Stories & Updates

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.

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 semester we had a significant uptick in applicants, with a total of 54 students applying as 48 teams, up from 29 teams in Spring 2022. These 54 students represent six colleges and 23 college departments or areas of study, bringing together a diverse group of graduate and undergraduate students to form a rich network of sharing. The teams will gather at the Venture Development Center, which acts as the hub for Horn Entrepreneurship activities including VentureOn.

Horn Entrepreneurship and E-club welcomed our amazing student entrepreneurs and innovators to the VDC once again for our semi-annual pitch party, back to in-person at the VDC for the first time since pre-Covid. We had a full house, with 11 students joining us to pitch and a flock of spectators coming in to watch and support their peers as they pitched their best ideas. 

In the US, there are currently thousands of incarcerated students attempting to gain an education, yet their environments lack the needed resources to effectively facilitate learning. Working feverishly to solve that issue is Sia Precision Education, a software development company that uses artificial intelligence to improve education for students in low-resource settings. Acting as their Chief Business Officer is Carlos Benito, a senior at the University of Delaware and an avid member of the Horn Entrepreneurship community.

Meet Bryce Fender, a University of Delaware alumnus, real estate agent, marketing consultant, and most importantly an entrepreneur. As an entrepreneur, Fender has two main goals: to end homelessness and to provide quality, sustainable jobs through art. To reach those goals, he has helped co-found two startups, WilmInvest and Better Puzzles, each helping make his visions a reality.

The last six months flew by! But our community was anything but quiet. Check out all of the accomplishments - and give kudos to your friends. Smile knowing that you are part of a community making an impact on the world.