Brenda B. Hopper is the Chief Executive Officer/ State Director of the New Jersey Small Business Development Centers (NJSBDC) network. The NJSBDC network is part of a national partnership between the state and federal governments, the private sector, and colleges and universities. The NJSBDC network consists of twelve (12) full service Regional Centers and twenty plus affiliate offices headquartered at Rutgers Business School, Newark and New Brunswick.
The program is designed to provide the highest quality of business assistance services to established enterprises and promising new starts. NJSBDC specializes in Business Planning, Management Strategy, Growth Strategy, and Loan Packaging. Specialty services include E-Commerce Management, International Trade, Government Procurement, Community Outreach and Engagement, and Technology Commercialization.
As the CEO/State Director of the NJSBDC, Ms. Hopper has brought in over $55 million in grants to Rutgers University since 2010 to the program. The grantors include, but not limited to, the US Small Business Administration (SBA), State of NJ (Business Action Center), Bank of America Foundation, PNC Bank Foundation, Lowenstein Sandler, NJ Transit, NJ EDA, NJ School Development Authority (SDA) and the Rutgers Chancellor’s Seed Grant Program.
Ms. Hopper has held several positions in small business, housing and economic development, including Senior Vice President of the Philadelphia Economic Development Corporation, Director of Small Business and Retail Assistance in Jersey City and the owner of two small businesses.
Ms. Hopper received her master’s degree in finance and marketing from Rutgers Business School with an undergraduate major in economics and business from the Rutgers College of Arts and Sciences.
Her professional and community activities have included Board Member, Bright Mind’s Institute for Autism, Chair, Association of Small Business Development Center’s Minority Outreach Task Force, Member, National Association of Female Executives, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, New Jersey Association of Women Business Owners. Board Chair, Crest Community Development Corporation. She formerly served as Community Advisory Board Member of The Ron Thomas Small Business Forum and various local banks. She also formerly served as a trustee of the Hoboken Waterfront Development Corporation, International Minority Business Corporation and on the Editorial Board of the Small Business Forum.
Ms. Hopper is a member of Omicron Delta Epsilon, an International Honor Society in Economics and was recognized in the National Register’s Who’s Who in Executives and Professionals. Ms. Hopper has received several awards and recognition from SBA’s Regional Minority Small Business Advocate of the Year Award, the Unsung Hero’s Award from Winston – Salem State University, Small Business Advocacy Award from the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) and the NJBIZ’s ICON Honors Award in August 2017.
Ms. Hopper has appeared as a small business expert and guest lecturer on numerous television and radio programs and has presented at local and international small business conferences.