Q&A with Melanie Willoughby, Executive Director of NJ Business Action Center
Melanie Willoughby, Executive Director of NJ Business Action Center
You have spent most of your career at state and local levels of government as an advocate for businesses of all sizes. Since 2018 you have been the executive director of the NJ Business Action Center (NJBAC). Tell us about the organization and the work you do.
The NJ Business Action Center's (NJBAC) mission is to help businesses thrive, grow, and succeed across New Jersey. Government has many business opportunities, resources and funding opportunities, but navigating the government can be very complex. Government agencies do not have the budget to advertise, so many businesses don’t know about the resources available to them. That’s where we come in. NJBAC is the connector for businesses. We use our deep understanding of the current business landscape to connect businesses with the appropriate experts to reach their goals, whether a startup, a small business on Main Street or a large company. We help them navigate. NJBAC can assist with relocations, permits, workforce development training, grant applications and obtaining capital from the economic development authority — we can help a company through the entire process.
I’m particularly proud of our Business Advocates program, which is the outreach team to businesses in the state. Beyond our numerous contacts on the state level, the business advocate team has excellent working relationships with county and local government entities throughout New Jersey. They are dedicated to solving problems and maximizing growth opportunities for your business. NJBAC’s Business Helpline (1-800-JERSEY-7) offers English and Spanish-speaking advocates who are ready with guidance on incorporating small business and minority certification, accessing government resources and much more. There is even a live chat option where a business owner can chat with a real advocate in our offices.
As the executive director of NJBAC, I manage a team of 40 employees who run all aspects of NJBAC. I also serve as a spokesperson, talking with chambers of commerce and organizations across the state about what NJBAC offers, and I bring with me all the benefits of all the agencies. I’m also the idea person! I’m always coming up with new ways to support our businesses. NJBAC is here to retain every business in the state, and we are very sincere about that.
One of the ways NJBAC supports small businesses is through the New Jersey State Trade Expansion Program (NJ STEP), funded partly through a grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration. Can you tell us more about it
The NJ STEP program is a federally funded program for export promotion. Eligible small businesses can get a grant from the Small Business Administration (SBA) to help fund their trade show internationally, translation services, and/or export regulation training.
This year, we’re focusing on new export companies in the food and beverage industry, specifically in underserved communities. We are bringing these businesses to the table to help them export. We’ve been very successful in finding companies to do this. One of the exciting things NJBAC is doing for these businesses is hosting a pavilion at the 67th Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City at the Javits Convention Center in June. It’s the largest trade-only specialty food and beverage event in the United States, attracting thousands of makers, buyers, brokers, distributors, and other industry professionals for three days of product discovery, networking, and business opportunities. The pavilion will feature 10 New Jersey companies that are brand new to exporting.
NJBAC has been designated by the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission to provide no-cost technical assistance, training and mentorship to recreational cannabis license applicants. Tell us more about the NJBAC Cannabis Training Academy.
We’re very excited about the Cannabis Training Academy! We are the only state agency in the country offering this type of program. It’s a technical assistance and training program that aims to ensure equitable representation and to support qualified applicants impacted most by the enforcement of cannabis prohibition — people of color, people deeply impacted by high poverty and in disproportionately affected areas. This support is critical to ensure that applicants in the social equity, legacy, Impact Zone, diversely-owned and microbusiness categories get the support they need.
The Academy will walk applicants through everything they need to know. The initial training is a 10-week module combining pre-recorded webinars and live, virtual question-and-answer sessions twice a month. Applicants will learn how to fill out complex applications, obtain municipal approvals, write a business plan, write SOPs, the type of insurance needed and how to equip and secure their dispensary. Mentors can answer specific questions and offer non-legal guidance and direction. All classes in the Academy will be taught by faculty who are in or have supported, taught or consulted about the cannabis industry.
How does working with Violet PR help highlight the work of the NJBAC?
NJBAC has been working with Violet PR for over five years. The agency has been extraordinarily helpful with our press relations and creative with our marketing materials and social media campaigns. Working with Violet PR ensures that NJBAC is well-known in the business world.
It’s Women’s History Month, so we would be remiss if we didn’t discuss your history-making career. You were among the first class of women to be admitted to Rutgers College in 1972. You were the first woman president of the college’s Student Government Association and the first woman to receive the Rutgers Alumni Association’s highest honor, prompting the association to change the name of the award to Loyal Sons and Daughters. You have also spent your career advocating for women — crafting domestic violence and displaced homemakers legislation and creating employment opportunities for women receiving government assistance. Tell us why this advocacy means so much to you.
This advocacy means so much to me because when I started in life, women were only considered viable candidates for some of the positions held by men. Women were relegated to secretaries, nurses and teachers. Women were not even encouraged to go to college because it was considered "a waste since they were just getting married and raising their children." But these cultural norms were rocked in the 6os with the women's rights movement to end discrimination and harassment and provide financial equity and access to jobs typically held by men. I was part of this movement and felt strongly about empowering women to believe in themselves to be all they wanted to be despite the cultural chains that still existed. But to move forward, we needed to change the laws that impeded women's progress and pass laws that protected women in the workplace and the home. I continue to advocate for women every day by mentoring young women, hiring them and encouraging them to live their best lives without feeling restricted by cultural norms that still exist.
You're hosting a friend in New Jersey for the weekend. What are some not-to-be-missed spots in the Garden State you take them to?
We would start our weekend at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park because it’s THE place for the history of the music of Bruce Springsteen, who is a New Jerseyan and, let’s face it, an American legend. Next, we would visit Red Bank and its delightful downtown district and have lunch at one of the many fantastic restaurants in town. After lunch, we would head to Princeton and visit Morven (the former New Jersey Governor’s Mansion) and Drumthwacket (the current official residence of the Governor of New Jersey) and learn about the state's history. Next, we would stroll through the Princeton University campus, the fourth-oldest college in the United States. Finally, we would end our weekend down the shore at Cape May — a must if you’re visiting the state! It’s such a beautiful town with historic Victorian homes. People think of New Jersey and think about the Turnpike or ask, “What exit?” on the Garden State Parkway. But, although the state has a rich manufacturing past, the Garden State is filled with beautiful landscapes, vibrant culture and rich history.
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