If you have participated in one of Horn Entrepreneurship’s commercialization programs, attended a REEF@UD Demo Day at the Venture Development Center or reached out through the UD Innovation Gateway, chances are Linda Walck helped make the experience possible.
As program manager for commercialization, Walck coordinates the people, logistics and connections that keep programs moving forward. From managing complex schedules alongside Troy Wilford, director of commercialization programs, to helping innovators find the right resources across the University of Delaware, she is known for stepping in wherever she can add value.
That willingness to connect, support and solve problems has shaped Walck’s varied career—and now informs the way she invests in Horn’s most important resource: its people.
Tell us about your role and responsibilities as program manager for commercialization.
There are so many programs and responsibilities associated with commercialization that I sometimes feel like a jack of all trades. I’m the glue, the go-to person, the inviter, the supporter and the cheerleader.
I support our programs by managing schedules, arranging catering, inviting guest speakers, reserving locations and handling the many logistics that help everything run smoothly. While much of my core role involves supporting the day-to-day operations of the programs Troy Wilford and I manage, I also enjoy volunteering for Horn-related projects whenever I believe I can contribute.
Several innovators have told me that my outreach or assistance helped them become involved with Horn and move their work forward. That is incredibly meaningful to me.
I also serve as a point person for inquiries submitted through the UD Innovation Gateway. People from inside and outside the university use the website to ask how they can collaborate on research, become involved in innovation initiatives or find answers to specific questions. Although the inquiries are not always directly related to commercialization, I enjoy reviewing them, making connections and helping people find the right resources. I am fortunate to work on that effort with some truly outstanding colleagues.
This year, I also worked to expand Horn’s interdisciplinary presence across UD by representing the organization at campus events where we had not previously had a strong promotional presence. Because I originally joined Horn as the VDC operations coordinator and have been here for more than seven years, I can speak with people about youth programs, the Venture Development Center, commercialization programs and many other aspects of Horn.
You had several successful and varied careers before joining Horn. What did your journey look like, and what brought you to where you are today?
One of my first great jobs was serving as QVC’s first model when I was in my twenties. This was before online shopping became part of everyday life and before QVC even had a returns department. People told me, “I can’t believe you’re going to take that job. Nobody is ever going to shop from television.” But I believed it was going to be massive.
It was a wild and exciting journey. I eventually transitioned from answering phones during the third shift in the order-entry department to working with the senior vice president. Our team managed order entry, customer service, fulfillment and quality assurance, and we helped open international call centers.
I also helped establish what we called the Office of the President. Well-known on-air personalities such as Joan Rivers would receive letters from dissatisfied customers, and I began helping respond to them. Joan would sometimes send me the loveliest notes and jewelry in appreciation. We eventually realized that we needed a proactive team to address these concerns for all our customers. We began tracking account histories so we could prioritize customer satisfaction while also identifying policy abuse. We helped pioneer a customer-first approach.
By the time I was 28, I was ready for a change and moved to Pittsburgh, where I built a successful career as an office manager and executive assistant. Later, I found myself in Michigan, working a dead-end full-time job and four part-time jobs. I had no family nearby and was struggling to pay my mortgage.
I found a receptionist position at a robotics company in the newspaper and applied. During my first interview, the company president told me, “You’re no receptionist, but if you’re willing, I’ll create a job for you.”
He created a sales coordinator position and asked me to help manage the sales process and correct quotes. Within a year, I was promoted to selling spare parts and consumables. As I gained experience and earned the confidence of my customers, management recognized that I was ready for a larger role. I eventually became an account manager and successfully designed and sold six-axis robotic systems.
I later left Michigan to start a family closer to home, which brought me to Delaware. I enjoyed being a stay-at-home mom and teaching five dance classes each week in Hockessin as a contractor for New Castle County. I helped develop a Parkinson’s fitness dance class that I taught twice a week for many years, along with Zumba and a class I created called Fitness Dance Party. I loved discovering music that would inspire participants and creating my own choreography.
It was difficult to leave teaching for a position at UD. But from my first interview with Horn, I knew it was the right choice and where I needed to be.
Across every stage of my career, I have tried to approach my work entrepreneurially—to recognize opportunities, solve problems and do my best regardless of the title, circumstances or pay. I have always tried to keep moving forward and soar through life despite the challenges.
What do you enjoy most about working at Horn Entrepreneurship?
Without a doubt, I enjoy watching students’ journeys. I absolutely love seeing them grow into the people they want to become and pursue their goals and dreams.
They do not all start companies, and they are not all experts in robotics, but I view myself as an angel investor in them.
I watch students come into the VDC and our programs with ambitious ideas. They may not know exactly what they want to do yet, but they know they want to make a positive impact. As they process all the information coming at them and begin to find their path, the rest of us keep putting up the guardrails. Being part of that support system and watching them grow is what it is all about.
Horn matches my energy. I have so much passion, and everyone at Horn, in their own way, shares that passion for what they do. We are a community united by our commitment to students.
Can you share a memorable experience from your time at Horn?
There have been so many wonderful experiences that it is difficult to choose.
One of my favorite programs is the Innovation Delaware Fellowship, or InDE, which allows me to spend eight months each year supporting talented researchers. Their work to develop innovations that can contribute to a better world is exciting and uplifting.
I have also formed lasting friendships through the program. Some of the researchers and I have even participated in the Polar Plunge together in frigid January weather.
Another favorite memory is introducing the Horn staff to pickleball. I have always loved sports, and I developed a particular appreciation for pickleball because almost anyone can play and enjoy it at their own level.
When Dan Freeman was looking for unique professional development ideas for the team, I proposed a Horn pickleball instructional and team-building day. I rented a local tennis facility, invited some trained friends to volunteer as instructors and encouraged the Horn team to participate.
A large portion of the staff attended, and we have a great picture of everyone jumping in the air with joy at the end. Even years later, colleagues who participated still ask me when the next Horn pickleball day will be. It remains a wonderful memory of togetherness and team building.
Is there anything else you would like readers to know?
I am very proud of my son, a mechanical engineering major and rising senior at UD who works in the Makerspace and an engineering lab. He is a wonderful, kind and intelligent young man—and the light of my life.
Walck credits much of Horn’s growth to Dan Freeman, founding director of Horn Entrepreneurship and director of the Neil Book School of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. She describes Freeman as a leader with a deep commitment to people and a forward-looking vision for how entrepreneurship and leadership should be taught.
She also credits him with recognizing the value of experience, work ethic and demonstrated impact. Freeman promoted Walck based on the contributions she had made to Horn and throughout her career, rather than evaluating her potential solely through formal educational credentials.
That same belief in people now shapes Walck’s own work. Whether she is coordinating a fellowship retreat, connecting an innovator with the right resource, representing Horn at a campus event or welcoming a student into the VDC, she wants each person to know they have someone in their corner.
ABOUT HORN ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Horn Entrepreneurship serves as the creative engine for entrepreneurship education and advancement at the University of Delaware. Currently ranked among the best entrepreneurship programs in the U.S., Horn Entrepreneurship was built and is actively supported by successful entrepreneurs, empowering aspiring innovators as they pursue new ideas for a better world.
