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Compunnel Software Group Inc.

Plainsboro-based Compunnel provides IT consulting services, digital solutions talent services and custom software development to companies across North America, Europe and Asia. Founded in 1994, the company was later recognized by NJBIZ as one of the state’s fastest-growing companies. According to Compunnel, it has been named to the Inc. 5000 list 12 times. Last year, Newsweek listed the company as one of the nation’s greatest workplaces for inclusion and diversity.

Compunnel has embraced artificial intelligence and offers help on that score. “Our systems learn, adapt, and orchestrate,” the company says. “From hiring intelligence to digital engineering, from cloud-native platforms to enterprise-grade security, AI and compliance are now at the heart of every solution we deliver.”

The company says it employs more than 6,000 professionals and works with 23% of the Fortune 500. A certified Minority Business Enterprise, Compunnel boasts that its culture is more than workplace values; it is the way they work every day.

Coombs CPA

Andrew Coombs, a Certified Public Accountant who now serves as the firm’s the CEO and managing partner, founded Coombs CPA PC in Newark in 2018. A “Big Four” alumnus with an MBA from Columbia Business School, Coombs started his own firm with fewer than 10 clients but expanded to more than 1,000 by the beginning of 2024. He also expanded the firm’s footprint, purchasing two buildings in Brick City. The firm provides tax, audit, bookkeeping, outsourced CFO, payroll and consulting services.

Coombs gives out $10,000 a year in scholarships and does financial seminars to help people in the Newark community. He also sits on the board of Caldwell University, Loyola University, BAMS Fest, Newark Arts and Leaders of the 21st Century.

An honoree on the NJBIZ Accounting Power 50, Coombs was also recognized as a 2023 Leader in Finance. “I am pleased with the growth of the firm but believe that my biggest accomplishment is being able to give back and provide value to the underserved populations in Newark and elsewhere,” Coombs has said.

Besides establishing his base of operations in the South Ward, Coombs provides financial literacy in the community.

Counter Fin

Camron Brown founded Counter Fin after a debilitating autoimmune disorder impaired his ability to walk and forced him into a disability system that proved slow, complex and financially destabilizing when he could least afford it. Determined to build a better path, he partnered with co-founder Kaelaan Maynor to create a user-friendly, AI-guided platform that helps people prepare stronger applications, avoid costly errors, and move through the disability and leave process far more efficiently than traditional approaches. What began as a personal response to systemic failure has evolved into a nationally recognized innovation. The impact of the work earned both founders placement on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, reflecting Counter Fin’s role in reimagining how individuals access critical benefits during times of crisis.

Supported by a seasoned leadership team, Counter Fin now serves both individuals and institutions seeking a more effective way to navigate disability and leave claims. Chief of Strategy, Communications and Outreach Nakia White brings more than 15 years of experience in strategy and stakeholder engagement across public, nonprofit and private sectors, while Chief Financial Officer Bill Goff contributes over two decades of quantitative finance and risk management expertise.

DIGroup Architecture

Formed in 2006 as a merger of four competing architectural firms, DIGroup Architecture is the state’s largest majority Black-owned architectural, interior and graphic design firm. Principals and co-founders of DIG, Vincent Myers (president), Jeff Venezia (chief executive officer) and Rich Alderiso (chief operating officer) have created a firm based on collaboration, consensus-building and creating equity for all through physical space.

Based in New Brunswick, DIG delivers award-winning projects for clients in the academic, civic, health care and senior living sectors — all while giving back to the neighborhoods in which it works.

Myers, Venezia and Alderiso have been instrumental in leading the expansion of DIG’s extensive portfolio. That includes being appointed by the Union County Improvement Authority to develop a centralized hub for social services and administration, an emergency department observation unit at Hackensack Meridian Health’s Jersey Shore University Medical Center, an interior medical building fit out at HMH’s JFK University Medical Center, restoration of the historic Louis Kahn bath house in Ewing and reimagining 20,000 square feet of senior living spaces at the Lester Senior Living campus in Whippany. The firm is also continuing its work with the New Jersey Schools Development Authority.

Equal Space

Equal Space offers office and event space from the first, second and fourth floors of 550 Broad St in Newark.

Flexible workspaces are available via daily passes in addition to dedicated desks and suites. Available amenities include creative studios, gathering rooms and programming throughout the year to aid and encourage members.

Equal Space launched in 2014 as Newark’s first permanent coworking space. At the time, founder Citi Medina told NJBIZ that the opening signified an effort to further establish itself in and as of the city. The company is a graduate of Audible’s Business Attraction Program.

That program supports innovative companies growing in Newark, or ones that hope to. The work aims to increase local spending, thus preserving and creating jobs. That’s achieved via the delivery of up to $250,000 in non-dilutive grants. Those efforts, among others on the local scene, also help address high retail and commercial vacancy rates downtown. Since its start, 10 companies have joined.

Flows Tasty Treats

Founded by Florence Dennis, Flows Tasty Treats makes African-inspired snacks using corn, peanuts and coconut. The company has racked up recognition in recent years.

Flows participated in the New Jersey Business Action Center’s first-ever state pavilion at the Specialty Food Association’s 2023 Summer Fancy Food Show.

In 2024, Dennis celebrated her brand’s launch at Costco Wholesale locations throughout New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

“We are beyond excited to bring our toasted corn and peanut mix to Costco customers,” Dennis said at the time. “This journey has taken four years of perseverance and hard work and to finally see our product on the shelves of such a major retailer is a dream come true. Our goal has always been to see African snacks represented in mainstream stores and we’re thrilled to have achieved that in such a meaningful way.”

The company already had distribution in more than 40 stores across the U.S., including specialty stores, supermarkets and online at Amazon.com.

The New Jersey Devils Buy Black Program also named Flows Tasty Treats the official snack for the 2021–22 NHL season. The marketing initiative aims to help local Black entrepreneurs gain exposure so they can grow and succeed.

The Fowlkes Firm

As a Black-owned business specializing in entertainment and startup law, The Fowlkes Firm represents creatives and emerging companies in the arts, entertainment, digital media, tech and fashion industries.

Through services such as entertainment law, intellectual property protection, business strategy and general legal counsel, the Short Hills-based firm works to help clients protect their rights, negotiate deals and navigate complex contracts from early ideas through full execution.

Karl Fowlkes, an internationally recognized entertainment lawyer, music business professor and entrepreneur, founded the firm in 2018. Over the course of a few years, The Fowlkes Firm has negotiated more than a combined $70 million worth of deals for artists, athletes, music producers, joint ventures and innovative record companies.

He also recently teamed up with longtime friend and fellow lawyer Jarel Rosser to open a one-of-a-kind wine, cocktail and sound bar called Consigliere in Newark. Besides earning a reputation as a fresh, welcome addition to the city’s nightlife and dining scene, it is quickly becoming a cultural hub. Brick City officials have also publicly supported Consigliere as part of a broader economic revitalization effort in the downtown area.

GeoGreens

Ewing-based GeoGreens was founded in 2014 by Desmond Hayes, a former project manager for construction companies in New York and New Jersey. Hayes previously worked and received degrees in architecture, civil engineering and environmental science, according to the Geogreens website.

The company says Hayes was inspired by indoor, urban farms using hydroponics and began experimenting with the technology, believing that it could help serve markets in atypical climate areas.

Using Zero Waste farming techniques, Geogreens produces greens to both perfect its growing processes and determine its product line.

In 2023, Geogreens was one of 14 clean tech startups that received grants from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority’s Clean Tech Demonstration Grant program. The initiative, funded through the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, awards grants of up to $250,000 to help startups develop technologies focused on clean energy, supporting businesses that have existing prototypes of their technologies and that are ready to validate them in a real-world setting.

Last year, GeoGreens helped The College of New Jersey open an Indoor Ag Lab, where student researchers work on hydroponics projects. At the time, Hayes said he recognized the opportunity for hands-on education and substantive research in the lab. TCNJ students work with artificial lighting, ventilation, automation and robotics, all components of hydroponic farming.

Goya

Goya Foods has served customers since its founding in 1936. Today, the Jersey City-based business is the largest Hispanic-owned food company in the U.S. Goya manufactures, packages and distributes more than 2,500 products from Spain, the Caribbean and Mexico, as well as Central and South America.

In addition to feeding the communities it serves, literally, Goya Foods is also known for feeding philanthropic and education efforts. The company recently announced $20,000 in scholarship opportunities for 2026. Under the signature Scholarship Fund created in 2011, Goya has awarded nearly $2 million to students nationwide, along with children of its employees.

This summer, Goya is helping to energize the homefield celebrations as New Jersey prepares to host FIFA World Cup 2026. Goya Foods serves as presenting sponsor – and culinary and cultural centerpiece – of the Flag Cities festival. The multilocation event – Newark and Jersey City are the newest additions – aims to ensure fans and businesses alike have access to reap the benefits from the tournament. Said Peter Unanue, third-generation executive at Goya Foods, “This series allows us to celebrate community, heritage, and the unifying power of food at an extraordinary moment for New Jersey.”

Jois Construction Management

Based in Hamilton, Jois Construction Management has been building for more than 40 years. The company has completed more than 300 projects, with values ranging from $1 million to $10 billion, according to its website. It focuses solely on program, project and construction management, providing infrastructure development across the transportation, environmental, water/wastewater, industrial, institutional, and commercial building sectors.

JCM works on airports, railways, roads and bridges, hospitals, education and more. The certified SBE-MBE-DBE’s services include risk management, budget and cost control, training, construction claims, cost estimating, cloud-based document control, inspection and others.

Among its experience: taking part in the $480 million road improvement project to help traffic to and from Exit 13A of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. Led by President and CEO Goutam U., JCM is also a delivery partner on the most important infrastructure project in the country, the Gateway Program. Jois puts an emphasis on employee development and was an early adopter of technology to facilitate operations. Now, JCM is innovating with an eye toward sustainability, including with a patent-pending method that integrates sustainability metrics into project management methodology.

Editor’s note: The Fowlkes Firm’s entry was updated at 8:50 a.m. March 25, 2026, to remove a reference to EVGLE LLC, which Karl Fowlkes is no longer a part of.

More honorees:
A-B | C-J | K-N | O-Z