Stories & Updates

From housing to fightwear to agricultural robotics, UD Summer Founders alumni share how 12 weeks of mentoring and customer discovery changed everything.

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.

Alec Boyd is a fall 2025 entrepreneurship grad 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college courses back to the University of Delaware to save time and tuition, he hit a wall of PDFs, emails, and outdated processes.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, Pitch Party, and Hen Hatch to turn a personal frustration into a tool that can save students real time and real money: Equivly.

Building parts that stand three feet tall isn’t an everyday 3D printing job and that’s exactly where Relay Manufacturing 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, 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, NSF I-Corps, and VentureOn, experiences that helped him turn hands-on problem solving into a growing business.

The 15 latest recipients of Blue Hen 17&43 awards were announced at the recent Blue Hen Innovation Fest. These awards are Horn Entrepreneurship and the Lerner College of Business & Economics’annual recognition of the most promising early-stage startups founded by University of Delaware alumni.

Six more people have been inducted into Horn Entrepreneurship’s Honor Circle of Innovators, which recognizes transformational leaders who shape the future through innovation and entrepreneurship in Delaware and beyond.

Get ready to celebrate creativity, big ideas, and entrepreneurial energy at the University of Delaware’s Blue Hen Innovation Fest on December 4. This dynamic event brings together UD students, alumni, and community members to connect, collaborate, and showcase their ventures. Whether you’re launching a startup, supporting fellow innovators, or simply curious about the future of entrepreneurship, this is the place to be!

The Entrepreneurship Club’s Fall Pitch Party knocked it out of the park on Wednesday, October 22, bringing rookie pitchers and seasoned innovators together for an evening of high-energy ideas, cheering fans, and cash prizes.

Entrepreneur and alumnus Tom Stauffer, class of 2024, has turned a passion for cars and content into a multi-business brand. As the founder of Tom’s Refurb, he creates unique automotive videos that have fueled the growth of three ventures: tomsrefurb.shop (an online shop for branded gear), Patreon (a subscription platform where fans support creators in exchange for exclusive content), and Speedy’s Equipment (an automotive performance parts business). From small engine repairs as a teen to designing his own auto parts today, Tom’s entrepreneurial journey shows the power of creativity, persistence, and building with purpose.

From pitching bold ideas as a high schooler in the EntreX dual enrollment program to launching ventures through Horn’s startup programs and now driving impact as an intrapreneur within a legacy nonprofit, Lynn Roberts, Class of 2024, has experienced the full arc of Horn Entrepreneurship.