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6th Annual Business Symposium 2025: The Changing Face of Entrepreneurship

Thursday, April 17, 2025
12:30 PM – 3:30 PM
South ABC Conference Room, Campus Center

The Business Symposium, “The Changing Face of Entrepreneurship,” will feature four speakers who will share their insights about relevant topics related to entrepreneurship, and will include a Q&A panel following the individual speakers. The event will also provide opportunities to network with speakers, guests, and one another. 

Speaker Profiles

12:30 PM

Welcome & Introduction of Moderator

 

12:30 PM

12:45 PM

Failing Forward: How Setbacks Shape the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs

Junius Valentine, Creative Direction Head of Brand, Jordan Craig
Entrepreneurship is often glamorized as a journey of success, but the reality is that failure is an essential ingredient for growth. This engaging talk explores how embracing failure as a learning tool can create resilient, innovative, and impactful entrepreneurs.

Drawing from personal experiences and insights gained from interviewing some of the most influential figures in business and entertainment—such as Oprah Winfrey, Denzel Washington, and Chadwick Boseman—I will highlight three key lessons:

  • The Failure Myth – Why setbacks are not the end but the beginning of reinvention.
  • Lessons from the Best – How highly successful entrepreneurs turn failure into their greatest teacher.
  • Failing with Intention – Strategies to navigate entrepreneurial hardships with resilience and purpose.

This talk will challenge attendees to shift their mindset about failure and recognize it as a necessary tool for long-term success in a constantly evolving entrepreneurial landscape.

12:45 PM

1:10 PM

Mind Your Business: “From Entrepreneur to Freedompreneur”

Robben Washington, Founder, Legacy Estate Group 
The face of entrepreneurship is changing. More people than ever are leaving traditional career paths to turn their passions, skills, and experiences into businesses. The rise of digital platforms, knowledge-based businesses, and automation has created endless opportunities – but it has also introduced new challenges. Many entrepreneurs start with excitement but end up overwhelmed, unstructured, and struggling financially. What is the difference between those who thrive and those who fail? They learn how to MIND THEIR BUSINESS – literally. In this discussion, we will introduce the Freedom Framework ( D.A.M.P.), a proven four step system to help entrepreneurs move from chaos to clarity, from hustle to sustainability.

1:10 PM

1:35 PM

Patient-Driven Innovation: The ALS Moonshot and the Power of Entrepreneurial Vision

Dr. Tushar Patel, Strategy Director, Project Mosaic
Entrepreneurs are defined not by where they come from, but by their vision, resilience, and ability to drive change. But what happens when the entrepreneur is also a patient? This presentation will explore how a young man diagnosed with ALS transformed his scientific curiosity and outsider perspective to create a transformative initiative aimed at accelerating drug discovery.

Five years ago, Bernie was diagnosed with ALS. Rather than accepting the status quo, he immersed himself in understanding the barriers that prevent progress in ALS research and therapeutics. He identified a critical gap: the lack of disease models that reflect the true heterogeneity of ALS. Determined to drive change, he brought together experts from non-profits, academia, and industry to create Project Mosaic—a patient-driven initiative with a bold mission: to develop patient-specific models and a drug screening and discovery platform that better represent the diversity of ALS patients.

This presentation will highlight:

  • Vision & Persistence: How someone outside the traditional biotech ecosystem mobilized key stakeholders around a shared goal.
  • The Entrepreneurial Mindset in Biotechnology: Lessons from building both a scientific and business roadmap.

Funding & Execution: The challenges and strategies of launching a patient-driven initiative from the ground up.

1:35 PM

2:00 PM

Venture Meets Mission

Dr. Thomas Fewer, Assistant Professor of Management, Rutgers School of Business–Camden

Students often graduate from business schools with a polarizing choice: “do good” for society by going into a non-profit or government, or “make money” for yourself by going into industry. In my co-authored book Venture Meets Mission, we argue that this is a false choice that limits our potential for solving today’s complex problems. In this session, I’ll explain why this division is unnecessary and demonstrate how the most successful enterprises of the future will seamlessly integrate purpose and profit. For us to have real impact, we need more mission-driven ventures capable of working across sectors and growing to the scale of our most pressing global challenges

Drawing from my experience since graduating from Rutgers-Camden (’15), I’ll describe how I personally confronted this dichotomy and developed strategies for bridging the seemingly disparate worlds of academia and government. The talk will provide actionable insights for students starting their careers, professionals seeking more meaningful work, and experienced entrepreneurs looking for purpose-driven opportunities. Using case studies and examples from the book, I’ll outline frameworks for creating ventures that deliver both financial returns and social impact.

2:00 PM

2:25 PM

Speaker Panel for Q&A

Moderated by Jamila Powell, Program Director, LAEDA Women’s Business Center

Camden, NJ

2:25 PM

3:00 PM

Post-Event Refreshments & Networking

3:00 PM

Guest Speaker Profiles

Picture of <i>Moderator</I> - Jamila Powell, MBA, Program Director, LAEDA Women's Business Center

Moderator - Jamila Powell, MBA, Program Director, LAEDA Women's Business Center

Jamila Powell has been the Program Director for LAEDA’s Women’s Business Center since 2018. The center strives to be a multilingual, multicultural organization that opens the doors of opportunity for individuals who face barriers to starting and operating a small business. In her role as Program Director, she has assisted emerging and existing entrepreneurs in business startup and/ or development through the center’s business training, coaching, and counseling. Before this role, Powell was Program Manager for the LAEDA Business Services Center and Community Outreach Coordinator for a small business, where she developed marketing plans and established professional relationships to build the company clientele and brand.
Powell holds a Master in Business Administration degree from Rutgers University, where she graduated cum laude and is a member of Mu Kappa Tau Honor Society. She also holds a Bachelor’s degree cum laude from Montclair State University, where she double majored in Human Ecology and Business Administration.

Picture of Dr. Thomas Fewer, Assistant Professor of Management, Rutgers School of Business–Camden

Dr. Thomas Fewer, Assistant Professor of Management, Rutgers School of Business–Camden

Dr. Thomas Fewer is an Assistant Professor of Management at Rutgers University School of Business–Camden and co-founder of NobleReach Foundation. He previously held a Post-Doctoral Fellowship at Georgetown University, where he authored award-winning papers on public-private partnerships and business-politics intersections. He wrote the National Bestseller Venture Meets Mission (Stanford University Press), focusing on collaborations between entrepreneurs and government to tackle societal challenges like climate change and healthcare. His research, published in top business journals, addresses business ethics, politics, and government. His work has also been featured in The Wall Street Journal and NPR.

Dr. Fewer holds a Ph.D. in Business Administration from Drexel University, a Master’s degree in Finance from Villanova University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Rutgers University–Camden.

Picture of Junius Valentine, Creative Direction Head of Brand, Jordan Craig

Junius Valentine, Creative Direction Head of Brand, Jordan Craig

Junius Valentine is a creative strategist, storyteller, and speaker who combines mindfulness, media, and personal development to inspire others. With a background in journalism and marketing, he has interviewed cultural icons like Oprah, Denzel Washington, and Tom Hanks, turning their wisdom into actionable insights. As the former Communications Director at FCBC in Harlem, Junius led impactful storytelling initiatives that reached global audiences. He now serves as the creative lead for Jordan Craig, shaping the voice of a major streetwear brand.

Through speaking engagements at venues, like Sundance, NYU, and Howard University, Junius shares lessons on self-awareness, goal-setting, and intentional success. His unique perspective, shaped by media experience, personal transformation, and Zen philosophy, makes him a powerful voice for those looking to evolve in life and business.

Picture of Dr. Tushar Patel, Strategy Director, Project Mosaic

Dr. Tushar Patel, Strategy Director, Project Mosaic

Dr. Tushar Patel is a seasoned life sciences executive and neuroscientist with over 20 years of experience in pharmaceutical development, commercialization, and strategic leadership. He currently leads Project Mosaic, an entrepreneurial venture focused on developing targeted treatments for ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases. Dr. Patel's expertise spans drug development, regulatory strategy, market access, and commercialization across various therapeutic areas, including neuroscience, obesity, and rare diseases.

He holds a Ph.D. in neuroscience and spent 16 years at Eisai Pharmaceuticals, where he played a key role in driving breakthrough innovations from early research to global commercialization. Dr. Patel is passionate about patient-driven innovation and the power of entrepreneurship to address critical unmet medical needs.

Picture of Robben Washington, Founder, Legacy Estate Group

Robben Washington, Founder, Legacy Estate Group

Robben Washington is a mission-driven entrepreneur, real estate investor, and financial strategist with over 25 years of experience. She focuses on increasing access to homeownership by addressing financial and structural barriers. Robben is the founder of Legacy Real Estate Group, RW Financial Services, and Mind Your Business (MYB): Entrepreneur’s Pathway to Prosperity. She equips entrepreneurs with financial clarity and business systems for long-term wealth creation.

A graduate of Temple University's Fox School of Business, Robben teaches business owners about financial automation, strategic planning, and cash flow management. She also leads The OWNiT Summit and MyHOME: My HomeOwnership Made Easy, initiatives that connect aspiring homeowners with financial institutions and real estate professionals.

Robben is dedicated to helping people achieve financial freedom and build generational wealth through education, advocacy, and strategic guidance.

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