In the Spotlight: Some enterprising women entrepreneurs in New Jersey
#WomenEntrepreneursNJ #GardenStateInnovation #FemaleFoundersLeadership
Women entrepreneurs in New Jersey are reimagining the state’s economic landscape with their determination, creativity & vision. Over the past decade, the number of women-owned businesses in the state has surged by 40%, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration. From bustling cities like Newark and Jersey City to suburban hubs, women founders are really making their mark across diverse industries – including technology, healthcare, fashion & finance.
Pioneering Progress across Industries
With access to coworking spaces, incubators & accelerators, New Jersey has indeed, cultivated a thriving startup ecosystem. Programs like the New Jersey Economic Development Authority’s Women’s Leadership Council and organizations such as the New Jersey Association of Women Business Owners (NJAWBO) provide vital mentorship, funding opportunities & networking platforms. So, resources are empowering women to launch, scale & lead successful ventures, inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs in “The Garden State”.
Now let us look at some enterprising women entrepreneurs from New Jersey.
> Kim De Rienzo, Owner, Tailored Image
Kim De Rienzo, owner of Tailored Image, has been providing custom-made clothing for many leaders in business, entertainment, finance and sports for 25+ years. They provide full-service wardrobe consulting and fine custom-tailored clothing – in the luxury of your home or office. They tailor your existing wardrobe by filling in the gaps, so that you are perfectly attired for any situation whether it be business, casual or formal. She truly believes that a positive self-image is one of the most valuable business tools we have, and that is the reason that she started this business. Through her journey she has watched customers become much more confident in how they look and how they feel, that was a direct impact of the way they are dressed.
> Rachel Durkan, Founder & President, Paradigm Marketing and Design
Durkan is the Founder & President of Paradigm Marketing and Design, which is a full- service marketing and branding agency. Incidentally, she is a graduate of Fairleigh Dickenson University, with degrees in marketing and MBA.
Her professional and educational background provided her with the resources she needed to succeed in marketing and design. She gained first-hand knowledge of coding, design, and marketing – that actually gave her a unique understanding of how every piece of the marketing puzzle should fit together, to achieve long-term success.
Today is really great to see that Paradigm Marketing and Design is flourishing with new clients and employees and so on. Plus, they are ready for additional growth too in the road ahead.
> Valerie Montecalvo, Founder, President & CEO, Bayshore Recycling Corp
Valerie Montecalvo is Founder, President & CEO of Bayshore Recycling, Woodbridge Township, New Jersey.
To elaborate, Bayshore is a NJDEP Class B recycling company, and it is behind nine different recycling operations; and the company is a certified Woman-Owned Business in New Jersey.
Besides, she serves as a trustee for the Clean Ocean Action, Monmouth Conservation Foundation, RWJ/Monmouth Medical Center, Monmouth University, and Board Director for the Commerce & Industry Association of New Jersey. Interestingly, she was the first woman to serve as President of the National, Construction Material Recycling Association (2013-2016); and she was inducted into Junior Achievement’s Hall of Fame in December of 2021.
> Gail Friedberg Rottenstrich, Co-Founder & CEO, ZAGO Manufacturing Co.
Gail Friedberg Rottenstrich is Co-founder & CEO of ZAGO Manufacturing Co, which is a woman-owned business and global producer of high-tech sealing fasteners and components.
She was a former corporate attorney, and she started ZAGO in 1993 with her husband (an engineer, at the NJIT Enterprise Development Center small business incubator.) Today, ZAGO operates from a refurbished factory in Newark. Plus, she serves on the Board of Trustees of the New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program (NJMEP), as Councilmember of the Fair Lawn Borough, and as liaison to its Green Team and Planning Board. Gail graduated from SUNY Albany and the George Washington University Law School.
> Monica C. Smith, Founder & CEO, Marketsmith Inc.
As Founder and CEO of Marketsmith, Monica C Smith specializes in creating, developing & leading strategic initiatives that elevate brand awareness and surpass lead generation goals across diverse business lines.
Tracing her background, today she has made her mark on the advertising world in her role as the Founder and CEO of Marketsmith Inc. It was in 1999 that she founded Marketsmith Inc. and the agency grew to become a national leader in data-driven direct marketing, using its proprietary analytics-based patented prediction platform i.Predictus.
So, she is a successful entrepreneur, board member, investor & philanthropist; and she is known for her expertise in aligning with business unit leaders to increase brand awareness among Fortune 1000 C-suite executives. Besides, she has a relentless work ethic, modern thinking, along with a collaborative approach to leveraging internal talent & external resources.
> Jayne Warne, PE, Co-founder & President, Matrix New World Engineering
Jayne Warne, P.E. President & Co-founder of Matrix New World Engineering is the person behind making it one of the largest woman-owned, environmental engineering firms today. The focus is on the nation’s most pressing issues – climate change, water supply, disaster response & urban revitalization.
Many awards have come her way. Her successes include the receiving of such awards as the: first-ever ‘Salute To Women In Construction’ (2021); SILVER, Female Entrepreneur of the Year, STEVIE Awards (2018); ‘Best 50 Women in Business’ NJBIZ (2011); Finalist, ‘Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year’ (2011); and ‘Small Business Person of the Year’ from the US Small Business Administration (2002). The firm has garnered numerous accolades; ranking in the Inc. 5000 (2014); named ‘Business of the Year’ (2010); and one of ‘New Jersey’s Finest Companies’ (2004).