From Classroom to CEO: Unveiling the Success Story of Anthony Magaraci, a Rowan Entrepreneurship Alumnus Anthony Magaraci, Entrepreneurship ‘06 alum, gives insight on his successes since graduating from Rowan’s entrepreneurship program. A member of the inaugural class of the entrepreneurship program within the William G. Rohrer College of Business, Anthony Magaraci graduated in 2006 alongside […]
business entrepreneurship
Rowan University Entrepreneurship Majors Share Their Professional Goals
What internships, clubs, networking, etc. are you involved in and how do they support your goals? “I currently sell cars at a local Ford dealership, which helps with developing a stronger understanding of how the business industry works.” – Brendan Liebenow “Networking with other students and professors at Rowan has helped me realize how much […]
Summer Classes Work For this Night Owl Bitten by the Travel Bug
What inspired you to choose the major that you are pursuing? I’ve always had a passion for music, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to pursue a career in the field for a while. Eventually, I determined that what I wanted was to work in a creative environment, but not do a creative job […]
Rowan Innovation Venture Fund Winners, Alumni Mike Lombardo and Kayvon Jahanbakhsh Share Their Story
Rohrer College of Business graduates Mike Lombardo and Kayvon Jahanbakhsh turned their journey to better health into a lucrative iced tea business: Halfday Tonics, with the help of the Rowan Innovation Venture Fund.
Every great business starts with an idea, and Rowan University alumni Mike Lombardo and Kayvon Jahanbakhsh were inspired for their healthy iced tea early on.
“Years ago I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis,” Kayvon says. “For those who don’t know, ulcerative colitis is a very debilitating digestive disease. I was training to be an Olympic swimmer, so this diagnosis really set back my progress. Part of dealing with that diagnosis was giving up a lot of sugary products that I really liked because sugar is not good for gut health. Mike was here at Rowan and embarking on his own health journey at the time as well. He was trying to lose weight and get in shape because, in college, it’s pretty easy to not be the healthiest. Essentially, we were both pushing each other to be more healthy. We used the idea of a healthy iced tea for a school project, so it all started from a health journey.”
Co-founder Mike Lombardo says Halfday Tonics “is the iced tea revamp that we’ve all been waiting for. We make classic iced tea flavors with a fraction of the sugar, around 90% less than those classics that we all grew up with. Halfday Tonics also contains prebiotic fibers, which is good for gut health.”
That journey to a healthier lifestyle turned into something much bigger with help from investors. Kayvon talks about how the pair got introduced to the Rowan Innovation Venture Fund.
“When Mike and I first took our entrepreneurship class in 2018, we had Dr. Dominic, and he had told us about the Rowan Innovation Venture Fund, which helps fund students that have their own startup ideas.”
Mike explained that when the time came, the duo was ready to show their stuff. “It took us months to prepare for the pitch deck for Halfday Tonics. It was a lot of going over the numbers, understanding what the market share was, and developing our financial model, which all took a long time. We wanted to make sure everything was buttoned up before presenting to the Rowan Innovation Venture Fund because it is a really seasoned program. We had already been pitching and fundraising with other investors, so we were able to jump in and were ready to go.”
Their hard work paid off and Halfday Tonics reaped the benefits. Kayvon explains the impact the Rowan Innovation Venture Fund had on their business.
“We had raised 425,000 prior to the Rowan Innovation Venture Fund. Rowan came in at the end and gave us $75,000. This gave us a lot of validation within the investment community. It was nice to have an institution come into the round at such an early stage of the company and back us. That funding made us more legitimate to other investors in the community. The money itself helped us with stocking inventory and marketing materials.”
Although the pair faced rejection along the way, they never gave up hope or let it deter them. Kayvon says, “You’d be amazed at the number of emails that we sent. At least 100, 200, 300 emails were sent, and a lot of the responses were no’s.”
What helped Kayvon and Mike persevere through the rejection was using their connections. “There is a lot that can be done with a well-worded email or even a cold outreach on LinkedIn. Tapping into those connections is important because even if it doesn’t work out, you got more practice with pitching,” Mike says.
Both Kayvon and Mike were successful in garnering the funds needed to finance their idea, but just as any journey, it was not without its disturbances. However, the pair was able to learn from these different business issues and experience what it’s like to start up their brand. When asked of the different ordeals that they faced, Kayvon recalled instances that challenged them, but ultimately prepared them for their future endeavors.
Kayvon says, “Starting a business out of college, I think, is one of the most difficult things you could do. It works to your advantage because you have the naivety and you don’t necessarily perceive the risks as gravely as maybe someone that worked in the industry, but you don’t get the ability to understand the industry from a very fundamental level as if you worked at a beverage company before.”
Even with their growing pains as a newly-started brand, both Kayvon and Mike did not let challenges cloud their vision. Instead, any hurdles provided the duo with some much-needed perspective in regards to how far they’ve come and what they can do to keep what they have going. On this self reflection, Mike believes that “the highs are high and the lows are low. That’s the truest thing that I ever heard. And it still holds true today.”
Looking ahead, the duo wants to see Halfday Tonics in all convenience stores near you.
See our video with Mike and Kayvon here:
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Story by:
Loredonna Fiore, public relations and advertising graduate
Photos by:
Stephanie Batista, senior business management major
Beyond The Classroom: Entrepreneurship Major, Owner of Showtime Sneaker Boutiques, Christian Giannola
Today we feature Entrepreneurship major Christian Giannola. Christian, a senior, transferred freshman year from Monmouth University to increase his knowledge in business and entrepreneurship to assist him in running his full-time sneaker boutique business. Christian shares information on Showtime Sneaker Boutique and its two locations, how he started this business, and how Rowan helped him […]
Lexi Jubin Shares Her Experience as an Intern with Spencer’s and Spirit Halloween
Lexi Jubin, a Management and Marketing major with a Certificate of Undergraduate Study in Entrepreneurial and Independent Media, spent her summer learning the ins and outs of e-commerce with national retailers Spencer’s and Spirit Halloween. Here, she shares her experience and how she interned through a pandemic.
What are your responsibilities as an intern with Spencer’s?
As the e-commerce intern with Spencer’s and Spirit Halloween, I did a lot of pulling data and work on different spreadsheets. In the e-commerce marketing department, I learned about paid search, SEO, affiliate marketing, and even worked closely with individuals in merchandising, copywriting and email marketing. I reported directly to the Senior Manager of E-commerce and got to know many people in the department very fondly.
When I first started, two full-time positions were vacant, so I got to have a hand in some of what those positions usually take care of, as well as gain so much brand-new insight and growth for the department during my internship experience as two new awesome individuals joined the team. Regarding my day by day, my mornings usually started off with a paid search report pulling from different analytics platforms. This was something I was super excited to learn about because I never would have thought I enjoyed paid search and going through the data that came with it so much and the only way to know was to try it.
For the SEO side of things, I also did a weekly data pull for our dashboard, which was super cool to learn as well. When I wasn’t pulling numbers for our regular reports, I created a new format for tracking information on our current and new affiliates, and did some individual products and data pulls for specific ideas or problems we had to solve. I attended regular meetings each week, going over different data and getting a feel for the company, as well as going through training for all different facets of e-comm.
Overall, I was completely immersed in the department. My supervisor, Greg, was absolutely amazing at teaching me piece by piece how to do different things. He ran through different platforms with me, taught me how he did the analysis for different daily reports, and was super patient when I didn’t know something. The paid search and SEO managers, which were brought on during my internship, were also so patient, helpful and kind when I had questions. Not only did I have my own responsibilities and tasks day by day, but the people I worked with really took the time to teach me and leave me with some valuable knowledge.
Do you feel like Rowan prepared you for the work you’re doing with the company?
Rowan definitely prepared me in every way they could for this type of work. I think the part of my coursework that helped me the most were the classes that were required for my certificate of undergraduate study in Entrepreneurial and Independent Media. Two classes in particular “Entrepreneurial Media” and “Media Metrics and Analytics” were probably the closest to what I was doing. For my marketing degree, my statistics-based courses also definitely played a role. I did a lot with conversion rates, impressions and other different KPI’s [key performance indicators], so it was important that I knew what they were when I started the internship, and I definitely wouldn’t have without these classes. While Rowan killed it at teaching me the concepts, I learned so much from the hands-on work that I got to do with the company.
Talk about your experience working during COVID.
My internship was sort of hybrid, though the office was technically not fully open during my time there. The first time I got to go to the office was to pick up my company-issued laptop. From there, I generally worked from home most days and went in about once a week. Though I wasn’t there a lot, I really loved the vibe and look of the corporate office, so it was exciting when I did get the chance to go in. I also had the opportunity to help our team out at one of the Spirit stores before it opened, which was insanely exciting, as well as a nice opportunity to meet some of my coworkers in person.
Though I didn’t get to see everyone in person all the time, I still was welcomed to the team with open arms. We had plenty of virtual and in-person meetings, so I still got to meet everyone. Greg also scheduled some time for me to come into the office specifically so I could meet the team, and he was intentional about introducing me to people so I felt like I was included in things. Additionally, when all of the interns first started, we did some meet and greets with everyone in our department.
Outside of normal tech problems you would see anywhere, I felt like Spencer’s did a great job of dealing with the circumstances they were presented with for their internship program, and it was still a super rewarding experience.
What was your favorite part about being on the Spencer’s team?
My favorite part about working for Spencer’s was honestly every single meeting I got to attend, especially the in person ones. We did some small team meetings, a few “Fun Fridays,” individual meetings, and even some department wide. I loved the team I worked with so much, and those meetings were so helpful for me to learn about the company, my job, what I wanted to do with my life, and about so many people I admire. Those meetings allowed me to see the human side of a larger company, and really feel secure in the path I was taking with my career.
The content we were dealing with was stimulating and exciting, but also challenging in all of the right ways. I grew so passionate about the company and the work I was doing over the summer, and gained so much confidence in myself. While I always really loved Spencer’s and Spirit Halloween, the internship experience started out mainly as something to help me gain experience; but the day-to-day work, meetings, and absolutely amazing individuals left me with a career defining experience I’ll never forget.
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Story by:
Loredonna Fiore, senior public relations and advertising major
Photos by:
Stephanie Batista, junior music industry major
Select photos courtesy of:
Lexi Jubin
Alumni Success: Photography Studio Owner Gabi Previtera
Gabi Previtera, alumna and current photographer and business owner, shares her experience at Rowan and her journey starting her own business from the ground up. Gabi graduated from Rowan in winter of 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in graphic design, but her story only starts there.
“I actually started out shooting portraits in a mere 200-square-foot space in my parents’ dining studio!” Gabi reminisces, who now works as a full-time photographer. “As my business started to grow, I knew I’d need to move into a larger studio and now I’m excited to have a much bigger space.”
Not sure what she wanted to pursue at first, Gabi changed her major while at Rowan. “I originally wanted to be a marine biologist, but I was doodling too much in biology classes and not paying attention at all. I realized I probably shouldn’t pursue this route anymore and maybe go into the art field since I’ve always been an artsy person. I tried that, and of course my parents told me that I need to go into a degree that makes money, so that’s where the graphic design part came in.”
Gabi started her business, Endless Smiles Photography LLC, after she realized that she wanted to do more than graphic design and expand into working as her own boss.
“Being a business owner is tough, but is great. You never stop working!” Gabi explains. “I’m a perfectionist so I really like to be able to do what I want, how I want, and on my own schedule.” Some months she has more than 100 shoots while other months are dedicated solely to newborn sessions.
“My proudest moment actually happened early today. I finally reached a big financial goal I thought I’d never make. I did this all on my own. I paid my own bills, got my own clients, built up referrals through word of mouth because of how I treat my clients and the service I offer,” says Gabi.
Gabi believes in investing in education each year because you never stop learning in the field. Whether it be art classes, finding a strong mentor, or getting your first camera and watching videos to learn, education is important.
“For anyone starting out, please don’t go into debt for this. You don’t have to have the best equipment, don’t let others fool you. Pay whatever you can to learn through workshops and practice. Learn what you can, replicate your favorites, and never stop growing.”
Looking back at her time at Rowan, Gabi reminisces about the lifelong friendships she’s made. “I absolutely love my friends that I made at Rowan. We would all hangout in the art areas together and just make stuff. I keep in touch with them still.”
The biggest advice Gabi shares with creatives is, “Charge your worth, figure out what you want to do and make it happen. Art is a field with careers, so choose the major you want. Don’t just give out photoshoots or give your work out for free — know your worth.”
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Story by:
Caitlyn Dickinson, senior public relations and advertising double major
Alumni Success: Ryan Geiger, Creative Media Business Owner and Accomplished Filmmaker
Today we speak with Ryan Geiger, who attended Rowan from 2004 to 2008. He was an RTF major and advertising minor. He now owns his own media studio called Pinch located in North Jersey. Ryan also is an independent filmmaker and has won awards in several film festivals, including the Cannes Film Festival.
Can you tell us more about where you currently work?
Ryan Geiger recently opened his own media studio called Pinch. With 15 years of experience in the creative industry, Ryan created a strong network with many creative professionals. Ryan previously worked at Bingley Digital in Connecticut as the Creative Director. Bingley was bought by one of their clients, and the owner of Bingley trusted Ryan with its remaining clients.
He strongly encourages students to forge strong connections as early as possible and opportunities like this can be in their future.
Ryan remembers his first job immediately after college, proving the power of connections. Through one of his connections, Ryan went to work as an Assistant Director for Center City Film & Video (CCFV) in Philadelphia, which films commercials. Ryan enjoyed the feeling of being on a stage set with actors and how it felt so professional. Ryan shared the news about opening Pinch studio with his network and received a request from CCFV to work with that same client he worked with at CCFV.
“You never know when someone from your past is going to come to you for more work!”
“Starting your own business is way harder than it looks. You see people on Instagram; they sell cookies and go viral because [a] celebrity posts about their [product]. In all life, you [either] get lucky or you work, grind, hustle, and you make a name for yourself.”
What does your day-to-day work look like?
“When you start your own business, a lot of it is me reaching out to previous clients and new clients trying to get work. Then, it’s directing all the current workload. Working with the clients to direct digital ads, web design, a video series, or social media videos.
It’s navigating when things are due, how things get done, and who needs to work on them. I still have my hand in a lot of it. I was editing up until the minute I took this call. I’m always working on something. We [creatives] are always working, always tormented. We’re always trying to do better things. We are obsessed with looking at what other people are making and learning how they made it. It’s not an easy job.”
Can you tell me about your experience as an undergrad?
“I had a wonderful four years and that was partially due to the fact that I engrossed myself in everything. I dabbled in Rowan Radio (89.7 WGLS-FM) and had a morning radio show. I had a television show on RTN called The Rowan Update. I shot 22 episodes and it was a spin-off of “The Daily Show,” a comedy show that reports on the news. I was a Student Ambassador and I ended up becoming the Ambassador Coordinator my senior year being the leader of all of the tour guides. I could walk around campus blindfolded! I knew everything about every single building! Landmark was my local watering hole as an undergrad.”
Did you have a favorite class or professor?
As a freshman, Ryan took a philosophy class and fondly remembers the professor treating every student as an adult. The professor’s honesty, seriousness and curtness left such an impression on Ryan.
“He was the classic idea of a professor who comes in barreling through the door, yells at everybody, and writes things on the wall. It really opened my eye to philosophy, to the phrasing of sentences, and to the thought process of decision-making.”
Ryan’s favorite professor was Prof. Sheri Chinen Bieson, who wrote a book about film noir called “Blackout: World War II and the Origins of Film Noir.” Her contagious passion and giddiness about film made the class more engaging and exciting.
What was one thing about Rowan that was a happy surprise for you?
“I think the Student University Programmers really did an amazing job in finding a lot of really funny things to do and keeping people engaged. I remember a lot of my fun memories are going to all the comedian shows. They had Bob Saget to Zach Galifianakis. They had a ton of bus trips to go to Philly and to Broadway shows. All the tickets were so cheap! Coming from a guy who grew up in North Jersey, there were a lot of really funny things that I never experienced before. I hope it’s still being funded and that they are still doing awesome stuff because they really did some great programming.”
What was your journey like after Rowan?
“My journey after Rowan has been nothing but completely tumultuous, challenging and exciting times. I graduated in 2008, during the collapse of the economy and the housing market crash. It was a real psychological struggle to realize that it wasn’t as simple as I thought it was going to be.”
Ryan hustled and worked on a few TV shows and movies, but never got the breakthrough he was looking for. He continued to chase his passions in 2009, making his first feature film called “Stealing God’s Money.” It went on to win Best Feature at the Garden State Film Festival.
“It was such an encouraging and amazing thing. I was at the awards ceremony and sitting at a table with production companies that spent $100,000 on their film. One guy leaned over and he asked, ‘What was your film budget?’ I said, ‘A thousand bucks. What was yours?’ He said, ‘A hundred thousand.’”
Ryan continues: “You can do it on a scrappy budget. I made some more movies and that went on to also win film festivals and awards. Most notably, my film ‘Town Red‘ screened at the Cannes Film Festival in 2013. That was a massive moment for me to go there, walk the red carpet, be in the same building as Leonardo DiCaprio (who was showing ‘The Great Gatsby’ that year). I even got an interview on NBC about Town Red. But, the phone doesn’t just ring because you get an interview. You still have to hustle and work hard. I didn’t let that discourage me and I still kept going down the creative direction.”
….
Although Ryan loves Rowan, the journey after was not the easiest. Rowan taught him so many things but most importantly to never give up. As an alumnus, Ryan would like to help current students get involved in more real-world productions. He also hopes to offer his mentorship through the Alumni Association, offering a valuable connection to students now and in the future.
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Story by:
Marian Suganob, senior public relations and advertising double major
Advice from Cannes Festival Award-Winning Filmmaker to Radio/TV/Film Majors
Today we speak with Ryan Geiger, who attended Rowan from 2004 to 2008. He was a Radio/TV/Film major and Advertising minor. He now owns his own media studio called Pinch located in North Jersey. Ryan also is an independent filmmaker and has won awards in several film festivals, including the Cannes Film Festival.
What advice would you give to students about starting their own business?
Pinch is going really well, but starting a business was so much harder than I thought it would be. When you start small, you wear all of the hats. It can make for a very stressful work environment. You have to juggle all of the balls all at once. If I had $1,000,000 in seed money, I would hire 100 people. You have to think about every single step because there is little room for mistakes.
I was a Creative Director for nine years, and after Bingley was bought out, I finally decided that I did not want to put my career in the hands of somebody else. I know this [field], and I know what I want to do. It just made sense at that moment, with the handful of clients I was trusted with, to start my own marketing studio. Earning those clients was the ultimate push to start building Pinch. Now, I’m making an animated logo for the Yankees and filming commercials for Roadwarez Backpacks, Natural Delights Medjool Dates and Vinglace Wine Chillers. I get to be a director every single day!
I think like a storyteller, not a marketer that’s focused on the numbers and packing in as much information as possible. I want people to connect with the story we show the people they’re watching and the name of the brand. Part of this has to do with the fact that I am a perfectionist and my love for the craft of making compelling stories gets me up every morning.
Every single day I’m learning something new, whether it’s how to better interact with a client or finding the right conditions to film with a drone. In my last commercial, it happened to be raining that day and the street we wanted to film on had too many wires for flying a drone. I’m problem-solving every day. I really look forward to seeing Pinch continue to grow. I hope one day to make more industry connections and possibly pivot into producing a television show or an animation.
How did you learn to be your own boss?
All of my bosses over the years have played a role in shaping the professional I am today. Also, knowing what I want to accomplish gives me drive. I want to feel proud at the end of the day, knowing that my clients are happy is what motivates me every day.
What was the most important lesson you learned after you graduated?
When I was the Creative Director at an animation studio in Brooklyn, we were always recruiting local talent or talent that came from college. It was really important to me to onboard them correctly and prepare them for the real world. This means you’re making creative [meaning creative projects or materials] for clients. You’re not making your own personal little project. In any kind of art, you go from being told by professors to look deep within yourself and create wonderful art. When you start working in the real world, you’re making art for other people. You have to start thinking about that. It’s a hard thing to accept when you step right out of college. It’s really critical that we prepare our oncoming workforce to be ready for the challenges.
When Ryan graduated and became an art director for a magazine called Hometown Quarterly in Cranford, N.J., he made ads for local businesses. He remembers the creative director slashed through his designs because they were not geared for the client’s taste. He quickly learned how to adapt to this expectation in the creative industry.
What advice would you give to a student today, especially a RTF major?
I could write a book about advice for RTF majors. I was a huge part of the RTF program. I was part of RTN and Rowan Radio. I really tried to take full advantage of everything while I was there.
If you feel embarrassed to join RTN late, it doesn’t matter. Get in there and make friends. These people are going to be your peers in the future. These people are going to eventually find work. Make friends with everybody in the RTF network. Before you graduate get their email and contact information. Don’t just rely on Facebook. People get off Facebook or become married and change their names. Go around all to all the people that you admire and have done really great stuff. Say, ‘Hey, I want to stay in contact.’
Get behind a camera. Mess with a camera. Go shoot some birds. It doesn’t matter. Write a really short little movie. This is the time to take advantage of the fact that you have all of this free work at your disposal to make movies. Always be creating because you need to walk away with something to show for yourself. All I had was my resume. I thought it was a good one because it had NBC on it. I still had done nothing to show for it. I had no real website. It’s so crucial to showcase some of your work. Post your videos.
I wish I made more movies in college. I wish I’d kept in contact with a lot of my friends and not just watched what they did on Facebook. I wish I actively kept calling them and picking their brain about how they got out to L.A. Once you go five to 10 years without talking to them, it’s hard to build a relationship back up again.
You have to think of yourself as your own little business. Even in college, you need to start building a repertoire of work. Nobody goes to art school, just takes a class and says, ‘I’ll start painting when I get my degree.’ You gotta have a gallery of work by the time you graduate.
There are so many options and roles for RTF majors. I was so pigeonholed and determined on directing films. There should be constant filmmaking on campus and pushing students to utilize the bubble that they’re in. You have talent all around you, friends who can help, and scriptwriters [from any background]. Once I graduated, no one could help me anymore with filmmaking.
At the same time, the film wasn’t like it is now with DSLRs and 4K cameras. You can grab your iPhone 12 and you can make a movie. It’s come such a long way since I graduated. You have to get on set and realize that it’s not just about directing. There are 1,000 roles on set.
Who do you hope to work with one day?
I really hope to work with Apple, Pixar and Nickelodeon one day. I created a script for Nickelodeon in the past, but I’m holding onto it because I hope to line up the right stars and the right budget for this idea. From the film festival circuit, I learned festival judges have to be very selective because almost anybody can make a movie. When recognizable names are attached to a project, they often get more attention than projects without those names. Being a perfectionist, I want to have all of my ducks lined up, and it would be really great for Pinch to be able to financially host those big names one day.
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Story by:
Marian Suganob, senior public relations and advertising double major
Marguerite Miller Hodges: MBA Student, Mother and Entrepreneur
Marguerite Miller Hodges shares her inspiring story of being a nontraditional student. She is a mother and runs an essential business all while pursuing a Master of Business Administration (MBA) at Rowan University’s Rohrer College of Business.
With Marguerite’s résumé, it is clear she isn’t afraid of a challenge.
Currently, Marguerite juggles motherhood and an essential business. “I run a daycare for children who are 6 weeks old to the age of 12. The daycare supports local school district children before and after school,” she says.
These commitments did not stop her from advancing her education, though. Marguerite talks about what motivated her to go back to school.
“Getting my MBA was something I always wanted to do. I had children and a lot of things got postponed but nonetheless, my career inspired me to pursue that degree so I could excel in my area of business,” she explains.
Marguerite faces some unique challenges being a nontraditional student. “A major challenge is being a mom and student while running a business. Since I am in such a leadership role as an entrepreneur, I am forced to jump in and deal with challenges head-on.
“I was finding my groove and then the pandemic hit. Now I’m learning how to pivot and abide by the CDC’s guidelines for my business. Rowan’s flexible schedule has allowed me so many options to earn my degree even though I’m juggling so many things,” she says.
Marguerite talks about why Rowan was the best fit for her. “I checked out other MBA programs, but they weren’t convenient for my lifestyle as a mother and career woman,” she says. “Rowan was always right there by my side the whole time. My classmates and professors have been so helpful through the whole process.
She continues: “I chose Rowan to get my MBA because I had visited the campus when I attended the South Jersey Chamber of Commerce with South Jersey Summer Institute. There, I met professors and developed a close relationship with them. At the time I was a teacher, so they invited me back to tour the business building Think Tank Lab with my students. I got to see what the school was like and how dedicated the faculty was, and that’s what inspired me to pursue my degree at Rowan. I hadn’t been in school since my undergraduate institution in 2005, so I was nervous getting back into it being a career woman and mother, but Rowan was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.”
Marguerite offers advice to other nontraditional students like herself who may want to pursue their MBA. She says, “Find passion and inspiration to get started. Once you figure out if the timing is right for you, I’d strongly encourage you to consider Rowan. Rowan’s community is flexible, hands-on and available to its students.”
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Story by:
Loredonna Fiore, junior public relations and advertising major
Beyond the Classroom: Tanvi Koduru, 3D Confectionery CEO
Tanvi Koduru is a senior Entrepreneurship major and hails from Somerset, NJ. She founded the Rowan Period Movement organization on campus and also leads the Rowan Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization (CEO). Period Movement aims to bring free and easily-accessible period products to all students in need on campus. Tanvi began her own business, 3D Confectionery, her […]
Beyond the Classroom: Woman in Business, Management and Marketing Major Lexi Jubin
Junior Lexi Jubin from Monroe Township in Middlesex County, NJ shares her experience about being a woman in business. She is a Management and Marketing major with a certificate of undergraduate study in Entrepreneurial and Independent Media.
Lexi Jubin’s calendar is filled with office hours, events and leadership meetings. Her extracurricular involvement is extensive, as she is a Resident Assistant in Mimosa Hall, the Marketing Director of Student University Programmers (SUP), a part of the American Marketing Association, the Society for Advancement of Management, and has an outside internship at Soccer Therapy NYC. It’s safe to say that Lexi is taking advantage of the opportunities provided at Rowan.
When Lexi was asked about her experience being a woman in a predominantly male field, she shared her honest feedback. “Most of my classes have male students, so the women are usually outnumbered. I definitely notice a difference when we are in virtual breakout rooms. I feel like sometimes I have to stand my ground and talk over people, but I always make sure my voice is heard. That’s one of the reasons I am so involved; I try to let my knowledge and experience speak for itself so I don’t need to prove anything to anyone.”
Lexi talks fondly about one of her favorite professors, Dr. Guner, who is the head of the marketing department at Rowan. “Dr. Guner is an example of another strong woman in business. She can easily hold the attention of the class because she’s so outspoken and interesting and carries herself so well. She is such a role model for me.
As you could’ve probably guessed, Lexi has some big goals after graduation. “My ultimate goal is to work in marketing for national aquariums or to have my own small businesses. I would also love to help other small businesses compete by doing their digital marketing for them,” Lexi says.
She adds that Rowan has given her the tools to achieve those goals. “My experiences as a student employee have helped me so much. I’ve learned communication skills, flexibility, time management, and most importantly: confidence. Given the opportunity to head the marketing for Student University Programmers (SUP) shows me I have the ability to lead a team as well as demonstrate marketing practices.”
Her coursework has also given her some great opportunities. “In the Rohrer College of Business, we are required to attend networking events. This allows me to expand my connections and gives me a chance to update my LinkedIn profile.”
Lexi shares some powerful advice to other women who want to enter the field of business. She says “you deserve respect, you deserve to be heard, and you deserve to be there.”
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Story by:
Loredonna Fiore, junior public relations and advertising major
Photography by:
Stephanie Batista, sophomore music industry major
First Year Voices: Chestnut Hall, Adjusting to College – Griffin Roughgarden
Today we feature freshman and Chestnut resident Griffin Roughgarden. Griffin is a Business Entrepreneurship major from West Caldwell, NJ (Essex County.)
How do you like living in Chestnut?
It’s really good, actually. It’s pretty quiet, it’s not really a loud place, there’s lots of amenities. It’s kind of the perfect location on campus.
Have you thought about joining any clubs or organizations on campus
Yeah I plan on joining a fraternity and maybe some clubs but the club fair I don’t think happened this year because of COVID. So hopefully next year I’ll look into a lot of those things.
Are your classes remote or hybrid and how has that adjustment been?They’re hybrid. I like the fact that I can choose whether or not I go in or if I’m tired one day I don’t have to go in. It’s kind of nice being able to do it remote if I want to go home.
What are you looking forward to for the rest of this year?
I’m still just meeting new people, creating my schedule for next year, figuring out who I’m living with, stuff like that.
Any advice to other freshmen?
It was stressful coming into college but don’t stress about it. It’s nothing crazy, it’s like doing high school just not at home.
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Story by:
Luke Garcia, junior music industry major
Photos by:
Rachel Rumsby, sophomore public relations major