Stony Brook’s Office for Research and Innovation (OR&I) held its inaugural Wolf Den, an evening where investors, researchers, startup founders and business leaders came together to exchange ideas, foster collaboration and strengthen connections that drive technology development and economic growth across Long Island.
Sponsored by the OR&I in partnership with Accelerate Long Island, the November 13 event was held at the Center of Excellence in Wireless and Information Technology (CEWIT), with plans for the next event in early 2026.
“We designed the Wolf Den as an opportunity to observe, listen and learn what the Long Island innovation community needs to thrive,” said Stony Brook University Chief Innovation Officer Michael Kinch. “Events like this show us where collaboration is strongest and where we can remove friction for founders. Such insights will shape how we continue to cultivate a vibrant, resilient innovation ecosystem.”
Attendees learned about Stony Brook’s entrepreneurship ecosystem, heard company pitches from emerging startups and engaged in meaningful networking with innovators, investors and partners.
“Our mission is to help companies start, scale, become pitch-ready and investable through mentorship and support programs,” said Jim Acquaviva, strategic innovation director in OR&I. “By connecting academia and industry, we facilitate knowledge-sharing, spark new ideas and catalyze collaborations that will help elevate our startups to new heights. Establishing connections between the many resources across Stony Brook University and Long Island will accelerate the commercialization of technology in multiple markets.”
“I’ve spent 20 years studying how entrepreneurs create, acquire, manage and transfer financial resilience,” said Richard Chan, a professor in the College of Business, who also moderated the panel discussion. “When I first came to Stony Brook 12 years ago, I was the only faculty member who did entrepreneurship research. Fast-forward 12 years and it’s wonderful that we now have a dedicated Office for Research and Innovation that has hired some wonderful and talented people to help spearhead innovation and entrepreneurship.”
Chan mentioned Stony Brook courses in entrepreneurship, innovation and strategy management, and special learning opportunities for students to actually work hands-on with entrepreneurs to solve real-life problems.
“I’ve seen first-hand how AI will impact our communities, and I’ve had the opportunity to observe how AI has rapidly transitioned from an emerging technology to being the fundamental DNA of startups,” said Chan. “Many of our students have not only utilized large language models to build up innovative solutions, several of them have used this opportunity to create startups themselves. And that brings us to today’s key question we want to address: how will AI tools be incorporated as a core, fundamental component of the next generation, and how will founders build competitive advantage when everyone has access to the same powerful AI tools?”
Read the full story by Robert Emproto at the SBU News website.