The Office of the Vice President for Economic Development Technology Entrepreneurship Symposium

Admission is free and open to all interested parties.  As seating is limited, registration is required. 

Why Attend?:

• Network with Peers: Connect with a community of motivated entrepreneurs to exchange ideas and develop mutually beneficial new relationships, while gaining actionable information for your business. 
• Ask the Experts: Access leading business management thought and strategies at work in Long Island's innovation economy in our applied research and education-oriented environment. 
• Communicate with Stony Brook University: Open the line of communication with us to learn how diverse Stony Brook University resources on exhibit aid companies in product and strategy issues.

Getting Here: Center of Excellence in Wireless and Information Technology (CEWIT), Stony Brook University Research and Development Park, 1500 Stony Brook Road, Stony Brook, NY 11794-6040. 

View: Symposium Program

Wednesday, November 2, 2016 

9:30am - 9:55am: Registration & Refreshments

9:55am - 10:05am: Welcome & Opening Remarks

10:05am - 10:30am: Keynote Address: Entrepreneurship on Long Island and Why It Is So Important, Leo Guthart, Senior Adviser, Topspin Partners

10:30am - 10:55am:  Protecting the Startup Against Founder Departures, Alon Kapen, Partner, Emerging Companies & Venture Capital,  Farrell Fritz

10:55am - 11:20am:  Secure Business Viability through Patents and Other Categories of IP, George Likourezos, Partner, Intellectual Property Counsel,  Carter, Deluca, Farrell & Schmidt, LLP

11:20am - 11:45am:  Positioning Your Company for Fundability, Lori Hoberman, Founder, Hoberman Law Group

11:45am - 12:10pm:  Crowdfunding: How Kickstarter Investors Make Their Decisions, Richard Chan, Assistant Professor, Harriman College of Business, Stony Brook University

12:10pm - 1:00pm: Lunch

1:00pm - 1:15pm: International Partnership Opportunities, Inon Elroy, Israel Economic Minister to North America

1:15pm - 1:40pm:  Documenting an Investment Deal: How it Really Works, Neil Kaufman, Corporate Attorney

1:40pm - 2:05pm:  So You Got That Investment, Now What?, Ron Goldman, Chief Executive Officer, Accuvein, Inc.

2:05pm - 2:30pm:  Tax Issues Entrepreneurs Must Face, Karen O'Connor, Tax Director, Marcum, LLP

2:45pm - 3:15pm: Building Enterprise Valuation, David Calone, Founder, Long Island Emerging Technologies Fund

3:15pm - 3:45pm:  New York State Funded Venture Capital Resource, Brian Kiel, Managing Director, New York State Innovation Venture Capital Fund,  Empire State Development

3:45pm: Conclusion & Adjournment

Keynote: Entrepreneurship on Long Island and Why It Is So Important, Leo Guthart, Senior Adviser, Topspin Partners: Philosophy and regional impact of technology entrepreneurship, viewed by a legendary investor.

Protecting the Startup Against Founder Departures, Alon Kapen, Partner, Emerging Companies & Venture Capital, Farrell Fritz: Starting off on the right foot with partners/co-founders can avoid later misunderstandings and increase your chances of success. Alon Kapen discusses the value of company formation agreements and pitfalls to avoid.

Secure Business Viability through Patents and Other Categories of IP, George Likourezos, Partner, Intellectual Property Counsel, Carter, Deluca, Farrell & Schmidt, LLP: Barriers to competitors are of critical value in building a viable, ongoing business. Patents are a major tool employed by technology companies to carve out protected market space. George Likourezos explains how patents can help you, and discusses the basics of the patenting process.

Positioning Your Company for Fundability, Lori Hoberman, Founder, Hoberman Law Group: Each company situation comes with its own multitude of variables. Yet, certain fundamentals are in common to how value is perceived by investors. Lori Hoberman has consulted to a great multitude of companies in funds raising, and provides the essence of what to do, and what to convey to investors.

Crowdfunding: How Kickstarter Investors Make Their Decisions, Richard Chan, Assistant Professor, College of Business, Stony Brook University: Ahh, if only we had a 'magic bullet' to help us in funds raising. Wait, we actually do have one in the form of Prof. Chan’s research into 'magic words' in company Kickstarter pitches which statistically do increase the odds of an investment. 

International Partnership Opportunities, Inon Elroy, Israel Economic Minister to North America: A senior representative of the 'Startup Nation' informs us of opportunities that his nation can provide.  

Documenting an Investment Deal: How it Really Works, Neil Kaufman, Corporate Attorney: Contract negotiations leading to that all important investment in your company are among the most critical financial matters in which entrepreneurs engage. What to ask for? What to look out for? Neil Kaufman will give us his insider’s perspective. 

So You Got That Investment, Now What?, Ron Goldman, Chief Executive Officer, Accuvein, Inc.: So, you thought it was cigar time after landing that investment? Perhaps it is, but accepting that long-sought funding is only the beginning of the story, and experienced entrepreneur Ron Goldman will fill us in. 

Tax Issues Entrepreneurs Must Face, Karen O'Connor, Tax Director, Marcum, LLP: Revenue taxed once. Revenue taxed twice. Quarterly filings. IRS form 941. State unemployment 'contributions,' and so on. Karen O’Connor will provide the professional insight to help us catch our breath. 

Building Enterprise Valuation, David Calone, Founder, Long Island Emerging Technologies Fund: Any time a company takes an investment there will be a discussion, and hopefully a negotiation, about valuation. What factors go into valuation of early phase companies, and what actions can you take to impact yours? Well-traveled investor David Calone shares his insider’s perspective. 

New York State Funded Venture Capital Resource, Brian Kiel, Managing Director, New York State Innovation Venture Capital Fund, Empire State Development: Yes, the state of New York really can make a monetary contribution to increase the size of an investment into your company. (Care to guess where the funds come from?) Experienced executive Brian Kiel will tell all in explaining these programs. 

The Office of the Vice President for Economic Development at Stony Brook University has an unparalleled economic role in fostering a dynamic, interconnected, entrepreneurial regional ecosystem that fuels self-sustaining, technology-based industry clusters driven by continuing innovation, while collaborating with industry and government to design new IT-focused economic development institutions and mechanisms.  

CEWIT & Sensor CAT, a powerful synergy is created by collaboration of two major NYSTAR-designated Centers at Stony Brook University, the Center of Excellence in Wireless and Information Technology (CEWIT), and the Center for Advanced Technology in Diagnostic Tools and Sensor Systems (Sensor CAT). A partnership committed to supporting entrepreneurs and their ventures, fueled by the inspiration and inventions of world class researchers, assisted by New York state funds, and lead by a joint team of business and scientific experts.