ROI-NJ.COM Mo n d ay, A p r i l 1 , 2 0 1 9 $2.

50

FRESH AER: Former Finlandia Cheese CEO TOP FIVE: Lessons in leadership from a pair FOCUS ON … RESEARCH UNIVERSITIES:
brings kidswear company to U.S. Page 6 of Jersey experts. Page 18 Insights from NJIT, Rutgers and Princeton. Page 33

A new
THE FIGHTER way
& THE FIXER to pay
Ostrowsky fighting costs
How veteran crisis communications expert Karen Kessler of chronic illnesses
is working to bring calm to MMA star Conor McGregor’s chaotic world BY ANJALEE KHEMLANI
akhemlani@roi-nj.com
STORY ON PAGE 22

Like any health care executive, RWJBarnabas

Health CEO Barry Ostrowsky knows that
caring for chronic illness takes the most
resources and costs the most money.
That’s why he’s continuing his pitch to
change the way such patients are cared for.
And, more importantly, how it is paid for.
Ostrowsky said he is trying to change all
this through his relationship with Horizon
Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey. The
two organizations, he said, are focusing their
efforts on figuring out how to reimburse for
non-clinical care that keeps a patient away
from costly hospital visits.
In a recent interview with ROI-NJ,
Ostrowsky detailed his side of the focus on
social determinants, and how things have
developed in the past year.
“There still is this lag by conventional
reimbursement programs in terms of paying
for these social programs,” Ostrowsky said.
“And the problem is, I’m not going to
be able to point to a data point in the next
fiscal quarter that says, ‘See, we did this and
that’s why we’re making a lot of money.’ That
doesn’t happen.”
Ostrowsky said the payment system
for the chronically ill is reversed, with
Conor McGregor giving a brief statement to the media with Karen Kessler of Evergreen Partners at his side. —
­ DAVE FOGARTY CONTINUED ON PAGE 27

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Industry added more than 1,000 Garden State jobs in 2018.

WITH university.
aeronautical
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MANAGING EDITOR
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N.J
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Go to ROI-NJ.COM to read more of the stories above and for the latest news from around the state.
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UPCOMING EVENTS PEOPLE IN THE NEWS

04/17-18
ebader@roi-nj.com
JUDITH SHEFT NEERAJ SAHAI
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Greater Newark Dun & Bradstreet
STAFF WRITERS Enterprises Corp. DB named Sahai the new
Meg Fry New Jersey
mfry@roi-nj.com Restaurant & Hospitality Expo The senior adviser to the president of its international
president of unit recently.
@megfry3
What: An event for entrepreneurs:
New Jersey Although based
Brett Johnson
Moving the restaurant and hotel
bjohnson@roi-nj.com Institute of at the analytics
@reporterbrett industries forward in New Jersey.
Technology’s and insights
ART DIRECTOR
When: April 17, 9 a.m - 5 p.m.; New Jersey company’s
Robert F. Russo
April 18, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Innovation Short Hills
rrusso@roi-nj.com Where: Meadowlands Institute was headquarters,
Exposition Center, Secaucus named chairwoman of the the veteran of Standard &
More info: njrhexpo.com community development Poor’s and Citigroup will
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organization, which helps oversee business in Asia,
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its region access training and
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ROI-NJ.COM April 1, 2019 ROI-NJ RETURN ON INFORMATION-NEW JERSEY

Editor’s Desk

The case to wait on cannabis

Sills’ Schiappacasse says delay in Legislature will give N.J.
opportunity to correct tax problems other states are having

T
here is good news about the state failing to pass
legislation to legalize recreational use of cannabis. It
means that, when the Legislature finally does — and
it almost certainly will — it will have a better chance to get
the tax part of the equation correctly.
And that, of course, is what this is
really about: tax revenue.
Robert Schiappacasse, co-chair of
the Cannabis Industry Practice Group at
Sills Cummis & Gross in Newark, said
the delay could help the state avoid the
mistakes that others made, allowing New
Jersey to collect more money.
“Other states are realizing that their system of taxation
is not working,” he said. “They’re not collecting the revenue
that they projected. The taxes are so high that they are
hurting the businesses and therefore keeping some of the
illegal market still robust and strong.”
Schiappacasse, who also serves as the co-chair of the
New Jersey State Bar Association’s cannabis committee of the
business law section, notes California as the best example.
California projected almost $700 million in tax revenue
and ended up with just about half of that, he said.
The state, he said, has put a high tax on growers, which
Schiappacasse said is hurting the industry.
“They have these very high excise taxes on growers and
cultivators,” he said. “Sales are simply not generating the
revenue necessary because those taxes, of course, are passed
along.
“It’s making product too expensive and, therefore, they’re
not collecting the revenue and the business is suffering.”
In Pennsylvania, he said, the state has lower revenue
than expected because consumers have figured out medical
marijuana is taxed lower — and are, therefore, running to
that option.
In Colorado, he said, the state has realized a fully
developed industry is experiencing a basic supply-and-
demand scenario — that is, there’s plenty of supply,
therefore prices are going down (along with
collected taxes).
Schiappacasse said the issue is not whether
a state chooses to use a sales tax (which will
rise and fall as sales go) or a tax on growers
(which, in theory, produces a steady number
— assuming sales are as projected). To him, it’s
a matter of whether the state has tied
unrealistic projections to the tax
revenue it expects to collect.
“The bottom line is the following,” he said. “I think
a sales tax could work and probably is a fair tax if state
governments aren’t counting on, or projecting, a revenue
number that’s unrealistic.
“I think jurisdictions that are going to weight-based
tax or a fixed tax are doing it because they are feeling the
pressure to be able to sustain the revenue projections.”
Extra time could help New Jersey solve this issue.
Of course, the longer the state waits, the greater chance
it will have on missing out on developing a pharma industry
built around cannabis. Some experts think this is where the
real revenue is.
“Certainly, as the industry matures, you are going to
see more and more opportunity for research for research-
related businesses and development and equipment,”
Schiappacasse said. “You’re going to see more interest in
the medical and pharma side of it, especially now that
the FDA has approved the first drug with CBD in it.
“To the extent that these industries mature more
quickly and surrounding states, that’s going to be
opportunities in those states for things like
that, that won’t exist here until we
catch up.”
— Tom Bergeron

Publisher’s Picks
With summer just around the corner, what better time to begin the search for your slice of the Jersey Shore? Who knows … if all the stars align, you
could be in by Memorial Day Weekend. Check out these dream-like properties that would undoubtedly make every summer an unforgettable one.

Tom Hughes, CEO & publisher

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3
ROI-NJ RETURN ON INFORMATION-NEW JERSEY
Mindfulness & Design
Minding
her future
Four years after leaving ‘Hotel Impossible,’ Montclair’s Blanche Garcia
is doing better than ever — at work and in life
BY MEG FRY
B
mfry@roi-nj.com
lanche Garcia, a Montclair-based
interior designer for more than
two decades, said she is most
recognized for her principal
designs over five seasons of Travel
Channel’s “Hotel Impossible.”
But the life she was leading when she left
the show in 2015 was not sustainable, she
added.
“I was home maybe five days out of each
month and working 17-hour days,” Garcia,
owner and principal of B. garcia Designs,
said.
However, in the more than three years
since her last taping, Garcia said business has
grown by nearly 30 percent annually — with
the last year being her best yet.
“Mindfulness has played a huge part in
my business and what I am now infusing
into it,” she said. “The worlds that I create
aesthetically very much connect with how I
4
April 1, 2019 ROI-NJ.COM
live my life and my spiritual journey.
“And I want to talk about that.”
Attributing her success over the
past couple of years to visualization and
meditation practices she developed following
her work on television, Garcia said she is
now looking to morph her business into a
more holistic lifestyle- and wellness-oriented
brand across multiple platforms.
The challenge, Garcia said, will be staying
on-brand.
“My business is me,” Garcia said. “There
ROI-NJ.COM April 1, 2019
are many designers and speakers out there,
so authenticity is key.”

Upon her full-time return to the brick-
and-mortar space she had created for her
interior design and renovation firm in
Montclair, Garcia said she asked herself:
“Now what?”
“I don’t ever want to stop following
my passions,” she said. “And when you
pigeonhole yourself into a box of just one
type of creativity, it can become very boring
and unfulfilling.”
Garcia said she sought guidance and
inspiration from spiritual teachers such
as Deepak Chopra, Eckhart Tolle and
Marianne Williamson, and attended
empowerment retreats at the Omega
Institute for Holistic Studies in Rhineback,
New York, and the Kripalu Center for Yoga
and Health in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.
It was there, she said, that she learned
how she could better blend her life and work.
“When you think of interior design, you
think it’s just the way it looks,” Garcia said.
“But it’s actually what you are doing and
fueling and surrounding yourself with every
day to reach your goals.”
To start, Garcia became a WELL
accredited professional to consider not only
the environment through her certification
with Leadership in Energy and Environment
Design, but also now the health, wellness and
happiness of the inhabitants of a space.
Then, she wrote a book entitled
“Empowered Design.”
But, since she already had been a
television personality, Garcia said it was an
uphill battle to pitch herself in the way that
she wanted.
“When I wrote a book, it was expected
to be a tabletop book based on all of my
designs,” Garcia said.
“Instead, I wanted to ask of my readers:
‘What kind of design can help you to lead
your best life? What goals do you want
to achieve and how are you meditating
on them? And are the people and spaces
surrounding you helping to lead you to a
better life?’”
Garcia said she also became more
selective with residential projects in order
to focus on more multimillion-dollar
commercial projects and hotels, including
TRYP by Wyndham in Newark, ICONA
Diamond Beach in Wildwood Crest and
The Elita Hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
“Hotels are now designing bigger lobbies
versus bigger hotel rooms to emphasize
Clockwise from left: Blanche Garcia, a
Montclair-based interior designer, with her book,
“Empowered Design.” Garcia in her office. A
bookcase she designed for a client. —
­ PHOTOS
COURTESY B. GARCIA DESIGNS
ROI-NJ RETURN ON INFORMATION-NEW JERSEY
socialization, while also outfitting rooms
with things such as exercise equipment,
Vitamin C showers, circadian lighting
systems and meditation apps,” Garcia said.
“And if that is the future of design, I would
like to be a part of it.”
Lastly, Garcia said she chose to focus
more on public speaking, starting with her
“Designer’s Power Brunch” at the Montclair
Film Festival last year.
“When I don’t feel like I am challenging
myself, I ask what would make me happier or
what portion of what I am already doing will
make me the happiest,” Garcia said. “Then I
ask, ‘How can I do more of that?’
“I put in incredibly hard work over so
many years, but not once do I ever think I have
made it. I’m only as good as the project I have
just finished or am currently working on.”

Garcia said she has enjoyed the ebb
leading up to the next flow.
“Some months ago, I began evaluating
and re-evaluating some of the practices that
no longer serve me and moving forward on
the ones that do,” she said.
That gave her the space and time to
focus on her marriage to Shaun Killman, a
carpenter featured on HGTV’s “All American
Handyman,” in June and the home they
purchased together in November.
But, ever since she and Killman have
been capturing their renovation process on
YouTube, Garcia said she is ready to jump
back in the game in a more focused and
energetic way, with more public speaking
events planned for this summer.
Small team, big projects “I create on so many different levels
Blanche Garcia said she employs just three at her interior design and and mediums that I need to constantly
renovation firm in Montclair, running up to 12 projects at a time in order to check in with myself to ensure continuity
complete nearly 30 each year. and reception of the messages I want to put
out,” Garcia said. “I want to make sure that I
But Garcia said she is planning to expand both her team and her business in a
am authentically connecting with each and
big way by opening a satellite office in California within the next couple of years.
every part of what I am doing, whether I
“With my husband and I talking about starting a family and where we are am designing a home or building, writing a
going to live, wouldn’t it be interesting to be able to take on more projects on book, or speaking.”
both coasts?” Garcia said. Garcia said she even would consider
television again if it afforded her the right
sort of balance.
“Even though it always has been my
philosophy to put a plan together, I have
learned not to say, ‘OK, this is what this
needs to look like,’ ” Garcia said. “You have to
leave room for you to change your mind and
follow the cues.
“But there is nothing that needs to get
done right now that can’t wait for me to take
care of myself.”
twitter: @megfry3
Conversation Starter
Reach Blanche Garcia at:
bgarciadesigns.com
or 973-746-9696.
5
ROI-NJ RETURN ON INFORMATION-NEW JERSEY April 1, 2019 ROI-NJ.COM

Goods & Services

Fresh Aer
Former Finlandia Cheese CEO has taken on new challenge:
Building Reima kidswear company’s U.S. region

BY MEG FRY
mfry@roi-nj.com

E
mma Aer said she has made a career move that is good for her — and
New Jersey.
Aer, the former CEO of Finlandia Cheese, a manufacturer of Finnish
cheese and butter with U.S. headquarters in Parsippany, began her new
role in January as head of region, USA, for Reima, a multimillion-dollar, 75-year-
old global leader in children’s active and outerwear.
“My job is to open operations here in the U.S.,” Aer said.
Those operations, Aer said, are expected to be run from regional offices in
New Jersey, though the exact location has yet to be announced.
“And as our business grows here, we will be adding to our team,” Aer
added.
Aer, a native of Finland who has studied and worked around the
world, relocated to Summit nearly five years ago after becoming CEO
of Finlandia in 2014.
Reima reached out to her with an opportunity last year.
Reima pitched itself as a premium brand of high-quality and
nontoxic performance outerwear, athleisure, footwear and
other outdoor gear for children. She knew it as the company
that produced the clothes her kids wear.
“My three teenage boys grew up wearing Reima gear,” Aer
said. “Being a working mom, I always knew that if my boys
played outdoors, they would be much happier and easygoing
indoors, so I always made sure they got enough fresh air.
“Reima helped make that possible for me, and I know
how good they can make the lives of other parents when our
children can play outdoors in any kind of weather.”

6
ROI-NJ.COM April 1, 2019
Emma Aer, above, head of region, USA, for Reima, which makes children’s performance outerwear, right, and other clothing. ­— ALEXANDRA PAIS
Reima, headquartered in Finland, is a
market leader throughout much of Europe
and the Asian nations of China and South
Korea. It is looking to expand in the North
American market.
While the private company does not
disclose revenue, according to its website,
Reima’s net sales reached more than $96
million in 2016, during which its entry into
the North American market took place via
Canada.
“We are not a new company — but in the
U.S., yes, we are new,” Aer said.
Reima has been selling its products
in department stores such as Nordstrom,
athletic stores such as Paragon Sports and
specialty ski and outdoor shops throughout
the U.S. since fall 2017.
Conversation Starter
Reach Emma Aer at:
emma.aer@reima.com.
“We already have been in the market for
a couple of years — but I am here to kick off
everything,” Aer said.
Since January, Aer has been setting up
company operations and ramping up Reima’s
business in the U.S. by opening regional
offices and hiring a team.
That is no easy task.
To start, Aer said she had been focused
on incorporating, opening accounts and
creating relationships with professional
service firms.
Recently, she said she has been working
with recruiters to brief them on Reima USA’s
upcoming employment needs; with logistics
companies regarding warehousing and
distribution; and with Reima headquarters
in Europe on marketing; while participating
in sales meetings to more effectively serve
existing U.S. customers.
At the beginning of this month, Aer
said she made her first hire to the team that
will help her build the right sort of business
environment here in the U.S.
7
ROI-NJ RETURN ON INFORMATION-NEW JERSEY
“Especially when working together to
build something new, you really need to hire
the right individuals, or whom I like to call
‘helicopter people,’ who can race to higher
grounds in order to see the big picture but
then also roll up their sleeves to get the
job done,” Aer said. “People helping each
other and working as a team rather than as
individuals is very important to me.”
Aer said she brings with her to the
role the experience of building strong
teams, launching brands internationally
and ramping up business operations and
distribution in the U.S.
“In our first year, we are looking to more
than double our business,” Aer said. “Over the
next couple of years, we are looking forward
to driving exponential growth in the U.S.
“This is like running a startup within
a large company — a unique opportunity
for me to roll up my sleeves and help build
something from the ground up. I love that
kind of challenge.”
twitter: @megfry3
Diversity
of thought and climate
Per her vast international
experience, Emma Aer, head
of region, USA, Reima, said the
United States is a highly litigated
society.
Just one example, Aer added,
of why it is very important to
understand the different business
cultures across countries.
“For example, Finns are very
straightforward,” Aer said. “They
tell you exactly how it is, and they
do what they say they will do.”
The diverse New Jersey
population, however, will help
her team at Reima to better
understand their overall consumer
base, Aer said.
“This state is a melting pot of so
many different nationalities and
cultures, which you don’t always
get in other states,” Aer said.
“It is a good environment for a
consumer business, as it helps us
to understand and set the scene
for our diverse consumers across
the U.S.”
New Jersey also will provide
Reima with vastly different
geographies to explore, from its
beaches to its mountains, from its
farmland to its forests — including
the Watchung Reservation, which
Aer said she enjoys hiking after
her long workdays.
“The U.S. is such a unique melting
pot of different cultures and
consumers, as well as such a
vast geographic space,” Aer said.
“When we think of outdoor wear
for children, we need to consider
the needs of everyone living in
Vermont to California.
“The extreme weather of this
country offers us a lot of great
opportunity and fun challenges.”
ROI-NJ.COM April 1, 2019 ROI-NJ RETURN ON INFORMATION-NEW JERSEY

Focus
On …

QUICK CHANGE

PHYSICIANS GROUPS
Chronically revamped requirements
keep health care attorneys and doctors on their toes

“L
BY BRETT JOHNSON
bjohnson@roi-nj.com

et’s come up with a 10-year plan.”

Sounds nice, John
Fanburg said — but,
among physician
groups, it’s never
heard.
“These days, you can’t even plan five years
out,” said Fanburg, an attorney with a health
care practice at Brach Eichler LLC. “It’s almost
impossible to predict years in advance, because
health care is such a huge part of the economy
both in New Jersey and nationally, and also
the topic of so many legislative issues. So, it’s
changing all the time.”
Case in point: Statutory requirements
recently changed a great deal for out-of-network
physicians. And many still haven’t planned for what
they’re going to do about it, according to those on the
legal side of physician groups.
As of last September, New Jersey physicians are under a
new set of rules that flip upside-down how they have to collect John Fanburg, an attorney
deductibles, copayments and coinsurance payments from with a health care practice
their patients. at Brach Eichler LLC. —
­
CONTINUED ON PAGE 17 BRACH EICHLER LLC

9
ROI-NJ.COM April 1, 2019 ROI-NJ RETURN ON INFORMATION-NEW JERSEY

Focus On … Physicians Groups

CEO of specialty physician group

says law of supply and demand
keeps him looking for newest talent

Ear, nose …
and recruiting
BY BRETT JOHNSON

M
bjohnson@roi-nj.com

uch of Robert Glazer’s time is spent

patrolling a route between Boston
and Washington, D.C., meeting
specialized physicians while
they’re still in training, enticing
them to join ENT and Allergy Associates LLP
once they’ve completed their studies.
He’s the company’s recruiter.
He’s also its CEO.
Recruiting is one of the hallmarks of ENT
and Allergy Associates’ expansion. Glazer
has brought in more than 200 physicians to
practice in its 42 offices — and he’s always on
the lookout for more.
“We’re constantly looking to bring in that
next generation of professionals coming out
of training programs who bring a new set
of skills to the table, which is great,” he said.
“Recruiting them is a big piece of the pie here.”
Glazer has been with the organization
from its humble 1998 inception to its current
place as the largest group of otolaryngologists,
or ENT doctors, in the country. The
organization sees around 85,000 patients
each month and likely will see more than 1
million patients this calendar year.
Over that time, the organization has ENT and Allergy Associates’ CEO and recruiter Robert Glazer. ­— ENT AND ALLERGY ASSOCIATES LLC
experienced a need to grow its roster of
specialists — mostly otolaryngologists, bounds each year, hence Glazer dedicating third go into academic medicine. Assuming
allergists and audiologists — by leaps and nearly the entirety of his summer months to that’s the case, that leaves 200 new graduates
finding prospects. — of which you split it in two, 100 west of
Another reason he spends so much time Mississippi, 100 east of it. And, I can tell you
Conversation Starter on it? Just by the numbers alone, it is clear I need at least 10 of that remaining 100 every
Reach ENT and Allergy
that recruiting is a tough game. summer now for the next five years.”
Associates LLP at:
entandallergy.com “There are only about 300 otolaryngology The organization’s recruiting needs are
or 914-333-5800. residents graduating per year in the entire in large part influenced by its mandatory
country,” he said. “Of those 300, about a CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

11
ROI-NJ RETURN ON INFORMATION-NEW JERSEY
Focus On … Physicians Groups
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11
retirement age of 72 for its physicians. Glazer
also believes young professionals bring in a
new perspective on medicine, technology
and everything else to the group’s offices,
which is why he focuses on physicians just
coming out of school all over the East Coast.
“But it’s very difficult right now to recruit
and attract people to the New York-New
Jersey metropolitan area, because the tax
situation has really caused people to think
about where they want to live long-term,” he
said.
“After all, when you take a position as a
physician, to really develop a great practice
and develop a patient following, you need to
stay in one spot for a while.”
ENT and Allergy Associates’ office
locations are scattered throughout central
and northern New Jersey as well as New
York. It just last month opened a new clinical
facility in Parsippany.
Glazer likes the organization’s physical
footprint as it stands now, even if places such
as western Connecticut have come up as
options for expansion.
“But it’s very different in terms of the
amount of insurance players there,” he said.
“There’s an academic medical center there
that dominates. And the demographics are
no way near as dense a population base.
ENT and Allergy Associates’ new clinical facility in Parsippany. —
So, we’re staying away from a place like that
for now. Also, the truth of the matter is,
my phone is ringing off the hook where we
already are.”
In New Jersey and New York, there’s no
doubt a lot of consolidation is going on in the
area of physician groups. Reimbursements
and other trends have pushed small specialty
practices to partner with larger institutions.
ENT and Allergy Associates has been
able to remain a highly focused subspecialty
physician group without the backing of a
more general health care system, but it’s also
a participant in the consolidation.
It regularly merges with other practices in
12
April 1, 2019 ROI-NJ.COM
“ only
There are
300
about
otolaryngology
residents graduating
per year
entire country.
in the
­ ENT AND ALLERGY ASSOCIATES LLC
Of those
300,about
its specialty areas — it recently did so with a
practice in East Brunswick and then another
in Edison. Its original formation two decades
third
ago was actually the result of an ahead-of-
a
the-curve combination of three individual
ENT groups around the Garden State area. go
“Consolidation has been underway
into academic
for a long time now,” Glazer said. “People
have definitely merged practices in these
medicine.
specialties. We’re also seeing that some, in
retrospect, want to get out of some of the
things they’ve gotten involved in. We’ve seen
that on the academic side and now on the
multispecialty side as well.” Assuming that’s the
that leaves
Besides recruiting fresh-faced physicians
out of graduate programs, Glazer said his case,
organization has had a good deal of luck
hiring physicians that have spent years at
larger institutions. 200 new graduates
– of which you
“Particularly in the past three or
four years, we’ve seen a lot of physicians
in two,
in academic medical centers or health
systems that become disenchanted with the
bureaucracy of those systems,” he explained. split it
100 west
“They recognize that us having the focus on
these three subspecialties makes us much
more nimble and physician-oriented.”
of
There’s the pitch that Glazer’s
organization makes in advertisements:
Call us today, see us today. It’s a motto that
Mississippi,
100 east of it.
touts the physician group’s accessibility. The
organization also boasts of its advantage in
quality over some of its competition.
And then there’s the pitch that Glazer
makes to would-be recruits: physicians get
And I can tell you
10
that same treatment.
“Physicians have choices: they can join
the A team, or they can join the B team,” he
I need at least
of that remaining
said. “I like to say that we’re the A team.
“We have highly qualified physicians
100 every summer
across our subspecialties, and our offices are
really state-of-the-art with top staff that are
next
trained to be patient-friendly. That’s why we
now for the
believe we’re well positioned for the future
despite having all these large systems around
five ”
us in the region.”
twitter: @reporterbrett
years.
ROI-NJ.COM April 1, 2019 ROI-NJ RETURN ON INFORMATION-NEW JERSEY

Focus On … Physicians Groups

Timing is
e
v
Patients seeking night, weekend options
turn urgent care into booming business

e
BY BRETT JOHNSON

P
bjohnson@roi-nj.com

atients are often pressed for time during the week. Viruses and bacteria have
wide-open schedules.

r
Leaders in New Jersey’s acute-care environment are well aware of how
patients are looking for options at night and on the weekends. So, the state’s
largest health care providers are bolstering after-hours care options and
using collaborations as an intermediary step to accomplish that.
The latest example of this in the Garden State was Atlantic Health System’s
decision to pair up with MedExpress, a subsidiary of insurer UnitedHealth Group.

y
The partnership, announced in the middle of 2018, means Atlantic Health now
jointly owns 11 of the company’s urgent care centers in northern New Jersey.
Amy Perry, CEO of Atlantic Health’s hospital division, said the recent focus at
her organization has been on providing around-the-clock accessibility for patients.

t
CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

h
i
n
g
15
ROI-NJ RETURN ON INFORMATION-NEW JERSEY
Focus On … Physicians Groups
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15
“Over the past few years, we have opened
dozens of primary and specialty care satellite
offices and have expanded the hours of many
of them to accommodate early morning, late
night and weekend requests,” she said.
The dozen medical centers MedExpress
brought into the system’s care equation
complement these ongoing efforts to further
reinforce accessibility, she added.
And for MedExpress, Perry said it’s
benefiting from the coordination of care
beyond what can be offered in urgent care
by being linked into the system’s more than
400 health care sites and more than 5,000
physicians and providers.
At the same time, health systems
around the state are doing a lot of their
own urgent care expansion, even outside
of these collaborations. Aside from its new
MedExpress partnership, Atlantic Health has
plans for scaling up its urgent care network.
“We want to expand into our
communities and make Atlantic Health more
accessible for all of the 4.9 million customers
that we serve,” Perry said. “To that end, we
have a number of urgent care sites planned
for this year, including an advanced urgent
care that will offer an even higher level of care
than at most urgent cares, scheduled to open
in Mountain Lakes in the coming months.”
April 1, 2019 ROI-NJ.COM
The Hackensack Meridian Health network
has been following a similar path. Several years
ago, it partnered with the mostly New York-
centered urgent care provider CityMD.
“CityMD is an excellent partner and
continues to help Hackensack Meridian Health
achieve our goal of providing patients timely
access for their immediate medical needs,” said
Mike Geiger, vice president of convenient care
for Hackensack Meridian Health.
It, too, has plans to expand its own urgent
care network.
“Outside of opening a number of
additional convenient care locations this
year, we are excited to be opening one of
the nation’s first urgent care centers (that)
will have expanded capabilities to treat both
traditional urgent care patients, as well as
patients who may have episodic behavioral
health needs,” Geiger said. “We believe this
new type of urgent care center will help
address a major need in the community.”
For Hackensack Meridian Health, it finds,
depending on the location, up to 50 percent
of patients that come into urgent care settings
as well as emergency departments and retail Amy Perry, CEO of Atlantic Health’s hospital division. —
­ ATLANTIC HEALTH
clinics don’t have a primary care physician.
Geiger said this presents an opportunity There’s a number of reasons health of services helps us improve accessibility and
to transition patients just seeking care for systems view urgent care options as part affordability, providing our patients with the
immediate health needs to having a primary of the prescription for a more all-inclusive right care, at the right time and in the right
care physician to manage their overall health health care experience in New Jersey. place,” Perry said.
and well-being. “Adding urgent care to our continuum twitter: @reporterbrett
16
ROI-NJ.COM April 1, 2019
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9
Dennis Alessi, member at Mandelbaum
Salsburg P.C., said it has a lot of physicians
mixed up.
“Not intentionally, a lot of physicians still
aren’t in compliance with this, even if it went into
effect last year,” he said. “There’s a fair amount
of noncompliance — and I’ve been concerned
about that since the statute was enacted.”
The requirements are a feature of the
New Jersey Out-Of-Network Consumer
Protection, Transparency, Cost Containment
and Accountability Act. There are a number
of changes it makes, but it generally requires
practices to tread more carefully with what it
tells patients about insurance coverage.
Physician groups have to be able to,
upon request, come up with estimates for
charges before providing medical care, as
well as provide notice of what insurance they
accept. And any physician group that later
files a claim form for reimbursement with an
insurance carrier is making a tacit agreement
to comply with the new statute.
“My concern for physicians is that, if they’re
not in strict compliance with the requirements
of this law, it’s not going to be too much longer
before an insurance carrier like Horizon (Blue
Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey) starts doing
audits of physicians out-of-network,” he said.
“When they find noncompliance, they
take the same position
they have in the past —
notwithstanding that
you provided service
that was medically
necessary and are
entitled to be paid
for it, we want back
what we paid you.”
Not only that, a
practice can be fined up
to $2,500 for each
violation, as
well as
Stephen Timoni, a business attorney at Lindabury, McCormick, Estabrook & Cooper P.C.. —
MCCORMICK ESTABROOK & COOPER P.C.
possibly be on the hook for double the claim’s
recouped payment and the usual legal fees.
An attorney who represents physician
groups, such as Alessi, is warning clients that
the audits he expects may arrive as soon as
this year.
What the effect may be of a
lot of the remaining freestanding
physician groups operating out-
of-network getting hit with
noncompliance claims, Alessi
supposes, is a quickening of the
consolidation of these doctors’
offices.
“And my own personal opinion
— not that of the firm — is that this
was an effort by the insurance carriers
that are doing everything they
can to force doctors to
go in-network,” he said.
“And, so often, it’s about
whether your corporate
structure is incorrect
and has nothing to do
with providing service or
whether something was
medically necessary.”
It’s relatively
uncontroversial in the
industry that smaller
physician groups have
Conversation Starter
Reach Stephen Timoni at:
stimoni@lindabury.com
or call 908-233-6800.
17
ROI-NJ RETURN ON INFORMATION-NEW JERSEY
Focus On … Physicians Groups
­ LINDABURY
been moving to find larger partners due to the
complexity of having an out-of-network status.
That’s also thought to be due to a number
of trends: Reimbursement rates are at best
staying stable or going down. In addition, the
cost of operating in small physician offices
continues to escalate, Alessi said.
“I see that being largely a result of the
increasing cost of technology,” he said. “With
something like electronic billing, everyone
does it, so a small practice has to buy all the
computer systems and software, as well as
train and hire the staff to do it, too.”
Stephen Timoni, a business attorney
at Lindabury, McCormick, Estabrook &
Cooper P.C., said there are a number of factors
at play, but none ends up being the topic of
conversation today as much as last year’s out-
of-network transparency adjustments.
“I still get calls (from clients) about this
all of the time today,” he said.
Timoni said that practices have learned
that they can no longer promise to waive
copays or deductibles under this law, with
some exceptions.
“That’s where it leads to some gray areas:
How aggressive do you need to get to collect
balances?” he said. “We don’t know answer
to that. But, certainly, the burden is on out-
of-network physicians providing services.”
Often, physician groups find a solution to
Conversation Starter
Reach John Fanburg at:
jfanburg@bracheichler.com
or call 973-403-3107.
A matter of aging
Workforce reports keep finding
that still-sharp physicians are
practicing late into their golden
years. But, when it comes to
those with patients going under
the knife — should there be a cut-
off after a doctor is too far over
retirement age?
Stephen Timoni of Lindabury,
McCormick, Estabrook & Cooper
P.C. said it’s a sensitive issue, but
it comes up.
“Because, for some, there’s an
increasing concern regarding
their ability to keep up with
what’s going on in medicine,”
he said. “There’s a call for some
physicians to have to undergo
regular physical and mental
exams. That, in turn, has led
to age discrimination claims
by physicians against large
practices.”
It’s a conundrum for practices
that want to balance confidence
in a doctor’s competency and
patient safety without running
afoul of the rules set by the
country’s employment law.
Timoni hasn’t himself handled
age discrimination claims, but he
certainly counsels practices on how
to craft policies and procedures
that don’t infract established labor
protections for older doctors. That
might mean being clear about
whether doctors over a certain age
can perform surgeries or if there’s
a retirement age the organization
wants to abide by.
“The best thing is always
transparency,” Timoni said. “Make
policies very clear, so that everyone
is aware of what the rules involving
age are within a practice.”
these complications in just merging in with
health systems or other large in-network
providers, Timoni said.
But, even if that has been the answer
for some time now, the industry’s constant
reconfiguring means one can never safely
predict what will continue to be true going
forward.
“The medical field is very interesting right
now,” Timoni said. “And I think it’s going to get
even more interesting as the rapidly changing
dynamics of healthcare continue to unfold.”
twitter: @reporterbrett
Conversation Starter
Reach Dennis Alessi at:
dalessi@lawfirm.ms
or call 973-736-4600.
ROI-NJ RETURN ON INFORMATION-NEW JERSEY April 1, 2019 ROI-NJ.COM

Executive Coaching

LEADERSHIP Jeff Harmon of Brilliance Within Coaching and Consulting

focuses on solving ineffective leadership
BY MEG FRY
mfry@roi-nj.com

Jeff Harmon said he works to change the
dynamics of a common denominator
within every issue the world faces.
“If I were to name just one thing
that I believe can be addressed within
each problem, it is either the lack of, or
ineffective, leadership,” he said.
As the founder and head coach
of Brilliance Within Coaching and
Consulting in Boonton, Harmon has
worked with executives and their teams
for more than a decade to help raise
their capacities to lead more effectively,
accomplish big goals and become
happier and more fulfilled along the
way.
“I start by asking what the gaps are
in themselves and their people between
where they are and where they want to
be,” Harmon said.
Now, the devoted business
Jeff Harmon, the founder and head coach of Brilliance Within Coaching and Consulting in Boonton, has leadership coach and consultant said
worked with executives and their teams for more than a decade. —
­ KEITH MUCCILLI
he has developed a concept to help
democratize leadership training and
coaching for companies looking to grow.
“These services typically have been
reserved for those with the money
to afford them,” Harmon said. “But I
believe so deeply in leadership that I
want to make such training available to
and accessible for everyone.”
Harmon said he founded The
Intentional Leader, a subscription-based
online educational platform, last year
to provide such world-class training to
developing leaders.
The Intentional Leader platform
provides users with weekly five-minute
video lessons and access to additional
content, research and coaching, with
monthly subscriptions starting at $49 per
leader per month.
We asked Harmon for five keys to
successful leadership:

1. Put the team first

“Let the cause — the mission of an organization and its people — be greater than the self,” Harmon said. “That can seem so counterintuitive when we are
too often told to puff ourselves up, look good, always have the answers and be the champion, but my own piece of advice would be to set yourself aside and
simply serve.”

2. It’s about character, not titles

“Leadership is not about holding a certain position or having authority. It comes down to your character,” Harmon said. And, he said, everyone from a
dishwasher to the chairman of a company has and must use their ability to lead to effect change. “Leadership does not come from the top down. You can
lead from whatever seat you find yourself in.”

3. Be willing to change
Harmon said leadership often is about changing habits, not necessarily improving the ones you have. “Our No. 1 goal is to get our clients thinking
differently about how they see themselves, their teams and their organizations as leaders. Because, when those three things happen together, everything
can change,” he said.

4. Sound mind, sound body, sound leader

Harmon is a believer that leaders need to be in tip-top shape, in all areas — especially when you are confronted with a tough challenge. “Before you can
even hope to effect change in a difficult situation, you must make sure you are whole, healthy and strong,” Harmon said. “Eat healthy, get sleep and exercise.”

5. Leadership can pay off

Harmon said he works with a CEO in South Carolina who wants to grow his family business from $100 million to $300 million in sales. “He doesn’t
need a consultant to tell him how to do that, because he’s grown companies like that before,” he said. “But he needs help developing both his personal
effectiveness as a leader and that of his team so they can work together toward that growth.”
twitter: @megfry3

For more information on how you can be a better leader, go to roi-nj.com.

18
ROI-NJ.COM April 1, 2019 ROI-NJ RETURN ON INFORMATION-NEW JERSEY

Executive Coaching

LESSONS
Christine Andrukonis of Notion Consulting
helps leaders and companies thrive in times of change
BY MEG FRY
mfry@roi-nj.com

Christine Andrukonis said most
organizations today are dealing with
mergers or acquisitions, implementing
new business strategies or moving toward
a digital revolution to help manage their
growth.
It is not an easy task, Andrukonis said,
and often one that is mishandled, based
on the rising number of employees leaving
the workforce for entrepreneurship.
“The people who can see the future
and get things done are leaving companies
to do that elsewhere, because large
organizations cannot keep and unleash
them in the ways they need to,” she said.
In 2015, Andrukonis founded Notion
Consulting, a Montclair-based leadership
and transformation consultancy that helps
C-suite executives “imagine the future and
lead people to it.”
Today, Notion Consulting employs a
network of more than 30 top-tier consultants
working from New York, Chicago, San
Francisco, Washington, D.C., Singapore
and London, serving organizations and
global companies headquartered mostly
within the tri-state area, including The
Children’s Place in Secaucus, the National
Football League in Mount Laurel, Verisk in
Jersey City and Pearson in Hoboken.
The goal: Help them survive and thrive.
“A recent statistic from Chief Executive
states that 50 percent of new CEOs fail, with
ineffective change leadership being the No. 1
reason why,” Andrukonis said. “Our clients
often come to us with these questions: ‘How
do I keep the movers and shakers here?
How do I become one myself? And how
can we make sure we are unleashing our
talent the way they need to be?’”
We asked Andrukonis for five key
things leaders must be able to do when
leading change in increasingly changing
environments:

1. Lead in the face of ambiguity

“Leaders need to be able to take the data and information that they do
have, consider the unknowns and apply it to the decisions they are making
in the face of uncertainty.”

2. Make better decisions in more transparent environments

“There is a lot of increased visibility and scrutiny on leadership behavior
and decisions, and leaders need to be able to accept and apply any
feedback to their future decisions.”

3. Listen to employees to understand where they are

“People with all sorts of different backgrounds come to work from
different generations and life situations, so leaders need to understand who
they are and what they need in order to be successful.”

4. Step back despite increasing speed and pressure

“Instead of being reactive, leaders should be thoughtful and proactive,
which many are finding difficult given the demands of today. But this will be
increasingly important as we move into the future of work.”

5. Act as the chief change officers

“A lot of companies are building this out as a separate role, but that truly
is the job of the chief executive officer in 2019 and beyond. A CEO must not
only be able to lead the organization through change, but also be able to step
out ahead of it to get their people moving toward success.” Christine Andrukonis founded Notion Consulting, a Montclair-based leadership and transformation
twitter: @megfry3 consultancy that helps C-suite executives. —
­ KEITH MUCCILLI

For more information on how you can be a better leader, go to roi-nj.com.

19
ROI-NJ RETURN ON INFORMATION-NEW JERSEY April 1, 2019 ROI-NJ.COM

Arts & Entertainment

Lights, camera …
important action Officials, execs say tax credit
puts N.J. in spotlight
as place to grow film industry
— with nod toward inclusion
BY MEG FRY

C
mfry@roi-nj.com

ue the spotlights and alert the more than 14,000 residents

currently working in the industry:
Film and television productions officially have
returned to New Jersey, thanks to the reinstatement and
significant bolstering of the Film Tax Credit Program,
signed into law by Gov. Phil Murphy last summer.
At least, that’s the impression of top industry officials
in the area.
“This new tax incentive has been fantastic and has really put New Jersey
back on our map when we are looking where to film our productions,”
Kirby Adams, senior vice president of physical production for Paramount
Pictures, said.
State and local officials joined an array of film and television industry
leaders at the Diversity in Film and Television Production Forum last
month in Newark to discuss both upcoming opportunities and the

20
ROI-NJ.COM April 1, 2019 ROI-NJ RETURN ON INFORMATION-NEW JERSEY

importance of diversity when enlisting talent “Pirates of the Caribbean,” “Spider-Man” and Anamika Shrivastava, vice chair and Warner Media, said his company will be
and crew from New Jersey. “Transformers” across multiple profitable owner of Kreative Productions, a Bollywood working in and around Newark in a big way.
“New Jersey has one of the most diverse platforms, including toys, video games and film production company, said she formed “We have a production that I assume
workforces in the country, and it is critical mobile applications. the company after relocating from India to is taking place here in Newark called, ‘The
that we ensure everyone has access to Now, with studio offices in New York and New Jersey. Many Saints of Newark,’ which is a prequel
new opportunities, especially women and California, Gomez, a Monmouth County “I used to go back to work in the film movie to ‘The Sopranos,’ ” he said.
minorities who have been shut out in the resident, said he is excited to open a new industry there,” she said. “But, now, my Productions in New Jersey always will
past,” Hester Agudosi, chief diversity officer location in Essex County. production company is collaborating with have a significantly positive impact on the
with the New Jersey Office of Diversity “Starlight Runner is closing a deal with many others based outside of the U.S., and local economy, Grimes added.
and Inclusion, said. “(This) forum showed a digital company located just a few blocks we are inviting them here to film projects in “The local spend for ‘The Joker,’ for
how we can stimulate economic growth away (from Newark) that would require us to New Jersey to create more local jobs.” example, which was partially filmed in
and support industries that create new jobs go out and search for diverse talent, including For example, Shrivastava said her next Newark and Jersey City, was about $2.2
without losing our focus on building a fairer, LGBQT and neurodiverse talent, to engage bilingual movie will film in Atlantic City. million; local payroll was $3.7 million; and
more inclusive economy.” in multiple multiplatform productions right Likewise, in addition to filming 13 there were 11 cast members and 116 crew
The program, run by the New Jersey here in New Jersey,” Gomez said. episodes of “The Enemy Within” in and members from New Jersey,” Grimes said.
Economic Development Authority, aims “I particularly love to discover our around New Jersey, NBCUniversal is “For ‘The Many Saints of Newark,’ they
to rejuvenate New Jersey’s film industry by freelance talent from the school system of the working across its business units to increase are expecting at least five of its cast members
providing a 30 percent tax credit against tri-state area, and, of course, being a little bit diversity, Craig Robinson, executive vice to be New Jersey residents and a crew of
corporate business tax and gross income tax neurodiverse, I also like to work with young president and chief diversity officer, said. between 200 and 300 people.
for qualified film production expenses and people on the spectrum who have similar “I work with our business leaders to “Newark and New Jersey are becoming
a 35 percent credit for goods and services peculiar talents as I.” create a culture at NBC Universal where more prevalent and interesting and the tax
purchased through vendors located in Jennifer Turner, a Newark resident and people feel welcomed to bring their whole credit has simply been the icing on the cake.”
targeted areas of the state. senior vice president of scripted programming selves to work every day and feel empowered Adams, who hires everyone but the
It also extends an additional 2 percent for Sony Pictures Entertainment, said that, to share what their lives are like outside of the director, writer, producers and cast, said he
credit to those companies that develop although her company does not currently office,” Robinson said. always is looking for a local diverse crew
a diversity and inclusion plan for the have any productions shooting in New Part of that is achieved through — and a whole lot of extras — to help the
recruitment and hiring of at least 15 percent Jersey, it is certainly planning to. increasing diversity in company board rooms directors tell their stories.
women and minority persons in their “Our head of production has had and on senior leadership teams, he added. “When our productions first come into
productions. numerous conversations with Steve Gorelick “The people at the table helping make town, we contact the local film office, which
John Gibson, deputy chief of staff (executive director of the New Jersey Motion decisions both in content and in company posts such opportunities on their (websites),”
and senior director of diversity and Picture and Television Commission), and policy are therefore more representative of Adams said. “So, stay in contact with your
inclusion initiatives for the Motion Picture we are 100 percent interested and excited the real world,” Robinson said. local film office — and let them know you
Association of America, the global advocacy about the prospect of shooting here,” she Clint W. Grimes, executive director of are ready to work.”
arm for the film and television industry, said said. global sourcing and supplier diversity for twitter: @megfry3
that is just one of the reasons why he is proud
to announce the MPAA’s partnership with
the Newark International Film Festival this
year.
“I’m able to amplify the gains that all of
our studios have made by partnering with
multicultural film festivals that, historically,
our studios may not have partnered with,”
Gibson said. “These festivals are like breeding
grounds for the next level of talent, including
many women and minorities.”
Ryan Coogler, for example, recently
directed “Black Panther,” the third-highest-
grossing film ever made in the United States,
Gibson said. However, it was only his third
film, following “Creed” in 2015 and the
independent “Fruitvale Station” in 2013.
“He won a competition at the American
Black Film Festival, which funded his dream
to create ‘Fruitvale Station,’ ” Gibson said.
“So, what we aim to do is connect our studios
with these festivals if they don’t already have
a relationship.”
Jeff Gomez, CEO of Starlight Runner
Entertainment, said that, as a leading writer
and producer of transmedia entertainment
franchises and corporate narratives, he has The Diversity in Film and Television Production Forum, top left, included participants such as the New Jersey Motion Picture & Television Commission, bottom
worked to expand story universes such as left. Hester Agudosi, above, chief diversity officer with the New Jersey Office of Diversity and Inclusion spoke at the forum. ­— NJEDA

21
ROI-NJ RETURN ON INFORMATION-NEW JERSEY April 1, 2019 ROI-NJ.COM

Sports Business

Tough
u
t f
For Karen Kessler, working
with Conor McGregor
is the job that never stops
s f
T
BY TOM BERGERON
tbergeron@roi-nj.com

he phone was blowing up by her bedside.

The emails were arriving from all
points of the globe.
The texts were coming rapid-fire.
That’s what happens when you
are the so-called “brand police” for
one of the most famous athletes
in the world. And that athlete
has sent something out on Twitter — in
the middle of the night — that has
people on every continent abuzz.
It happened to Karen
Kessler last Monday night
into Tuesday morning.
Kessler, the
founder and head
of Evergreen

22
ROI-NJ.COM April 1, 2019 ROI-NJ RETURN ON INFORMATION-NEW JERSEY

Partners in Warren Township and a well-

respected and highly sought-after crisis
communication expert, didn’t get flustered.
She calmly picked up her iPhone and
typed out: “You want to talk about the tweet?”
And then she waited for Conor
McGregor — the best-known mixed martial
arts fighter on the planet — to respond.

Kessler is best known for helping CEOs of
major companies and politicians get through
various crises. Most recently, handling #MeToo
cases has been a steady source of business.
Confidentiality is a key aspect of her
firm; Kessler rarely discusses clients publicly.
But, since recent events involving McGregor
pushed her into public view, she agreed to
discuss some of the background with ROI-NJ.
Kessler said she has worked with a
number of athletes and entertainers over
the years, but it was a bit of a surprise when
she was approached last April about taking a
meeting with McGregor.
After all, she didn’t know who he was.
The meeting followed an incident after
which McGregor was facing 12 charges
and jail time. It led to Kessler being hired Karen Kessler of Evergreen Partners with her client, MMA star Conor McGregor. —
­ PARADIGM SPORTS MANAGEMENT
to provide guidance during the moment of
crisis — and has continued on with lessons that combines elements of boxing, wrestling full credit for handling the legal case (which Cyborg, the biggest female fighter in MMA.
about how McGregor can build his brand. and various forms of martial arts. It has ended with charges reduced to a single charge Attar was one of the people responsible
And manage more times of crisis. grown to prominence primarily under the of disorderly conduct and no jail time). for bringing Kessler in after the Brooklyn
It has led to a personal relationship that guidance of UFC, a promotion company. “Our role was to just make sure that the incident. He quickly realized he would be
seemingly could only come after years, not “I didn’t know the difference between facts were presented correctly, and that the foolish to let the relationship end.
months. The two communicate almost daily. MMA and UFC,” she said. “They were just a media was treating it for what it was and not Attar feels MMA, which most people
On this occasion, Kessler was responding lot of letters that held no significance. what it wasn’t.” say started around 1993 but exploded in
to the overnight tweet March 26 in which “I didn’t know how they all fit together. I That meant handling the more than popularity around the turn of the century,
McGregor announced his retirement from didn’t know the politics or the players of the 400 media members who came looking for will continue its frenetic climb into the
the sport. industry. I didn’t understand the lure of the information, blocking New York City traffic sports landscape. He felt his athletes needed
The tweet had fans everywhere — industry.” in the process. someone who can help prepare them for
McGregor has more than 30 million followers She soon found out. Kessler said she and her team weren’t their entrance into the mainstream.
on Instagram and 7.5 million followers on Kessler got a call from McGregor’s legal flustered. “This is a fairly new sport,” he said. “It
Twitter — wanting to know if the man who team with a request to come to a meeting in “I think people think it’s more frenetic in has experienced a boom, really led by the
made nearly $100 million in 2018 was truly New York City. The day before, McGregor had the office than it is,” she said. “It’s not. Having rise of Conor McGregor. But, now, the sport
walking away from his sport. been arrested after a bizarre incident in the done this for so long, it’s pretty measured. is going global with more promotion and
Kessler remained calm. bowels of the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, “I feel a real responsibility to get the story superstars all over the world.
“Part of the reason that I like what I do following a news conference to promote UFC right. And a huge responsibility to never “We brought on Karen because, as an
— or that I’m genetically wired to do what I 223 — a major upcoming fight. say anything that’s not truthful. That really agency, we needed to scale up to keep up
do — is that I don’t overreact to any of this,” McGregor and his team had attacked a speaks to who we are and to our relationships with the demand. We needed to make sure
she said. “Because you can’t. bus of rival MMA fighters. McGregor threw with the media.” we’re providing the highest-level services
“My role is to give comfort and calm in a dolly that smashed a window and injured The work her team did was noticed. — and public relations and brand-building
a world in which there is very little. I didn’t someone inside.  happen to be two of those services.”
know what was going on. I didn’t want to “I went in to meet with him and his Audie Attar is the founder of Paradigm The fact that Kessler had no experience
make it appear that the world was ending. It agents and the attorneys,” Kessler said. “We Sports Management, the 10-year old Irvine, with MMA — and does not do a lot of
wasn’t. I just wanted to understand. Then I had never met before. It was two hours. I was California-based firm the former UCLA international work — was not an issue. In
got a call (from McGregor) and I understood. comfortable working with them, they were football player founded around the time he fact, Attar said it was a plus.
“And then the second story came out …” comfortable working with me. got his MBA from Pepperdine University. “We have been hit up by multinational PR
 “It began as just handling that situation.” The firm represents basketball and juggernauts and European-based PR firms and
Let’s turn back the calendar a year. Handling the situation meant handling football players, as well as boxers. But its sports-specific PR firms,” he said. “MMA is in
In April 2018, Kessler knew very little the media. Kessler made that clear. biggest clientele is MMA. In addition to an emerging market. We are charting the way.
about MMA, a fast-growing combat sport “I’m not the lawyers,” she said. “They get McGregor, Paradigm also represents Cris CONTINUED ON PAGE 24

23
ROI-NJ RETURN ON INFORMATION-NEW JERSEY April 1, 2019 ROI-NJ.COM

Sports Business
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23

“I didn’t need someone that knows

MMA, per se. I needed someone who
understands public relations, brand building,
crisis management — all the things that I
think are applicable across all the different
sports and entertainment verticals and even
government and politics.”
McGregor’s lawyer, John Geelan, was
sold on Kessler and Evergreen Partners
before she even got to New York City.
Geelan, a partner at Arnold & Porter, said
the initial call to invite her in was enough for
him.
“You could just tell from the first three
sentences that Karen said over speakerphone,”
he said. “Our team knew.
“Even though she wasn’t well versed in
the subject matter — in terms of UFC — she From top : “The Tonight Show” host Jimmy Fallon
immediately grasped what we needed.” and McGregor having some laughs. —
­ DAVE
Geelan said Kessler paid off immediately. FOGARTY; World jiu-jitsu champion Dillon Danis

“We needed somebody who could now works with Kessler and her staff. —
­ PARADIGM
dive right in, and that was Karen,” he said. SPORTS MANAGEMENT

“She not only has been responsive, but also

proactive in helping the client with media
relations here in the U.S.”

It would be easy to say Kessler enjoys
being in the background.
She didn’t on this recent occasion: The
filming of a comedy bit between McGregor
and “The Tonight Show” host Jimmy Fallon.
Kessler said she was stunned to discover
that her role as an extra in the Irish Bar in
New York City that was used for filming
placed her in the background, squarely
between the two, but visible during the shoot.
“I looked like a stalker,” she said with a
laugh.
Taking advantage of a seven-minute
routine with Fallon is one of the reasons
there is room for Kessler on McGregor’s
team, whether he fights again or not.
The bit, after all, wasn’t about MMA. It was
more of a promotional spot for McGregor’s
new whiskey, Proper Twelve. It’s one of two
brands McGregor has launched. The other,
August McGregor, is a clothing line that fits
the profile of the always-dapper fighter.
After McGregor’s brand team secured
the spot, Kessler made sure it showed a
different side of the fighter.
“NBC’s idea was to interview him and
have Jimmy sing Irish music,” she said.
“When I told them that Conor would sing,
they thought I was kidding, but I knew he
would, and he was terrific.
“I don’t think they understood how
passionate a performance Conor would
deliver. And then he jumped behind the bar
and started serving shots to everyone.”
The bit was a big hit for his brand, Kessler
said.
“It humanized him,” she said. “The truth
is, he is an incredibly funny guy, very warm,
very good family guy. That part wasn’t getting
seen. He was just the fighter.”
Kessler calls McGregor a natural when it
comes to marketing.
“He has a gift for it,” she said.
But he needs to learn how to work a new
crowd, Kessler said.
“His career is evolving and expanding,
it’s not just getting in and out of the octagon,”
she said. “When we were getting involved
with him, he was launching new businesses,
he was walking into new rooms, he was
meeting more people.
“He’s now spending more time in the
U.S. And he’s being exposed to a lot of things
that he probably wasn’t exposed to when he
was living in Ireland and just training.”
Kessler is learning how to market
globally, too.
“Our eyes are on media all over the
world,” she said. “It doesn’t matter if we
get great press in the U.S., if we’re getting
slammed back in Ireland, that’s not going
to help because that’s going to matter to his
family. If we’re getting slammed in Russia,
that’s going to hurt because that’s going to be
where his next competitor is from. If we’re
getting slammed in South America, that’s
going to hurt his business interests there.
“We can’t just focus on a few markets.
We’ve got to focus everywhere.”

Kessler always says that, in her business,
you never know where your next client is
going to come from.
Right now, that’s not necessarily the case.
Since picking up McGregor, Evergreen
Partners has grabbed a stable of new clients,
all of whom participate in MMA.
“We are working with Dillon Danis, who
is the four-time world jiu-jitsu champion,”
she said, before rattling off Cyborg (whom
she praises for her “pink belt fitness” platform
that preaches female empowerment), Tony
Ferguson (who she says is next in line to be a
world champ) and Leon Edwards (who she
calls the top British MMA star).
Kessler and Evergreen are now fully
immersed in the MMA world.
“We now have learned a new language,”
she said.
“We are helping them in all kinds of ways:
From building and promoting their visibility
to helping them learn how to handle the media
and how to handle setbacks in their careers.”
The secret to working with athletes and
celebrities is something Kessler said she
learned long ago.
“One of the first things you find: If you’re
going to be successful, you can’t be a fan,”
she said. “If you approach them like the fan,
you’ve lost it. And, yet, that’s how a lot of
people approach it.
“What I’ve found is they all are surrounded
with a certain circle of people who have a
really hard time ever saying, ‘No,’ to them — a
certain circle of people who enable behaviors
that you don’t agree with. You have to be
comfortable and confident enough to say,
‘You can’t do that,’ or, ‘You’ve got to do that.’ ”
It doesn’t always go over well, Kessler said.
“You get a lot of pushback in the
beginning, because it’s not what they’re used
to hearing,” she said. “But, after a while,
when they realize that the only thing you’re
concerned about is their well-being and their
brand, the respect kicks in. And I think that’s
where I’ve gotten with Conor.”

Kessler stopped counting hours long ago.
And now, with McGregor traveling all
over the world, she knows she’s on call 24/7.
She’s not the only one.
“Conor’s lawyer and Conor’s manager
and I are a team,” she said. “We are in touch
all the time and we’ve all gotten to know each
other very well. We all know each other’s
personal lives.
“We all know who’s where. Even if we’re
on vacation, we all know how to reach each
other. We have a special way of keeping in
touch, because something could happen at
any second around the world — and it does.”
And while she now calls Conor a good
friend and said she hears from him almost

24
ROI-NJ.COM April 1, 2019
daily — “at least five times a week, and that’s
when nothing is happening” — she still is
surprised by things that happen.
Such was the case when she learned
McGregor had announced his retirement.
She answered the question of whether
she knew about his announcement with a
laugh and a question of her own: “Do you
think that 2 in the morning is the ideal time
to put out major announcements?”
But McGregor, Kessler said, ultimately
makes the call.
“Our role, no matter who it is, is to give
our best judgment and advice with the best
experience we have,” she said. “Our clients all
got to where they got because of their own
ability and judgement and smarts, savvy and
skill.
“He is the master of his own fate. He made
the decision, he felt strongly, he put it out.
“My phone started ringing.”
Shortly after, the phone started ringing
for that second reason.

Hours after McGregor announced his
retirement, The New York Times reported
McGregor was under investigation for a
sexual assault that allegedly took place in
December in Ireland. In January, McGregor
was arrested, questioned and released. He
has not been charged.
The news set off another firestorm.
Kessler’s phone began ringing again, with
calls coming in from around the world.
Kessler got her team together and began
crafting a statement. At the same time, one
of her team members was fielding requests
from across the globe with a promise that
word would be coming soon. Honesty and
transparency are keys to her business, she said.
Soon after, Evergreen released the
following statement:
“This story has been circulating for some
time and it is unclear why it is being reported
now.
“The assumption that the Conor
retirement announcement today is related to
this rumor is absolutely false.
“Should Conor fight in the future, it
must be in an environment where fighters
are respected for their value, their skill, their
hard work and their dedication to the sport.”
For Kessler, it’s all in a day’s work.
“The media has a job to do and I have a
job to do,” she said. “They’ve come to respect
that I do take it very seriously. I’m not going
to give them something that they can’t use. Of
what value is that in the world? That doesn’t
help. So, instead, I’d rather say, ‘Give me an
extra 10 minutes so I can get you something
you can use.’
“I don’t ever want to not return a phone
call,” she said. “I don’t ever want to say, ‘No
comment.’ ”
twitter: @tombergeron5
MMA + MJ
MMA heavyweight Alexey Oleynik was hired by ETF Managers Group to promote the country’s first
ETF dedicated to stocks in cannabis-related companies. ­— ETF MANAGERS GROUP
New Jersey-based
marijuana ETF finds
unusual spokesman
in MMA heavyweight
BY TOM BERGERON
tbergeron@roi-nj.com
At first glance, a mixed martial arts
star promoting an exchange-traded
fund for cannabis may not seem like
the most logical fit.
Especially one based in New Jersey,
where proponents of legalizing
recreational use of marijuana suffered
another setback last week.
Sam Masucci doesn’t see it that way.
Masucci is the CEO of the Summit-
based ETF Managers Group, which
created MJ, the country’s first ETF
dedicated to stocks in cannabis-related
companies, in December 2017. He
said the hiring last week of MMA
heavyweight Alexey Oleynik to promote
it is a perfect fit, for a number of reasons.
Starting with the fact that Masucci,
a former Penn State wrestler who
competed scholastically at the now-
closed Bayley Ellard High School in
Madison, loves the sport.
“I have been a big MMA fan for 20
years,” he said. “I’ve actually been a
martial artist for 20 years. I like to
watch these fighters really show the
value of mixed martial arts — meaning
it’s everything from punching and
kicking and submissions.
25
ROI-NJ RETURN ON INFORMATION-NEW JERSEY
“I love it, and I always hoped that
there’d be an opportunity for me to
somehow be involved. This is a great
way to do it.”
But this is more than just a fanboy
move. Masucci understands how the
pairing makes business sense, too.
“Our (MJ) fund has several hundred
thousand investors in it, and the
average investment size is around
$2,000 to $3,000,” he said. “That
means it has brought a lot of
millennial and new investors into the
ETF space.
“A lot of those people are big MMA
fans. So, I think it’s targeting our
audience. It’s just a tremendous brand
and a chance to be a part of it is a very
valuable for us and it sets us apart
from other ETF issuers.”
Its performance does that, too.
Since the MJ fund was launched,
Masucci said the fund’s value is up
$700 million in value this year, for a total
AUM of $1.2 billion. For early investors,
that has meant a 50 percent return. It’s
one of many funds he oversees.
“We’re about a $4 billion ETF asset
manager,” he said. “So, it’s all about
differentiating ourselves in the crowd.
We believe our products do that
because 75 percent of them are first
to market. A lot of them are the of the
Conversation Starter
Reach ETF Managers Group at:
info@etfmg.com
or 844-383-6477.
largest in the world, like HACK, which
is $1.6 billion for cyber. IPAY is $450
million in mobile payments.
“But we’re most excited about our
newest success, MJ, which is an
alternative harvest ETF. It’s focused on
medicinal marijuana.”
For Masucci, the timing couldn’t be
any better.
Oleynik’s next fight is May 4 in Ottawa,
Canada. Canada is one of the leaders
in cannabis-related sales and products.
“About 40 percent of our holdings are
in Canada,” Masucci said. “So, it’s a
great venue for us to go up there.
“We’re going to spend some time
with the movers and shakers in the
industry. They’ll have a chance to meet
Alexey. It’s just going to be a great
association. And, let’s face it, Canada
is leading the globe when it comes
to regulating and understanding the
benefits the cannabis plant and its
derivatives have for medicinal uses.”
Canada’s passion for cannabis is not
matched in New Jersey, which was
unable to bring a vote that would
legalize recreational use to the floor
last week.
And, while Masucci said he would like
to see cannabis legalized in the state,
he said the fact that it isn’t does not
impact his fund.
“It doesn’t affect our business at all,” he
said. “This is a very new and evolving
industry, in the case of cannabis.
“There are two parts to it. There’s the
medicinal side and the recreational
side. Many states, 13 of them, have
said, ‘We’re going to allow for both,’ but
even a greater number of states have
said, ‘We see the value of the medicinal
properties, treating things like PTSD,
children’s epileptic seizures, Crohn’s
Disease, weaning people off opioids.’
“This is a global play for us and it’s a
global growth opportunity. Whether New
Jersey gets there recreationally or not is
really of little importance to the fund.”
Then again, any news is good news.
“Just it being in the news really helps it
garner attention,” Masucci said. “People
say, ‘I want to invest in this space, but I
don’t want single-stock risk.’
“When you buy MJ, you buy into 34
companies that are all targeted within
the growth in this space. And that’s
why it’s up almost 50 percent this year
and almost doubled its assets.”
twitter: @tombergeron5
ROI-NJ RETURN ON INFORMATION-NEW JERSEY
Tech Trends: Esther Surden
Plug
& a vice president for technology advancement and a chief
play
BY ESTHER SURDEN FOR ROI-NJ
esurden@njtechweekly.com
EdgeCon 2019, a conference that took place in January in
Long Branch, attracted hundreds of information technology
and communications networking professionals from
New Jersey universities, K-12 educational systems and
governments. Each year, these professionals come together at
EdgeCon conferences, sponsored by Newark-based NJEdge,
to learn best practices and to network
with their colleagues.
During this year’s conference,
NJTechWeekly.com spoke to Samuel
Conn, CEO and president of NJEdge,
about the changes happening in the world
of tech in New Jersey and how NJEdge is
addressing them.
NJEdge is a nonprofit membership organization that
provides access to a shared private network, computer
products, software and services via a marketplace and, now,
professional services.
RESEARCH-AS-A-SERVICE
One of the initiatives Conn is most proud of is the
evolution of NJEdge’s fiber-optic network, which the
organization makes available to its university members. A
new program is designed to create a level playing field for
university researchers who need high-speed networking
resources in order to collaborate with their colleagues.
“NJEdge is in a leadership position with the Eastern
Research Network, which will ultimately connect nationally
onto the National Research Platform,” as discussed at the
NRP Workshop in 2018, said Conn. “We are working in
partnership with Internet2 (in Washington, D.C.) and
research institutions to build that out.”
He added that the designs the company is driving are
reaching out into New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and
TECH PARTNERS
ROI-NJ has teamed up with Esther Surden, creator of njtechweekly.com, to bring you insight into the tech world.
NJEdge’s ‘Research-as-a-Service’ network
could level playing field for universities,
CEO says at conference
Samuel Conn, CEO and president of NJEdge. —
­ NJEDGE
Rhode Island.
“This is meant to bring virtualization to research. You’ve
heard about Software-as-a-Service or Platform-as-a-Service.
This is revolutionary. The idea that you can be any institution
and plug into to a science DMZ (network architecture) and
have the full capability to conduct research with mass data
storage and high-performance computing, and you don’t
have to make any investment on your campus at all” is
unprecedented, he said.
“It enables institutions without infrastructure to just plug
in and have the equipment … and they can instantly become
a national player in research. It levels the playing field. We are
excited about this and that it’s getting a lot of traction, as well.”
NJEdge also offers networks for business services to
universities. “They get a bundle of services that provide
for production needs, including (advice on) how to recruit
students; a website; and a very secure wide-area network, so a
university doesn’t have to use commodity networks.”
SHARED PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
Another initiative that has directly helped member
organizations is the professional services group. To create this
group, NJEdge hired a new chief information security officer,
26
April 1, 2019 ROI-NJ.COM
information officer: “As a result, we’ve been able to provide
additional services to our members,” Conn said.
For example, universities that can’t afford to hire a full-time
person in the CISO slot because “those are expensive folks”
can cost-share for the services of a virtual CISO. Fairleigh
Dickinson University was the first to subscribe, Conn said.
“We now provide them with the professional services of
a CISO that works with their institution, runs tests and
provides training and policy — all those kinds of services that
will keep them safe. And they pay a fractional piece of that.
… The more institutions that participate, the less expensive
it becomes.”
DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
The EdgeCon 2019 conference focused on digital
transformation. In the case of universities, digital
transformation means that schools have to go in and look
at their business processes, including how they recruit, track
and retain students, and how they educate them, Conn stated.
“They are seeing the need to move from being admissions-
centric to being recruiting-centric, and that requires an
intervention of technology and business processes.”
The conference addressed this issue by providing an
education day prior to its start date that offered complimentary
sessions of certification training in organizational change
management, project management and cybersecurity.
CONSORTIUM FOR BUYING SERVICES
One of NJEdge’s traditional roles has been as a consortium
for buying services, making deals with vendors or value-
added resellers to provide software to its members at a lower
cost. For example, this past year the organization brought on
Somerset-based SHI as a partner, after putting out a request
for proposal for Microsoft products. “With the award of the
RFP to SHI, our members can get better value for pricing
when they buy direct through SHI for their Microsoft
solutions,” Conn said.
In addition, NJEdge and the New Jersey School Boards
Association, a federation of the state’s local school districts,
entered into an agreement to offer advanced technology
solutions and services on a shared-service basis to New
Jersey’s public schools, Conn said. This agreement delivers
greater economies of scale for the organization’s entire
membership, streamlines the purchasing process for K-12
schools and serves as the basis for a new K-20 approach
to essential technologies within the state, according to the
NJEdge website. More than 30 K-12 school districts are now
part of the consortium and are buying through NJEdge,
Conn noted.
twitter: @njtechwkly
ROI-NJ.COM April 1, 2019 ROI-NJ RETURN ON INFORMATION-NEW JERSEY

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 most programs are willing to offer for an and things were on a lower shelf instead of through Medicare and Medicaid, and
annual capitation,” he said. a higher shelf, you would preclude a certain commercial insurers or self-funded employer
those responsible for paying — insurance “We’re moving in that direction, but it’s number of (hospital visits),” Ostrowsky said. plans all focus on things like this, it could
companies and the federal government — probably going to be a little bit sometime “The cost of seniorizing a house is less lower the cost of health care overall.
doing so after the onset of the illness. before we’re prepared to do that.” than $3,000; the cost of fixing of pelvic “Eventually, the folks who pay for
Ostrowsky is pushing for money up Ostrowsky said this change in payment fracture on average is $70,000. So, if you sickness care will come to the realization that
front, which would then go to preventing an structure is not limited to chronically ill were running the Medicare program and they’d be better off making an investment and
issue, and, ultimately, he said, resulting in less patients. It also could be applied to senior someone presented that data to you, I would keeping people well so that they don’t have to
money spent and healthier people. care, which is paid for by Medicare. assume you’d say, ‘Well, I’d rather give you pay for sickness care,” Ostrowsky said.
Because chronically ill patients utilize “If the house in which the senior lived $3,000 so that I don’t end up having to pay “Obviously, we’re not going to eradicate
the health care system a higher number of had railings and bars in the bathroom and $60,000-plus when that person falls.’ ” sickness, but we can take a big chunk out of it.”
times, if the payor set a cap rate that providers better floor covering and better lighting And, if payors like the government, twitter: @anjkhem
would budget annually for each chronically ill
patient, there would be a lower cost associated
with chronic illnesses, Ostrowsky said.
“If someone gives us an annual payment
and says, ‘Please take care of (this person)
and we’re going to audit you for access of that
patient, for quality, for patient satisfaction —
frankly, we don’t care if you visit that patient
every day or twice a day’ — if you want to put
that in the budget, put that in the budget,”
Ostrowsky said.
“It would, at that point, fall to us to
decide what’s the most effective way to treat
someone with chronic illness.”
Ostrowsky admits it wouldn’t be a cure-
all. And it wouldn’t cure all of the conditions
of the chronically ill.
Plus, he said, it’s not something that
RWJBarnabas Health can do on its own.
Chronic illnesses require commitment
on the part of the patient, he said.
“There is a patient responsibility here that
has nothing to do with money,” Ostrowsky
said. “So, we need you to commit to a better
diet. And we’ll call you every morning, if
that’s what it takes. The data suggests if you
do it, you make the patient healthier and you
save an awful lot of money.”
Which is why insurers and government
payors could provide essentially an annual
payment per patient for chronic patients.
Of course, Ostrowsky knows that’s easier
said than done.
“The problem is … every system in New
Jersey is not yet ready to take that financial
risk because the behavior of health care
delivery in New Jersey is not yet efficient
enough to live within the kind of budget that

RWJBarnabas Health CEO Barry Ostrowsky. ­—

RWJBARNABAS HEALTH

27
ROI-NJ RETURN ON INFORMATION-NEW JERSEY
Politics & Trade
MBI-GluckShaw’s Garcia opposes Engage Cuba’s efforts
BY ANJALEE KHEMLANI
akhemlani@roi-nj.com
Every time the discussion of lifting the trade
embargo with Cuba arises, the debate over
how to go about it follows.
Rudy Garcia, president of lobbying firm
MBI-GluckShaw and a Cuban-American,
released a statement last week opposing the
idea.
He did so after the advocacy group
Engage Cuba released a
statement with a long list
of politicians and others
supporting an economic
relationship between
New Jersey and the island
nation.
Rudy
Garcia It was a rare move
to vocalize his opinion,
Garcia acknowledges, but one he felt
compelled to do.
“I never write a (news) release on any
issue,” he said. “I don’t get involved. This is
personal, obviously.”
Garcia says what many young Cuban-
Americans, and those who see the more than
five-decade-long embargo as a failed policy,
are missing is the unintentional support of
the communist regime in the process.
“(Cuba) want(s) the embargo lifted so
they can have greater access to U.S. products
and U.S. markets; at the same time, they don’t
want to change anything internally to benefit
the Cuban people, and most of the money
that will flow through that will go to the
party elite, and they are the only ones who
really benefit,” Garcia said.
“It’s short-sighted to believe if you
sit down and talk to them or help them,
something will change.”
Garcia should know — he has his own
story about the history of Cuba, and has been
involved in several high-profile situations.
He was involved with a group credited
with helping tighten the embargo with Cuba
during President Bill Clinton’s term, which
was the result of a humanitarian aid plane
being shot down.
Garcia was also part of the group that
represented Elian Gonzalez — the then-5-
year-old boy who fled Cuba with his mother
in November 1999 on a boat.
His mother died on the way, and Elian
was in limbo in Miami for seven months at
his paternal relative’s home before he was
removed in June 2000 by armed federal
agents and sent back to Cuba.
28
“When he was in Miami, there was a
whole fight between Cuba trying to make it
about a father’s rights, because the mother
died, and Cuba wanted to send him back,”
Garcia said. “The people here said, ‘No, the
mother and father were estranged. The father
wasn’t the caretaker. The mother risked
her life and lost her life to bring her kid to
freedom and he should be able to stay here
with these family members.’ ”
In fact, Garcia said, there was mounting
support with the optimism that (Gonzalez)
would, in fact, be protected by the U.S.
government.
“We set up a college fund for him, secured
housing, we were going to help support
the family,” he said. “Then (U.S. Attorney
General) Janet Reno, at the last minute, made
the mistake of going in there and taking him
out and sending him back to Cuba — which
cost Al Gore the (2000 presidential) election.”
But stories like that over the years haven’t
deterred those who dream of rebuilding ties
to the island.
“It has a draw,” Garcia said. “Cuba is an
enigma because it can continue to run as a
communist country so close to the U.S. shores.”
But that doesn’t mean that it is possible
to repair relations — as was evidenced
April 1, 2019 ROI-NJ.COM
during President Barack Obama’s attempts,
according to Garcia.
“Anytime we’ve done anything to soften
our stance (on Cuba), it hasn’t reduced the
oppression,” he said.
Garcia came to the U.S. when he was 4
years old, during the Freedom Flights under
President Lyndon Johnson. He and his
mother were allowed in, but his father, who
was born in Spain, was sent to Spain.
He didn’t see his father again until he was
12 years old.
His mother, a university professor in
Cuba, became a seamstress in the U.S. and
worked days and studied nights to eventually
become a teacher again.
“She was the first bilingual teacher in the
state of New Jersey,” Garcia said.
He learned about his native country
in depth through his thesis in college, and
became an active member of the community.
“Nothing’s really changed,” he said.
“That’s the crux of the issue. If they’d be willing
to make some changes governmentally, and
open up their own opportunities for the
Cuban people to share, then I’d be willing to
engage with Cuba, if they were at that level.
But not like this.”
twitter: @anjkhem
ROI-NJ.COM April 1, 2019 ROI-NJ RETURN ON INFORMATION-NEW JERSEY

View Point

Making the case for expungement

C
harles Blow, the New York Times columnist,
has been quoted as saying “There is no
wrong time to do the right thing.” He’s right.
So, following the New Jersey Legislature’s
failure to address the issue on March 25
as scheduled, it remains to be seen how
and when it will proceed with respect to expungement of
convictions for marijuana possession.
Presently, the issue is dealt with in a bill pending before
the Assembly as A4498, with a Senate counterpart, S3205.
These bills await a floor vote after having had been passed
out of committees with overwhelming
support. While clearly related to the
legalization bills that failed to come up for
vote on March 25, the expungement bills
are separate, each having been introduced
Nov. 26, well after the original legalization
bills were dropped. The expungement
Lori
Grifa bills now track the more-than-yearlong
efforts to legalize adult-use, recreational
marijuana.
With the legalization vote failing to take place as
planned, there is a serious question: Can expungement
proceed in advance of legalization? After all, the
interrelationship of the two bills goes beyond their mirror
image provisions; they were introduced on the same day
and, in the Assembly, the legalization and expungement
bills are even sequentially numbered A4497 and A4498
respectively. Advocates and legislative watchers naturally are
looking to see if the “social justice” bill will proceed after the
legalization bill was pulled for lack of support. Should the
expungement bills, A4498 and S3205, move to a floor vote
on their own? Yes — for the following three reasons. But, can
they move on as written? Probably not.
First, Gov. Phil Murphy actively and passionately
campaigned on this issue, noting every time he mentioned
marijuana during the campaign that he believed the
disproportionality of arrests and convictions of people of
color demanded redress. There is nothing in his recent
statements to indicate his support for the issue has waned,
even after the March 25 vote was postponed.
Second, without regard to the outcome of legalization
legislation, the proposed bill addresses the expungement
process generally, giving those convicted of nonviolent
crimes, disorderly persons and petty disorderly persons
offenses an earlier and streamlined opportunity to seek
this relief. Without question, a criminal conviction casts
a long shadow over a person’s life, indisputably reducing
opportunities to find gainful employment and housing.
Shortening the waiting period for expungement from six
to five years (and, in some instances, four years), provided
that payment of fines and parole or probation supervision is
complete, is both a rational and reasonable thing to do.
Critics of this expungement effort must keep in
mind that convictions for the most serious crimes —
homicide, kidnapping, human trafficking, sexual assault
and contact, robbery, arson and endangering the welfare
of a child, among others — remain categorically ineligible
for expungement. Additionally, those convicted of crimes
implicating the duties and functions of their public office are
ineligible for expungement, thus ensuring that transparency
and the public’s right to know will be maintained. Finally, in
many instances, prosecutors still retain the right to raise an
objection to expungement.
And, third, even with the legalization effort stalled,
the expungement bill has a 90-day grace period before
becoming effective. That time frame could give the
Legislature at least one more shot at addressing legalization
before the end of the fiscal year on June 30; after which, most
in the Assembly will return to their districts to campaign for
the November election, and votes on this could drift into the
lame duck session in December.
But can the expungement bills as written really head to a
floor vote without passage of legalization? Probably not. The
centerpiece of the new expungement bills is the expedited
expungement opportunity being made available to those
previously convicted of possession of marijuana or hashish,
including those convicted of distributing or possession
with intent to distribute up to a certain amount. Indeed,
expedited expungement would be available as of the effective
date of the bill, 90 days after signing, which will probably
be months before any cannabis product will be available for
legal purchase. The predicate for expedited expungement is
that these possessions will no longer be illegal; but, without
legalization, that predicate is not met. For the bills to proceed
without legalization, the expedited expungement portions
probably would have to be omitted from the bills, either
by way of amendment or recommittal to committee. This
would be an unfortunate, but perhaps unavoidable, result.
Lori Grifa
Partner, Archer & Greiner P.C.
Director, Archer Public Affairs LLC

Three Cheers! Show & Tell

(or jeers) Michele Siekerka is CEO and president
of the New Jersey Business & Industry Association.
EVERGREEN IDEA: Gov. Phil She talked about Gov.
Murphy continues to push his idea for
an innovation fund that would offer tax
Phil Murphy’s budget proposal in
incentives to venture capitalists who the context of NJBIA’s
invest in New Jersey. And EDA CEO Tim 2019 Regional Business

“
Sullivan says out-of-staters and others
are already asking about it. C’mon, this
Climate Report.
is a gimme. Cheers to the idea, and The proposed budget, which
jeers of “Get on with it!” spends 3.2 percent more than
the current fiscal year and 11.2 percent
ROUGH MONTH: The latest New Jersey job figures for February more than in FY 2018, looks to pay for
were gloomy, showing the state lost some 9,300 private-sector additional spending by raising taxes
jobs while gaining 1,600 public-sector ones. While unemployment on our already-overtaxed residents and
was steady, most sectors lost positions. Not good when think tank businesses. Our history of funding additional
Garden State Initiative uses a phrase like “swelling weakness.” Jeers! spending by increasing taxes is the formula
WIN SOME … : Even as American Dream and its giant water slide fueling New Jersey’s high cost of living and
pushed back its opening to “late affordability challenges. The result is a continued
summer,” Bell Works announced pattern of outmigration and job stagnation.
three entertainment-retail additions The only way to turn this around is to
to its lineup, including a golf put an emphasis on reforming the
facility — fore! — escape room and structural challenges we face, as they
virtual reality center. Entertainment impact our economy due to their high
continues to be a big new part of the cost to maintain. We are going from
retail-type mix, from giant funplexes least competitive overall to extreme
like iPlay America to TopGolf and beyond. Cheers to fun! — Eric Strauss outlier status, and this is certainly not
a move in the right direction.”

29
ROI-NJ RETURN ON INFORMATION-NEW JERSEY April 1, 2019 ROI-NJ.COM

Food Fella

Organic baby food brand is really sprouting

Sprout Foods, a Montvale-based organic baby food company, has
been quite active in bringing the latest in food and nutrition trends
to the baby food aisle.
The 39th annual Natural Products
Expo West Conference, held March 5-9
in Anaheim, California, happens to be the
world’s largest natural,
organic and healthy
products event. There, 12
new Sprout Foods purees
and snacks made their
debut. The new products
deliver multiple benefits
— which seems to be exactly what millennials
are seeking for themselves and their families
— including multisource protein formats,
dairy-free alternatives and clean ingredient
snacks made with real fruits and vegetables.
Conversation Starter
For more information on the
product line and ingredients,
go to: sproutorganicfoods.com.
Products showcased at Expo West
include the first line of Bone Broth protein
purees and Sprout Organic Wafflez, a 2019
NEXTY Award finalist recognized for
its innovative format and superior, clean
ingredients.
Wafflez are a shelf-stable, oven-baked
waffle snack for toddlers.
Bone Broth is made with protein from
organic chicken and beef broth and provides
2 grams of meat protein in a gentle, easily-
digestible format for babies. The products are Some of Sprout Foods’ organic baby foods including Wafflez, right. – SPROUT FOODS
available in Butternut Carrot & Apple with
Beef Broth and Homestyle Vegetables & Pear fruits, vegetables and flax seed, and provide Founded in 2008, Sprout Foods is
with Chicken Broth. 2-3 grams of protein, 2-3 grams of fiber and considered a pioneer in plant-based baby and
Four new toddler smoothies that a full serving of fruit per pouch. toddler food. It’s an independent company
were introduced will help fuel little ones “At Sprout, we are always looking for that embarked on innovation in organic
throughout the day. Two yogurt-based innovative ways to bring nutritious food infant nutrition and affirms a commitment
options and two dairy-free, coconut-milk to families across America,” said Rick to reimagining healthy eating for today’s
based options can satisfy a variety of diet Klauser, CEO. This lineup sounds like it’s families.
choices and are made with whole, organic accomplishing that mission! twitter: @damonriccio

Give America some Goya, new survey says

It’s official … the results are in and it looks like our including the most influential consumers who seem
friends at Goya Foods are “feeling the love”! to have discovered the brand recently.”
According to the second annual Engagement Labs’ “We have always been proud
TotalSocial brand awards, Goya Foods, the largest dear Goya has been among
Hispanic-owned food company in the United States, Hispanic consumers and the
was voted as America’s No. 2 most loved U.S. success we have had among
food brand — and placed in the Top 10 most loved general market consumers,”
brands in the country. Rafael Toro, Goya’s director
of public relations, said. “To
Engagement Labs celebrates the performance of
receive this accolade is a
brand leaders in a variety of categories. Brands that
true testament to what Goya
are included in these awards are highly talked about
means to so many people
online via social media and offline by consumer
and to all those who are
word of mouth.
responsible for making
“The Goya brand is really breaking through in the Goya what it is today.”
food category, according to our TotalSocial data
Goya was founded in 1936
platform,” Ed Keller, CEO of Engagement Labs,
in New York City and is
said. “Goya’s improvement is related to continued
now headquartered in
strong performance with positive conversations,
Jersey City. It’s always
both online and offline, as well as more offline
provided consumers
conversation among non-Hispanic consumers,
with thousands of
high-quality, authentic
and affordable
Conversation Starter products, available
For more information about Goya Foods, on supermarket shelves all over. From
please visit goya.com. everyday staples like olive oil and seasonings, to
classic ingredients like rice and beans, the company
focuses on a variety of cultural foods that remind
people of their native homes and, even more
heartwarming, grandma’s cooking.
of how near and I’d like to applaud the folks at Goya for how they
have brought people of all cultures
together through the
food they produce
and for the many
organizations they
support. Through Goya
Gives, the company’s
charitable arm, Goya
has been a proud
supporter of nearly 300
organizations, programs,
scholarships and events
that promote culture and
benefit overall community
wellness. It is truly a
company that celebrates
diversity and authenticity
and has become an iconic
and cultural symbol to the
Hispanic community and a
trusted American brand to
all.
Kudos to the Unanue family and
the many Goya employees here in New Jersey and
all over!

FOOD FINDINGS
Have a question, idea or news about the food business? You can reach Damon Riccio at driccio@roi-nj.com or 973-512-7525.

30
ROI-NJ.COM April 1, 2019 ROI-NJ RETURN ON INFORMATION-NEW JERSEY

Corrado’s Market grows, adding Denville location

M
orris County will be soon be getting
a new Corrado’s Market.
The store will be located
on Route 10 in the Denville Commons
Shopping Center and will replace the
former Olive Tree Market in the same spot
in the strip mall. The store will take up about
12,000 square feet in the 75,000-square-foot
shopping center at 3130 Route 10. Corrado’s,
a family-owned and -operated specialty food
retailer, has other food market locations in
Clifton, where it’s headquartered, along with
Wayne, Fairfield and North Arlington. The
company also operates five pet markets and
Conversation Starter
For more information about the
specialty retailer, check out its
website: corradosmarket.com.
three True Value hardware centers.
The Corrado family started selling
produce in a converted shed in the Paterson
Farm Markets and, many years later, moved
to a new store in 1975, the current Clifton
location, called Corrado’s Family Affair.
That store, along with selling fresh produce
and meat, has really evolved from those days,
adding fresh-cut flowers, a bakery, a deli, a
host of prepared foods and Italian specialties,
a liquor store, even a donut and sandwich
shop.
The new store will carry much of the
same specialty foods that the sister stores
carry and is expected to be open sometime
in later April. There will be about 40-50
employees on staff.
We wish the Corrado family and the
entire staff much success with their new
Denville location!

Save the date for

Mazars’ Food &
Beverage Forum
For the past seven years, those in the food and beverage
industry have been treated to a very elegant and taste-filled
evening, the Mazars New Jersey Food & Beverage Forum.
The event takes place at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 1,
at the Maplewood Country Club in Maplewood. Each
year, it brings together over 300 food and beverage
senior executives for an evening to network and hear
from industry-leading professionals. Mazars also hosts
these Food & Beverage Forums in the New York and
Pennsylvania metropolitan markets. Last year’s Mazars New Jersey Food & Beverage Forum. – COURTESY MAZARS

This year’s New Jersey event will focus on branding and

customer loyalty and will be hosted by an all-female panel
including moderator Judy Spires, chairwoman and CEO of
Kings Supermarkets/Balducci’s and panelists Christine
Puglisi, marketing director at Premio Foods; Kate Edwards,
founder of Kate Edwards & Co.; and Susan Guerin, CEO of
World Finer Foods.
During the networking and cocktail hour, Mazars will
host an Emerging Companies Contest, in which selected
contestants will display a table of their product(s). This
always makes for an interesting part of the evening agenda
as attendees will be able to stop by each table, sample the
products and vote for their favorite company. More notably,
the winner will receive a $1,000 prize!
Please note that this event is exclusive and open to food
and beverage industry professionals only, as Mazars
provides a noncompete environment to service provider
sponsors.

Conversation Starter
To register go to: analytics.clickdimensions.com/weisermazarscom-ahxcg/pages/fb933b74262ae9119e6b00155d09c492.html.

31
ROI-NJ.COM April 1, 2019 ROI-NJ RETURN ON INFORMATION-NEW JERSEY

Focus

SIGN
On …

RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS
OF THE
TIME
I
BY BRETT JOHNSON NJIT has launched
bjohnson@roi-nj.com
cyberpsychology
t’s a bit of research
that anyone
degree program
could do, maybe to study effects
even right at this of today’s ubiquitous
moment.
The subtle
technology
inclusion of screen
time reports on iPhone
and Android devices
has allowed anyone to
survey how often their
mobile device flickers
on. It details usage
down to the number
of minutes or hours
spent on particular
applications.
The study of what
psychological phenomena
might be associated with social
networking, online gaming
and the rest of the digital world
hasn’t had its own place in
academia. But the companies
behind the technology sure are
thinking about it.
John Wolf, a principal of
a new program at New Jersey
Institute of Technology and
an assistant dean there, said
that’s become apparent with
the addition of something like
screen time reports.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 37

John Wolf, a principal of a new

program at New Jersey Institute of
Technology and an assistant dean.
­— NJIT

33
ROI-NJ RETURN ON INFORMATION-NEW JERSEY
Focus On … Research Institutions
Cell
call
BY BRETT JOHNSON
bjohnson@roi-nj.com
Dr. Dennis Cooper likes having options.
As chief of the Rutgers Cancer Institute
of New Jersey’s Blood and Marrow
Transplant Program, he prefers nothing
more than a recourse for patients feeling like
they have none.
He’s thrilled by one of the most
recent options: The
recently approved
immunotherapy research
at the university-linked
health care organization.
It’s another line of defense
for those with blood
Dennis cancers after all others
Cooper
have been exhausted —
and that was enough for the cancer institute
and its partnered Robert Wood Johnson
University Hospital New Brunswick facility
to put it to use.
CAR-T cell therapy, as it’s called, is
being used in the treatment of particularly
difficult forms of acute lymphoblastic
leukemia, a type of blood cancer in children
and young adults. Eligible patients have
already gone through conventional therapy,
which eradicates the disease in upward of 90
percent of affected individuals.
“But for the 10 percent who aren’t cured,
there hasn’t been good options,” Cooper said.
“This new treatment changes that.”
Traditional cancer treatment such as
chemotherapy can have diminishing returns
for some patients. Cooper said the patients
who may benefit from CAR-T cell therapy,
whose acute lymphoblastic leukemia has
been designated as recurrent, already have
developed resistances to chemotherapy and
have gone through bone marrow transplants.
Conversation Starter
Reach the Rutgers Cancer
Institute of New Jersey at: cinj.org
or 732-235-2465.
Rutgers Cancer Institute is testing CAR-T cell therapy,
treating patients who might otherwise be out of options
Scientists at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey are researching immunotherapy. —
INSTITUTE OF NEW JERSEY
For those patients — which, it shouldn’t
be forgotten, are often undergoing
these intense treatment courses in their
adolescence — CAR-T cell therapy could
be the solution. It has demonstrated an
extraordinary potential to get 80 percent of
these patients into remission, Cooper said.
The therapy also has been approved
for the treatment of refractory diffuse large
B-cell lymphoma, a dangerous variant of
the most common type of non-Hodgkin
lymphoma among adults.
Cooper said about half the patients with
diffuse large B-cell lymphoma eventually
relapse or become resistant to treatment.
Outcomes have been consistently poor
for these patients because there hasn’t
been another therapy alternative after
chemotherapy and stem cell transplants.
“So, this addresses a critical unmet need
34
­ RUTGERS CANCER
for those patients,” Cooper said.
About 40 percent of those patients, after
undergoing conventional therapy already and
being left with a dismal prognosis, have been
shown to be in complete remission about one
year after CAR-T cell therapy. So, these are
significant — and, so far, fairly effective —
treatment options based on this latest therapy,
with more likely to come, Cooper added.
Treatment involves hooking patients up
to a machine that harvests blood cells that
compose the body’s immune system. The cells
are then reprogrammed to target a molecule
that’s present on all lymphocytes, a particular
type of white blood cell that’s typically
the cause of these cancers. The reverse-
engineered cells are then reintroduced in the
patient’s body.
“And one of the reasons there’s so much
excitement about this is that, if you can find
April 1, 2019 ROI-NJ.COM
a target that’s on the tumor cells but not on
normal cells, you theoretically could attack
any malignancy,” Cooper said. “So, we’ve
adopted this therapy that we’re of course
hoping to improve.”
Multiple myeloma is a cancer that forms
in a different type of white blood cell, a
plasma cell. There’s a component of those
cells that can be potentially targeted as well
by CAR-T cell therapy. The Rutgers Cancer
Institute of New Jersey is participating in
studies this fall to determine how useful this
treatment could be for treating that disease.
Its efficacy is also soon going to be
studied locally for treatment of chronic
lymphocytic leukemia, a cancer of the blood
and bone marrow.
Cooper said the current applications of
CAR-T cell therapy are going to be continually
evaluated for possible improvement. For one
thing, it doesn’t work for everyone. Why
some patients prove resistant to it — and
how to reduce some of the toxicity most all
patients experience in this treatment — is
going to be a challenge to sort out.
“Another challenge is that, right now,
when a patient is considered a candidate,
they have to have cells removed and
reprogrammed — and it takes about two
and a half, three weeks at best,” Cooper said.
“For patients who are really ill, that might be
too long a period of time. … Off-the-shelf
cells that can be used more quickly is an
improvement I expect within several years.”
Overall, however, this treatment is
exciting for longtime oncology experts such
as those at the institute. And there’s already a
desire to see it expanded.
“Right now, this therapy is only being
offered (at) tertiary care centers, but I think
what will happen with it — as the mechanism
of the toxicity is further worked out and our
ability to deal with it improves — is that it
will become much more generalizable,”
Cooper said. “I foresee this being offered in a
doctor’s office setting. That hasn’t happened
yet, but I think there’s a good chance it will.”
twitter: @reporterbrett
ROI-NJ.COM April 1, 2019 ROI-NJ RETURN ON INFORMATION-NEW JERSEY

Focus On … Research Institutions

Cometogether
At Princeton, combining AI with science could change research methods in myriad fields
BY BRETT JOHNSON

P
bjohnson@roi-nj.com

rinceton University professor and

molecular biologist Bonnie Bassler
works on bacteria. As she describes
them: They’re simple, ancient
organisms.
But maybe not as simple as you think.
Because what Bassler and her Princeton
research cohort have discovered is that
what drives the ability of bacteria to infect
us is a surprising level of teamwork and
communication.
“So, they wait and they grow — they
count their numbers,” she said. “Then they
all launch their virulence attack in synchrony
so they can overcome host defenses.”
Yet bacteria are simple — single-celled
organisms that predate all of the planet’s
other organisms.
When Microsoft went looking for a
starting point to do biology research faster,
that’s where it started. It also started with
Princeton, a powerhouse in both biology and
computation research.
Microsoft came to the institution with
a proposal to be its first academic partner
to utilize a platform it calls Station B, an
automation, machine learning and cloud
computing technology that aims to not only
expedite lab workflow, but help extract more
information for analysis.
Bassler’s Princeton lab is now partnering
with the tech company to more rapidly build
artificial DNA constructs that it uses to better
understand how bacteria know when they’re
alone as opposed to in groups, how they behave
differently and how they count their numbers.
Among other things, Microsoft’s AI tools may
help determine more about the mechanisms
behind biofilms, slimy bacterial material that
grows on surfaces such as medical stents.
Like most biomedical labs in academic
settings, there’s a tenet of research and discovery
involved in these studies that stays wise to how
it may lead to real-world medicine one day.
And the potential for lifesaving therapies
with this is reason for excitement. Because, if
you could disrupt the communication relays
involved in bacteria’s ability to infect people,
Bonnie Bassler, a Princeton University professor and molecular biologist, is partnering with Microsoft to more rapidly build artificial DNA constructs to study that could open up a new realm of antibiotics,
bacteria and how it infects people. —
­ PRINCETON UNIVERSITY CONTINUED ON PAGE 36

35
ROI-NJ RETURN ON INFORMATION-NEW JERSEY
Focus On … Research Institutions
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 35
Bassler said. That’s something sorely needed as
more resistances develop to the current slate of
antibiotic options.
“Everyone wants products, medicine out of
this,” Bassler said. “There’s a path that you have
to take that we’re on — you make discoveries
and, eventually, built on that, the applications
get made. With this, hopefully we can make
those discoveries faster. Then, ultimately, you
may shorten the path to product.”
Besides having an eye on potential
application of enhanced bacterial
understanding in the biotech community,
Bassler sees a capacity for vastly different
scientists to find efficiency in the machine
learning and other technological aspects
featured in this collaboration.
Just the idea of group behavior being
decoded on the primordial level of bacteria
might itself have profound implications
for scientific fields such as cancer research.
Bassler would be hard-pressed to find a
discipline this thinking doesn’t permeate.
“I’m a little biased, right? It’s my life’s
work,” she said. “But I think my life’s work
has gotten really far out of this lab. … And
it’s not supposed to just stay in my lab, it’s
supposed to go out everywhere. That’s the
democratization of science.”
Ned Wingreen, another Princeton
Ned Wingreen, a Princeton University professor, is
eager to have easier access to the artificial DNA
constructs biologists are capable of assembling
today for experiments. —
­ PRINCETON UNIVERSITY
professor involved in the project, said physicists
such as himself are eager to have easier access
to the artificial DNA constructs biologists are
capable of assembling today for experiments.
The role of Wingreen and other theoretical
types in this project is to come up with models
to improve outcomes after the geneticists
36
figure out what reagents go into creating an
organism and the computer scientists figure
out how a robot can assist in that.
“One of the most exciting things in
biology in the past decade is you can
engineer organisms that are different from
natural organisms and, therefore, learn how
they work,” Wingreen said. “But it turns out
that doing that is something of a dark art.”
It takes at least a decade of graduate school
and postgraduate education to master the
engineering of organisms as Bassler and her
student lab associates have, Wingreen added.
“We’re hoping this tames that dark
art and puts it in an automated context for
someone who did not spend those particular
10 years of their life in a bacterial genetics
lab,” he said. “Then people without that
background can still ask exciting scientific
questions and have the machine generate
what’s needed to answer them.”
The end goal is to reduce the overhead
required for academic researchers as well as
companies doing all sorts of analysis.
As Bassler said, scientists are do-gooders.
But her lab — one of the world’s premier
bacteriology genetics labs — stands to gain
as well. They view a more seamless process
as having the potential for transformative
progress in their own research projects, too.
When in the highly technical process of
building DNA constructs for experiments,
April 1, 2019 ROI-NJ.COM
Bassler’s lab ends up taking only what works
and moves on.
“But there could be patterns in the
constructs and clones that don’t work as well,”
she said. “The real goal then is to learn more
about how and why things work. Maybe by
a robot keeping track of all that information
and data using machine learning algorithms,
scientists going forward can do fewer
experiments that don’t work and design
experiments that do work even better.”
So, when that science-fiction reality
sets in, when robots are communicating in
labs like Princeton’s and completing certain
tasks that right now only skilled scientists
can perform, Bassler and her team won’t be
taking days off. Instead, she plans on moving
on to even more exciting work.
“It just unleashes the creativity of the
scientists and really has the potential to
introduce a fundamentally new way of
doing science,” she said. “It can move science
forward by a leap. That’s not lost on neither
Microsoft nor us, even if we’re still at the
beginning of this.”
twitter: @reporterbrett
Conversation Starter
Reach Bonnie Bassler at:
bbassler@princeton.edu
or 609-258-2857.
ROI-NJ.COM April 1, 2019
“We’ve now recognized that technology is influencing human behavior and society in some
drastic and unprecedented ways.”
— Kevin Belfield, dean, NJIT’s College of Science and Liberal Arts
Kevin Belfield, dean of NJIT’s College of Science and Liberal Arts. —
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 33
“To me, it seems that this is that industry’s
attempt to self-regulate,” Wolf said. “They’re
saying, ‘We don’t want policymakers to start
talking about screen time and what effect
that will have on developing children or
teenagers.’ It’s an attempt to put a pre-emptive
warning label on these devices.”
­ NJIT
Why a warning label might be needed
requires knowing something about the
potential mental health impact of using
mobile devices much more often than was
ever foreseen.
The new NJIT program that Wolf is
involved with is giving students an insight into
exactly that. The school this year announced
it would offer students a degree option in the
37
ROI-NJ RETURN ON INFORMATION-NEW JERSEY
Focus On … Research Institutions
emerging field of cyberpsychology.
Kevin Belfield, dean of NJIT’s College of
Science and Liberal Arts, said that, between
smart homes, the Internet of Things,
automation and other new developments,
the unique concentration is timely.
“We’ve now recognized that technology
is influencing human behavior and society
in some drastic and unprecedented ways,”
he said, adding that there was a huge unmet
need among academic programs for studies
surrounding that.
In the school’s research, it found only
two master’s degrees in Europe that focuses
specifically on this area. Many schools,
including NJIT, have had individual courses
at the intersection of modern technology
and human psychology, but not a dedicated
degree in it.
“As the ubiquity of digital and social
media technology has constantly increased, it
became apparent to us that we could do better
than simply offer a course,” Belfield said. “So,
we began looking at ways we could better do
that with a degree program that would also
be consistent with a polytechnic institution.”
It’s the first academic program in the
behavioral sciences to be offered by NJIT, an
answer to many years of students expressing
interest in such a degree. Due in large part
to that interest, the school saw sufficient
enrollment for a standalone program.
“On top of that, there are a lot of companies
today that are interested in hiring people to
work in what we’ll call cyberpsychology, but
it goes under different guises,” Belfield said.
The stated goal of NJIT’s programs
is to get students skills that make them
employable on graduation. Abstract as it
sounds, the cyberpsychology curriculum is
no exception to that.
Tech giants such as Google are searching
for user experience researchers — a role
that has many different names, “market
research analysts” being another one — that
track how programs are being perceived.
Even traditional companies want personnel
that have an understanding of how to best
communicate with people online.
Ultimately, what sets apart the field of
cyberpsychology from other tech-focused
studies is that students may learn to
contribute to technology in a way that’s more
beneficial for mental health.
That’s an important ingredient in
the tech mix, especially given that recent
reports have correlated time spent on social
media with depression and higher suicide
rates.
“And, of course, correlations do not
necessarily mean causation, but there’s
certainly starting to be a comprehensive
look at the impact of this on peoples’ lives,”
Belfield said. “There is now a global concern
over how these tools tie into behavior.”
Within the past few years, China
notoriously introduced tight regulations on
certain digital platforms that restricts the
amount of time users can be on the platform
based on his or her age.
That right there is one of the world’s
largest economies implying tech has an effect
on behavioral and cognitive development,
Belfield said. How much bearing it actually
has is one of the things cyberpsychology
scholars at NJIT will learn about as more
studies on it are conducted.
The 120-credit degree also features an
examination of other hot-button issues in
tech that have a bearing on psychology, such
as cyberbullying, the possible therapeutic
uses of technology and an overview of some
aspects of cybercrime.
Assuming all of these matters remain as
substantial as they are today, Belfield expects
NJIT won’t be the only school to give these
studies extra weight.
“My crystal ball is murky, but I do
anticipate that at least a dozen universities
will put together a program to look at social
impact of technology in the near future,” he
said.
twitter: @reporterbrett
Conversation Starter
Reach NJIT’s Office
of University Admissions by
email at: cyberpsych@njit.edu
or 973-596-3300.
ROI-NJ RETURN ON INFORMATION-NEW JERSEY
Non Profit
Schools
That Can
Schools That Can provides K-12 education best practices to district, charter and indepedent schools. —
Origin
Schools That Can was
started over 15 years
ago by volunteers and
school leaders who
wanted opportunities to
share K-12 educational
best practices across
the district, charter and
independent school
divide. STC Newark was
one of the first regional
offices and began with
three schools.
Mission
Expand high-quality, real-
world, hands-on learning
that prepares students for
post-secondary success,
makes lessons relevant
and makes school fun.
Schools complained that
education was becoming
more about testing and
less about allowing
students to engage with
material.
Programs
Career Skills:
Work with high schools
to prepare students for
post-secondary career
success;
Building
Real-World Learning:
Work with grades K-8 to
develop maker space and
hands-on opportunities
to introduce students to
new careers and skills;
Professional
Learning Groups:
Work with teams of
educators throughout
each city to solve
common challenges by
implementing school-
specific solutions.
­ SCHOOLS THAT CAN
Fundraising
STC Newark has gone
through a period of
growth rooted first in
more sustainable and
diversified fundraising.
This included securing
new foundation and
corporate grants,
developing new
fundraising events,
increasing our individual
giving, securing our
first government grant
and receiving revenue
for some of our more
specialized programs.
Conversation Starter
Reach Schools That Can at: schoolsthatcan.
org/newark, esweeney@schoolsthatcan.org
or 973-262-3123.
38
Creating real-world
educational opportunities
Achievements
STC Newark is a leader
in assisting K-12 district,
charter and independent
schools with expanding
real-world learning
opportunities for their
students. We directly and
indirectly serve thousands
of Newark students by
working with their school
leaders and teachers in
a variety of programs to
build out a culture of real-
world learning.
STC convened a group
of school leaders and
April 1, 2019 ROI-NJ.COM
In brief
Where: Newark;
national nonprofit
in New York City.
Serving: STC
Newark serves
35 schools, part
of the nearly 200
district, charter
and independent
schools from
cities nationwide
participating in the
STC network.
Key member:
ERIN SWEENEY,
executive director.
Benefactors
STC has been especially
grateful to the Institute
for Ethical Leadership
at Rutgers Business
School — its Prudential
Nonprofit Executive
Leaders and Victoria
Emerging Leaders
Fellowships have helped
create communities of
supportive nonprofiteers,
especially from the
Newark area. Other
resources include the
Dodge Foundation’s
Board Leadership
Program, New Jersey
Council on Grantmakers’
events, resources from
the New Jersey Center
for Nonprofits, training
opportunities with the
Support Center and
legal advice through the
ProBono Partnership.
Finally
community members One of the biggest
from across the country challenges to nonprofits
to create the Real-World in New Jersey (and
Learning Rubric, a tool specifically in Newark)
that helps schools is saturation. There
assess their progress in is often duplication
six dimensions of real among nonprofit
world learning, ranging organizations trying
from how creatively they to address the same
use resources to how issues in similar ways.
well schools build and This adds to the daily
sustain partnerships with challenge of fundraising.
area employers to how With the saturation of
inclusive their curriculum organizations comes an
is of real world examples oversaturation of asks
and hands-on projects. being made constantly
to corporations and
potential individual
donors. The competition
for limited dollars will
always be a reality in the
nonprofit sector, but can
be even more challenging
with the increase in
number of organizations.