Overview
November 14-17
Stanford, CA
Change student lives by helping them lead of real-world companies. Traditional student-run business organizations can employ hundreds of students across dozens of businesses, while student-owned business organizations support entrepreneurial startups.
Our alum are battle tested through the most difficult challenges of entrepreneurship and leave ready to thrive in the most elite startups, corporations and organizations in the world.
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SURGE: Student-Run Global invites student-run and student-owned business leaders, founders, and faculty and staff supporters from around the world for 4 days of competition, showcasing, sharing, professional development. We’ve added a new Student-Run Venture Cup and a new Entrepreneurial Job Fair as we expand support to more student founders.
Hosted at Stanford University by Stanford Student Enterprises, the event will run from November 14-17, 2024.
Please contact SRBA Event Chair Alpha Hernandez with any questions or use the chat feature in our website footer:
alpha7@sse.stanford.edu
Experience the Birthplace of Silicon Valley
Events in Palo Alto and on Stanford’s Redwood City Campus (Campus Transport Provided)
Events and Tours on Stanford’s Main Campus
Featuring Stanford’s Old Union - Home to SRBA Member Stanford Student Enterprises (SSE)
Featuring Stanford’s Redwood City Conference Center
Compete with Top Student Founders and Leaders
DAY 2 - Student-Run Business Cup
A dynamic, action-packed event For Student Startups and Student-Run Business Organizations
- Friday, November 15th -
Compete, Get Noticed, Learn From The Best
The SURGE Competition Day is tailored for the ambitious and creative minds of student startups and Student-Run Business Organizations (SRBOs) alike. Join our pitch competitions and hackathon to pave your path and build relationships that help you succeed.
Pitch Competitions - Be Seen!
(9:00am-10:30am) Student Startup Track: For early-stage ideas, focusing on concept validation and initial growth potential, or startups ready to scale, emphasizing business development and market readiness. Judges will be experienced founders and VCs with the ability to invest in the right idea.
The purpose of the Student Startup Track is to showcase student startups to conference attendees and community investors, and to provide opportunities for you to earn recognition, practice, improve, and build the team of operators, advisors and supporters that will enable you to succeed. This is our first year and prizes will be minimal, though participants and winners will be celebrated live and through social media.
Student-Run Business Cup: The most compelling 4-minute pitch and 2-minute Q&A wins the Cup and a small cash prize. Click “Pitch” below to sign up and see our criteria and process.
Pitch for Feedback: Provide your 4-minute pitch outside of the competition format for feedback from top Silicon Valley VCs.
(1:30pm-4:00pm) SRBO Track: A dedicated showcase for SRBOs, highlighting their unique business models and growth strategies and showcasing how the entire organization can innovate and grow. Judges will be experienced SRBO leaders and founders excited to support impressive talent.
The purpose of the SRBO Track is to showcase the specific achievements of SRBO leadership and their individual enterprises. Winners are selected in order to celebrate exceptional achievements toward their own objectives whether social impact, revenue, or growth. This is our first year and prizes will be minimal, though participants and winners will be celebrated live and through social media.
SRBO - Outstanding New Business Award: Highlight your most ambitious new businesses of the past 12-24 months,
SRBO - Outstanding Innovation and Impact Award: Highlight your organization’s most innovative and impactful initiatives of the past 12-24 months
Hackathon - Show Your Skill & Find Your People!
(1:30pm -5:00pm) Open Invite Sprint Hackathon and Product Pitch: For students that competed in the morning and those looking to build relationships or find their next startup idea. You do not need to code, but it could help - be creative!. Judges will be experienced founders and VCs with the ability to invest in the right idea, and the challenge(s) will be presented LIVE by our investor sponsors.
The purpose of the Hackathon is to have fun working on interesting problems, while you showcase skill and meet incredible people. This is our first year and prizes will be minimal, though participants and winners will be celebrated live and through social media.
GET STARTED TODAY
Enter the Arena: Apply today, get feedback in 3 days or less, and update your pitch later!
Seeking Advisors: Apply to advise student teams as they prepare for the competition and beyond.
Learn from Top Students and Staff in Your Space
SURGE 2024 invites a global network of students, faculty and staff to work, learn, and grow together.
Whether you are new to the space, conducting related research, represent a student-owned startup, a student-run business, a campus support organization, we welcome you to join SURGE at Stanford this year. We offer competitions, events (like our new hackathon) and workshops to help you network and succeed.
SURGE is more than a place to see and learn from the most impressive peers and alumni, it’s an opportunity to accelerate your growth and build relationships that last a lifetime.
Panelists from the 2023 SRBA Annual Event held at Harvard University and in Cambridge, MA.
Meet Sponsors and Visit Our Entrepreneurial Job Fair
Support and Be Seen By The Best
SURGE offers an unparalleled opportunity to get your brand in front of entrepreneurial leaders and the organizations they represent.
If you’re interested in connecting with top students and program affiliates as a sponsor, or you’d like to donate help cover travel for our teams in the US and abroad, click below to get started!
This year’s event features a new Entrepreneurial Job Fair inviting both Startup and Corporate supporters. Learn why Blackstone and other major employers have said that “SRBA students exhibit 7 years experience on day 1 after graduation.” Recruit interns, find scouts, source leads, meet your next best hire here.
At SURGE, you’ll meet HUNDREDS of exceptional student leaders who represent 5,000+ of the world’s top entrepreneurial talent.
Students from our 2019 SRBA Annual Event mingle with corporate sponsors and community leaders between workshops.
Start A Student-Run Business Organization
Learn from the best how to help one succeed
Student-run businesses can change the student experience at your university, high school or institution - and it’s possible to get started today.
The SRBA has helped to launch dozens of student-run and student-owned business organizations across the US and around the world - we share key frameworks, processes, networks and resources to help you create an organization unlike any other.
Meet experienced founders, faculty, deans of business and more working to launch a new SRBO when you attend SURGE.
Be sure to send us a special note letting us know your interest, and consider becoming a member for hands-on support with your work.
Register Today
Due to space limitations, our preliminary capacity limit is 200 people for the Saturday event.
Domestic attendees can use the discount code SURGE2024 to save 20% at check out! This code will expire March 4th at 5:00 pm PST. International attendees can contact us for a special discount code.
Ticket Prices (Contact Us To Request a Discount)
SRBA Members and Member Students (Join Today!): $45/person for the first 7 attendees
SRBA Member Affiliates (e.g. Board Member or Alum): $145/person
Non-Member Student Startups: $85/person
Regular Ticket: $485/ person
VIP Supporter Ticket (meet speakers, help us support student tickets and travel): $845
Additional Tickets
Members receive 7 discounted tickets; sponsors receive 2-3 depending on package
Option 1: submit simple request for discount if you have budgetary restrictions
Option 2: purchase now and cover the costs of additional attendees at Member Affiliate Ticket Price
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What Is Included With SURGE Tickets?
- Access to speakers, workshops, networking events
- Certain meals provided
- Online community to meet and share before and after the conference
Where Is The Best Place To Stay?
The conference takes place in Redwood City, Stanford and Palo Alto. Affordable lodging is available in Palo Alto. We secure a limited number of rooms through a reservation block at local recommended hotels; please contact SRBA Event Chair Alpha Hernandez (alpha7@sse.stanford.edu) for details.
The complete list of recommended hotels will be posted here when ready!
Agenda
Day 1: Convene
(SPONSOR OPPORTUNITY)
Thursday, November 14
- Japan Innovation Hub, Palo Alto -
Get to know the places and people of SURGE 2024.
(Daytime) Self-Organized Tours
San Francisco City
Redwoods Hiking
Silicon Valley Corporate
(4:00pm) Registration
(5:00pm) Reception
(5:30pm) Match-Maker Networking
(6:00pm) History of the Valley
(6:30pm) Explore Palo Alto, Join Meet-Ups
Day 2: Compete
(SPONSOR OPPORTUNITY)
Friday, November 15
- Stanford Union Hall -
Compete, build and showcase your work in a variety of events.
(8:30am) Kickoff and Keynote
SRBA Kickoff
Founder Keynote
(9:00am)
Pre-Seed and Seed Startup Pitch Competitions
VC Panel
(10:30am) SRBO Showcase
(12:30pm) Sponsored Lunch
(1:30-5pm)
~Hackathon
SRB Competitions
Entrepreneurial Job Fair (sponsored by Intership-On-Demand)
(6:30pm) Explore, Join Happy Hours and Networking
Day 3: Engage
(SPONSOR OPPORTUNITY)
Saturday, November 16
- Stanford Redwood City -
Present and participate in student and expert-led dynamic workshops.
(8:30am) Alumni Panel
(9:00am) Student-Run Business Workshop Series (facilitated by select or volunteer staff and student leaders)
Program Leadership
Industry Deep-Dives
New Ventures
(9:00am) New Student-Run Business Organization (SRBO) Workshop Series (facilitated by experienced SRBO Leaders and Founders)
SRBO Fundamentals
Model Structures
Keys to Success
(11:30am) Alum Keynote
(12:00pm) Sponsored Lunch
(1:00pm) Student-Run Business Workshop Series (facilitated by select or volunteer staff and student leaders)
Marketing & Communications
Product & Operations
Finance
(1:00pm) New Student-Run Business Organization (SRBO) Workshop Series (facilitated by experienced SRBO Leaders and Founders)
Campus Support and Fundraising
Student Leadership
Regional Hubs, Acquisitions, Conversions and Alternative Solutions
(4:00pm) Regional Meet-Ups
(5:00pm) Join Happy Hours and Networking
Day 4: Embark
(SPONSOR OPPORTUNITY)
Sunday, November 17
- Stanford Union Hall -
Turn learnings into action NOW with facilitated workshops.
(9:30am) Breakfast
(10:00am) Hands-On Support
New Organizations
New Ventures
New Initiatives
(11:30am) SRBA Lunch and Member Meeting
More Details
Visit Stanford, Palo alto and Redwood City
SURGE happens in the “Birthplace of Silicon Valley,” centered around Stanford University. This beautiful and dynamic community is widely considered the center of global innovation. Enjoy a Mediterranean Climate decorated with palms, historic Mission Revival architecture, and the world’s largest tree species, the Coast Redwoods. See for yourself why the Bay Area is home to the largest and fastest growing companies in the world (Home of 200/500 Fortune Global 500 Companies, the highest concentration of venture capital investment, and the most unicorn startups of any city).
Keynote Speakers
Expert keynote speakers will share stories from the Valley, their experience with student-run businesses, impactful business tactics, and the secrets to their success. Attendees will develop the knowledge and skills to improve today and after graduation.
Employer Partner
SRBA students and alum are some of the most qualified talent on the market. Meet with our growing base of employer partners to learn about new career opportunities that might be right for you.
Professional Development
As much as we all love SRBs, we can’t be students forever. With an alumni panel, composed of graduated employees of SRBs, attendees will learn what their predecessors wished they had known before, where they went after college, and how to best leverage their experience for post-undergraduate opportunities. Additionally, students’ resumes will be aggregated and distributed to potential employers.
Workshop Sessions
From learning how to start a retail empire, engage alumni, and fundraise, to discussing organizational values, strategic marketing, and women in the workplace, our conference workshops will have it all! With more than 15 workshops taught by both students and advisors from more than 10 schools, you’ll be able to choose exactly what you want to learn, and engage with experts on the topics of your choice!
Networking Opportunities
Idea sharing and friend making won’t stop at the end of the day! There will be a dinner reception and unstructured time for attendees to get to know one another, discuss ideas, and build lasting friendships. Attendees will build connections and a network that they can leverage to help one another solve problems in the months — and years — ahead.
TICKETS AND DISCOUNT CODES
Members, Students, Founders, Faculty, Staff, job fair, Corporate, and More
EARLY BIRD | Until March 4 at 5pm | (20% Discount Code: “SURGE2024”)
SRBA Member - ($45 Tickets)
International - (35% Discount Code: “GLOBAL2435”)
SURGE ‘24 Hosted by Stanford Student Enterprises
Testimony
“The SRBA Conference changed my vision for the upcoming school year, and I have become more ambitious for growth than ever. Sharing ideas with other students changed the way I see students run businesses and how PSA should be run. Moving forward, I have seen the importance of holding our own organization to a higher standard”
“Many of the struggles faced by Student Run Businesses are very similar, and location, size, school etc. seems to have minimal impact on a program’s success. We can all come together and help each other succeed by sharing strategies to overcome obstacles!”
“The conference fosters a sense of community, enabling the exchange of ideas, knowledge, and experiences. It brings together students with various majors, backgrounds, and interests, creating a rich and vibrant tapestry of perspectives. Engaging in conversations with peers who have faced similar challenges and achieved remarkable success was both empowering and enlightening. ”
EVENT HISTORY
Historic SRBA Conference Programs
- 2023 Event Program - Cambridge and Harvard
- 2022 Event Program (COVID Cancellation)
- 2021 Event Program (COVID Cancellation)
- 2020 Event Program (COVID Cancellation)
- 2019 Event Program - Harvard
See Member Resources
- 2018 Summit Program - Cornell
- 2018 Event Program - Chicago Loyola (Coming Soon)
- 2017 Event Program - Penn (Coming Soon)
- 2016 Event Program - Chicago Loyola (Coming Soon)
Photos from Prior SRBA Annual Conferences
