Rising Tide Capital Recognized Saint Peter’s University as 2013 Entrepreneurial Educator of the Year at Start Something Champions Gala

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President Eugene Cornacchia addresses audience after receiving Entrepreneurial Educator of the Year

Saint Peter’s University signed an agreement with RTC to provide each qualified Community Business Academy (CBA) graduate with access to further their education at the University by providing six college credits through prior learning experience.

Jersey City, NJ (PRWEB) December 13, 2013

Saint Peter’s University was recognized as the 2013 Entrepreneurial Educator of the Year by Rising Tide Capital (RTC) at the Start Something Champions Gala on Tuesday, December 10. The university was awarded for their continuous support and partnership in RTC’s mission to provide resources to strengthen entrepreneurs in Jersey City and surrounding areas.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with Saint Peter’s University as we work to build the Jersey City community by providing educational resources” said Alfa Demmellash, CEO and co-founder of Rising Tide Capital, “by working together we can only deepen the impact of our respective missions. Saint Peter’s University not only recognizes the potential of entrepreneurship to revitalize communities, but is also willing to do the work to amplify this potential within our own local economy.”

In June 2013, Saint Peter’s University signed an agreement with RTC to provide each qualified Community Business Academy (CBA) graduate with access to further their education at the University by providing six college credits through prior learning experience from the University’s School of Professional and Continuing Studies.

Through the Institute for Urban Revitalization through Entrepreneurship, both organizations will also partner on strategies to benefit the communities they serve. The Institute will be the home of the Local Economy Working Group that was announced last month at the Local Living Economies summit. The working group will collaborate to evaluate local resources and produce ways to stimulate economic growth and tackle job creation by maximizing existing resources.

"I am so humbled that Saint Peter’s has been declared Rising Tide Capital's Entrepreneurial Educator of the Year," said Eugene J. Cornacchia, Ph.D., president of Saint Peter's University. "Saint Peter's is inspired by the history of the Jesuits, who have always been entrepreneurial; if they saw a need, their goal was to address it. That is why we strive to be as entrepreneurial as we can and why we are committed to granting up to six credits to graduates of Rising Tide's Community Business Academy so that these students can continue their educational journey at Saint Peter’s."

Darice Toon, director of the Jersey City Division of Community Development, JPMorgan Chase, and Shazi Visram, founder of HappyFamily also received special awards on the night. Rising Tide Capital also awarded $22,500 in cash prizes to the winners of the recently concluded Start Something Challenge.

The Start Something Champions Gala raised funds to support entrepreneurship development in underserved communities across New Jersey by providing scholarships for entrepreneurs to participate in Rising Tide Capital’s 12-week Community Business Academy (CBA).

Saint Peter’s University, inspired by its Jesuit, Catholic identity, commitment to individual attention and grounding in the liberal arts, educates a diverse community of learners in undergraduate, graduate and professional programs to excel intellectually, lead ethically, serve compassionately and promote justice in our ever-changing urban and global environment.

The Start Something Challenge (SSC) is a statewide pitch competition and business strengthening opportunity for New Jersey entrepreneurs. The Challenge is funded by visionary supporters and organized by Rising Tide Capital, a non-profit organization that helps entrepreneurs start and grow successful businesses. To ensure that every participant has a chance to win the top prize, Rising Tide Capital will provide each entrant with hands-on coaching and mentorship. Free to enter, the competition is open to any New Jersey resident 18 years or older, who operates a microbusiness or has a strong business idea. In 2013, 108 entrepreneurs from 38 towns and cities representing 13 counties in New Jersey completed applications for the Start Something Challenge.

To learn more, visit http://www.StartSomethingChallenge.org.

Rising Tide Capital (RTC) is a Jersey City-based nonprofit organization founded in 2004 by Harvard graduates Alex Forrester and Alfa Demmellash. RTC helps entrepreneurs start and grow successful businesses by providing a 12-week Community Business Academy—supplemented by year-around workshops, coaching and networking events. These programs are currently offered in Spanish and in English in four cities across Northern New Jersey: Jersey City, Newark, Union City, and Orange Township. RTC’s model of entrepreneurship development has received national recognition from President Obama to CNN Heroes. To learn more, visit http://www.RisingTideCapital.org.

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