Stories & Updates

The Blue Hen 17&43 Awards are the University of Delaware’s way of recognizing students and alumni who are part of today’s most promising new ventures and fastest-growing companies. Applications are being sought through July 23, 2021, with an award presentation planned for September.

University of Delaware startups GetPotluck and TheraV won a total of $40,000 at the 2021 Startup302 competition, a Delaware-based funding competition for technology-enabled startups led by underrepresented founders.

Like many teens and young adults in the U.S., Darian Elmendorf had spent many years throughout high school and college silently battling anxiety and depression. And while his struggles were real and acutely felt in his daily life, they were not, at first, readily identifiable.

[Photo by Andrew Hutchins]

At 26 years old, Joe Vela had just quit his Philadelphia tech job to commit to drumming full time and to go on tour with his band, Tweed. It had only been a few years after he and his bandmates had graduated from the University of Delaware, and the opportunity to pursue music was one which they all agreed came only once in a lifetime.

Elizabeth (Lizzy) Adams is a marketing manager for Google, focused on higher education. At UD, she earned a bachelor of arts in mass communication, with minors in journalism and political science in 2013, followed by a master’s degree in entrepreneurship and design, plus a certificate in social media and marketing. While studying at UD, she also worked as a communication specialist for the College of Education and Human Development and as a communication coordinator for the Institute of Global Studies and the Office for International Students and Scholars.

The WE Hatch Practical Insights & Networking Conversations series connects participants with two successful women (a recent graduate and an experienced alumnae leader), who share insights into their careers they wish they had known, practiced or explored earlier. In the virtual sessions participants have the opportunity to listen, discuss, and network in breakout rooms.

At the unique intersection of social entrepreneurship, academia, and public service, you’re likely to find few who have struck a balance as well as Rysheema Dixon, a Philadelphia-born social entrepreneur who has found her calling in serving her community.

Reading books is one of the best ways to exercise your mind, offering stress relief, memory enhancement, and improved cognitive function. Along with the mental health benefits that reading offers, books can teach new skills, help readers find growth, and share the valuable experience of other accomplished individuals.

George Munyua earned a bachelor of science degree in entrepreneurship and technology innovation from the University of Delaware in 2019, followed by a master of science in executive technology management from Columbia University, due in 2020. At UD, he was a member of the Lerner International Students Association.

Daphne Vantine is an account executive at Wistia, a Massachusetts company that helps marketers make business more human by harnessing the power of video. She earned a bachelor’s degree in entrepreneurship and technology innovation and integrated design in 2018. While at the University of Delaware, she was a member of the Phi Sigma Sigma sorority and participated in Horn Entrepreneurship’s VentureOn program.