Hudson County Clerk E. Junior Maldonado has seen it all in a career that includes more than four decades of public service in Hudson County — and a recent stint as the president of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials.
So, when he says an initiative is uniquely special, it comes with a sense of political perspective.
Such was the case last week, when Maldonado was one of many key officials to speak at the ribbon cutting of the Hispanic Innovation Business Hub, a program created by the Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and N.J. City University that aims to develop joint educational programs focused on entrepreneurship, financial literacy and digital skills — as well as creating internship opportunities.
“This is a collaboration and a partnership that’s going to be planting the seed for other universities and other chambers across the country to follow,” he said. “I have no doubt that you are going to be able to make this the most productive, innovative business partnership in the country, and for that, I’m proud.”
There’s plenty of reason for the optimism.
The partnership includes several key initiatives, including:
The development of joint educational programs focused on entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and digital skills;
The establishment of internship opportunities connecting NJCU students with SHCCNJ member businesses;
Collaboration on research and policy initiatives supporting Hispanic-owned and minority businesses;
Access to NJCU facilities for SHCCNJ events and programming.
Of course, there’s plenty of cause for concern, too.
The announcement came days after the U.S. Department of Education issued a letter that aims to dismantle any higher ed program connected to D.E.I. — which some have turned into a dirty word.
NJCU Interim President Andres Acebo and Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce CEO Carlos Medina obviously don’t agree.
To them, an initiative built around diversity, equity and inclusion makes perfect sense, especially in Hudson County, possibly the most diverse county in the country.
Medina, who grew up in Hudson County, fought the fire with facts.
“New Jersey’s gross domestic product for Hispanics in New Jersey exceeds $100 billion annually,” he said. “It’s the fifth largest Hispanic economy in the United States. And if all the Hispanics that live in the United States were their own sovereign entity, they would be the fifth-largest economy in the world, with an economy about $3.5 trillion.”
Medina acknowledges the fight.
“It’s crazy what is happening right now,” he said. “We’re going to hear a lot of anti-diversity rhetoric the next three and three quarters years. But the facts are the facts. The $100 billion GDP is a fact.
“We’ve just got to keep repeating those facts and telling the positive stories.”
As part of the five-year agreement which will run through at least 2030, Room 211 of the School of Business will be transformed into the Hispanic Innovation Business Hub.
Medina pointed out that the Hub aims to help both students and small businesses.
He encouraged the hundreds of Hispanic-owned businesses in the area to take advantage of the services the Hub will be able to offer them.
“Small businesses struggle with things like access to capital and public opinion right now is that they are a drag on the economy,” he said. “With the rhetoric in Washington, they have the added fear of people coming to their businesses and disrupting them.
“We want to be a partner to the small businesses and allow them to speak to our legal team and be an advisor to them because a lot are nervous.”
Acebo knows how important all of this can be.
As a first-generation success story, he knows the power that such a Hub can provide. And he knows it’s the responsibility of his generation to make life better for the next – no matter the obstacles.
“It is not just about economic development, it’s about defiance — and it’s a declaration that we will not wait for permission to prosper,” he said.
“It is a promise to our students, our businesses, our familias, that we will not be left behind in decisions that shape our economy and our future. Yet today, like in the weeks that have passed, we are met with an obstacle not born of circumstance, but of deliberate choice.”
The effort has the support of U.S. Representatives Rob Menendez (D-8th District) and LaMonica McIver (D-10th District), both of which represent parts of Hudson County.
Menendez said the reason is simple.
“In my practice of law, we saw how minority business owners can make $1 go farther than anybody else,” he said. “To have this organization, to have the chamber used as a force in the state is incredibly important, especially in this moment.
“I believe that coalitions will be what gets us through this difficult moment.”
McIver agreed.
“This partnership will open doors for students looking to grow their business skills,” she said. “Every young person deserves the resources they need to succeed.”
“This business center will help students overcome systematic barriers by providing educational and professional opportunities for students in the Hispanic business community.”
Hudson County Executive Craig Guy said it’s a winning play.
“This partnership is a win-win for Hudson County, it’s a win-win for our kids and it’s a win-win for our community, because every opportunity that we provide for our students is an opportunity for them to grow within a community.
“I feel that it’s the job of the elected officials within New Jersey and within Hudson County, the civic and community educational leaders, to offer opportunities and to all folks in every way life.”
There’s no better place to do that than at NJCU, Guy said.
“Just walking in, I saw the diverse nature of the students,” he said. “It does warm your heart to see our students enjoying this experience and being a part of the of the university experience.”
Conversation Starters
Reach Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce at: shccnj.org or call 201-935-0035.
Reach N.J. City University at: njcu.edu or call 201-200-2000.
