When Kenneth Mercadante ’18 graduated from the business administration program at Cairn, he had in mind to one day be a business owner. He did not, however, have any intention of owning his family’s business.

Ken’s father began Dura-Plex, Inc. in 1972, a small home renovation business in New Jersey. While it would in some ways be natural for Ken to follow in his father’s footsteps, he had no interest. Growing up, he watched his father experience the grueling challenges of working in the home improvement industry, particularly in the aftermath of the 2008 recession. He wanted to follow his father’s example of business ownership, but this particular industry was off the table, at least so he thought.

Ken began working at Jersey Mike’s Subs shortly before graduation, with a goal of one day becoming a franchisee. While he enjoyed much of the work there, he decided the casual restaurant business was ultimately not for him. It was at this same time that his dad approached him and his brother Anthony about buying Dura-Plex. More willing than he was once before, and after much prayerful consideration, Ken left Jersey Mike’s and bought the business with his brother in 2020. 

Over the past five years, Ken has learned a lot about the business of leading people. Dura-Plex is a small business, but the nature of their work requires a large number of staff. Business ownership comes with a long list of responsibilities, but Ken believes that person management is one of the most time-consuming but important investments. This is why his faith in Christ is so central to his business operations. As Ken shared, “Your team is relying on you as a leader everyday. Your mood sets the tone, and your work ethic is being used as an example. You need to be completely invested and interested in your people in order to run a successful business.”

His faith also directs the way Dura-Plex engages their customers. In an industry where large corporate companies play tricky sales games or pressure customers, Dura-Plex is committed to transparent pricing and a customer-first culture. Whether roofing, siding, decking, doors, or windows, most of Dura-Plex’s services are those that their customers will do once in their lives. These projects are important investments, and Ken and his team are committed to treating every project with that same level of value. Operating on these principles, Ken is pressing forward in his goal to make Dura-Plex New Jersey’s most trusted exterior remodel company.

Sabrina-Rose (Mason) Benedict ’18 has always described herself as “crafty.” Shortly after graduation, she was working as an office assistant and looking for a new hobby to do in her spare time. She picked up a few skeins of yarn and taught herself how to make a finger-knitted blanket using a YouTube tutorial. After making a few and sharing her final results online, she found herself being commissioned to make more blankets for friends and family. With their encouragement, she opened “Sab’s Blankets” and began selling at local craft shows.��

To pair with the blankets, Sabrina also began making pillows. One night, while sitting on her couch in the middle of pillow-making, she couldn’t help but think that the half-done pillow resembled an octopus. She reworked her pillow pattern into an octopus stuffie pattern (appropriately named “Ollie”), and once stuffies were on the brain, she created patterns for several plush characters including Beatrice the Bumblebee, Popper the Penguin, and Willie the Whale. These stuffie patterns quickly became her best-seller and business exploded, leading Sabrina to change her business name to “Sab’s Stuffies” in 2022.

Sabrina’s business growth can be largely attributed to her social media presence. On @sabsstuffies, Sabrina promotes her products, shares finger-knitting basics and solutions to common issues, and gives viewers a glimpse of the unique circumstances related to being a crafter and business owner. Through this, Sabrina has built an online community of crafters (over 1.5 million strong) to teach, learn from, and share with.��

Running a business with such a large online presence comes with challenges. Among the thousands of positive comments and shows of support, dissenting voices inevitably make themselves known. Sabrina shared that it is easy to let these comments destroy your confidence in your work, but “having a broader community of people that are constantly speaking life and encouragement to me helps drown out the negative noise when it arises.” This community is something that she values most about her business model and reminds her of the community she shared on the cross country team and with her roommates and friends at Cairn.

With over 15,000 sales and counting, Sab’s Stuffies shows no signs of slowing down. Making the most of her toddlers’ nap times, Sabrina is continuing to add to her line of products, film tutorials, and sell at local craft markets. She currently has over 23 patterns released and has plans to launch at least 10 more in 2025. 

Abigail (White) Edman ’21 is a Rhode Island native who always loved the beach. Growing up, she found that all major beach brands were influenced by the West Coast and didn’t reflect the unique experience of East Coast beach towns. The dream of creating an East Coast beach brand burned in the back of her mind for years until her husband, Caleb Edman ’22, encouraged her to make it a reality. The Sundance Company was born in Summer 2022.

Sundance is a distinctly East Coast swim and beachwear brand that is inspired by New England summers. Abigail designs sustainable swimwear that is made from recycled materials and produced in small batches. In addition to her East Coast wear, she will also offer limited time runs that reflect other coastal destinations she’s visited, such as Costa Rica, where she studied abroad during her undergraduate studies in the School of Business.

What started out as a small direct to consumer e-commerce business became a brick and mortar store in April 2024. Set in the bustling vacation spot of downtown Newport, The Sundance Company stands just a half-mile from the beach. With only 200 square feet of retail space, Abigail has had to come up with many creative solutions to make the most of every inch of space available. The limited space has not limited her sales, though. Having a beachtown storefront has increased her sales and placed her within a network of other local business owners who support and encourage one another.

Her faith in Christ impacts every decision she makes for her business. It is the reason why the shop is closed on Sunday mornings. It prompts her to write Bible verses on packages before she ships out a new order. It is her motivation for thinking carefully about fashion and making conscious decisions to source products ethically, combat overconsumption, and steward the earth’s resources well. As the name suggests, Sundance is positioned to be a bright light in the community that conducts business with excellence and integrity.

In the future, Abigail wants to see her brand grow enough to the point that she can take a step back out of the day-to-day operations and focus solely on design and development. But for now, she is grateful for every day she has been given to build a brand that brings attention and gives back to the East Coast beaches that shaped her.  

Steven Bowles ’03 had dreams to work for himself and run a business of his own, but he didn’t rush to get there. Graduating with a degree in business administration in 2003, he spent several years in sales and business development before transitioning into a career of wealth transfer planning. 

Five years into this new career, he mentioned to his wife, Christiana (Melillo) Bowles ’04, that this was the industry in which he wanted to strike out on his own, but he didn’t think he had the experience or credentials quite yet to do so. He decided to pursue additional credentials and broadened his responsibilities at his employer to gain the experience needed. After two years, his employer needed to suddenly close their doors, giving Steven the final push he needed to fly solo. He opened in Fall 2022.��

Catalyst is a life insurance advisory group that takes a personalized and collaborative approach to wealth transfer planning. As a Chartered Life Underwriter, Steven offers independent advice for advanced planning and life insurance to help clients choose the right policy based on individual needs, understand terms and conditions, and navigate the claims process. He also manages a number of high net worth clients and assists them with their wealth transfer planning. 

While it is part of the challenge of business ownership, one thing that Steven enjoys the most about working for himself is the ability to make quick decisions. He’s the boss, which means that he has the opportunity to make business decisions as quickly and efficiently as he desires. The “power to say ‘yes’” is something he enjoys and has been good for elevating the profile of his business on several podcasts. 

The strategic emphasis that he places on networking has only been further enriched by his growing circle of like minded clients and partners who share both a faith in Christ and a desire to do business well. This community of believers is something he had during his undergraduate studies but had been missing for the first few decades of his career, and he is very grateful to have these relationships supporting his work once again.

In an industry often “wrought with confusion,” Steven enjoys bringing clarity and peace to his clients as they make long term financial decisions. He desires to continue to build a business that honors the Lord and, one day, have the opportunity to pass his business on to his sons.

The change was implemented to reflect the reality of the school’s offerings as well as cater to the growing demands of the market that students are seeking to fulfill through their education. The School of Business & Technology has provided four rationales as to how this rebrand benefits the school, students, and the University:

The new name clarifies the expansion of program offerings, skills, and resources.

The School of Business & Technology is designed to equip students with both business acumen and essential technical skills that are increasingly in demand. Beyond incorporating more technology into business courses, The School of Business & Technology will align with the growing trends in tech-based programs by encouraging students to explore electives in fundamental, high-impact fields like data analytics, data science, AI, programming, networking, and database management. These skills are becoming fundamental across industries, from financial forecasting and market research to cybersecurity and operations management. By broadening their expertise in these areas, students will gain a competitive edge in data-driven decision-making and emerging business technologies, ensuring they are prepared for the evolving job market.

The name enhances market recognition and networking.

By integrating “technology” into the school’s identity, Cairn differentiates itself in graduate school applications and employer partnerships. The name change strengthens students’ resumes by aligning with cutting-edge trends in business and technology.

The rebrand future-proofs students’ education.

The business world is always evolving. Particularly, as businesses become more digital, courses will incorporate more real-world applications of technology in business settings. This prepares our students not just for today’s job market but also for the variable future of business, equipping them with leadership skills in an increasingly tech-driven world.

It continues to reflect its alignment with Cairn’s mission.

The integration of business and technology with a Christian worldview allows Cairn to equip students with the ethical and strategic skills necessary to lead in technology-driven marketplaces

To learn more about Cairn’s School of Business & Technology, click here.

This year, Cairn Enactus hosted the annual RIDE event. Each year for over a decade, RIDE (Resume, Interview, Dress, Etiquette) has supplied students with the necessary knowledge, resources, and skills to navigate the job market. RIDE is open to the whole student body, familiarizing students with career preparation they can utilize in the future.

The first RIDE event featured a seminar, held Saturday, February 11. 48 students attended, hearing from Christine James, an adjunct professor at Cairn. Bringing her experience as an engineering professional, Professor James was able to give students tools and tips on how to create appealing resumes and cover letters, network effectively, prepare for interviews, and take the appropriate post-interview steps.

The following week, on Saturday, February 25, Enactus prepared times that students could come and apply what was heard in the seminar through mock interviews. From 8:30 am–12 pm, 18 different professionals with various kinds of experience were available for 20-minute mock interviews. Students practiced discussing their strengths, weaknesses, and other potential interview topics, which were then evaluated by the interviewer and given as feedback to the student. Each student was able to complete at least three different practice interviews.��

Enactus member Vickie Ng’ang’a had this to say about the event: “I am extremely thankful for the Enactus cabinet; our advisor, Professor Joseph Miller; and all the individuals and student workers who have been able to help with this program. It was an overall great experience to be the project manager for this event.”