Invest: New Jersey leadership summit to spotlight healthcare, education, and development

December 2025 — On Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, over 250 of New Jersey’s civic, business, and institutional leaders will convene at Maritime Parc to celebrate the launch of Invest: New Jersey 6th Edition, the region’s annual economic review produced by caa. Running from 8 to 11 a.m., the event will serve as both the release of caa’s latest market report and a real-time dialogue about how New Jersey is navigating the next season of growth.

Join us at the Invest: New Jersey 6th Edition Leadership Summit! This premier event brings together hundreds of New Jersey’s business and regional leaders to discuss the challenges and opportunities for businesses and investors. Buy your ticket now!

This year’s Leadership Summit will center on a key question: How does New Jersey sustain its growth and become a key player on the national stage? The conversations will dive into how healthcare, real estate development, and education all work together as the Garden State strategizes for the future.

“New Jersey is more than its growth metrics — it has deep cultural currents and a strong sense of place,” said Abby Lindenberg, founder and CEO of caa. “What’s striking about this moment is not just the pace of development, but the way leaders are thinking about it: collaboratively, cross-sector, and with a deep awareness of timing. As someone who has learned that not all momentum needs to be rushed, the state is ready to build on its steady growth.”

The first panel of the morning, “Smart Health, Stronger Communities: Building an accessible future for New Jersey patients,” will explore how public and private stakeholders are prioritizing increasing access to healthcare in New Jersey. Moderated by Bob Rossilli of Kedrion Biopharma, the discussion will include Gary Huck, CFO of University Hospital New Jersey; and Amy Murtha, Dean of Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Together, they’ll unpack the city’s challenges to accessible healthcare and the strategies to turn the tide.

A special address will follow from Fred Castrovinci, regional president of New Jersey commercial and business banking at Valley Bank, focusing on creating value for relationships and adapting to change. His remarks will show leaders how to harness technology to deepen customer connections, respond to evolving market needs, and build organizations capable of thriving through disruption.

The summit’s second discussion, “Real Estate, Real Returns: Financing growth and community renewal in New Jersey,” will examine the regional partnerships shaping growth in more inclusive and equitable ways. Led by moderator David Greek, managing partner of Greek Real Estate Partners, the panel will feature Edwin Cohen of Prism Capital Partners; Bill Fink of Provident Bank; and Steven Bush of Apple Bank. Together, they’ll explore how financial institutions and the real estate industry are aligning their goals to ensure that New Jersey continues to grow economically while maintaining sustainability.

Closing out the morning, the final panel, “Future-Ready New Jersey: How education is driving the Garden State’s competitive edge,” will elevate the voices of academic leaders tasked with developing not just workforce-ready students, but culturally rooted citizens. Moderated by Vito Gagliardi of Porzio, Bromberg & Newman, P.C., the session will include David Birdsell of Kean University; Mark McCormick of Middlesex College; Francine Conway of Rutgers University – New Brunswick; and Augustine Boakye of Essex County College. Their dialogue will focus on how institutions are evolving to meet changing skill demands and push the state’s education sector into the national spotlight.

More than just a celebration of a new publication, the Invest: New Jersey Leadership Summit is a space for leaders to slow down, listen closely, and challenge the status quo together. It is built around the belief that strong economic development stems from shared vision, and that behind every data point, it’s the relationships that make the work meaningful.

About caa & Invest: New Jersey

caa is an integrated media platform that produces in-depth business intelligence through its annual print and digital economic reviews, high-impact conferences and events, and top-level interviews via its video platform, Invest:Insights.

Invest: New Jersey is an in-depth economic review of the key issues facing the New Jersey economy, featuring the exclusive insights of prominent regional leaders. Invest: New Jersey is produced with two goals in mind: 1) to provide comprehensive investment knowledge on the region for local, national, and international investors, and 2) to promote the region as a place to invest and do business.

The report conducts a deep dive into the top economic sectors in the region, including technology, real estate and construction, infrastructure, banking and finance, healthcare, education, and tourism. The publication is compiled from insights collected from more than 200 economic leaders, sector insiders, political leaders, and heads of important institutions. It analyzes the leading challenges facing the market and uncovers emerging opportunities for investors, entrepreneurs, and innovators.

For more information, please contact:

Ana Karen Gonzalez

Executive Director

267-817-7281

Want more? Read the Invest: New Jersey report.