Revive Founders from the left, Emma lynch '19 Rachel Weinberger '17, Palina Ivanova '17 and Avalon Greene '18
Emma Lynch is a market associate at The Siegfried Group in Washington. She earned her bachelor’s degree in entrepreneurship/entrepreneurial studies in 2019. In 2016, she co-founded Revive, a wardrobe-exchange app. At UD she also was the Speaker & Alumni Relations director, vice president and treasurer of the Entrepreneurship Club and student ambassador for Horn Entrepreneurship.
What is the one best memory you have of UD/Horn? Presenting Hen Hatch. I was terrified of public speaking and did not think that I was capable of coming up with a business idea. Fast forward two years, and there I was on stage with three amazing entrepreneurs and we pitched our idea.Hen Hatch taught me the idea of organization, thoughtful and reflective thinking, and team work. It took a lot of practice and patience to get on that stage, and for that I want to thank Vince DiFelice. Vince was extremely patient and talked through our idea with us. He gave feedback and challenged us to think outside of the box. The competition was the best experience that I had while in college.
I was proud of coming in second place for the undergraduate track of the competition; however, I was more proud seeing how our idea transformed going through Vince’s Entrepreneurship class, Startup Experience (ENTR455), pitching in other pitch parties, speaking with mentors and highly regarded entrepreneurs to then being pitched at Hen Hatch.
After thanking your parents, who else would you thank? Tricia Monnig. At Accepted Students Day, she helped me come up with what I thought was the perfect plan for my college career, and I knew that she would be someone that I could rely on throughout my next four years.
So many people feel lost throughout their time in college because they are attempting to figure everything out on their own and thanks to Tricia, I did not have that same feeling.
Thank you, Tricia, for challenging me and helping me get through my four years at UD. Thank you for pushing me to be better and take on new things. Thank you for being the smiling face that we all needed to see at the end of a stressful week and thank you for caring so much about all of us. Your hard work and dedication to the students going through the Entrepreneurship program does not go unnoticed and without you, I do not believe that Horn would be where it is today. You are one of the best mentors that I have ever had!
What advice would you give a new freshman at Horn Entrepreneurship? You do not need to have everything figured out. I was surrounded by high achievers and people who had dreams of being the CEO of a major corporation or dreams of changing the world. This was a lot of pressure! I loved the idea of starting something to help others and learning about entrepreneurship because I could apply this to every aspect of my life. I just had no idea what that business was going to be or how my life would look four years from then.
I immediately got involved in the Entrepreneurship Club and from there pitched ideas in the Pitch Competitions, took every entrepreneurship class I could, planned the Free Lunch Fridays, and told myself that I was going to start a business by the time I was a senior. The business idea went on for two years, and then the four of us decided to separate. I felt defeated that I let that go.
I took on too many things in my first three years, and I spread myself too thin. I felt like a failure. I wish someone told me when I was a freshman that “the perfect plan” will not be perfect and you really do not have everything figured out right away! Studying entrepreneurship helped me have an open mind and learn to go down new paths when there is a crossroad. I never would have had this mindset if it wasn’t for my experience with the Horn program and the influence all of my professors and peers had on me. I now see life as something that is full of opportunity and change and I have learned to embrace the challenges.
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 US, Horn Entrepreneurship was built and is actively supported by successful entrepreneurs, empowering aspiring innovators as they pursue new ideas for a better world.
