NJ's Innovation Economy and Roles for Women in Leadership

As part of our Women in Leadership special, Steve Adubato goes One-on-One with Carley Graham Garcia, Executive Director, Feliciano Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation at Montclair State University, to discuss what’s next for the innovation economy in New Jersey, her career shift from Google to academia, and roles for women in leadership.

12/18/2019 #2267

Excerpt:

"Our Women in Leadership series continues with Carley Graham Garcia, executive director, Feliciano Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at my alma mater, Montclair State University. It was not a university then. It's huge these days. And there was not such a center. Which does what? The Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation is a hub for students across campus. We're co-located within the business school, but we serve the broader university community. Montclair State is now a research institution. Over 21,000 students. It's a Hispanic designated serving institution. 30% Hispanic, 21% African-American. This incoming class this year is incredibly dynamic. So my job, and the center's job, is to opportunity spot for these students, support them as they become entrepreneurs, bring potential employers, potential funding for their businesses to campus. We run a pitch competition. We do a Women Entrepreneurship Week series of events and major conference. Supporting the students full circle as they get into business. You know, I've told you, we talked about this. How fascinated I am by the, not just leadership, the question of leadership and what it really takes to be a great leader. But the entrepreneur piece... entrepreneurial piece too. Check out our... or Google our website with Gary Vee. We've had Gary Vee on many times. Gary Vee and I had these conversations about what it takes. Mm hmm. What does it take to be a great entrepreneur? Grit. Determination. I'm actually coming here today straight from the Propelify Innovation Festival, where I... We just did a feature on them Go ahead. Yes. New Jersey Tech Council. Really exciting. Aaron Price is leading it. He's led Propelify for years. I've been engaged for a long time. I led a session for scrappy New Jersey based entrepreneurs, who basically had built their businesses in, you know, their homes, their garages, their backyards, and are scaling them globally. Here. You know, from their original, sort of, place that they founded it in New Jersey. So you got grit? Determination. If some says, "I got a great idea." Yeah. You say? Pitch it. Pitch it in front of an audience that can support you. Get others to help you. Get hard-working students like Montclair State University undergrads and graduate students and alum to chip in. Figure out how to raise funding. Figure out how to build demand for the business that they're building here. I'm curious, because this series is about women in leadership. Do you think there's any significant difference about a man or a woman in an entrepreneurial role? Do they take... do they approach it differently in your view at all? Overall? Not... every case is different, but is there any research that backs up..."