'Credibility, Visibility, and a Trusted Community Connection’

The new Rutgers Alumni-Owned Business Marketplace connects alumni online. Businesses anywhere in the world owned by alumni from all Rutgers campuses are welcome to join. 

From a Parisian caterer to a Newark cafe, the recently launched Rutgers University Foundation Alumni-Owned Business Marketplace champions businesses from across the globe.

“The launch of the marketplace of Rutgers alumni-owned businesses is an exciting development for all Rutgers alumni,” says Scott Owens, Rutgers associate vice president for alumni engagement. “We are thrilled to be able to foster more connections among alumni and create a thriving community of alumni businesses.”

Paris resident and Rutgers graduate Simon Gabriel SEBS'21 recently added his catering business, Sunny Meal Club, to the marketplace. “It builds on my existing Rutgers network and provides a space where alumni can support one another, professionally and personally,” says Gabriel, who catered a Rutgers alumni event in Paris in February. “For small businesses especially, like mine, it provides credibility, visibility, and a trusted community connection that can lead to collaborations, partnerships, and loyal customers.”

Rutgers Fosters Entrepreneurs

Many alumni business owners say their experience at Rutgers inspired them to become entrepreneurs and, in many cases, helped prepare them for success. “My time at Rutgers University shaped my professional path by showing me that there are many more options within the food system other than farming and cooking, which is what I was doing before I got there,” says Gabriel, who grew up in Princeton. “Studying food systems taught me to think holistically about business, sustainability, and community. It ultimately influenced my decision to build a business centered around food, hospitality, and bringing people together.”

Gabriel says he recalls grafting hazelnut root stock and scions in Associate Professor Thomas Molnar’s horticulture class at the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences. He relocated to France for love. “I moved to Paris because I ended up marrying a French woman whom I met at the farm I was working at in New Jersey and we have been together ever since,” he says. She was doing a volunteer program at the farm in the summer of 2017.

The marketplace features many long-term businesses like Thomas Sweet in New Brunswick, owned by Michael and Jennifer Schnurr, both 1987 New Brunswick graduates, the Asbury Park Brewery owned by Bob McLynn LC ’94, as well as some new businesses.

Omar A. Bareentto NLAW’16 recently opened Qaalii’s Café in downtown Newark. The café, which was named after Bareentto’s niece and means “high class” in the Oromo language, serves Ethiopian coffee, Afghani teas, and Turkish desserts. 

Bareentto, a business litigation attorney and partner at McCarter & English, says he is grateful to be a part of the Rutgers Alumni-Owned Business Marketplace. “It’s a great way to build an ecosystem of alumni who can support one another, collaborate, and grow together,” he says. “We all share a common bond through Rutgers, and this directory helps turn that connection into meaningful opportunities for participating businesses.”

David Choi RBS'17, who owns Leverage Companies, a Newark-based real estate private equity firm, says Rutgers changed his life and he is honored to be included in the business marketplace. “You are only as good as the people you surround yourself with and Rutgers has the best,” says Choi, who has hired more than 30 Rutgers alumni. “I would not be where I am today without the Rutgers mentorships, connections, and education.”

Donald Cameron Clark CLAW’79 says he is proud and pleased to list his Chicago Magic Lounge, a 1930s-style speakeasy cabaret theater and bar, in the marketplace. “The marketplace is both a fitting tribute to Rutgers entrepreneurs and a tremendous resource for alumni seeking a curated list of innovative products and services.”

Clark, who was inducted into the prestigious Rutgers Hall of Distinguished Alumni in 2025, won landmark court cases, produced plays on and off Broadway, as well as a film, and authored a book.

Brothers Jeff and Adam De Marco took their childhood pastime of collecting trading cards and converted it into a successful business which is also featured in the Rutgers Alumni-Owned Business Marketplace. The Fan Stand, located in the Cherry Hill Mall, features trading cards of all kinds ranging from Pokémon to Sports Hobby Packs and everything in between for card collectors. Jeff CCAS’97 and SBC’14, and Adam SBC’05, say the Rutgers School of Business–Camden helped prepare them for business ownership. “The experience has enhanced my life through preparedness for a professional career as well as making friends and building a professional network,” Jeff says.

He said he and his brother are pleased that Rutgers has launched a business marketplace featuring alumni-owned businesses. “I believe the Rutgers alumni network is loyal and supportive of everyone and should benefit from knowing which businesses are owned by proud graduates.”