--- title: Stories and Updates | Horn Entrepreneurship | alumni description: alumni | Stories, news and updates from Horn Entrepreneurship, the creative engine of University of Delaware --- [![University of Delaware](https://horn.udel.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/HPE_Jan2017/logo.png?width=168&height=70&name=logo.png "University of Delaware")](http://udel.edu) #### Horn Entrepreneurship # [Stories & Updates](https://horn.udel.edu) ### [The Creative Eye: Meet Lourdes Rubione](https://horn.udel.edu/the-creative-eye-meet-lourdes-rubione-1) If you’ve noticed a surge in dynamic and creative video content, event photography, and fresh visuals across Horn Entrepreneurship’s social media pages, you have Lourdes Rubione to thank. [Read More](https://horn.udel.edu/the-creative-eye-meet-lourdes-rubione-1) by [Ryan Shore](https://horn.udel.edu/author/ryan-shore) • September 28, 2026 Topics: [entrepreneurship and the arts](https://horn.udel.edu/topic/entrepreneurship-and-the-arts), [alumni](https://horn.udel.edu/topic/alumni), [The Horn Team](https://horn.udel.edu/topic/the-horn-team) ### [Solving Real-World Friction: Meet Sebastian Torres](https://horn.udel.edu/solving-real-world-friction-meet-sebastian-torres) For many students, the path from graduation to startup success is a long, winding road of trial and error. For Sebastian Torres, a University of Delaware computer engineering graduate, that journey began in the middle of his undergraduate career—first by navigating the technical hurdles of video editing, and then by launching a digital project that turned a simple idea into a growing online venture. [Read More](https://horn.udel.edu/solving-real-world-friction-meet-sebastian-torres) by [Ryan Shore](https://horn.udel.edu/author/ryan-shore) • September 14, 2026 Topics: [entrepreneurship](https://horn.udel.edu/topic/entrepreneurship), [alumni](https://horn.udel.edu/topic/alumni), [startups](https://horn.udel.edu/topic/startups), [innovation](https://horn.udel.edu/topic/innovation) ### [How UD Alumnus Willem Westra Built a Multi-Industry Startup Portfolio](https://horn.udel.edu/how-ud-alumnus-willem-westra-built-a-multi-industry-startup-portfolio) For many college students, graduation marks the terrifying unknown of entering the traditional job market. But for Willem Westra, who graduated from the University of Delaware in 2022, the journey took an ambitious turn. [Read More](https://horn.udel.edu/how-ud-alumnus-willem-westra-built-a-multi-industry-startup-portfolio) by [Ryan Shore](https://horn.udel.edu/author/ryan-shore) • September 08, 2026 Topics: [entrepreneurship](https://horn.udel.edu/topic/entrepreneurship), [success stories](https://horn.udel.edu/topic/success-stories), [alumni](https://horn.udel.edu/topic/alumni), [startups](https://horn.udel.edu/topic/startups) ### [From Student Athlete to Influencer: Stay Locked In with Dan Parisi](https://horn.udel.edu/from-student-athlete-to-influencer-stay-locked-in-with-dan-parisi) A D1 wide receiver, finance student and son of the founder of the world-renowned Parisi Speed School, Dan has spent his whole life inside the world of performance and potential. As a recent UD graduate heading to Johns Hopkins for his Master’s in Organizational Leadership, he's taking everything he's built on the field, in the classroom, and online, into his next chapter. [Read More](https://horn.udel.edu/from-student-athlete-to-influencer-stay-locked-in-with-dan-parisi) by [Lourdes Rubione](https://horn.udel.edu/author/lourdes-rubione) • August 03, 2026 Topics: [entrepreneurship](https://horn.udel.edu/topic/entrepreneurship), [alumni](https://horn.udel.edu/topic/alumni), [innovation](https://horn.udel.edu/topic/innovation) ### [From Campus Advocacy to Polaris Pathways. Meet Darian Elmendorf](https://horn.udel.edu/from-campus-advocacy-to-polaris-pathways.-meet-darian-elmendorf) Darian Elmendorf’s path as a founder began with a deeply personal mission: making mental health support more accessible, relatable and sustainable. As he returned home to restart the project years ago, he turned a broad mental health group landscape into a specialized workforce development firm through [Polaris Pathways](https://polarispathways.com/). [Read More](https://horn.udel.edu/from-campus-advocacy-to-polaris-pathways.-meet-darian-elmendorf) by [Ryan Shore](https://horn.udel.edu/author/ryan-shore) • July 13, 2026 Topics: [entrepreneurship](https://horn.udel.edu/topic/entrepreneurship), [alumni](https://horn.udel.edu/topic/alumni), [startup advice](https://horn.udel.edu/topic/startup-advice), [startups](https://horn.udel.edu/topic/startups), [Summer Founders](https://horn.udel.edu/topic/summer-founders) ### [Taking Chances, Finding Community: Cate Leidich's Entrepreneurial Path](https://horn.udel.edu/taking-chances-finding-community-cate-leidichs-entrepreneurial-path) A dedicated member of the Horn Entrepreneurship community, Cate Leidich, class of 2026, continuously challenged herself while building a path that reflects her passions and goals. Throughout her time at Horn, Cate found more than just academic opportunities, she found a community that encouraged her growth in all aspects. [Read More](https://horn.udel.edu/taking-chances-finding-community-cate-leidichs-entrepreneurial-path) by [Caitlin Scott](https://horn.udel.edu/author/caitlin-scott) • July 06, 2026 Topics: [entrepreneurship](https://horn.udel.edu/topic/entrepreneurship), [alumni](https://horn.udel.edu/topic/alumni), [students](https://horn.udel.edu/topic/students) ### [A Decade of Innovation](https://horn.udel.edu/a-decade-of-innovation) From housing to fightwear to agricultural robotics, UD Summer Founders alumni share how 12 weeks of mentoring and customer discovery changed everything. [Read More](https://horn.udel.edu/a-decade-of-innovation) by [Horn Entrepreneurship](https://horn.udel.edu/author/horn-entrepreneurship) • March 30, 2026 Topics: [entrepreneurship](https://horn.udel.edu/topic/entrepreneurship), [alumni](https://horn.udel.edu/topic/alumni), [Summer Founders](https://horn.udel.edu/topic/summer-founders) ### [Sophia Cressman: Lead with Character, Live with Heart](https://horn.udel.edu/sophia-cressman-lead-with-character-live-with-heart) Before she ever joined Horn full-time, Sophia Cressman already felt right at home in the Venture Development Center as a Siegfried Fellow, a Delaware Innovation Fellow, and one of those friendly faces you just expect to see around the VDC. Now, as Program Coordinator for the Siegfried Fellows and the UD Coalition on Character Development, Sophia helps students grow as leaders through mentorship, meaningful conversations, and days that are anything but routine. If you’ve walked into the VDC lately, there’s a good chance you’ve been welcomed by Sophia from her front-corner office. Keep reading to learn what fuels her work, what she’s up to when she’s off the clock (spoiler: live music + beach days), and a fun fact you definitely won’t see coming. [Read More](https://horn.udel.edu/sophia-cressman-lead-with-character-live-with-heart) by [Horn Entrepreneurship](https://horn.udel.edu/author/horn-entrepreneurship) • March 16, 2026 Topics: [alumni](https://horn.udel.edu/topic/alumni), [leadership](https://horn.udel.edu/topic/leadership), [Siegfried](https://horn.udel.edu/topic/siegfried) ### [Alec Boyd’s Equivly: Fixing Credit Transfer Confusion](https://horn.udel.edu/alec-boyds-equivly-fixing-credit-transfer-confusion) [Alec Boyd](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alecmboyd/) is a fall 2025 [entrepreneurship grad](https://www.udel.edu/research-innovation/horn/academic-programs/entr-major/) with a minor in professional selling and sales management and a familiar face in the Venture Development Center. When he tried to transfer a few community college courses back to the University of Delaware to save time and tuition, he hit a wall of PDFs, emails, and outdated processes. Alec leveraged his coursework plus [VentureOn](https://www.udel.edu/research-innovation/horn/venture-support/ventureon/), [Pitch Party](https://www.udel.edu/research-innovation/horn/venture-support/pitch-party/), and [Hen Hatch](https://www.udel.edu/research-innovation/horn/venture-support/hen-hatch/) to turn a personal frustration into a tool that can save students real time and real money: [Equivly](https://www.equivly.com). [Read More](https://horn.udel.edu/alec-boyds-equivly-fixing-credit-transfer-confusion) by [Horn Entrepreneurship](https://horn.udel.edu/author/horn-entrepreneurship) • February 16, 2026 Topics: [entrepreneurship](https://horn.udel.edu/topic/entrepreneurship), [alumni](https://horn.udel.edu/topic/alumni), [startup advice](https://horn.udel.edu/topic/startup-advice), [startups](https://horn.udel.edu/topic/startups), [VentureOn](https://horn.udel.edu/topic/ventureon), [Summer Founders](https://horn.udel.edu/topic/summer-founders), [Hen Hatch](https://horn.udel.edu/topic/hen-hatch) ### [Bridging Design and Manufacturing: Meet Alumnus Rich Hayburn](https://horn.udel.edu/engineering-the-future-with-3d-printing-meet-alumnus-rich-hayburn) Building parts that stand three feet tall isn’t an everyday 3D printing job and that’s exactly where [Relay Manufacturing](https://relaymfg.com/?utm_source=ud_horn&utm_medium=publications&utm_campaign=founder_spotlight) thrives. The manufacturing services company helps organizations bridge the gap between design and production through large-format additive manufacturing and other manufacturing services. The venture was founded by [Rich Hayburn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-hayburn/), a University of Delaware Class of 2020 graduate who studied Mechanical Engineering with an Integrated Design minor, along with a math minor and manufacturing concentration. While at UD, Rich leaned into Horn Entrepreneurship through [Summer Founders](https://www.udel.edu/research-innovation/horn/venture-support/summer-founders/), [NSF I-Corps](https://www.udel.edu/research-innovation/horn/venture-support/nsf-i-corps/), and [VentureOn](https://www.udel.edu/research-innovation/horn/venture-support/ventureon/), experiences that helped him turn hands-on problem solving into a growing business. [Read More](https://horn.udel.edu/engineering-the-future-with-3d-printing-meet-alumnus-rich-hayburn) by [Horn Entrepreneurship](https://horn.udel.edu/author/horn-entrepreneurship) • January 12, 2026 Topics: [alumni](https://horn.udel.edu/topic/alumni), [startup advice](https://horn.udel.edu/topic/startup-advice), [startups](https://horn.udel.edu/topic/startups), [VentureOn](https://horn.udel.edu/topic/ventureon), [technology](https://horn.udel.edu/topic/technology), [Summer Founders](https://horn.udel.edu/topic/summer-founders) 1 [2](https://horn.udel.edu/topic/alumni/page/2) [3](https://horn.udel.edu/topic/alumni/page/3) [4](https://horn.udel.edu/topic/alumni/page/4) [5](https://horn.udel.edu/topic/alumni/page/5) […](https://horn.udel.edu/topic/alumni/page/6) [12](https://horn.udel.edu/topic/alumni/page/12) ### Subscribe to Blog Updates ### Recent Posts ### Posts by Topic - [entrepreneurship (243)](https://horn.udel.edu/topic/entrepreneurship) - [community (225)](https://horn.udel.edu/topic/community) - 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