Stories & Updates

The Horn Hen of the Month article series is a new series dedicated to highlighting Horn students that are inspiring others and impacting their community. One nominated Horn student will be chosen each month and a written feature will document their hard work and progress as they go through their time at Horn. 

The winning student will receive a gift card, a Horn Hen of the Month certificate, and will have a feature written about them and the work that they are doing outside of the Horn community. Congratulations to last month’s winner, Samantha McGhee! Read more about Samantha in one of our earlier posts on the blog.

To nominate a student, fill out this Google form. Any student involved with Horn Entrepreneurship is eligible to be nominated.

Introducing the October winner for Horn Hen of the Month… Mike Meola. Mike is a senior Entrepreneurship major with a minor in educational studies from Cranford, NJ. His entrepreneurial journey began when he enrolled in an entrepreneurship class while in high school. After learning and developing a business plan, he knew the major peaked his interest. At the University of Delaware, he took ENTR350 where he developed an entrepreneurial mindset and became heavily involved in the programs Horn Entrepreneurship offers. 

Within the community, Mike serves as a Horn ambassador. He enjoys participating in the ambassador program because he has the opportunity to inform prospective students and families about the many offerings within Horn Entrepreneurship. Additionally, Mike leads VDC community sessions which allows like-minded people to come together and talk about their entrepreneurial ideas. He understands what it is like to be an underclassman adjusting to college and wants to help them get a head start in entrepreneurship. This club also allows you to experiment with various industries. Mike believes that it is great to try different options when you are young so that you can find what you are passionate about. This role prepares him for the future since he aspires to be a teacher. Another program that Mike is a part of is VentureOn. Through this program, he is able to receive guidance from advisors while working on his start-up; Pickup Sports. His startup strives to provide access to quality sports experiences in low-income communities. 

Mike finds entrepreneurship to be a unique way of looking at the business world. He loves the idea of being able to create something with new value that no one has seen before. After taking the Entrepreneurship Flavors Quiz, Mike noticed that he was a mix between general and social entrepreneurship. He encourages everyone to take the quiz and find what flavor of entrepreneurship you are!

His favorite part about being an Entrepreneurship major is that he enjoys being around so many individuals who are doing awesome things. It pushes him to want to work hard in order to reach his full potential. He mentioned that naturally seeing people doing great things will inspire you to meet those expectations you have set for yourself. The community in which Horn Entrepreneurship provides is extremely supportive because everyone wants to see you succeed and assist you on your journey. At the Venture Development Center, located on 132 E. Delaware Ave, you could walk in at any given moment and the people you speak with will take a genuine interest in what you’re doing. Peers, faculty, and staff of Horn Entrepreneurship genuinely want to help and watch everyone grow together. Mike notes that the professors within the Horn Community are so accessible; which isn’t typical for other majors.

Someone who Mike looks up to as an entrepreneur and mentor is Vince DiFelice, Faculty Director of Student Venture Support at Horn. He has done an amazing job of practicing what he preaches which is a very important trait in Mike’s eyes. As Mike learns more about social entrepreneurship, he finds that he may go down that route in the future. Mike is grateful that Vince has been so encouraging throughout his entire entrepreneurship journey at Horn. 

If Mike could give advice to an incoming freshman entrepreneurship major, it would be to hang out at the VDC as often as possible. It’s an amazing place with great opportunities that you can take advantage of. There are multiple programs that you can actively participate in during your 4 years here. This will put you in a really great position when it comes time to graduate. Specifically, he wanted to highlight VDC Community Sessions for anyone who is just starting an entrepreneurship journey or if the topic peaks their interest. It is an easy way to meet like-minded individuals, plus there is FREE food every week - Wednesday’s 6pm-7pm at VDC (132 E. Delaware Ave.)

Congratulations to our October Horn Hen of the Month, Mike Meola! Nominate someone within the Horn Community who stands out to you for their chance to win next month! Click here to nominate.

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.