Stories & Updates

In a time where it can be easy to feel lost as a young business professional, UD alum Brad Bono’s Aspire Interactive shines as a mentorship-focused organization dedicated to guiding individuals through their lives and careers while facing the complexities of the digital age. Aspire Interactive is meant to be a beacon of wisdom and experience, designed to empower people in this rapidly evolving landscape. At the heart of Brad's approach is the profound significance of mentorship. Bono, a seasoned entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience starting and exiting businesses in the telecommunications industry, has seen the pitfalls and stressors of a professional life, and now wants to help the next generation tackle those challenges.

University of Delaware students, are you looking for opportunities to earn cash and recognition to fuel your college experience and future career? Horn Entrepreneurship has revamped our Awards and Scholarships with a streamlined application process, and here are three compelling reasons why you should jump on this opportunity:

Horn Entrepreneurship at the University of Delaware is pleased to unveil a dynamic shift in the application process for our esteemed Entrepreneurship Awards and Scholarships. Departing from traditional essays, the new modernized approach seeks to streamline the process for students while providing a better assessment through the eyes of our newly implemented selection committee, composed of Horn Entrepreneurship faculty and staff. Applications are now open until March 10.

The Fall Pitch Party, hosted by the Entrepreneurship Club and Horn Entrepreneurship at the University of Delaware, brought a night filled with creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit on October 25th at the Venture Development Center. The annual competition, which was Halloween-themed this year, serves as a platform for budding entrepreneurs to share their game-changing ideas and receive feedback from a panel of experienced entrepreneurs. 

In the face of an ever-escalating climate crisis, the need for innovative solutions has never been more critical. Now, more than ever, we require a dynamic, multidisciplinary approach to tackle the pressing challenges posed by climate change. The University of Delaware's REEF@UD Eco Entrepreneurship program invites scientists, engineers, policy makers, entrepreneurs, artists, and anyone eager to make a difference to join us in a two-day Eco Sprint dedicated to developing creative solutions for coastal resilience in Delaware and beyond.The sprint, titled Shoring Up Against Climate Change: Design for Coastal Resilience, will be hosted Friday, Oct. 6, from 4pm to 8pm & Saturday, Oct. 7, from 10am to 2pm at the Venture Development Center.

When it comes to nurturing the entrepreneurial spirit, few programs can rival Horn Entrepreneurship’s prestigious startup funding competition known as Hen Hatch. For years, Hen Hatch has been the launchpad for countless innovative ideas and fledgling businesses, transforming them into thriving ventures. With the Hen Hatch application period open from now until September 20th, if you're a UD student with entrepreneurial aspirations, here's why you should consider applying for this remarkable opportunity.

The Horn Entrepreneurship Youth team hosted it’s first regional pitch event outside of Delaware this year for EntreX, a dual enrollment program from the University of Delaware that provides first-hand experience with the entrepreneurial process to high school students throughout the Mid-Atlantic. While the program has held many pitch events in Delaware and virtually with students from across the country, the EntreX Regional Showcase at Rutgers University on February 28 was a big milestone as the first in-person event of its kind to be held outside our home state.

The much-anticipated culmination of months of hard work and innovation arrived as the Summer Founder's Demo Day took center stage at the University of Delaware’s Bob Carpenter Center on August 17. Summer Founders, UD’s pre-accelerator for students, is a 12-week program designed for students with early stage startups to work on their ventures and receive a stipend, mentorship and education sessions. To cap off a summer of innovation and learning, entrepreneurs, investors, and industry experts gathered for an occasion filled with excitement and anticipation. The atmosphere was charged with a palpable energy, as the spotlight shifted onto the cohort of startups that had undergone an intensive acceleration journey.

As Summer Founders Demo Day gets closer and closer, get to know a little more about our amazing cohort members and their ventures. Ahmad, Saviour, and Tom are all about growing the impact they can have on other people, individually helping others through marketing, education, and cars. Read on to learn about their stories, the value their startups bring, and their focuses for this summer.

During the 2023 winter session, a group of University of Delaware students traveled 1000 miles across the globe to study workplace culture in the Down Under. 100 years earlier, UD study abroad found its roots as America’s first study abroad program in 1923, when it was brought to life by UD Professor Raymond W. Kirkbride and University President Walter S. Hullihen, two individuals who saw the potential that international travel and study had for promoting cross-cultural understanding. Created despite challenges including the university’s refusal to fund research overseas, difficulties in logistics for travel and lodging, and isolationist tendencies following the war, Kirkbride and Hullihen’s efforts have enabled U.S. students at UD and elsewhere to study across the globe. Although Horn Entrepreneurship’s individual history with study abroad may not reach back quite as far, we are excited to celebrate the progress made, optimism for future courses, and the success of our latest study abroad offerings in Winter 2023’s workplace culture course in Australia and social entrepreneurship & disability studies in Thailand(recap to come!).