NJCU Partners With Cortaditos Coffee to Provide Retail Management Training

The university will offer a six-course certificate program to develop leadership skills for the Cuban-style coffee shop chain's employees.

Apr. 13, 2026 at 11:42pm

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A vibrant, high-contrast silkscreen print featuring a repeated pattern of a stylized coffee cup icon in neon pink, yellow, and blue hues, conceptually representing the retail management training program for Cortaditos Coffee employees.The partnership between NJCU and Cortaditos Coffee aims to develop leadership skills and career pathways for the coffee shop chain's employees.Jersey City Today

New Jersey City University has announced a partnership with Cortaditos Holding Corporation, a veteran- and Hispanic-owned Cuban-style coffee shop chain, to deliver a customized workforce education program. Under the agreement, NJCU will provide a six-course Retail Management Certificate program covering leadership, supervision, customer service, business finance, and accounting fundamentals for Cortaditos employees.

Why it matters

The partnership reflects NJCU's mission to expand educational opportunities and create pathways for working professionals to grow. It also demonstrates Cortaditos' commitment to investing in its employees, which the company sees as its greatest asset.

The details

The six-course program will be delivered asynchronously online with weekly in-person sessions on NJCU's main campus. Between six and ten Cortaditos employees will participate per course, with the company funding the program directly at no cost to participants. A dedicated NJCU instructor fluent in Spanish will support all participants.

  • The agreement was signed in November 2025.
  • The program will continue following NJCU's planned merger with Kean University to form Kean Jersey City in Summer 2026.

The players

NJCU

New Jersey City University, a public university located in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Cortaditos Holding Corporation

A veteran- and Hispanic-owned Cuban-style coffee shop chain with six locations in New Jersey, including four in Hudson County.

Andres Acebo

The president of NJCU.

Adam San Miguel

The CEO of Cortaditos and a 2018 NJCU alumnus and 2025 NJCU Distinguished Graduate Award recipient. He also serves as the founder and chairman of the Cuban American Alliance for Leadership and Education.

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What they’re saying

“This partnership reflects what NJCU's mission stands for at its core: expanding opportunity and creating meaningful pathways for working professionals to grow.”

— Andres Acebo, NJCU President

“At Cortaditos, we consider our greatest asset to be our people, and developing leadership capacity in our company is the best investment we can make in our future.”

— Adam San Miguel, Cortaditos CEO

What’s next

The program will continue following NJCU's planned merger with Kean University to form Kean Jersey City in Summer 2026.

The takeaway

This partnership demonstrates NJCU's commitment to expanding educational opportunities for working professionals and Cortaditos' investment in developing its employees, who the company sees as its greatest asset. The program will provide valuable retail management training to help Cortaditos employees grow in their careers.