Stories & Updates

Do you have an idea for a new product or service?  The Fall Pitch Party will occur at the Venture Development Center on Wednesday, October 23 from 6 pm-7:30 pm. The Pitch Party is a unique event tailored for UD students who are new to the experience of pitching ideas.

More than 200 students from 17 high schools joined together to participate in the EntreX Lab Delaware Connect design sprint, a timed competition in which students address a problem and pitch a solution to a panel of judges.

Horn Entrepreneurship’s Enrichment programs enhance the college experience by bringing students into a supportive community of like-minded peers while helping them gain valuable skills, experiences, and connections outside the classroom.

The Summer Founders program is a 12-week pre-accelerator initiative from June 3 to August 15. During this time, students will receive a stipend while working on developing their ventures. The program features weekly mentoring, educational sessions, and progress meetings with advisors. Its flexible structure and individualized mentorship allow each team to focus on achieving their unique goals. The program culminates in "Demo Day," a presentation to mentors, advisors, and stakeholders on Thursday, August 15th, where student participation is mandatory. Participants are required to work on the University of Delaware campus throughout the program.  The teams in the efficiency theme include ArPlan, One Click Docs, Kitch Co., Offshore Fishing Intel Service. 

Nicholai Williamson is a senior majoring in Entrepreneurship and Management, with a minor in Professional Selling and Sales Management. As one of the winners of Hen Hatch, the University of Delaware’s premier startup competition that provides resources, networking opportunities, and support for entrepreneurial ventures, he is also the founder of BonaFyde. BonaFyde Inc. is a startup dedicated to helping international prospective students select the right university by offering detailed admissions information and facilitating one-on-one Zoom calls with current college students.

The Summer Founders program takes approximately 12 weeks, from June 3 to August 15. During this pre-accelerator program, students receive a stipend while developing their ventures. They are supported by weekly mentoring, educational sessions, and progress meetings with advisors. The flexible structure and individualized mentorship allow each team to work on achieving specific goals unique to their projects. The program concludes with "Demo Day," a presentation to mentors, advisors, and stakeholders on Thursday, August 15, which all students must attend. Two of the teams involved in the Summer Founders program this summer are Convertible Dress and Maker Pants.  They are both under the theme of Fashion Sustainability.

Hen Hatch is a startup funding competition that allows University of Delaware entrepreneurial students to share their startup and startup ideas. Ian Drogowitz won fourth place in Hen Hatch 2023, this past fall with his startup Legacy Loom!

VentureOn 2024: Honoring Environmental Ventures

VentureOn is a semester-long program that necessitates an application process. It enables students to validate a problem and develop a practical solution within their areas of interest. These projects may address social issues, business concepts, or product ideas. Students participating in the program come from diverse universities and have a wide range of majors and areas of study.

VentureOn is a program that spans a semester and requires an application. It gives students the opportunity to validate a problem and create a practical solution related to their personal interests. These projects can cover social issues, business concepts, or product ideas. The students come from multiple different universities with a variety of different majors and areas of study.