A Decade of Entrepreneurship and Innovation: Wolfie Tank Turns 10

Wolfie Tank 2024 winners Mayur Talele (left) and Kishan Patel.

In 2015, Stony Brook's Innovation Lab debuted Wolfie Tank, a pitch competition similar to the popular TV show Shark Tank that gave Stony Brook University faculty, staff and students a chance to highlight their ideas in front of entrepreneurs from the Long Island business community.

Wolfie Tank was the brainchild of two students who believed the blending of innovation and entrepreneurship would make a difference in many students' lives.

"Something inside me knew that these students were right," said David Ecker, adjunct faculty member in the College of Business and founder of the event. "As we look back at 10 years of Wolfie Tank, we can see that this has become much more than a competition."

Last month the College of Business, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Division of Information Technology, and Economic Development collaborated to mark the popular event's 10th anniversary. Stony Brook alum Derek Peterson, founder and CEO of Soter Technologies, a Long Island-based vape detection company, returned as judge for the tenth consecutive year.He was joined by Distinguished Professor of Management Manuel London and Danielle Tedesco, director of strategy and innovation for HealthPlan Services.

From left: David Ecker, Derek Peterson, Danielle Tedesco and Manuel London.

"This event highlights the creativity, ingenuity, and exciting programs that Stony Brook is committed to do from the business and engineering schools," said Ecker. "These young entrepreneurs took the risk of sharing what they were doing and really brought the essence of the program together."

Ecker said that Stony Brook has a complete commitment to creative ideas by its students and its young people that crosses all boundaries, providing a critical starting point to bring those creative ideas to life across the university.

"As we grow, so do the spinoffs that encourage students' growth and learning," he said. "For example, Stony Brook collaborated with SUNY Old Westbury and SUNY Farmingdale to launch a regional event called SUNY LI Pitch Fest where two teams are sent from each school to complete, which is now in its third year."

Ecker also noted that Stony Brook's Campus Beautification committee held the inaugural Art Tank in October, where artists pitched ideas to a panel of judges for the chance to have their work showcased on campus.

"Wolfie Tank is that catalyst that we've used to spark business ideas and Art Tank sparks art ideas," said Ecker. "We aren't sure what's next, but this ecosystem that we've developed has made a positive impact on our students' lives."

Winners Mayur Talele and Kishan Patel make their pitch for Antigence.

This year six teams pitched their ideas to the judges. The team of Mayur Talele, a junior biochemistry major,and Kishan Patel, a sophomore biology major, was awarded the $2,500 top prize for showcasing a new AI technology with antigen research for the biotech field.

"Our pitch was called Antigence, a revolutionary technology at the crossroads of therapeutics, AI, and machine learning," said Patel. "It accurately generates antibodies - proteins your body uses to fight illness - and visualizes their sequences and structures to target specific illness-causing proteins like viruses."

Patel said the ability to design antibodies with such precision is crucial in fighting diseases that lack effective treatments. "This game-changing innovation streamlines the process of antibody therapeutics research and development by cutting costs and accelerating research, discovery, and deployment, transforming the future of medicine."

Talele called the Wolfie Tank experience "challenging and enlightening."

"I definitely learned a lot along the way, not only in terms of building a business but also skills in areas that I thought I would never encounter, such as machine learning, coding, and others," he said. "There were many roadblocks and challenges along the way, especially with training the machine learning model. With perseverance and dedication, as well as with help from others, Mayur and I were able to progress and develop Antigence into the technology it is today."

Both students were inspired to compete after realizing the potential that Antigence has to revolutionize the R&D process for antibody therapeutic drugs.

"The opportunity to showcase our product, gain traction, and receive feedback from experts in the field was too good to pass up," said Patel. "We hoped that by doing this, we could bring our idea further and push it to the masses."

The experience aligns with Patel's current career goals of working as a physician while also pursuing entrepreneurial opportunities on the side. "My goal is to make an impact in the healthcare field by being a provider, and Antigence has started to create the bridge between medicine and entrepreneurship that I desire," he said.

Talele plans to pursue an MD-PhD to combine medical training with a deep understanding of therapeutic research and development. "My ultimate goal is to be an entrepreneur at the intersection of science, medicine, and technology, driving innovation in the biotech industry," he said. "Leading Antigence has further solidified my passion for using innovation to address unmet medical needs, inspiring me to push the boundaries of what's possible in medicine."

Talele was a high school senior when he and his brother, Satyam Talele '22, won Wolfie Tank in 2021.

"Having participated in Wolfie Tank before with my brother I felt more confident this time, especially knowing how to craft a clear, compelling pitch," he said, crediting his brother with being a mentor who provided valuable advice and feedback. "His insights were instrumental in my preparation and overall success."

Ecker said Wolfie Tank's success shows that the campus believes in the ideas that its students have and encourages them to reach for their dreams. "This commitment has been the mission of the university since its inception in 1957 and continues to this day," he said. "Wolfie Tank is one of those events that encourage and develop students to think out of the box. The creative thinking they developed will carry them throughout their lives."

- Robert Emproto

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