About
Now in its seventh year, SUNY Startup Summer School (S4) offers virtual accelerated entrepreneurial education and training for participants to help them secure the initial funding needed to get their technology to market.
• Access to instructional webinars that provide the foundation of knowledge and learning aspiring entrepreneurs and new ventures need to be successful.
Depending on their experience, S4 participants will receive the following support:
• Proposal development support from experts with successful track records in helping research teams and startups secure grants and other non-dilutive funding.
• Customized I-Corps training, mentoring, and networking opportunities that are provided in a just-in-time format based on each participant’s needs and traction.
1,243
Entrepreneurs trained
25
New companies formed
66%
Minority participation
$24.8M+
Non-Dilutive funding secured by s4 Alumni
34%
Women participation
44
Campuses Partcipated to date
The SUNY Startup Roadmap: What You'll Learn
An intensive 10-week journey that transforms academic research into market-ready ventures. Our curriculum focuses on the critical pillars of business success.
Sessions will be held every Tuesday from 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Session 01 Entrepreneurship 101
What it Takes to Commercialize Your Tech
Tuesday, May 26, 2026
Session 02
Discover Customer Discovery
Tuesday, June 2, 2026
Session 03
Evaluation of the Opportunity
Patentability and Marketability Basics
Tuesday, June 9, 2026
Session 04
How to Win Grants
Mastering Non-Dilutive Funding Sources
Tuesday, June 16, 2026
Session 05
Mastering Startup Agreements & Exit Strategies
Tuesday, June 23, 2026
Session 06
Team Chemistry
Leveling Up Your Company
Tuesday, June 30, 2026
Session 07
Strategies for Unstoppable Success
Tuesday, July 7, 2026
Session 08
Selling and Telling Your Story
Tuesday, July 14, 2026
Week 9
Office Hours with SUNY Venture Advisors
Monday, July 20, 2026 - Friday, July 24, 2026
Week 10
Demo Day and Graduation:
Tuesday, July 28, 2026
2:00 - 7:00 p.m. EST
Speakers
Doug Benel
SUNY RF
Kathryn Cherny
Binghamton University
Peter Fallon
Team Chemistry Leveling up your Company
Discover Customer Discovery
SUNY RF
Ana-Maria Galeano
Evaluation of the Opportunity - Patentability and Marketability Basics
Galeano Law Firm
Team Chemistry - Leveling Up Your Company + SUNY Venture Advisor
Joy Goswami
SUNY RF
Evaluation of the Opportunity - Patentability and Marketability Basics
Kirk Macolini
Intelispark
How to Win Grants - Mastering Non-Dilutive Funding Sources
Rich Honen
phillips Lytle
Evaluation of the Opportunity - Patentability and Marketability Basics
Arel Moodie
REED Oak
Strategies for Unstoppable Success
Michael Lightman
HATE YOUR DECK
Telling and Selling Your Story
Olga Petrova
University at buffalo
Discover Customer Discovery
Allison Yacci
Data Cicada
Entrepreneurship 101 - What it Takes to Commercialize your tech + SUNY Venture Advisor
Garrett Smith
SUNY RF
Evaluation of the Opportunity - Patentability and Marketability Basics
Downstate Health Sciences University
$300K NIH STTR Phase I
University at Buffalo
$750K NSF STTR Phase II
SUNY Canton
Stony Brook University
$256K NSF STTR Phase I
SUNY Polytechnic Institute
$1.7M Air Force SBIR Phase II
$1.2M Air Force SBIR Phase II
$1.5M DOE SBIR Phase II
$1.5M Air Force STTR Phase II
Success Stories
Upstate Medical University
Stony Brook University
$256K NSF STTR Phase I
University at Albany
$1M NSF STTR Phase II
$250K NSF STTR Phase I
$1M NSF STTR Phase II
University at Albany
$306K NIH STTR Phase I
$274K NSF STTR Phase I
SUNY Polytechnic Institute
$255K NSF SBIR Phase I
$200K DOE SBIR Phase I
"I learned about summer school through the University at Buffalo, where my startup is a tech spinout. It was the perfect opportunity to sharpen my entrepreneurial skills and potentially compete for the Demo Day prize."
Brian Bischoff
University at Buffalo
Testimonials
Binghamton University
"S4 is an excellent program for researchers looking to translate technologies they’ve validated in the lab into viable startups. In just a few weeks, S4’s industry experts equip you with the entrepreneurial tools needed to build a real company around your innovation."
Jayson Boubin
"I initially thought the program would focus on basics for beginners, but it offered valuable insights for those further along as well. Every S4 presentation taught me multiple new things."
Scott Tenenbaum
University at Albany
Nicholas Querques
Startup founder/advisor, tech to market master, company builder
Doug Benel
Creativity Advocate, motivator, Outside-the-box thinker
S4 is led by a close-knit team of passionate professionals who are working together with SUNY’s campuses and partners to build a world-class entrepreneurial ecosystem. They wake up every morning ready to crush it for the innovators they serve and truly believe entrepreneurship is a viable career path for SUNY students.
Jessica Stanley-Updyke
Marketing guru, professional storyteller, communications jedi
Creative communicator, innovative problem solver, turning complexity into clarity
Team
Dylan Marx
Resorceful troubleshooter, logistics lady, chaos tamer, relationship cultivator
Sara Goodman
Kyle Flood
Student ambassador
Venture Advisors
Doug Buerkle
Deborah Burks
Stephen Festin
Ana-Maria Galeano
lTM Ventures
ForwardPhase Innovations
alpinebio partners
Galeano Law
Eric Gordon
Elisa Miller-Out
Mark Sperry
Allison Yacci
Eric Gordon, LLC
chloe capital
Sperry Energy
DataCicada