Students and Alumni Invited to Connect with Business Leaders at Cotsakos College of Business Virtual Three-Day Networking Bootcamp from December 1 to 3, 2020


While this year’s Cotsakos College of Business three-day business networking COIN bootcamp program will be virtual, it will offer fresh opportunities for students and recent graduates to build career readiness skills and develop connections with industry professionals from across the country. 

The COIN (Career Outlook and Industry Networking) event will be held online from Tuesday, December 1 through Thursday, December 3, 2020. Alumni seeking to build their career opportunities are also invited to participate. The program is free. Undergraduate students who attend all three days will have the opportunity to qualify for and receive scholarships.

"In addition to helping students learn what it takes to succeed as professionals and sharpen their networking, interviewing and self-presentation skills, this year’s virtual COIN event widens the geographic pool of business leaders who will be participating,” says Anthony Bowrin, dean of the Cotsakos College of Business.

The daily 3-1/2 hour sessions, which run from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. will include industry-focused fireside chats, daily keynote presentations, career development mini sessions, and mock interviews. Fireside chats will focus topics such as banking, global business, HR management, financial services, entrepreneurship, accounting, and supply chain logistics.

Featured keynote session speakers include David E. Jones, chief diversity officer and director of Talent Management in the University’s Office of Employment Equity and Diversity, who will discuss “How a Young Professional Can Navigate the Social Justice Movement,” and alumni, including Steve LeSeur ’16 and Brie Borsi ’18, to speak about “My First Years as a Young Business Professional in the Business World.” T. Sylvester John, vice president of Walmart’s Customer Product (eCommerce) division based in Bentonville, AZ and Silicon Valley, CA will deliver the third keynote topic, to be announced. 

More than a dozen business leaders, many of whom are William Paterson alumni, are scheduled to participate. They include University Board of Trustee members Brad Neilley '80, retired senior vice president and head of Human Resources at AvalonBay Communities, Inc. and Kevin Lenahan ’90, senior vice president, chief financial and administrative officer, Atlantic Health Systems.

Several of the College’s Advisory Council members serve as moderators and speakers, including: 

  • Marlon Addison ’20 MS, manager of Provider Partnerships, Horizon BCBS of NJ, and founder of Capital Gourmet Cookies
  • Justin Black, executive vice president and chief experience officer, Valley Bank
  • Greg Makowski '81, owner, CFS Investment Advisory Services
  • Jeff Millar '80, managing director, Global Subsidiary Banking at MUFG
  • Brad Muniz '88, partner, Sobel & Co.
  • Funke Oayinka, owner, Nothing Bundt Cake, Wayne, N.J. and CEO, Grace Healthcare IT Consulting
  • Maria Rollins '91, managing partner, KRS CPAs
  • Vlad Zherenovsky '04, MBA ‘06, founder, president and CEO, Kraner, LLC

View the full COIN 2020 schedule online and register for sessions through Handshake.

Registration is required. In order to register, participants will need a Handshake account. For instructions on how to set up a Handshake profile, go to create an account.

For questions, please contact Jenny Nesenjuk, assistant director, Career Development Center, at nesenjukj@wpunj.edu.

11/17/20