SURGE Expo24
EVENT CONCLUDED - Click below for news on this years event!
November 14-17th, 2024
at Stanford University
Hosted by Stanford Student Enterprises
Join a WORLD-CLASS community of student leaders, founders, and the people that support them.
We invite student business leaders, founders, and support staff from around the world for 4 days of competition, showcasing, sharing and professional development.
Together, you will learn, connect and compete toe-to-toe.
If you’re interested in starting a student-run business organization, this is a great place to start!
VIEW THE PROGRAM HERE
FEATURING
Mark Cuban
Virtual Keynote
Seth Godin
Virtual Keynote
Quick Links
Schedule - Competitions - Registration - Speakers - FAQ
What’s included with SURGE Expo24 tickets?
Access speakers, workshops, networking activities, happy hours and tours
Compete in our new Impact Datathon (sponsored by Google.org’s Data Commons).
Join our Slack community to meet and share before and after the conference
Full access tickets include perks like meeting keynote speakers, reserved seating, and special entry privileges!
Certain meals provided
2024 Schedule
Day 1: Convene
Welcome & Networking
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(Daytime) Self-Organized Tours
San Francisco City
Redwoods Hiking
Silicon Valley Corporate
(3:30 - 4:30 pm) Storage Scholars Tabling @ White Plaza
(5:00 - 6:30 pm) Blue Collar Success, an event and happy hour featuring Storage Scholars (a student-founded success from Shark Tank)
Day 2: Compete
Compete & Innovate
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This is a dynamic day focused on startups, innovation and building relationships through competition that tests your skills.
(8:30 - 9:00 am) Breakfast
(9:00 - 9:15 am) SURGE Expo Kickoff @ Hoover Institute
(9:15 - 10:00 am) KEYNOTE with NEAL SALES-GRIFFIN, a former student founder now leading Techstars expansions nationally and in SF as Managing Director.
(10:00 - 11:30 am) Pitch Competition
(11:30 - 11:45 am) Break
(11:45 - 12:00 am) Pitch Competition Winners Announced
(12:00 - 12:45 pm) Lunch
(12:50 - 1:45 pm) VC & Founder Panel
(1:45- 4:30 pm) Datathon Sponsored by Google.org’s Data Commons (an inclusive competition for all student attendees)
(1:45 - 3:00 pm) Concurrent Campus Tour
(2:00 - 4:00 pm) Student Marketplace at the Student Store @Tresidder Union
(3:30 - 5:00 pm) Happy Hour at The Arbor @Tresidder Union
Day 3: The Practice
Hands-On Building
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Our hands-on workshops are designed to help you leave with specific applications and better practices.
Note: workshops will include our Foundation Series to help you launch and improve student-run business organizations like Stanford Student Enterprises(8:30 - 9:00 am) Breakfast
(9:00 - 9:20 am) Welcome
(9:30 - 10:20 am) Workshops Round 1, Featuring TECHSTARS SF
(10:30 - 11:00 am) Virtual Interview with Mark Cuban
(11:00 am - 11:30 am) Networking Opportunity
(11:30 - 12:30 pm) Lunch + Keynotes
(12:30 - 12:55 pm) Google x Stanford Consulting Datathon Awards Ceremony
(12:55 - 1:45 pm) Workshops Round 2
(1:55 - 3:20 pm) Roundtables
(3:30 - 4:30 pm) Happy Hour at McColl Plaza
(4:30 - 5:00 pm) End of Day 2
Featured Speakers, Presenters, Judges and Panelists
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Mark Cuban
Virtual Speaker | Founder of Cost Plus Drugs, Owner of Dallas Mavericks and Investor of Shark Tank Fame
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Seth Godin
Virtual Speaker | Author, Founder (Tufts Student Ventures, Stanford MBA Alumni)
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Neal Sales-Griffin
Founder, Investor and Educator;
Managing Director, Techstars -
Sam Chason
Student Founder and CEO, Storage Scholars (Shark Tank and Mark Cuban)
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Pear Chotbunwong
Founder and CEO, HER & Stealth Startup (30u30, Student)
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Tiq Chapa
Senior Associate, L’ATTITUDE Ventures
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Davis Marklin
Founder and CEO, Turned (B&G Ventures Alum)
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Edwin Ong
Partner, AHN Ventures (Recent Grad, Stanford)
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Lilliana Robinson
Accelerator Lead, Techstars
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Emin Israfil
CEO, Rubbish and SF Future Forum
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Owen Raisch
President of SRBA and Founder of ModLearn
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Arantxa Valverde
Director of Gender Equity & Venture Partnerships, World Business Chicago
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Soren Therkelsen
COO and Co-Founder of Qvin (a bio-tech research and health service startup)
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Mehrad Yaghmai
SRBA Board Member | Partner, Climate Cool Collective
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Sambhav Bansal
SRBA Board Member | Alumni Founder of Tiger Student Ventures; Capital Markets at Hamilton Capital Partners
Not Pictured
Ramanathan Guha
OpenAI, Data Commons
Keyur Shah
Data Commons
Natalie Diaz
Data Commons
Competitions
Friday, November 15th 2024
(Day 2 of SURGE Expo24)
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
Student-Run Startup Track
SURGE helps build, supports and showcases the world’s top student founders, launching their own businesses.
This track is for both early-stage concepts (judging emphasizes concept validation and initial growth potential) and scaling startups ((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-Run 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.
Registration Start/ End | July 1, 2024 - September 8, 2024 | Register early for individual support
Invitational Pitch Event 1 | August 15, 2024 | Both informal and qualifying pitches, Virtual
Invitational Pitch Event 2 | September 12, 2024 | Last opportunity for qualifying pitches, Virtual
Semi-Finalist Selection | October 1, 2024 | Date and location for Semi-Finals TBD, Virtual or In-Person
Finals | November 15, 2024 | SURGE Expo ‘24 at Stanford, In-Person
Links to Register and RSVP in “Register” section on this webpage below.
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Finalists
Exposure
Pitch live to an audience of top founders, investors, entrepreneurs, and innovators on SURGE's featured stage.
Opportunity to win one of two top prizes
Your own documentary-style interview from the professional team at SURGE Media, published via SURGE.
Competitor badge on your SURGE Expo Name Badge.
Access and Support
Receive 2 complimentary Full Access tickets to the complete SURGE Expo '24 (our highest package)
Gain access to the SRBA Founders Badge program (in beta).
Access coaching and mentorship sessions with hand-picked entrepreneurs and investors.
Participate in our Invitation-Only SURGE Champions Reception, a cocktail-style reception where teams connect one-on-one with attendees to demo products and receive valuable, in-depth, real-time feedback.
Attend an invite-only networking event for all startups and investors in attendance.
Exclusive time with the Keynote Speaker for Competition Day at SURGE Expo.
Semifinalists
Exposure
Pitch live to an audience of top founders, investors, entrepreneurs, and innovators on SURGE's featured stage.
Opportunity to win one of two top prizes
Your own documentary-style interview from the professional team at SURGE Media, published via SURGE.
Access and Support
Receive 2 complimentary Full Access tickets to the complete SURGE Expo '24 (our highest package)
Gain access to the SRBA Founders Badge program (in beta).
Access coaching and mentorship sessions with hand-picked entrepreneurs and investors.
Attend an invite-only networking event for all startups and investors in attendance.
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The most compelling 4-minute pitch and 2-minute Q&A wins the Student-Run Startup Cup and a small cash prize.
Student-Run Business Track
SURGE provides an opportunity to showcase and learn from the top student-run business organizations (SRBOs) that enable students to learn by building and operating real-world businesses.
This track is 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.
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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
Datathon
Google x Stanford Consulting Datathon
An event for all students, no technical experience required.
Overview: Stanford Consulting is working with Google Data Commons to host an in-person datathon on Stanford’s campus. Students will get the opportunity to explore datasets available in Data Commons. Then, they can use the data science techniques they've learned in courses to perform hands-on data analyses. The datathon will take place from November 15-16, 2024 as a part of SURGE Expo24. For more details check out our Notion page here.
Students: Participants will have from 2:00 PM on November 15 to 9:00 AM on November 16, 2024 to extract insights and produce extrapolations from datasets in Data Commons. You can check out what datasets they offer here. Prompts and datasets will span various sectors, including education, environment, demographics, and more. Participants will work via Google Collab notebooks to analyze these datasets. Participants will submit a notebook and a poster that summarizes their findings. Lunch will be provided before the datathon launch and at the awards ceremony. Location: David & Joan Traitel Building.
Judges: Judges will lead the awards ceremony from 12:30 PM - 1:00 PM on November 16, 2024. Lunch will be provided during the award ceremony. Location: Frances C. Arrillaga Alumni Center.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact Tushar Dalmia at tdalmia@stanford.edu.
Workshops
Hosted by student-leaders and industry experts, participants will leave the series with actionable strategies and long-term plans to ensure their business’ success at every stage of growth.
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Hosted by Carson Coody / The University of the South
This workshop highlights the journey of TSV Apparel, a student-run business that meets the demand for affordable custom t-shirts in the Sewanee community. The workshop covers TSV's market research, cost-effective strategies, and impressive growth metrics, highlighting the competitive advantages that contributed to its success. An interactive group exercise will engage participants in brainstorming opportunities for their specific campus that can drive entrepreneurial growth.
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Hosted by Todd Brisky / Harvard University
Directing an e-commerce business can be a great fit in terms of operating a student-run business. However, there is a complex ecosystem of functions required to do it well. Using The Harvard Shop's online shop as an example, we will share perspectives on the many different elements required to successfully operate an e-commerce business from customer interfacing to payments and fulfillment.
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Hosted by Macy Buck / University of Dayton
Flyer Enterprises’ workshop will highlight their keys to success in running lucrative food and beverage operations on-campus. On their Dayton, Ohio campus, these students successfully run and operate over 8 divisions that sell food and beverages that bring in millions of dollars in revenue. They will use their businesses as examples to present on what works and what has not in the on-campus food and beverage industry.
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Hosted by Arantxa Valverde and Lilliana Robinson / Techstars
This workshop explores the three core pillars of successful accelerator programs—curriculum, mentorship, and community—and how these principles can be applied within student organizations. We’ll discuss common challenges student entrepreneurs face and highlight real-life case studies from students navigating their entrepreneurial paths.
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Hosted by Todd Brisky / Harvard University
Digital marketing is an effective, scalable and measurable means for advertising your businesses. After student wages and rent, digital marketing is our third largest expense pool and understanding digital marketing is a leverageable skill for numerous post-college professional opportunities. We will share some digital marketing basics and how we use Search, Email and Social Media to drive our different agencies to new markets.
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Hosted by Owen Raisch / Student-Run Business Association
From managing finances to streamlining workflows, the right tools can make all the difference in your SRBO’s success - and they relate to your strategic priorities. This roundtable will focus on the operational systems and technologies SRBOs use to stay efficient and adaptable. We’ll examine common challenges, highlight innovative solutions, and share updates on SRBA resources, including software integrations, process improvement guides, and the Founders Badge for Students. Join us to exchange ideas and shape how SRBA supports your operational excellence.
Introducing the Student-Run
MARKETPLACE
The Wonder Playground is a curated student-led marketplace at SURGExpo 2024, held at Stanford University on Friday, November 15, 2024.
This event will showcase up to 30 unique for-profit, nonprofit, and student founded organizations, offering you the chance to engage with SURGExpo attendees through interactive activities that highlight your products and mission.
Vendors can submit applications until the deadline October 20th, 2024. If selected to participate, you will be notified by email. Vendor Benefits include a booth at the marketplace, one free ticket for a team representative, a social media feature on SURGE platforms, and the opportunity to be part of the SURGE docuseries.
Sponsor SURGE Expo24
We are building an incredible group of sponsors for SURGE Expo24, including top funds, firms and startups. Click below to learn more and get involved!
Speaker Highlight
Seth Godin
Seth is an entrepreneur, best-selling author, and speaker. In addition to launching one of the most popular blogs in the world, he has written 21 best-selling books, including The Dip, Linchpin, Purple Cow, Tribes, and What To Do When It's Your Turn (And It's Always Your Turn). His book, This is Marketing, was an instant bestseller in countries around the world. His latest books are The Song of Significance and The Practice, and creatives everywhere have made it a bestseller.
Join SRBA
Pioneering students and administrators face lonely, challenging, uncharted territory. Join SRBA for:
- Community | Student-Run Business leaders just like you
- Mentors and Companions
- Badges & Certifications | proven methods for the path ahead
We’ve been hard at work on new innovations, too; from our trained chatbot Stan to badges that make it easy to perform, learn and earn credit for your work
Registration
This event has concluded, but we look forward to seeing you at SURGE Expo25!
Click below to learn more.
FAQs
General Information
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The SURGE 2024 Annual Expo will be held at Stanford University from November 14-17, 2024.
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The Expo is open to student-run business organizations, aspiring educational organizations, industry professionals, alumni, and sponsors associated with the SRBA.
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Registration details are available on our Expo page.
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The Expo spans four days that showcase various locations on campus at Stanford:
1. November 14: Early Registration and Welcome Reception
2. November 15: Competition and Innovation Day
3. November 16: Educational Workshops and Networking
4. November 17: Final Presentations and Closing Remarks (SSE Offices)For more details please see our Expo page.
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Yes, there will be multiple structured networking activities, including evening events and roundtable discussions.
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For more information, please contact the SRBA team via email at conference@srbassociation.org.
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SRBA adheres to all local and federal guidelines for COVID-19 safety. Updates on specific measures will be provided closer to the event date.
Participation & Sponsorship
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If you are interested in facilitating a workshop, please contact conference@srbassociation.org. Specific guidelines and deadlines will be provided.
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Sponsorship opportunities are available at various levels. Contact the SRBA sponsorship team for more details and to customize your sponsorship package.
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Yes, volunteers are welcome. Please contact conference@srbassociation.org to express your interest and availability.
Competition
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The SURGE 24 Annual Expo will be held at Stanford University from November 14-17, 2024. The competition day is scheduled for the second day of the Expo - Friday, November 15, 2024.
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The competition is open to student-run business organizations and individual student entrepreneurs.
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The deadline for registration is November 8th. Please check the SRBA website for updated deadlines.
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There are four main tracks: Green, Product, Social, and Health.
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The competition follows a structured format with qualifying criteria similar to leading startup competitions, focusing on innovation, market viability, business model, and execution plan. Participants will pitch their startups to a panel of judges.
Each pitch session includes a presentation, Q&A, and feedback.
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Invitational Pitch Events: 30-second pitch with 2 minutes of feedback (informal) or 4-minute pitch with 4 minutes of Q&A (formal).
Semi-Finals: 4-minute pitch followed by 12-minute Q&A.
Finals: 4-minute pitch followed by 12-minute Q&A.
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Competitors may only submit one pitch for the qualifying pitch, though they can join the August 1st Invitational Pitch event and join their coaching session to refine their concept.
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Pitches will be judged based on: 1. Innovation and Impact 2. Market Validation 3. Execution Plan 4. Presentation Skills
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The judges are a panel of industry experts, seasoned entrepreneurs, and academic professionals. Semi-finals are judged predominantly by student judges, while finals are judged predominantly by VC judges.
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Participants should prepare a clear and concise pitch deck, practice their presentation skills, and be ready to answer questions from the judges. Guidance and resources will be provided upon registration and as we near the event. Participants should also attend the pre-qualifying pitch events for additional practice.
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The Pre-Qualifying Pitch Sessions provide a low-stakes environment to refine your pitch and receive feedback from industry experts.
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These virtual events are designed to help participants refine their pitches, receive feedback, and determine final qualifications for those still being considered for the main competition.
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Teams interested in participating should register through the SRBA website or by contacting conference@srbassociation.org.
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Yes, participants will have access to mentorship sessions, pitch workshops, and online resources to help them prepare. Participants are encouraged to focus on customer validation and traction, as well as refining their business models and execution plans.
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Yes, participants will receive detailed feedback from judges and mentors during the pre-qualifying events to help them improve their pitches for the main competition.
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Prizes include cash awards and mentorship opportunities. Specific prize details will be announced closer to the event.
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Yes, the competition will be covered by SRBA’s media partners, and highlights will be shared on SRBA’s social media channels.
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Yes, the competition is open to all conference attendees. Audience members can watch the pitches and participate in the networking sessions.
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For more information, please contact the SRBA competition team via email at conference@srbassociation.org.
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Participants can opt to keep their pitches confidential until the competition day. A checkbox will be available on the application form to indicate if they prefer their pitches to be shared only with judges and mentors.
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Advisors are selected based on experience as student founders, experienced founders, venture capital investors, and recommendations from SRBA affiliates. They are matched with student founders based on alignment of personal interests and strengths to contribute to the founding team.
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Advisors will guide founders to succeed based on personal understanding, judging criteria for the competition, etc. Advisors will meet with competitors at least 2 times for 30 minutes prior to the qualifying event, according to their discretion.
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Judges will provide feedback based on a set of criteria, give personal scores prior to discussion, reach consensus with other judges, and use averaged scores for final decisions.
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Denied teams will not be qualified or able to present again, unless an exception is provided by the judges. Qualified teams advance to the Semi-Finals (up to 20 teams). Deferred teams from the August 1st event may present again in the September event.
Quick Links
Schedule - Competitions - Registration - Sponsor Us - FAQ