Stony Brook University recently hosted "Disrupt the Brook," an event designed to encourage students to explore entrepreneurial thinking and build an inclusive innovation ecosystem. Nearly 40 students attended the event, which was organized by the Office for Research and Innovation as part of its initiative to integrate startup culture into campus life.
The event took place on May 9 and marked the launch of the Student Entrepreneurship and Innovation area, aimed at enhancing support for student-driven entrepreneurial activities. Kevin Gardner, vice president for research and innovation, stated, “The creation of the Student Entrepreneurship and Innovation area marks an exciting step forward in our commitment to cultivating a culture of innovation across campus.”
Ben Reno-Weber, chief innovation officer of Essential Innovations, facilitated the session. He emphasized principles from the Lean Startup methodology, stating that “the central premise is the most important thing you can do if you are starting your business is listen to your customer.”
Hannah Estes, director for student entrepreneurship and innovation at Stony Brook and organizer of the event, expressed her vision for creating a robust innovation ecosystem. She noted that upon her arrival at Stony Brook in January, she realized there was no existing infrastructure for innovation. Estes aims to involve students from diverse disciplines: “I want to see art majors show up. I want to see people in education, social work… all different types of backgrounds.”
Students were encouraged to identify their individual needs for launching projects. Ben Reno-Weber highlighted this personalized approach by saying, “What I need to start something is different from what you need.” Students like Swaraj Pradhan found value in learning how ideas could transition into products or businesses.
Sophomore Russell Erfan appreciated networking opportunities provided by the workshop: “Seeing all those resources... I think I’ll just contact everybody.” Jon Longtin from Stony Brook's Department of Mechanical Engineering shared insights from his entrepreneurial experience: “We built this beautiful technology... but assumed people would come,” stressing the importance of customer validation.
Daniela Benitez found inspiration through connections made during the event: “Just being inspired by other students or leaders who are doing this event... knowing that there is more support than I originally came here thinking there was.”
Participants engaged in exercises focused on identifying problems and developing solutions. Reno-Weber concluded with advice on resilience in entrepreneurship: “Be receptive to criticism and feedback, be resilient, and be resourceful.” — Beth Squire