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.

The energy and excitement of almost 400 teens and parents from around the world was palpable at the Diamond Challenge Summit on April 23-25, 2023. The Summit, a three day conference celebrating entrepreneurial high school students, featured workshops, panel discussions, innovation sprints, and networking opportunities to connect, inspire, and build a community of aspiring young entrepreneurs.

Alexa Chronister, who founded an advocacy group for the chronically ill in her University of Delaware freshman dorm, believes that servant leadership is an important but unheralded concept.

During Women's History Month on March 16, 27 remarkable and innovative women were inducted and honored at the WE Hatch Honor Circle celebration. WE Hatch recognizes and celebrates women who are supporting and helping each other overcome the unique challenges faced by women innovators. Nominated by their peers, employees, spouses, and friends, Honors Circle members have made a lasting impact on their network and community. 

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!

UD’s Entrepreneurship program Jumps to 33rd in The Princeton Review and Entrepreneur Magazine’s 2023 List of Top Undergraduate Schools for Entrepreneurial Studies, 4th Regionally

For the fourth year in a row, the University of Delaware’s Horn Entrepreneurship program is one of the best in the nation, according to The Princeton Review and Entrepreneur magazine. The joint ranking places UD at No. 33 in its 2023 list of the top 50 undergraduate schools for entrepreneurial studies and No. 4 in the Mid-Atlantic, a significant jump from 2022.