Susan Scherreik, the founding director of the Stillman School of Business’ Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, was named a 2016 Top 25 Leading Woman Entrepreneur/Intrapreneur of New Jersey by Leading Women Entrepreneurs on Sept. 6, 2016.
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Susan Scherreik provides students resources for success. Photo via www.shu.edu[/caption]
Scherreik was first recruited by Seton Hall University in fall 2003, to begin the school’s first Center for Entrepreneruial Students. The Stillman School had just received a $1 million endowment from an alumnus entrepreneur, Frank Scott, and with these funds, the center and program were created.
Before her recruitment to SHU, Scherreik worked as a business journalist and was an editor for Businessweek magazine.
Over the years, Scherreik and the Center for Entrepreneurial Students Advisory Board raised funds through their annual Hall of Fame induction dinners. So far, they have distributed more than $200,000 in scholarships.
“What I’m really proud of is our goal and what our mission is, which is to instill the entrepreneurial spirit in our students,” Scherreik said.
Scherreik also helped create the school’s annual Pirate’s Pitch competition that gives students an opportunity to pitch their business ideas.
Every year the school gives out $10,000 in prizes to students of the university.
When it comes to new business ventures or innovative ideas, Scherreik encourages all students to reach out to her and she will work with them to turn potential opportunities into success stories.
Dean of the Stillman School of Business Joyce Strawser said, “If a student comes up to her and says ‘here’s an idea I have,’ she’s able to give that student really great guidance and support to help make it a reality.”
Ryan Skolnick, a junior and triple major in management, marketing and IT, first competed and won Pirate’s Pitch his freshman year. He was then encouraged by Scherreik to compete in this spring’s statewide competition, UPitchNJ, which she also helped create. Skolnick won second place.
“Professor Scherreik is fantastic,” Skolnick said. “If you have any ideas for a startup, or just want to learn more about entrepreneurship as a whole, she will guide you through any questions you have.”
Scherreik was surprised to be nominated for the award.
“I’m very humbled and I’m very honored,” she said. “I have to say I was nominated by Dean Strawser and other professors who took the initiative to do that and I’m very surprised.”
Among her peers, Scherreik is well known for her savvy networking connections and getting things done with agility and ease. She said she owes a lot of her successful work to the help and support of SHU and the hardworking faculty.
Scherreik has recently started working with faculty in the Business Department to help create a concentration in entrepreneurship and hopes this will get approved by the university.
If approved, this will open up more doors for students as they graduate and enter the world of business.
Marianne-Grace Datu can be reached at mariannegrace.datu@student.shu.edu
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