FIFA World Cup 2026 NYNJ Program Supports Small Businesses
The FIFA World Cup 2026 NYNJ Host Committee launched a free digital platform to connect fans with local small businesses across New York and New Jersey.
Karen O'Brien
Staff Writer, Business
BusinessPharmaHealthcareEconomyLabor
About Karen
Karen O'Brien is a Morristown resident who grew up in Toms River. Irish-American, her dad was a longshoreman and her mom was a nurse. A Rutgers undergrad with an MBA from Rutgers Business School, she worked in pharma marketing for ten years before pivoting to journalism. She covers New Jersey's economy — pharma, healthcare, logistics, the industries that actually employ people. She believes economic journalism should explain what's happening to workers, not just stock prices.
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Articles by Karen (29 articles)
Bryan & Shuffler Launch Resolve Strategic Communications
New Jersey political veterans Daniel Bryan and Eric Shuffler launch Resolve Strategic Communications, an Edison-based public affairs and crisis comms firm.
He Ran a Design Studio. Now He's Automating the Part Designers Hate
Rahmi Halaby spent years running a Philadelphia design agency for clients like Nike and Google. Then he studied why designers kept quitting.
28 NJ Companies Make Inc. 2026 Fastest-Growing List
Twenty-eight New Jersey companies earned spots on Inc. magazine's 2026 Regionals list, ranking the fastest-growing private businesses in the Northeast.
Amy Herbold Named President and CEO of Choose New Jersey
Choose New Jersey announces Amy Herbold as its new president and CEO, effective April 16, succeeding Wesley Mathews who led the organization since 2022.
Andrew Garson: How Claude Code Is Giving Marketers the Analytics They Used to Beg Engineering For
Marketing veteran Andrew Garson says tools like Claude Code are letting marketers build their own analytics pipelines without writing a line of code themselves, and it's already changing how agencies justify their retainers.
Adriana Abizadeh-Barbour Leads Kensington Corridor Trust
Adriana Abizadeh-Barbour is reshaping community development through collective real estate ownership with the Kensington Corridor Trust.
Trump Pays $1B to French Firm to Abandon Wind Leases
The Trump administration will pay TotalEnergies $1 billion to surrender offshore wind leases off North Carolina and New York, funding gas expansion instead.
NJBPU Awards Clean Energy Grants to 19 NJ Municipalities
New Jersey's BPU awarded grants to 19 towns under its Community Energy Plan Grant program, bringing total funded communities to 159 since 2019.
NJEDA Awards 7 New Lenders Under Main Street Grant Program
New Jersey's NJEDA expands its Main Street Lenders Grant program, awarding funding to 7 new lenders to boost capital access for micro businesses statewide.
NJCC Invests $10M in California Mixed-Use Development
New Jersey Community Capital announces a $10M equity investment in The Walk, a mixed-use development in Norwalk, California, marking a major national expansion.
No Layoffs, Just Level-Ups: How Agencies Are Reskilling for the AI Age
A survey of 180 agencies finds that 64% have made no layoffs due to AI and have no plans to, with firms instead investing in reskilling and hybrid roles that combine creative, technical, and strategic functions.
NJ February Tax Revenue Down 2.8% Due to Early Refunds
New Jersey's February tax collections fell $89.4 million year-over-year, but Treasury says early Tax Year 2025 refund processing skewed the numbers.
Mercer County Buys 56 Acres from Rider University for $8.5M
Mercer County will purchase 56 acres from Rider University for $8.5M, preserving open space including a historic beech forest tied to Aldo Leopold.
Hudson Regional Health Shuffles Leadership at Two Hospitals
Hudson Regional Health moves Dr. Michael Hochberg to Hoboken University Hospital and elevates Dr. Vijayant Singh to lead Bayonne University Hospital.
NJ Bill Would Refund Fees for Delayed Permits and Licenses
A New Jersey Senate bill would require state agencies to refund application fees when permits or licenses aren't processed within set timelines.
NAI DiLeo-Bram Closes 20,000 SF in Edison Office Leases
NAI DiLeo-Bram completed four office leases totaling 20,000 SF in Edison, NJ, signaling tech sector commitment to Central Jersey office space.
Northeast Biotech Labs Are Leading a Quiet Digital Procurement Transformation
From the research campuses of Cambridge to the pharmaceutical hubs of central New Jersey, biotech and pharma companies across the Northeast are quietly overhauling how they buy lab supplies — and the savings are adding up fast.
Camden County LINK Trail Breaks Ground: $108M, 34-Mile Greenway
Construction begins on the $108M Camden County LINK Trail, a 34-mile greenway connecting Camden City to the Pine Barrens across New Jersey.
Hudson Tunnel Project Timeline: 15 Years in the Making
From its 2011 origins to federal funding fights and active construction, here's a complete timeline of the Hudson Tunnel Project's turbulent history.
Rowan University Gets $1.9M for 3D Housing Research & Roads
Rowan University and Gloucester County share $1.9M in federal funding for concrete 3D-printed housing research and road construction near West Campus.
NJ Legislative Earmarks Up 450% in State Budget Report
A Garden State Initiative report reveals $860M in discretionary spending added to New Jersey's FY2026 budget, costing households $240 annually.
New Portal North Bridge Opens Early Amid NJ Transit Delays
NJ Transit opened the new Portal North Bridge three days early after overhead wire issues caused up to one-hour delays on the Northeast Corridor.
NJ Assembly Democrats Push Small Business Reform Bills
New Jersey Assembly Democrats advance bills to cut red tape, modernize permitting, and reduce costs for small businesses across the state.
NJ Film Commission Expands Film Ready Communities to 58
Fifteen new NJ municipalities earn Film Ready Community certification, bringing the statewide total to 58 communities prepared to host film and TV productions.
NJ Innovation Evergreen Fund Invests $4.65M in 5 Startups
The NJ Economic Development Authority invested $4.65M in five companies through the Innovation Evergreen Fund, targeting startups in Mercer, Camden, and Hudson counties.
Sherrill Unveils $60.7B NJ Budget Boosting School Funding
Gov. Mikie Sherrill proposed a record $60.7B New Jersey budget with historic K-12 funding and cost cuts to address a $3 billion structural deficit.
Maple Shade Gets $1M to Replace Kings Highway Water Plant
Maple Shade secured $1.09M in federal funding to replace its aging Kings Highway water treatment plant, improving drinking water for nearly 20,000 residents.
The Palladium Supply Chain Crisis Has a Greenland Solution, a Fresh NASDAQ Deal, and New Jersey's Pharma and Tech Industries Are Paying Attention
A $68 billion palladium deposit just landed inside a NASDAQ-listed company, and the supply chain it touches runs straight through New Jersey's pharma corridor and Jersey City's financial district.