Seton Hall University Launches ImpactNJ: Urban Ventures Collaborative to Empower Early-Stage Entrepreneurs

Seton Hall University is proud to announce the launch of ImpactNJ: Urban Ventures Collaborative, a dynamic new community-based entrepreneurship program that will serve as a catalyst for early-stage business owners in underserved communities across northern New Jersey. Set to begin in January 2026, the program is part of the nationally recognized Urban Poverty and Business Initiative (UPBI) led by the University of Notre Dame, a growing network of universities and nonprofit partners across the globe working together to address poverty through the lens of entrepreneurship and economic empowerment.

Seton Hall joins this powerful coalition of higher education institutions that are committed to building bridges between university resources and communities in need. UPBI programs are active in over 50 U.S. cities and globally, all aligned under a shared belief: entrepreneurship is a learnable journey and a powerful vehicle for economic mobility and community empowerment.

Notre Dame professor Michael Morris, who coordinates the UPBI network, explained “We are so pleased to be collaborating with Seton Hall on this very important program.  The combination of their outstanding entrepreneurship program and strong history of community engagement makes them an ideal partner, one that will make a real difference in northern New Jersey.”

Locally, ImpactNJ will be co-offered through Seton Hall’s Stillman School of Business’s Center of Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the Division of Continuing Education and Professional Studies. The initiative will provide practical, high-impact support to aspiring entrepreneurs who otherwise have limited access to capital, training, or networks.

The six-week entrepreneurial bootcamp will be hosted in-person in downtown Newark (location to be determined) on the following Saturdays: January 31, February 7, 14, 21, 28 and March 7, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Applications will open on August 1, 2025. 

Open to all, but especially focused on underserved founders, ImpactNJ is designed to build entrepreneurial capacity, provide hands-on, immediately applicable business training, offer guidance from experienced entrepreneur mentors, and deliver impactful support from Seton Hall student consulting teams and interns. All participants who complete the program will receive a Seton Hall University Certificate and digital badge, an industry-recognized credential.

Graduates of the program will also gain access to a powerful post-program network that includes long-term mentoring and tailored business support. Sessions will cover critical topics including marketing, operations, finance, customer discovery and growth strategy.

“ImpactNJ represents both our deep commitment to the local community and our connection to a powerful national movement,” said Joyce Strawser, Ph.D., dean of the Stillman School of Business. “By aligning with UPBI, Seton Hall connects urban entrepreneurs in New Jersey to a broader national and global network of support and opportunity. We are especially excited about involving our students in this program – an important service-learning experience in their journey to becoming principled business leaders.”

The Urban Poverty and Business Initiative (UPBI) is based on the philosophy that all individuals are capable of becoming entrepreneurs and that start-ups from disadvantaged communities deserve the same access to tools, mentoring, and support as any other venture. By following a shared curriculum and activity-based approach, UPBI partners aim to transform lives and neighborhoods, one entrepreneur at a time.

“Entrepreneurship can be a force for social good,” added Susan Scherreik, director of Seton Hall’s Center of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. “We’re proud to bring this model to surrounding cities and to expand on our legacy of supporting innovation at every level, from student startups to small business owners in our community.”

The ImpactNJ program builds upon Seton Hall’s long-standing work in entrepreneurship education, including the Pirates Pitch startup competition, the Pirates LaunchPad summer accelerator program, the Entrepreneur Hall of Fame, and the statewide UPitchNJ collegiate competition in partnership with Nokia Bell Labs.

Seton Hall’s Center of Innovation and Entrepreneurship has earned statewide and national recognition, while the Division of Continuing Education and Professional Studies has delivered flexible, high-quality programming to thousands of working professionals, executives and business owners through evening, weekend, hybrid, and in-person courses.

One of Seton Hall’s community partners for ImpactNJ, Greater Newark Enterprises Corporation (GNEC), is a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) with a strong track record in small business lending, financial training, and community empowerment. GNEC and Seton Hall have already collaborated successfully on the Summer Entrepreneurship Institute for high school students, and this new initiative represents a deepening of that partnership for adult learners and early-stage business founders.

“This collaborative initiative is so much more than a bootcamp,” said Mary Kate Naatus, Ph.D., dean of Continuing Education and faculty in Marketing. “It’s a launchpad into a statewide and global entrepreneurial ecosystem, a place where the seeds of economic transformation are planted and grown.”

Applications for the January 2026 cohort of ImpactNJ:
Urban Ventures Collaborative opens on August 1, 2025. To submit an inquiry and join our mailing list at any time, visit this page. For media or partnership inquiries, contact: ceps@shu.edu 

About the Urban Poverty and Business Initiative (UPBI)
The UPBI, led by the University of Notre Dame’s McKenna Center for Human Development and Global Business, is a growing alliance of universities and nonprofit organizations dedicated to alleviating poverty through entrepreneurship. UPBI currently supports urban entrepreneurship programs across the United States, including in Chicago, New York City, Miami and Los Angeles, and globally in communities that have historically lacked access to business education and support. Each UPBI program is locally tailored but shares a common methodology, belief in inclusive economic empowerment and commitment to long-term impact.

Categories: Business