Stories & Updates

Like many teens and young adults in the U.S., Darian Elmendorf had spent many years throughout high school and college silently battling anxiety and depression. And while his struggles were real and acutely felt in his daily life, they were not, at first, readily identifiable.

University of Delaware Horn Entrepreneurship honored 37 women as part of the inaugural 2021 WE Hatch Honor Circle, which 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.

Each spring, Horn Entrepreneurship recognizes entrepreneurial students through awards and scholarships totaling almost $10,000 in cash and Venture Development Center credit. Undergraduate students from all majors are invited to apply now through Monday, April 19, 2021 at 11:59 p.m.

University of Delaware Horn Entrepreneurship is offering 10 Delaware high schools launch grants for its newest youth offering, EntreX Lab.  EntreX Lab (short for “Entrepreneurial Experience Laboratory”) is an opportunity for high school students to take credit-bearing entrepreneurship coursework through the University of Delaware.

In the spaces of creative disruption where entrepreneurs operate, the skills of effective leadership have always been of key importance, and are inextricably tied to the spirit of innovation. However, before anyone can even begin to become a leader of others, they must first learn to lead themselves.

As an aspiring entrepreneur from Wilmington, Delaware, Mike Shumate is no stranger to stepping outside of his comfort zone. Over the course of his time in the Associates in Arts Program, Shumate has quickly made a name for himself through his engagement across a number of Horn Entrepreneurship’s programs and competitions.

Dr. Robert Ddamulira is a firm believer in the power of people. In other words, he is convinced that any problem, no matter how daunting, can be solved through cooperation and a little bit of disruptive creativity – a rather simple conviction that informs Ddamulira’s entrepreneurial approach to the existential challenge of climate change.

The WE Hatch Practical Insights & Networking Conversations series connects participants with two successful women (a recent graduate and an experienced alumnae leader), who share insights into their careers they wish they had known, practiced or explored earlier. In the virtual sessions participants have the opportunity to listen, discuss, and network in breakout rooms.

At the unique intersection of social entrepreneurship, academia, and public service, you’re likely to find few who have struck a balance as well as Rysheema Dixon, a Philadelphia-born social entrepreneur who has found her calling in serving her community.

Mini-grants support creativity & innovation in secondary classrooms

Too often educators’ great ideas cannot be implemented in the classroom due to lack of funding. The Innovative Delaware Educator Awards (IDEAs) help remove that barrier by providing mini-grants to Delaware secondary teachers to support the development and realization of those innovative, and sometimes experimental, projects in the classroom.