The New Jersey Small Business Development Centers (NJSBDC) Network is thrilled to announce the addition of six new team members to the Capital Team: Gregory Wilcox, Jinni Rock-Bailey, Marcela Zuchovicki, Michelle Schaap, Reina Valenzuela, and Ciara Gutierrez.
The Capital Team, a pilot program launched in April 2021, is now composed of NJSBDC’s top nine consultants who bring their own diverse experience and vast knowledge of the collective private sector, marketing, procurement, certifications, QuickBooks, export planning, cyber security, and more to help New Jersey’s small business community grow and thrive.
These new members are dedicated to serving by informing clients of strategic solutions to challenges business faces while competing in the marketplace, organizing meetings between clients and a network of institutional and private/accredited investors, and preparing the business to take advantage of opportunities as they arise.
“Capital Team has maintained an impressive growth trajectory by embracing NJSBDC’s six core values,” said Kelly Brozyna, NJSBDC State Director and Chief Executive Officer. “The Team displays a commitment to helping clients make a positive impact and has served over 200+ businesses, closing on $25MM of funding opportunities. I’m excited for the Team’s continued success and the new clients we have the opportunity to serve!”
Prior to joining the Capital Team, Gregory Wilcox has assisted many Business Owners in optimizing their capital structure, accelerating operating cycles, and increasing market presence through a collaborative, thorough analysis of historical financial performance, operational processes, and current market trends. Gregory is certified by the American Bankers Association as a Business and Commercial Lender and has worked in that capacity for global and regional banks.
Gregory is thrilled to be joining the Capital Team at NJSBDC and says, “The opportunity to guide and advise business owners in understanding their options when accessing capital without institutional agendas or quotas is refreshing and rewarding. Knowing that the NJSBDC’s only goal is to assist the Small Business community by providing high-level expertise, it was clear that our core motivations aligned, and it is a privilege to be part of the team.”
A graduate of Kean University, Reina Valenzuela is a Certified Global Business Professional (CGBP) and an SBA-certified trade counselor. She is a speaker and trainer on digital tools for small businesses at an international level. She has been a speaker at Universidad Rafael Landivar in Guatemala. Reina has trained technical business advisors at the Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Development of micro-, small-, and medium-sized businesses at CDE MIPYME in Honduras, empowering them with tools and techniques.
Fluent in five languages, Marcela Zuchovicki has been an instructor for the past 11 years for the Rutgers University Entrepreneurship Pioneers Initiative (EPI) program. She is an experienced business owner who brings a deep knowledge of qualitative and quantitative methods to her strategy work and CFO/Bookkeeping practices. She has worked for global companies such as UNICEF, National Institute for the Indians in Mexico, IBM, and several leading Universities and Museums in Mexico, Europe, and the USA.
Michelle Schaap is a Certified Information Privacy Professional, awarded by the International Association of Privacy Professionals, with a concentration on U.S. private-sector law (CIPP/US). Her extensive experience includes assessing risk management practices and security incident preparedness in developing proactive security incident response and recovery plans.
A graduate of Berkeley College, Ciara Gutierrez is experienced in financial modeling, financial analysis, problem-solving, managing, and building new business partnerships. She has over 15 years of successful experience delivering finance and accounting services to small and medium-sized businesses.
Jinni Rock-Bailey holds an M.A. in Labor Relations from the Labor Education Center at Rutgers University, a B.A. in Sociology from Howard University, and an A.D. in Manpower Administration from SUNY Buffalo. She is a skilled consultant with expertise in the areas of Certifications for MWBE and all Veterans, Human Resources, Business Development, and Marketing for small businesses.
Learn more about the Capital Team at njsbdc.com/capitalteam
