Stories & Updates

Horn Entrepreneurship recently honored Dave Raymond with the 2024 Siegfried Award for Entrepreneurial Leadership and Nasir Young with the 2024 Student Award at a private dinner and award ceremony. The Siegfried Award for Entrepreneurial Leadership recognizes exceptional individuals who have not only shown themselves to be stewards of innovation through significant contributions to the leadership ecosystem, but have also made a significant positive impact on their communities and industries.

Effective leadership in the dynamic world of innovation and entrepreneurship is essential, driving both growth and creativity. At the heart of this leadership is the ability to lead oneself before guiding others. The Siegfried Fellows program is founded on this principle. Meet the 2024-2025 cohort of Siegfried Fellows.

The Venture Development Center was packed Wednesday night for the 2024 Fall Pitch Party. The event, designed for students new to pitching, provided a stage for innovative ideas, a space for networking, and a showcase for student startups. Everyone who participated received a $20 gift card, while the top 3 received monetary prizes in recognition of their outstanding presentations and concept potential.

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!