SHU alumni join Center for Entrepreneurial Studies advisory board

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The Center for Entrepreneurial Studies of the Stillman School of Business at Seton Hall University recently announced the appointment of its advisory board members for the next three-year term. 

The board is composed of seasoned and accomplished professionals and entrepreneurs representing a variety of business disciplines. The board provides guidance and support to the center in order to maximize strategic development, growth and success of student entrepreneurs at Seton Hall University. 

“In order to build and maintain a world-class entrepreneurship center, we need the counsel and support of experienced and committed advisory board members,” Stillman School Dean Joyce Strawser said. “Our advisory board members have been loyal friends of Stillman and Seton Hall University for a number of years, and we are fortunate to have individuals of their caliber on our team.”

“Students at Seton Hall University have a unique opportunity to build on a solid academic  foundation while allowing their entrepreneurial spirit to soar,” said board Chairman Abe Kasbo, CEO of Verasoni Worldwide. “My colleagues and fellow board members are committed to our students’ entrepreneurial successes to help them turn good ideas into great businesses.” 

“A distinguishing quality of the Seton Hall University entrepreneurship program is the one-on-one mentoring and coaching relationships that our entrepreneurship students develop with our successful alumni entrepreneurs,” said Susan Scherreik, founding director of the center. “Our dynamic board of advisers is at the heart of those relationships.”

The board’s 14 members will begin their three-year terms and immediately begin to support the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies. The board members are: Kasbo, ’94, MPA ’99; Vice Chairman Joseph Hughes, ’71, president and CEO of Country Club Services; Sunny Bathla ’00, MBA ’15, vice president of Virtusa; Frank Cannone, JD ’91, chairman of the corporate department at Gibbons; Bill Catalano, ’86, growth adviser and investor at WDC Angel Holdings; Brian Fitzpatrick, ’75, CEO of Bentley Laboratories LLC; Luciana Contuzzi Gencarelli, ’13, founder of zest; David Gerstein, ’63, president and CEO of Thermwell Products Company; Bryan Jakovcic, ’09, president and owner of Fusion Health; Taseen Peterson, ’14, founder and CEO of Gamefuly Inc.; Pravina Raghavan, MBA ’01, executive vice president of small business services and economic development at Empire State Development; Victor Ricci, ’17, director of growth at X-Mode Social; Gabino Roche, ’98, CEO and founder of Saphyre; and Peter Tu, MBA ’87, JD ’94, managing partner at the Law Offices of Peter Tu.