Ignite Institute

Saint Peter’s University Receives Community Catalyst Award from Rising Tide Capital for Positive Community Impact

Jersey City, N.J. – February 6, 2018 – Saint Peter’s University today announced that it is the recipient of the Community Catalyst Award from Rising Tide Capital (RTC), a non-profit organization based in Jersey City, N.J., which supports individuals, particularly women, minorities and immigrants to start and grow successful businesses and build stronger communities. Saint Peter’s received this honor for the University’s work in the community through its partnership with RTC and beyond. The award was presented at Rising Tide’s Community Business Academy graduation ceremony, which was held at Saint Peter’s on January 11.

“We take great pride in the work the University has done to empower entrepreneurs and its contribution to local economic development,” said Mary Kate Naatus, Ph.D., interim KPMG dean of the School of Business at Saint Peter’s University. “We are grateful for this recognition from RTC and we look forward to continuously improve our community and economic impact through our partnership in the years to come.”

Saint Peter’s University has a long history in supporting and working in conjunction with RTC. In 2013, the University signed a historic agreement that enables qualified graduates of Rising Tide’s 12-week Community Business Academy to receive up to six college credits through prior learning experience from the School of Professional and Continuing Studies at Saint Peter’s University. The agreement was designed to stimulate the local economy in Hudson County and provide a model for progressive higher education programs across the United States.

“For many years, Saint Peter’s University has been one of the core partners of RTC in a huge number of ways,” said Alex Forrester, co-founder and chief operations officer of Rising Tide Capital. “The University not only offers our graduates with college credits, but it hosts our classes, graduations and our galas. It also provides volunteers and student interns who offer mentorship and leadership.”

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Saint Peter’s University, inspired by its Jesuit, Catholic identity, commitment to individual attention and grounding in the liberal arts, educates a diverse community of learners in undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and professional programs to excel intellectually, lead ethically, serve compassionately and promote justice in our ever-changing urban and global environment. To learn more, please visit www.saintpeters.edu.

Rising Tide Capital (RTC) is headquartered in Jersey City, N.J. with a satellite office in Newark. The organization is also in the South Side of Chicago through a replication partnership with a local non-profit. RTC has four primary programs: the Community Business Academy, the Start Something Challenge, Credit to Capital, and Business Acceleration Services. All of these programs are aimed at helping entrepreneurs to achieve self-sufficiency, thrive, and deliver value to their communities. RTC’s model is unique in that it offers ongoing mentoring and support to ensure sustainability. RTC’s work has been recognized by CNN, the World Economic Forum, and President Obama at the White House. To learn more about RTC, visit www.risingtidecapital.org.


 

Media Contact
Angeline Boyer
aboyer1@saintpeters.edu
(201) 761-6238