Seton Hall University announced the launch of ImpactNJ: Urban Ventures Collaborative. This new community-based entrepreneurship program will be a catalyst for early-stage business owners in underserved communities across Northern New Jersey.
Slated to begin in January 2026, it is part of the nationally recognized Urban Poverty and Business Initiative (UPBI) led by the University of Notre Dame and an expanding network of universities and nonprofit partners collaborating to address poverty with entrepreneurship and economic empowerment.
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.
The six-week entrepreneurial bootcamp will be hosted in-person in downtown Newark (location to be determined) on the following Saturdays in 2026: January 31; February 7, 14, 21, and 28; and March 7, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
All participants who complete the program will receive a Seton Hall University certificate and digital badge, an industry-recognized credential. Graduates will also gain access to a powerful post-program network that includes long-term mentoring and tailored business support. Sessions will cover vital topics including marketing, operations, finance, customer discovery and growth strategy.
“We are so pleased to be collaborating with Seton Hall on this very important program,” said Notre Dame professor Michael Morris, who coordinates the UPBI network. “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.”
ImpactNJ will be co-offered through Seton Hall’s Stillman School of Business Center of Innovation and Entrepreneurship as well as the division of Continuing Education and Professional Studies.
“Entrepreneurship can be a force for social good,” said Susan Scherreik, director of the 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.”
“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.”
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.
