NJBIZ Conversations

NJBIZ was on the scene June 4 at the Jersey City Summit for Real Estate Investment, Placemaking & Innovation. The annual event convenes experts to explore what’s driving local real estate, economic development and innovation, investment, development and placemaking, capital markets, and operations and design. One of our guests at the event for this special edition of NJBIZ Conversations was Ar...

Hackensack Meridian Health President and COO Mark Sparta discusses the grand opening of the Health & Wellness Center at Metropark in Woodbridge, what it means for improved access to healthcare in the state and the challenges facing the industry in general.

OceanFirst President and Chief Operating Officer Joe Lebel and Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Real Estate Officer George Destafney share their regional expertise with NJBIZ as part of our special report on doing business in Monmouth County.   Part of our Monmouth County Focus special section: https://njbiz.com/monmouth-county-focus-special-section/

Jim Kirkos and the organization he leads – the Meadowlands Chamber – are helping business owners and executives prepare for a the weeks-long FIFA World Cup 2026 tournament, which will be played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford this summer. Here, Kirkos discusses those preparations, the lessons learned from previous events like Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014, and how businesses can take advantage o...

In February, NJBIZ Editor Jeffrey Kanige and Managing Editor Jessica Perry returned to the Newark Summit – a real estate conference focusing on businesses in New Jersey’s largest city. During the summit, they interviewed some fellow attendees – business leaders with an interest and affinity for Newark. Listen now!

Atlantic Health CEO Saad Ehtisham took on the role in July 2025 after longtime leader Brian Gragnolati retired. Here, Ehtisham talks about what drew him to New Jersey, the biggest challenges he sees in leading Atlantic Health and the outlook for the industry as a whole.

In May 2025, Bergen County and Hoboken-based Balcony forged an agreement under which the company would digitize 370,000 property deeds for the clerk’s office. The two parties said the move represented the largest blockchain-based deed tokenization project in U.S. history. Here, Balcony CEO Dan Silverman explains how he moved from real estate development into technology, the advantages of Balcony’s...

Michael Maron, CEO of Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck, talks about the lessons he and his staff took away from the COVID-19 pandemic, what last year's $75 million donation from the Douglas M. Noble Family Foundation will allow the hospital to accomplish and what it will take to survive and thrive in what has become a tough climate for health care providers.

A recent study by Prudential Financial found that most workers nearing retirement age with investable assets of at least $100,000 are confident that they will have enough to retire. But the company's Global Retirement Pulse Survey also suggested that these folks – Pru calls them the "mass affluent" – may not be as prepared as they could be. David Blanchett, Prudential's head of retirement research...

Think Simplicit works with other businesses to outfit and maintain commercial buildings. Here, founder Matthew Negron discusses his business philosophy, what he looks for in acquisition targets and where he sees the most promising opportunities.

Chrissy Buteas, president and CEO of the Healthcare Institute of New Jersey, talks about what she’s experienced in her time on the job, how the industry is coping with policy changes coming out of Washington and the outlook for a sector that remains critical to the state’s economy.

Chris Maher, CEO of OceanFirst Financial Corp., offers an assessment of the economy and looks toward 2026. And he's joined by OceanFirst Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Real Estate Officer George Destafney, who analyzes the commercial real estate landscape.

Provident Bank started with one office in Jersey City 185 years ago. Today, the bank is a prominent financial services institution with a market capitalization of more than $2.4 billion and about 1,800 employees.  In this edition of NJBIZ Conversations, CEO Anthony Labozzetta talks about what the bank has become and how it continues to serve its communities even as it grows. Labozzetta also offers...

Most NJBIZ readers are likely aware that the state's health care system has been plagued by continuing shortage of nursing professionals. Health care executives and other stakeholders are constantly exploring new ways to alleviate the problem. Judy Schmidt knows the problem inside and out. Schmidt is the CEO of the New Jersey State Nurses Association, a post she has held since 2015.  In this editi...

Jonathan Goodman is the founder and CEO of Halyard Consulting, a Jersey City-based firm focused on helping businesses use AI. Floyd Jeter is the city's chief diversity officer and a candidate for an at-large council seat. In this Election Edition of NJBIZ Conversations, Goodman and Jeter describe how AI works in the campaign, what they've learned from the experience, and the lessons for small orga...

The New Jersey Business Action Center is a tremendous resource for business owners and executives. Melanie Willoughby, who runs the agency, discusses NJBAC's programs designed to help the manufacturing industry, individuals hoping to break into the cannabis industry, businesses trying to improve their online presence and more. 

Hamilton-based First Bank and CEO Patrick Ryan is one of the state’s top community bankers and among the most knowledgeable. In this edition of NJBIZ Conversations, Ryan offers his assessment of the economy and interest rate environment and discusses what’s ahead for First Bank.

Ben LoPiccolo is the founder of the Ben LoPiccolo Development Group – or BLDG-UP – a real estate investment advisory and consulting firm based in Jersey City. And he is president of the Jersey City Apartment Owners Association, an advocacy group. Here, LoPiccolo talks about what’s going on in Jersey City and how the state can encourage development of more affordable housing.

Pete Dontas, managing director and New Jersey market executive at Wells Fargo, assesses the attitudes and outlook of business leaders, the biggest challenges ahead, and how the Federal Reserves is likely to respond to changing conditions.

Lowenstein Sandler Partner Chris Porrino enjoys a reputation for being nonpartisan. For example, Porrino is representing the Trump Organization in its dispute with the state over liquor licenses at the company’s New Jersey golf courses. At the same time, he is representing Gov. Phil Murphy in an investigation over immigration practices being conducted by Alina Habba, President Trump’s choice to se...

Princeton-based Protega Pharmaceuticals focuses on producing abuse-deterrent pain management products, which go a long way toward reducing substance abuse. In this edition of NJBIZ Conversations, Protega Chief Operating Officer Paul Howe describes the company’s products, its research and what the market looks like.

Brian Higgins – a former chief of the Bergen County Police – is the founder and president of Group 77, a security and public safety consulting firm based in Mahwah. In this edition of NJBIZ Conversations, Higgins discusses the security needs of workplaces, along with the financial implications for building owners. He also talks about the issues surrounding next summer’s World Cup soccer games at t...

Ewing-based Orcosa developed the The RITe Platform, which produces an easy-to-take orally disintegrating tablet that rapidly infuses an active ingredient through the tissue in the cheek – enabling therapeutic effects quickly and efficiently. In this episode of NJBIZ Conversations, co-founders Bryan Ridall and Vincent Mileto discuss Ocrosa's origins, the promise of its technology and where the life...

PACE – Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly – is a Medicare and Medicaid program that helps people meet their health care needs in home or the community instead of in a nursing home or another kind of institution. In this edition of NJBIZ Conversations, Trinity Health PACE CEO Dan Drake explains how the program works, enumerates the benefits and assesses the outlook given budget cuts comi...

Camden Mayor Victor Carstarphen discusses the city’s renaissance, what it will take to keep the momentum building and his relationships with one of the city’s most prominent citizens — South Jersey power broker George Norcross.