Student Entrepreneur Center
When you join the Student Entrepreneur Center (SEC), you have the opportunity to:
- Turn your ideas into a workable business plan ready for future success
- Gain access to weekly Lunch and Learns every Friday
- Be invited to exclusive community events
- Have access to our state-of-the-art workstations, student lounges, meeting spaces, and podcast studio
- Get paired with one of our in-house mentors
- Get connected with alumni and local business organizations
- Grow your skills and launch your ideas into fully formed businesses!
Peter Divone, Sr
Peter Divone, Sr is an accomplished Chemical Process Engineer with over 40 years of experience working with several multinational companies including Colgate-Palmolive, RJR Nabisco and Unilever. In his 25+ years at Unilever R&D, Mr. Divone held positions as Director of Global R&D Process Skin Care and Cleansing Process Engineering and Director of Site Operations, Tech Services and Environment, Health and Safety. Mr. Divone’s patented batch and semi-continuous personal care liquids manufacturing designs can be found in 20 factories in 12 countries around the world. Mr. Divone is the president of Plante Solutions, LLC. In addition to serving as an EIR, he is also a member of UB’s Bauer Hall Innovation Center and Ernest C. Trefz School of Business Advisory Boards. He was appointed to 3DX Industries’ Board of Directors.
Dr. Gad Selig
Dr. Gad Selig is a highly accomplished technology leader and academic professional, with over 25+ years in technology leadership roles with major firms including AT&T, CBS, and Verizon, and 17+ years in academia where he served as Dean of Industry Outreach at University of Bridgeport (UB). Dr. Selig also founded a consulting firm, GPS Group LLC, that provides technology and education services to small, medium and Fortune 500 firms. Dr. Selig is an Adjunct Professor of Management at University of Bridgeport and Fairfield University. He is a certified mentor at SCORE. Dr. Selig is the author of six well-known books in the areas of technology strategy and management, as a result he is a highly sought-after speaker at both industrial and academic conferences. Dr. Selig sat on multiple corporate boards and helped advance their mission by overseeing their technology strategy, management, education and related innovative solutions.
Judy Saffan, Esq.
Judy Saffan, Esq. worked as an attorney with a focus on state and local taxation and federal corporate taxation. Attorney Saffan received a Doctor of Law degree from Tulane University Law School and a Masters of Laws, LLM in Taxation from New York University School of Law. She received a 40-hour Mediation Certification from Quinnipiac University School of Law.
- AIRCOACH
- Audiresoft-Vico
- Bartenders Academy
- Bella Alpacas
- BLACC Bottle
- Chinese American Higher Education Institute
- Education & Cultural Travel
- Hatchlit
- Immersive Shift Labs
- IRL Innovations
- Le Ruux
- Live My Health
- MADE Clothing
- Moola Investment Group
- New Jersey Naturopath
- Rumble Lights
- TubeeTub
- Tucci Polo
The Lunch and Learn series focuses on teaching students the practical concepts of business, which further helps students pitch their ideas at various competitions and attract investors. A few of the many topics covered in these sessions are ideation and validation, what is commercialization, legal entity formation, branding, marketing, price, intellectual property, design thinking, financing, elevator pitch practice session, where students can practice their pitches and improvise with the help of mentors and fellow student entrepreneurs.
Additionally, students are provided with various networking opportunities with board members and serial entrepreneurs.
The Student Entrepreneur Center is:
The Student Entrepreneur Center is free for all UB students and staffed with business professionals with decades of experience in their fields. They are ready to share their expertise to help you succeed!
Have a business idea and want to join the SEC? Fill out the form below.
Sign Up Now
In doing research, I found that 120 children, four years and under, are sent to the emergency room daily for slips and falls in tubs. With the help of the Student Entrepreneur Center, I was able to complete the market research, complete a provisional patent application, and create my prototype for a toddler tub. We went through 10 different iterations, finally completed one, and moved on to the alpha testing. Once we finished our alpha testing, we trademarked the name ‘Tubee’ and filed a full utility patent for our toddler tub. I have won three business plan competitions due to the mentorship and guidance from the weekly lunch-and-learn segments and have made several connections along the way. I could never have imagined accomplishing all of this without the Student Entrepreneur Center.
I had an idea, and I had some business experience, but I didn’t know how to meld the two to launch my idea into reality. The Student Entrepreneur Center gave me the confidence to try. The more I participated, the more I learned, and the people I met were always willing to help guide me.
