Student, Alumni among NJBIZ’s Forty Under 40

Luzaj, Lazare and Garcia
From left: Luzaj, Lazare and Garcia

At just 22 years old, George Garcia, a senior at Montclair State University, has had a hand in two startup companies and a seat on a government agency looking at economic development. He’s a young professional to watch, according to NJBIZ, which named him to its list of 40 influential up-and-comers, all under the age of 40.

The NJBIZ Forty Under 40 awards recognize the achievements of millennials making headlines. Garcia is the CEO of a social application startup called Wheatpaste Inc., which won the Montclair State pitch contest, the biggest collegiate prize for promising entrepreneurial ideas at any university in New Jersey.

Garcia isn’t the only one connected to the University who made the list. Two alumni joined him on this year’s Forty Under 40:

  • Shannon Lazare ’09 MBA with a concentration in Management and a vice president at M&T Bank was named to the list in Banking.
  • Ermal Luzaj ’03, ’10, a partner at Sax LLP, was named in Accounting. At Montclair State, Luzaj earned a BS in Accounting and a MBA.