Stony Brook University SUNY Korea

Have you ever thought of taking your idea to the SUNY level? Well, these students did!

The first annual SUNY Long Island Pitch competition between Stony Brook University, SUNY Farmingdale, and SUNY Old Westbury was held on November 16, 2021. The entrepreneurial development event gave students from each of the schools a chance to compete for more than $1,000 in prizes.

The competition took place virtually, with a combination of a live Q&A session, which gave students an opportunity to interact with successful business people, and asynchronous videos between presenters. The distinguished panel of judges deliberated on 10 incredible ideas from the students.

The first-place winner of the competition from Stony Brook was Soulo, a toe-nail clipper for older adults. Joshua Zhu, a second-year medical student in the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, is the creator of Soulo. The second-place winner from Old Westbury was SunChok, healthy chips that curb your appetite; and the third-place winner from Farmingdale was Spider Shield, which makes bulletproof clothing.

The judges for the event — Derek Peterson, Gwen Cheni, Phil Rugile, Lionel Chitty and Edward Verlander — all have extensive entrepreneurial experience.

This multi-campus competition among several institutions was a unique learning experience for the students, and the judges provided excellent recommendations to everyone who took part in this event. These young professionals are now on their way to setting the stage for new ideas to emerge throughout the Long Island community.

— Arlene Alvarez