Our first feature in the series focuses on Daphne Vantine, a 2018 graduate of the University of Delaware. She majored in Entrepreneurship with a minor in Integrated Design. In her undergrad she was heavily involved in VentureOn and was also a Horn Embassador. Beyond her artistic endeavors, Daphne enjoys thrifting and supporting local small businesses like her own.
After graduation, Daphne found herself burned out by the corporate world and sought a way to combine her love of art with a sustainable business venture. Her mother, an artist herself, was a significant inspiration in Daphne's journey to start her own art business. One piece of advice from her mother that guided her was to “charge what you are worth” and reject the starving artist mentality, emphasizing the importance of taking herself seriously as an entrepreneur.
Startup Spotlight
Daphne’s business, Daphne Rae Creative, is a multimedia art enterprise. Naming the business after herself allowed her to establish a personal brand as a creative while maintaining the flexibility to explore various art forms without being confined to one medium.
After launching her business, Daphne gained valuable insights into her audience by participating in her first in-person markets. These events allowed her to observe, in real time, which types of art resonated most with her customers. While a majority of her sales currently come from these markets, she is actively working to expand her e-commerce presence and transition more of her audience to online sales.
One of Daphne's proudest achievements to date was her week-long pop-up showcase in Melrose, Massachusetts, hosted by UpNext’s Project: Popup initiative in November 2024. This event was a major success, contributing 16% of her year-to-date revenue during the holiday season. Beyond the financial success, the showcase boosted Daphne’s confidence as an artist and left her excited about participating in similar events in the future.
Looking ahead, Daphne plans to focus on creating and selling more original paintings and is exploring opportunities for gallery representation. Art licensing is another avenue she is considering, as it would allow her to generate passive income from her work.
In addition to her professional goals, Daphne has exciting projects in the works for Daphne Rae Creative, including in-person art workshops, and on a personal note, she is preparing for her upcoming marriage in February!
To learn more about Daphne and her journey, visit her website at DaphneRaeCreative.com and subscribe to her newsletter at https://www.daphneraecreative.com/subscribe. You can also follow her on Instagram to see her incredible work: @daphneraecreative.
The University of Delaware's Horn Entrepreneurship program boasts an impressive roster of alumni who have transformed their creative visions into thriving startups. To celebrate and spotlight their achievements, we are launching a new series highlighting the journeys of these successful entrepreneurial trailblazers.
Horn Entrepreneurship serves as the creative engine for entrepreneurship education and advancement at the University of Delaware. Currently ranked among the best entrepreneurship programs in the U.S., horn Entrepreneurship was built and is actively supported by successful entrepreneurs, empowering aspiring innovators as they pursue new ideas for a better world.
