Stories & Updates

We are sharing this highlight of Delaware Innovation Fellow Miranda Petti and her journey serving abroad as a Senior Airman of the U.S. Air Force Reserve Command while enrolled in her sophomore year at University of Delaware. Read the full story on UDaily.

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.

Summer Founders 2021 Teams Announced

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.

The Diamond Challenge, an entrepreneurship platform for high school students from around the world, recently wrapped up its week-long summit which took place virtually this year, from April 11 - 16, 2021.

[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.

In the spaces of creative disruption where entrepreneurs operate, the skills of effective leadership have always been of key importance, and are inextricably tied to the spirit of innovation. However, before anyone can even begin to become a leader of others, they must first learn to lead themselves.

As an aspiring entrepreneur from Wilmington, Delaware, Mike Shumate is no stranger to stepping outside of his comfort zone. Over the course of his time in the Associates in Arts Program, Shumate has quickly made a name for himself through his engagement across a number of Horn Entrepreneurship’s programs and competitions.

Dr. Robert Ddamulira is a firm believer in the power of people. In other words, he is convinced that any problem, no matter how daunting, can be solved through cooperation and a little bit of disruptive creativity – a rather simple conviction that informs Ddamulira’s entrepreneurial approach to the existential challenge of climate change.

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.