Stories & Updates

University of Delaware students showed their passion for the environment on Monday, May 8, at the 3rd Annual Ratcliffe Eco Entrepreneurship Fellows Pitch Day, hosted by Horn Entrepreneurship at the Venture Development Center. This year’s six teams of eco-entrepreneurs pitched their innovative and creative business ideas persuasively, addressing unique environmental issues to a panel of expert judges for a prize pool of $6,000. 

Horn Entrepreneurship and E-Club once again hosted the Spring Pitch Party on April 12 at the Venture Development Center, bringing exciting ideas and ventures to the spotlight in a Hollywood-themed exhibition. The evening featured 15 innovative pitches from University of Delaware students of varying majors and experience levels, each with their own unique startup ideas to share with the packed audience.

This IHeartUD Giving Day, Horn Entrepreneurship is celebrating and remembering a longtime supporter of Horn by creating the Rysheema Dixon Legacy Award. Meant to honor the impact Dixon had on the local entrepreneurial ecosystem and the City of Wilmington, the funding will be used to support UD student social innovators and entrepreneurs who best exemplify Dixon’s commitment to improving the lives of others through social innovation. Recipients of the Rysheema Dixon Legacy Award will be expected to utilize award funding in pursuit of sustainable societal impact.

Horn Entrepreneurship's EntreX Lab dual enrollment program equips students to thrive amidst rapid change by cultivating agile thinking and developing their creative problem-solving skillsets. 

On December 19, student teams from Saint John Vianney and ASPIRA Academy gathered on Zoom to participate in an EntreX NASA Innovation Sprint. Equipped with documents describing a handful of innovative technologies from NASA, several teams brainstormed potential applications for the tech to solve problems in their local communities and contexts. The event brought out lots of creative ideas for applications of the tech, and inspired some young entrepreneurs along the way.

Earn Money for Pitching Your Startup Idea!

Do you have a cool idea for a product or service?  Live at the Venture Development Center on April 12 from 6-7:30 pm, Horn Entrepreneurship and E-Club’s annual Spring Pitch Party is the perfect place to share your ideas, practice pitching to a panel of young entrepreneurial alumni judges and audience of peers, and receive feedback on your concept and presentation. Pitch parties are meant for those new to pitching an idea, so the environment is encouraging, casual and low-stress, making it a great way to get involved with the Horn Entrepreneurship community! The event also features $500 in cash prizes, topical awards, and $20 gift cards for every person who pitches!

Horn Entrepreneurship is happy to announce that we recently welcomed a new faculty member to the community, Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship Duygu Phillips. Phillips joins us from Oklahoma State University, where she worked as a postdoctoral researcher after earning her Ph.D. in Entrepreneurship to complement a master’s degree in marketing from the University of Birmingham(UK) and undergraduate degrees from Galatasaray University in communications as well as advertising and public relations. 

University of Delaware Class of ‘94 alumna Joelle Flynn will appear on Shark Tank Feb. 17 to pitch a product designed by her company FunkkOFF! with Co-Founder and Co-CEO Sonia Hounsell. FunkkOFF!, a winner of UD’s Blue Hen 17 & 43 Award in 2021 and 2022, has disrupted the $34B oral care industry with their innovative dental beauty accessory FunkkOFF! TeethRefreshers, the only multi-use, all-in-one, oral care solution that fits in the palm of your hand. 

VentureOn is a semester-long application-based program that offers students a chance to validate a problem and build a viable solution in resolving a chosen area of personal interest. Ventures range from social, to business, to product ideas. This article is the second in a series of three introducing the extensive and diverse teams in the VentureOn program.

Hen Hatch, Horn Entrepreneurship’s premier startup funding competition, has finally come to a close after the third and final round was held on Thursday, Dec. 1 at The Tower Audion at UD’s STAR Campus. The final round marks the culmination of a months-long competition, with many of our teams having worked for years on their startups. The six teams that moved on from the semifinal round showcased their most persuasive pitches for the event, each vying for 1st place spot in their respective tracks and the prizes that come with it. 

On November 10, Horn Entrepreneurship and The Siegfried Group hosted the 2022 Siegfried Award for Entrepreneurship Leadership Event to recognize individuals for demonstrating excellence in leadership and outstanding contributions to the understanding and practice of entrepreneurial leadership.