BrightStreet

04/10/2026

Like death and taxes, recessions are inevitable. Driven by business cycles, geopolitics, pandemics and policy missteps, the economy periodically experiences recessions. Given this reality, it is prudent for every business to prepare for an eventual economic decline. For small businesses, this preparation can be the difference between business survival and failure.

Read more in Forbes' article authored by Rob Fazon, "Navigating Economic Downturns: Four Imperatives for Small Business Survival"

Small business advice for navigating recessions

03/26/2026

Listen in on Rob Falzon's conversation on BrightStreet and entrepreneurship with Ken Rosato at ONNJ
https://www.onnj.com/?s=brightstreet

03/12/2026

BrightStreet’s Newark launch was featured in NJBIZ, spotlighting a unique model for small business empowerment.

The feature highlights our approach to closing the capital gap by combining affordable loans and grants with mentorship, financial education, and operational support.

Read the full article here: https://loom.ly/3lHs-HA.

03/10/2026

BrightStreet’s launch and inaugural entrepreneur cohort were featured in The Newark Times.

The story focuses on the Newark entrepreneurs who received affordable capital alongside mentorship, education, and operational support as part of BrightStreet’s holistic microfinance model.

Newark’s entrepreneurs are building sustainable businesses. BrightStreet exists to help remove the barriers that stand in their way.

Read the full story: https://loom.ly/nnI3mnc.

03/05/2026

BrightStreet’s launch was featured in New Jersey Business Magazine, highlighting the mission behind our work and the entrepreneurs at the center of it.

The coverage reinforces why expanding access to capital matters. Micro businesses drive local economies, yet too often face barriers to financing and operational support.

At NJPAC, alongside Mayor Ras Baraka, Assemblywoman Eliana Pintor Marin, and entrepreneur Marques Colston, we introduced three entrepreneurs part of our inaugural cohort and began a long-term investment in ownership, opportunity, and economic mobility.

Read the full feature here: https://loom.ly/2kfvhm4.

03/03/2026

BrightStreet’s launch at NJPAC was featured in NJ.com, spotlighting the role of Super Bowl XLIV Champion turned entrepreneur Marques Colston in supporting expanded access to capital for small business owners in Newark.

Colston joined Mayor Ras Baraka and Assemblywoman Eliana Pintor Marin in recognizing the importance of ownership, entrepreneurship, and removing systemic barriers that limit opportunity in urban communities.

The article captures the purpose behind the symbolic brick wall and the broader mission of pairing affordable capital with mentorship, education, and operational support for entrepreneurs building sustainable businesses.

Read the full story here: https://loom.ly/Ulvf8NY

02/26/2026

BrightStreet was featured in TAPinto Newark for our official launch in Newark, highlighting why expanding access to capital is critical for small business success.

Across New Jersey, entrepreneurs struggle to secure financing and may resort to high-interest credit or predatory lending just to stay afloat. BrightStreet was created to change those odds.

At NJPAC, the BrightStreet team alongside Marques Colston, Mayor Ras J. Baraka, and three entrepreneurs part of our inaugural cohort, knocked down a symbolic 400-brick wall representing the barriers that stand between entrepreneurs and opportunity.

BrightStreet pairs affordable loans with mentorship, training, and operational guidance — because businesses that receive both capital and support are significantly more likely to grow.

Read the full story here: https://loom.ly/D3CHa5c

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02/24/2026

BrightStreet was featured in ROI-NJ following our official launch at NJPAC.

At the event, community leaders and entrepreneurs symbolically knocked down a 400-brick wall representing the barriers that keep too many small business owners from accessing capital and support.

As Founder & CEO Rob Falzon shared, this is about more than loans. It’s about entrepreneurship, wealth creation, and expanding opportunity in low- and moderate-income communities.

BrightStreet is investing in microbusinesses that traditional financing often overlooks — pairing capital with training and hands-on guidance to improve long-term success.

Video courtesy of ROI-NJ. Tune in to the full feature: https://loom.ly/iaU1bBQ.

02/20/2026

BrightStreet officially launched yesterday in Newark at NJPAC, joined by partners, elected officials, and entrepreneurs.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Assemblywoman Eliana Pintor Marin, and Super Bowl XLIV Champion turned entrepreneur Marques Colston delivered remarks recognizing the importance of expanding access to capital and ownership. A proclamation from Governor Mikie Sherrill was also read in support of the initiative.

As part of the event, we symbolically broke down a faux brick wall representing the financial and systemic barriers that too often limit opportunity for small business owners.

We also recognized three entrepreneurs part of BrightStreet’s inaugural cohort, who will receive affordable capital alongside mentorship, education, and hands-on operational guidance:

🔹 Jennifer Lopez, founder of Lopez and Associates Behavior Consulting, received $50,000 to strengthen and expand her Newark-based ABA therapy agency serving Medicaid and Spanish-speaking families.
🔹 Al-Shakise Anderson of BWS Massage On Demand was awarded $20,000 to scale his wellness business and build long-term operational stability.
🔹 Undra Duncan, founder of Undra Celeste NYC, received $50,000 to diversify wholesale relationships and expand direct-to-consumer growth following industry disruption.

We are grateful to Prudential and TD Bank for their financial support and engagement in building BrightStreet’s programming, to Lowenstein Sandler for providing pro bono legal and governance counsel, and to the following organizations for helping create a holistic support ecosystem for Newark entrepreneurs:

Rising Tide Capital, Seton Hall University, Rutgers University–Newark, Newark Alliance, Invest Newark, Makerhoods, Montclair State University, McKinsey, and The Salvation Army.

This launch marks the beginning of sustained investment in ownership, opportunity, and economic mobility across New Jersey.

02/19/2026

BrightStreet officially launches today.

We’re coming together with partners, elected officials, and most importantly, entrepreneurs in Newark to mark this moment and to begin telling the stories of the small business owners who strengthen neighborhoods, create jobs, and fuel community vibrancy.

As part of today’s launch, we will break down a faux brick wall; a symbol of the financial and systemic barriers entrepreneurs too often face, and reaffirm our commitment to removing those barriers through access to capital, resources, mentorship, and support.

This is the beginning of a long-term investment in entrepreneurs, opportunity, and economic mobility.

02/18/2026

National Entrepreneurs Week recognizes the entrepreneurs who strengthen local economies and fuel community vibrancy.

BrightStreet exists to empower entrepreneurs through affordable loans and grants, education and tools, access to financial resources, and mentorship, transforming small businesses into engines of resilience, job creation, and economic mobility.

This Thursday, we officially launch BrightStreet, fueling entrepreneurship and fueling communities across New Jersey.