technology (CSIT) work to close the gender gap, supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion for female-led companies in various sectors. Several innovative programs offer enhanced benefits to businesses with women at their helm, such as the Angel Investor Tax Credit Program, the newly created New Jersey Innovation Evergreen Fund, and the New Jersey Innovation Fellows program. Golden Seeds, a nationwide angel investor network dedicated to investing in female-led startups, offers opportunities to increase available capital for women-led businesses, as well as mentoring entrepreneurs to support and grow New Jersey women-led businesses. To learn more about these initiatives and programs, visit http://www.njeda.com and www.njeda.com/csit.

As an SEO expert and high-quality copywriter, I can confidently say that being a female entrepreneur in New Jersey is a great opportunity at the moment. Several emerging companies, including those led by women, are making their marks in different sectors, from gene and biologic therapies to clean technology manufacturing. During Women’s History Month, it’s important to celebrate and showcase these businesses and provide resources to help them grow.

Nurture NJ, a campaign by first lady Tammy Snyder Murphy (center, bottom row), unveiled its plan to reduce racial disparities in maternal and infant mortality at a Zoom meeting on Jan. 25. Among the participants: Top row, Dr. Diane Rowley, Ajanee McConnell, U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman; bottom row, Dr. Dr. Nastassia Davis, Murphy, and Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver.

To ensure that everyone has a voice and access to the resources they need to thrive, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority and the Commission on Science, Innovation, and Technology are working to close the gender gap. Their initiatives since 2018 prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion and are designed to support female-led companies in various sectors.

For instance, Jatesha “Jaye” Wilson founded Melinated Moms, a Trenton-based business that aims to empower moms of color through advocacy, education, awareness, and entrepreneurship. Melinated Moms offers services such as training, speaking engagements, and a business network. The company recently received approval for up to $75,000 in grants through CSIT’s Maternal and Infant Health Research & Development Grant Program, which is part of First Lady Tammy Murphy’s Nurture NJ initiative to improve maternal and child wellbeing.

Another female entrepreneur making waves is Dr. Amy Liao, the founder of Couragene, a biotechnology company that develops genome-modifying therapeutics for life-transforming cures. She launched Couragene from the New Jersey Bioscience Center – Incubator in North Brunswick, the same facility where she previously established and grew genomics services provider GENEWIZ. In 2018, GENEWIZ was acquired for $450 million.

In conclusion, female entrepreneurship is thriving in New Jersey, and it’s the right time for women to seize the opportunity and make their mark in various sectors. The state government’s initiatives to support diversity, equity, and inclusion are helping female-led companies to grow and succeed, and there are resources available for those who need them.

Female entrepreneurship in New Jersey is thriving, and there are numerous initiatives and programs that support and celebrate women-led businesses. One such example is STEERus.io, founded by serial entrepreneur Dr. Loralyn Mears. The platform offers professional development content and behavioral assessments in soft skills, conscious leadership, emotional intelligence, and other areas. STEERus.io benefited from participation in NJ Founders & Funders and a $75,000 grant through CSIT’s Catalyst Seed Grant Program.

Another successful female-led company is SunRay Scientific Inc, founded by Madhu Stemmermann. The Eatontown-based clean technology company has grown from two employees in 2017 to 14 employees currently, with plans for significant growth. SunRay Scientific has leveraged NJEDA and CSIT support as it has expanded within the state, including a $75,000 Clean Technology Seed Grant, a $25,000 NJ Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)/Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Direct Financial Assistance grant, and funding that enabled the company to weather the impact of COVID-19. The company also secured funding from investors through Golden Seeds, a nationwide angel investor network dedicated to investing in female-led startups.

The NJEDA has partnered with Golden Seeds to create opportunities to increase available capital for women-led businesses, as well as mentoring entrepreneurs to support and grow New Jersey women-led businesses. Other innovation-focused programs, such as the state’s Angel Investor Tax Credit Program, the newly created New Jersey Innovation Evergreen Fund, and the New Jersey Innovation Fellows program, offer enhanced benefits to businesses with women at their helm.

It’s a fantastic time to be a female entrepreneur in New Jersey, with countless resources available to support and encourage women-led businesses. To learn more about these initiatives and programs, visit http://www.njeda.com and www.njeda.com/csit.

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