Quakers in Business to Speak at Newtown Quaker Meeting

Five Quakers in business – Bill Fellows (Marketing), Katharine Borish (Fashion Design), Michael Pepe (Human Resources), Ray Sowiak (Chemical Engineering), David Hunt (Software Entrepreneur) -- will discuss how their work intersects with their Quaker faith at 9:45 a.m. on Sunday, January 29, at the historic Newtown Friends Meetinghouse at 219 Court Street. Meeting for Worship in the manner of Friends will follow at 11 a.m. The public is invited.

Business vocations were important to early Quakers in 17th century England. Quakers had dissented from the Church of England and were subsequently barred from attending the universities and from the professions. Hence, many went into business.

For Quakers, business was part of one’s religious life since no day was more holy than another, no person more holy in the eyes of God than another, and no activity more holy than another. All were part of God’s world. As Quakers’ reputations for honesty, fixed prices, and fair dealing spread, so did their businesses grow and become prosperous.

Some Quaker-launched businesses with familiar names today are: Barclays Bank, Lloyds Bank, Clarks Shoes, Cadbury’s Chocolates, Bethlehem Steel (founder Joseph Wharton endowed the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania), Western Union (co-founder Ezra Cornell founded Cornell University) and Quaker banker and investor Johns Hopkins founded Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Bill Fellows, panel moderator, is President of Top-of-Mind Branding, a branding and marketing company. He previously held senior marketing positions with AIG, American Re/Munich Re America, Ernst & Young and Kepner-Tregoe. Bill has a B.A. in English, Marketing and Journalism from The College of New Jersey

Katherine Borish is Director of Training & Merchandising for Etcetera, a direct sales women’s clothing company based in NYC. She started her career in fashion at Nan Duskin, the landmark store in Philadelphia. She has a B.S. in Psychology and Philosophy from George Washington University.

Michael Pepe is Chief Human Resources Officer for Virtua Healthcare, a New Jersey health care provider with over 10,000 employees. His previous positions were Chief HR officer for Aria Health, VP & Executive Director of Yale Health System, and VP of Organization Effectiveness for GE Healthcare.. Michael has a PH.D. from Washington University and a B.A. from Farleigh Dickinson University.

Ray Sowiak, a chemical engineer with expertise in oil refinery distillation, is employed by Process Engineering Associates (PEA). He previously worked with Mobil Oil and Sunoco, Inc, and had his own consulting company. He has a B.A. from University of Delaware in chemical engineering.

David Hunt, owner of Hunt Solutions, LLC, is a new media entrepreneur with experience building a portfolio of multi-million businesses. His new venture, Villagize.com, is a hyper-local social network that helps foster local community. He previously was Director of Marketing at NTO Software, Inc., Director of Business Development at BUYandHOLD.com, Inc, and Director of Business Development at DirectStockMarket.com, Inc. David has a B.A. from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and an MBA/MBI from RSM Erasmus University.

Newtown Friends Meeting, co-founded in 1815 by Quaker minister and artist, Edward Hicks, is open to the public, with Sunday School classes for children and adults at 9:45 a.m. and worship based on expectant silence “after the manner of Friends” at 11 a.m. Childcare is provided.