University Calendar

A panel of entrepreneurs, who are women, share their journey from idea to successful business. They will discuss whether their gender was a help, or hindrance (or both). The startup founders will also tell how they got started, how they transitioned from a corporate job, tips for securing funding and advice for selecting a partner and how to divide up responsibilities. The event will also explore why women are under-represented as entrepreneurs.

Panelists:  
Cheryl Biron, president & CEO, One Horn Transportation 
Tracy Doyle, president & CEO, Phoenix Marketing Solutions  
Melissa Fensterstock, founder, Aromaflage  
Kristen Jones (KJ) Miller, co-founder, Mented Cosmetics 

Moderator: 
Claire Cowart, president, OOBinker

Event is presented by Montclair State’s Feliciano Center for Entrepreneurship and Residence Life.

Event is free and open to the public. Pizza will be served.

Agenda:  
6:00-6:45 p.m. Networking with pizza  
6:45-7:00 p.m. Welcome and 30-second pitches from the audience  
7:00-8:30 p.m. Panel discussion with audience Q&A 

Location: Room 101, Feliciano School of Business, Montclair State University 

Directions and parking info: Park in the Red Hawk Deck on campus, exit the deck on Level 5 and proceed straight up the walkway (soccer field will be on your left) to the Feliciano School of Business building. Campus map with directions. 

Join the conversation on Twitter and Instagram: @FelicianoCenterand #MSUmeetup

Speaker bios:

Cheryl Biron is president and CEO of One Horn Transportation, a trucking and logistics brokerage she co-founded in 2005 with her husband Louis. Through its “Constant Reinvention” strategy, One Horn pivoted from an asset-based carrier owning tractor-trailers to an agent-based brokerage using independent contractors to move their customers’ loads. As a result of this strategy, One Horn was ranked among the 50 Fastest Growing Women Owned/Led Companies by the Women Presidents’ Organization (WPO) and among New Jersey’s 50 Fastest Growing Businesses by NJBIZ for the past several years. Through her coaching practice, LexaGen Freedom Accelerator, Biron is now working with CEOs and their leadership teams to grow, scale and create a culture of action and accountability. Prior to embarking on her entrepreneurial path, Biron held marketing positions in various healthcare corporations. Biron earned her MBA from the Wharton School and her Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University. She is a board member for EO (Entrepreneurs’ Organization) New Jersey and an active member of the Wharton Club of NJ.

Tracy Doyle is president and CEO of Phoenix Marketing Solutions. She started her career in social work. Tracy’s time working in the pharmaceutical industry, combined with her experience in the medical marketing agency and speakers bureau management space, helped her build a solid foundation and reputation as a strategic partner. She is known for designing innovative peer-to-peer programs, for creating software to improve efficiencies and address complex regulatory and clinical compliance challenges, and for flawless delivery of speakers bureau. Tracy has been recognized with the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in the Healthcare Solutions and Services category, named one of the “Top 100 Inspiring Leaders” in PharmaVOICE Magazine and named one of New Jersey’s Top 25 Leading Women Entrepreneurs by Leading Women Entrepreneurs and NJ Monthly magazine. Phoenix has been featured in Forbes and Newsweek, and has received multiple-year recognition by NJBIZ in “New Jersey’s Finest” as one of the state’s fastest-growing companies. Tracy received a bachelor’s in Psychology from Montclair State.

Melissa Fensterstock is the cofounder of Aromaflage. Aromaflage is a new category in beauty-fragrance with function. Prior to running her own business Melissa worked in biotech and medtech. She has an MBA from Harvard Business School, a MPhil from the University of Cambridge in Bioscience Enterprise and a BA in Neuroscience from Johns Hopkins. She lives in Northern New Jersey with her husband and son.  

Kristen Jones (KJ) Miller is the co-founder and Co-CEO of Mented Cosmetics, an upscale beauty line targeting women of color. Since its launch in January 2017 Mented has taken the beauty industry by storm by unapologetically placing women of color at the forefront. Prior to founding Mented KJ spent most of her career working in retail, with a two-year hiatus to attend Harvard Business School graduating in 2014. Her immense retail and product experience spans across functions including merchandising, assortment planning, supply chain management. She spent four years in merchandising with Sears Holdings and urban-apparel company DJ Networks, and two years consulting for some of the country's largest retailers with Deloitte's retail consulting practice. KJ is passionate about helping women and minorities develop their entrepreneurial visions and navigate the often murky startup world. 

Claire Cowart is an entrepreneurial executive leader and an adjunct professor of entrepreneurship at both Montclair State University and Drexel University.  She currently heads OOBinker, a consulting firm that grows startups through new strategies and business development.  Previously, in various C-level and senior leadership roles, Claire participated in driving a number of successful start-up exits in digital media and related technologies.  She also led digital transformation in larger companies such as Time Warner’s Court TV cable network and Rentrak (acquired by comScore).  Claire earned an MBA from Harvard University, a BS Chemical Engineering from North Carolina State University and a Certificate in Digital Marketing from NYU.