{"id":208799,"date":"2018-08-24T10:37:53","date_gmt":"2018-08-24T14:37:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/?p=208799"},"modified":"2018-08-24T11:40:45","modified_gmt":"2018-08-24T15:40:45","slug":"millennial-milestone-for-star-student-with-big-ideas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/2018\/08\/24\/millennial-milestone-for-star-student-with-big-ideas\/","title":{"rendered":"Millennial Milestone for Star Student with \u2018Big\u2019 Ideas"},"content":{"rendered":"

At just 22 years old, George Garcia, a senior at Montclair State University, has had a hand in two startup companies and a seat on a government agency looking at economic development. He\u2019s a young professional to watch, according to NJBIZ<\/em>, which named him to its list of 40 influential up-and-comers, all under the age of 40.<\/a><\/p>\n

The NJBIZ<\/em> Forty Under 40 awards program recognizes the achievements of millennials making headlines. Garcia currently works as the CEO of a social application startup called Wheatpaste Inc., winner of the Montclair State pitch contest<\/a>, the richest collegiate prize pool for promising business ideas. He\u2019s also a member of the Randolph Economic Development Committee, where he is committed to the growth of small businesses.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese are just a few ways to describe his accomplishments,\u201d says Sharon Waters, program manager at Montclair State\u2019s Feliciano Center for Entrepreneurship. \u201cHe is also a master networker and visionary.\u201d<\/p>\n

Garcia will be the first student to complete Montclair State\u2019s new entrepreneurship major when he graduates this coming December. A transfer student who earned his associate degree from the County College of Morris, he will be just the second in his family to earn a four-year degree. The first was his sister, Alexa, who graduated from Montclair State in 2017.<\/p>\n

The Garcia family is full of entrepreneurs. George\u2019s grandparents and father immigrated from Cuba when his father was young. Ever since the family has been in United States, they have been starting businesses to continue their American Dream. His dad\u2019s venture is in telecommunications and George has helped out in a variety of roles, including assistant director of operations overseeing large fiber optic and telecom projects, as well as assisting in sales pitches to Fortune 500 telecom giants.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs I\u2019ve grown up, I\u2019ve realized how much I like emerging technologies and being in the forefront of ideas,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Wheatpaste, the startup that won a Shark Tank<\/em>-inspired pitch contest \u2013 Montclair State\u2019s BulbHead.com Inventors Day for Aspiring Entrepreneurs \u2013 takes its name from the mix-it-yourself paste advertisers use to plaster their messages on fences. With an easy-to-use app for small businesses to design, post and push out ads, coupled with community news and events, Wheatpaste is envisioned as the \u201cglue that holds a community together.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was an idea born in the Montclair State\u2019s Feliciano Center for Entrepreneurship<\/a>. \u201cOur professors really helped us,\u201d Garcia says. \u201cThey have experience in the startup field and in the business world. They\u2019ve been able to give us the real-world experience to keep moving us forward and fresh ideas rolling.\u201d<\/p>\n

Along with this work, Garcia interned with FEM Real Estate, owned by the founders and funders of the Feliciano Center for Entrepreneurship. He is also an early employee at a startup called Pause Wellness. Pause is a new concept in the \u201cSpace-as-a-Service\u201d industry that provides guided meditation offerings to improve corporate wellness.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can see myself staying in this lane my entire life,\u201d he says, \u201cworking on startups and breaking technologies.\u201d<\/p>\n

Garcia joins an impressive showing from Montclair State in this year\u2019s Forty Under 40 as two Montclair State alumni who are using their degrees to succeed are also included on the list:<\/p>\n