Stories & Updates

Covid-19 hasn't stopped senior instructor DiFelice, pictured above, from continuing to serve in important mentorship roles for Horn Entrepreneurship students from his own home.

As 2020 Hen Hatch finalists prepare for the busy days ahead leading up to the Hen Hatch competition’s final round where everyone is invited to attend on Dec. 3. The Horn Entrepreneurship team had a chance to reflect on Hen Hatch with Horn community members who have been directly involved in the startup competition.

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.

Mettā Creative co founder Davis Pfund grew up inspired by the entrepreneurial spirit, participating in the school fundraisers and finding odd jobs whenever possible from the young age of 11. Feeling confined by the structures of schools he attended, he struggled with authority and found himself in constant trouble.

Editor's note: as this article is published most of the Summer Founder teams highlighted here have qualified for Hen Hatch 2020 as a semifinalist or finalist. Please refer to those articles on this blog.

With Summer Founders having wrapped up with the culmination of a virtual Demo Day, many of this summer’s teams are reflecting back to discover that the intensive 12-week pre-accelerator was just the beginning of their entrepreneurial journeys.

After a record number of team submissions, the finalists for Hen Hatch 2020, Horn Entrepreneurship’s much-anticipated premier startup competition, have been announced. The following teams of finalists will include three teams from each of the Pre- and Post-Revenue tracks that will compete in the final round of the 2020 Hen Hatch competition that is set to take place virtually on Dec. 3 2020 from 6 to 8 p.m.

2017 Fall Pitch Party is shown, before covid-19 safety measures were required..

The University of Delaware Horn Entrepreneurship brought back their biannual pitch party in virtual fashion this past Wednesday, sporting over 50 viewers and 15 teams presenting pitches.

Hen Hatch, Horn Entrepreneurship’s premier startup funding competition, will hold its semifinal round on Nov. 5, 2020 to determine which six most promising business concepts will advance to the finals to be held on Dec. 3, 2020. The 20 semifinalist teams have already progressed through one round of judging.

On a hot summer day on the New York City subway, Mike Fiorito was struck with an impulse to change his life. He had moved to Brooklyn for work and was making the daily commute to and from his job with his brother, Nick Fiorito. But after a long year of going through the motions, the two brothers could no longer ignore the dissatisfaction they were feeling in life.

The newly-formed Horn Alumni Council brings to the Horn ecosystem a wide-range of professional experience, as well as an embodiment of Horn’s commitment to Equity Thru Entrepreneurship that proudly represents the program’s alumni through the years.

Avalon Greene is an account executive at NBC Universal Media, where she sells and executes marketing campaigns utilizing on-air, digital, social and on-the-ground tactics. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing and entrepreneurship & technology innovation in 2018 from UD, where she co-owned Udwell, which connected off-campus housing owners with potential student renters, and co-founded Revive, a wardrobe-swapping app. She also participated in the Lerner Executive Mentoring Program, Horn’s VentureOn, the Alpha Kappa Psi business fraternity, UDance, the Equestrian Team and a study abroad program in Spain.