Stories & Updates

From working behind the scenes at Horn Entrepreneurship to launching her own creative business, UD Class of 2020 alumna Allison Sanders has charted a bold and unconventional path. In this Q&A, she reflects on what it’s like to be a solopreneur, the lessons she’s carried from campus into her career, and what advice she’d give to students looking to launch something of their own.

In a time where it can be easy to feel lost as a young business professional, UD alum Brad Bono’s Aspire Interactive shines as a mentorship-focused organization dedicated to guiding individuals through their lives and careers while facing the complexities of the digital age. Aspire Interactive is meant to be a beacon of wisdom and experience, designed to empower people in this rapidly evolving landscape. At the heart of Brad's approach is the profound significance of mentorship. Bono, a seasoned entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience starting and exiting businesses in the telecommunications industry, has seen the pitfalls and stressors of a professional life, and now wants to help the next generation tackle those challenges.

His father and stepmother, both pharmacists, wanted Garry Johnson III to have a well-paying, stable career in healthcare. His 2017 University of Delaware bachelor of science in kinesiology and exercise science, leading to a career as a physical therapist, filled the bill, but then he had to have The Talk. 

He had discovered entrepreneurship and wanted to pivot.

To make progress and be successful, a plan is always the best course of action. Planning can provide structure, efficiency, clarity, and a plethora of other things that can be beneficial in all facets in life. More specifically, athletes, trainers, and coaches can make some real headway with a clear course of action to improve physicality, win games, and break records. This is where movement analytics comes in to provide valuable detailed information that can be used to ensure athletes achieve peak health, safety and performance.

This article is part of a series celebrating the 10^th anniversary of Horn Entrepreneurship by highlighting alumni, their stories and accomplishments.

The origin story of Alchemize Fightwear involves a rebellion against hot pink and purple, a statement against male thinking and a push to empower women. The company, founded by Maya Nazareth when she was a 19-year-old University of Delaware student, has been profitable since Day 1.

This article is part of a series celebrating the 10^th anniversary of Horn Entrepreneurship by highlighting alumni, their stories and accomplishments.

The first big innovation that Blue Hen Dental co-founder Farhad Baqi orchestrated for the Smyrna, Delaware, dental practice was a device called the Curing Cube, which sped up the time to harden the resins and dental composites used in making impressions from as much 15 minutes to as little as 10 seconds.

On a daily basis Annabelle Camp is considering and researching the varied facets of art conservation. She is about to begin a post-graduate Kress Fellowship at Balboa Art Conservation Center in San Diego, CA. This new opportunity requires a big move from her last position as a graduate intern in the Textile Conservation Studio of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

University of Delaware 2022 graduate and former Horn Ambassador Lilly Checkoff began her start in entrepreneurship at a very young age. With her non-profit Tools For School, she provided thousands of backpacks and school supplies for underprivileged children. This non-profit guided and inspired her to surround herself with all things business once accepted as a University of Delaware freshman. Through her time at UD, she became heavily involved with Horn's different programs and excelled as a responsible student of entrepreneurial leadership. Now, as a 2022 graduate, Lilly aims to make the world her own and use her background in entrepreneurship to guide her. 

This article is part of a series celebrating the 10^th anniversary of Horn Entrepreneurship by highlighting alumni, their stories and accomplishments.  

Back in 2012, when Ben Rapkin took his first entrepreneurship class, instructor Dan Freeman, the founding director of Horn Entrepreneurship, asked him to restart the Entrepreneurship Club.