During NJEDA’s Women’s History Month Roundtable, Women Business Owners Share Experience of Growing Their Company in NJ

Business owners hail from Summit, Princeton, Newark, and Nutley

TRENTON, N.J. (March 28, 2025) – Last week, five women-owned business owners joined a roundtable discussion to share their stories of opening and growing their businesses in New Jersey. Hosted by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA), the conversation centered around the entrepreneurs’ experience as women business owners in the state and how New Jersey can continue providing resources to uplift women-owned businesses.

“From day one, Governor Murphy has been dedicated to supporting women business owners and fostering a robust, diverse, and fair economy. With the help of Assemblywoman Collazos-Gill and the entire Legislature, the NJEDA has been able to roll out programs that provide essential resources to help women entrepreneurs turn their dreams into reality,” said NJEDA Chief Executive Officer Tim Sullivan. “Although New Jersey has made significant strides, our efforts are ongoing to ensure that minority business owners have the necessary resources to grow their businesses in the Garden State.”

The roundtable was hosted at Agave Mexican Cantina in Clifton and included businesses from a variety of industries such as retail, food, healthcare, and software. Assemblywoman Alixon Collazos-Gill (LD-27), President-Elect of the Women’s Chamber of Commerce Robin Tabakin, NJEDA Chief Economic Security Officer Tara Colton, and NJEDA Chief of Staff Emma Corrado also joined last week’s roundtable.

“I commend the NJEDA for their thoughtfulness and intent in which their grant programs and tools are reaching and empowering the diverse group of women entrepreneurs,” said Assemblywoman Collazos-Gill.“Women-owned businesses play a vital role in our economy by generating jobs, driving innovation, and enriching our communities. Continued state support is critical to their growth, expanding economic opportunities, and building a more inclusive and resilient economy.”

“During the NJEDA business roundtable for Women’s History Month, we explored the pivotal roles that the NJEDA and NJCSIT have played in supporting women-owned businesses in New Jersey,” said Tabakin. “Our discussions encompassed the resources these businesses currently utilize, the support programs they envision for the future, and NJEDA’s ongoing commitment to empowering women entrepreneurs through legislative actions and strategic goals.”

“Governor Murphy and First Lady Murphy have made it their mission from the beginning to support women-owned businesses, including the hundreds of women-owned child care centers the NJEDA has bolstered through its Child Care Facilities Improvement Program,” said Colton. “Making robust investments into the child care industry is helping empower women to rejoin the workforce, strengthening families and communities. Conversations such as these support women entrepreneurs by giving them the tools they need to successfully run their business and raise their families.”

“In support of Governor Murphy’s goal to strengthen the small business community, the NJEDA is committed to uplifting women small business owners across the state with the resources and tools needed to succeed,” said Corrado. “To ensure the NJEDA’s programs and products meet the needs of women business owners, conversations like these are crucial as we work to design and implement new resources.”

The Project for Empty Space, based in Newark, is a multifaceted arts organization that includes Exhibitions, Artists Residencies, Public Art initiatives, subsidized Artist Studios, and Artist Professional Development and Granting opportunities. Co-Director Rebecca Jampol is a recipient of the Activation Revitalization and Transformation (ART) Program.

“We at Project for Empty Space, a woman-led non-profit arts organization, center culture makers and build sustainable resources to uplift and empower our creative community,” said Rebecca Pauline Jampol, Co-Director, Project for Empty Space. “We recognize artists as vital contributors to the economic ecosystem—individuals who operate as small businesses—and with the support of NJEDA, we have expanded our footprint to better support this community in the heart of Downtown Newark.”

Tea & Oranges is a women’s accessories and apparel boutique in downtown Summit. Established in 2020 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Tea & Oranges strives to have unique and versatile clothing items, while giving customers a shopping experience that fits their needs. Owner Margot Zigmont is a recipient of the Small Business E-Commerce Support Program.

“Community has been essential to Tea & Oranges’ success as a woman run business, and I am fortunate to be part of a robust community of woman-owned entrepreneurs. We thrive when we support each other,” said Margot Zigmont, owner of Tea & Oranges. “As the recipient of the E-Commerce Grant from the NJEDA, my business made a crucial relationship with ANOTHER woman owned business who brought our website to the next level. The grant and this relationship continues to feed the growth of my business and it has helped us broaden our community as we continue to share Tea & Oranges with the state of New Jersey and beyond.”  

PolyGone Systems is a hardware company located in Princeton, and aims to develop a filtration system that removes microplastics from water. Co-founder Yidian Lu is a recipient of CSIT Pilot Clean Tech Demonstration Grant Program, the Clean Tech SEED Grant Round 2 Program, and Clean Tech (R&D) Voucher Pilot Program – Round 2.

“Building a hardware company is difficult. The early support from NJEDA allowed us to unlock a bunch of industrial partnerships and navigate the early funding challenges,” said Yidian Lu, Co-Founder of PolyGone. “I could not thank them more for creating such an inclusive ecosystem in NJ to host business like PolyGone.”

Vitruiviae, located in Nutley, is a biotherapeutic company that targets aberrant and abundant sugar and lipid signatures on viruses and cancers that do not exist on normal cells. CEO Sonia Sequeira, Ph.D., is a recipient of the Catalyst Seed R&D Grant Program – Round 2, the CSIT Maternal and Infant Health R&D Grant Program, and the CSIT Maternal and Infant Health R&D Grant Program Round 2.

“As a women-led biotherapeutics company in New Jersey, early support from the NJEDA and CSIT was instrumental in enabling Vitruviae to conduct critical early-stage research—work that is rarely funded through traditional mechanisms. This funding served as a catalyst, helping us attract investors, generate intellectual property, and advance to the preclinical stage, where we can now operate with greater independence,” said Sonia Sequeira, PhD, CEO of Vitruviae. “We are deeply grateful for their support.”

Kurly Kürtősh, located in Nutley, is a destination for chimney cakes, a popular pastry enjoyed in Hungary. Owner Nicole Shaw-Provillion, whose dessert training started in Hungary, is a recipient of the COVID Small Business Emergency Loan Phase 2, Small Business Improvement Grant, the Small Business Lease Grant, the Covid Small Business Emergency Assistance Grant Phase 3, and the Small Business Emergency Assistance Grant Phase IIII.

“The grants we received from NJEDA have been a beneficial resource to help Kurly Kürtősh build this unique dessert culture around chimney cakes, a popular European dessert unknown in the US.,” said Nicole Shaw-Provillion, owner of Kurly Kürtősh. “As a woman business owner building this niche brand, it has been an interesting journey, and the community has been overwhelmingly supportive.”

Through the Main Street Recovery Program, which provides grants, loans, and technical support to eligible New Jersey businesses, the NJEDA is supporting minority-owned businesses across the state. In 2024, 537 women-owned businesses received funding from the Main Street suite of programs, totaling $10.5 million in funding.

About the NJEDA

The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) serves as the State’s principal agency for driving economic growth. The NJEDA is committed to making New Jersey a national model for inclusive and sustainable economic development by focusing on key strategies to help build strong and dynamic communities, create good jobs for New Jersey residents, and provide pathways to a stronger and fairer economy. Through partnerships with a diverse range of stakeholders, the NJEDA creates and implements initiatives to enhance the economic vitality and quality of life in the State and strengthen New Jersey’s long-term economic competitiveness.

To learn more about NJEDA resources for businesses, call NJEDA Customer Care at 844-965-1125 or visit https://www.njeda.gov and follow @NewJerseyEDA on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

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