Stories & Updates

Summer Founders: Demo Day 2024 

On August 15, 2024, the teams from Summer Founders showcased their ventures at Demo Day. Summer Founders is a 12-week pre-accelerator program where students are tasked to search for  repeatable and scalable business models that are able to solve both commercial and social problems. The students were granted a stipend during this program and were also given weekly mentoring and education sessions. The flexible structure of the program allows each team to achieve unique goals. Demo Day is the conclusion of Summer Founders, providing teams the opportunity to present their projects, demonstrate how the program has influenced their work, and connect with community members, peers, and mentors while sharing their summer progress on their venture. 

The Summer Founders program takes approximately 12 weeks, from June 3 to August 15. During this pre-accelerator program, students receive a stipend while developing their ventures. They are supported by weekly mentoring, educational sessions, and progress meetings with advisors. The flexible structure and individualized mentorship allow each team to work on achieving specific goals unique to their projects. The program concludes with "Demo Day," a presentation to mentors, advisors, and stakeholders on Thursday, August 15, which all students must attend. There is one team under the theme of “Environment” involved in the Summer Founders program this summer, and that is Big Rig’s Lionfish Spearfishing Expedition and Charter.

The Summer Founders program takes approximately 12 weeks, from June 3 to August 15. During this pre-accelerator program, students receive a stipend while developing their ventures. They are supported by weekly mentoring, educational sessions, and progress meetings with advisors. The flexible structure and individualized mentorship allow each team to work on achieving specific goals unique to their projects. The program concludes with "Demo Day," a presentation to mentors, advisors, and stakeholders on Thursday, August 15, which all students must attend. Two of the teams involved in the Summer Founders program this summer are Convertible Dress and Maker Pants.  They are both under the theme of Fashion Sustainability.

For young and ambitious entrepreneurs, summertime offers an ideal opportunity to nurture and refine their ventures amidst great weather, ample free time, and positive vibes. The Summer Founders program allows a select group of students to fully immerse themselves in developing their startups. Congratulations to this year’s eight teams!

The much-anticipated culmination of months of hard work and innovation arrived as the Summer Founder's Demo Day took center stage at the University of Delaware’s Bob Carpenter Center on August 17. Summer Founders, UD’s pre-accelerator for students, is a 12-week program designed for students with early stage startups to work on their ventures and receive a stipend, mentorship and education sessions. To cap off a summer of innovation and learning, entrepreneurs, investors, and industry experts gathered for an occasion filled with excitement and anticipation. The atmosphere was charged with a palpable energy, as the spotlight shifted onto the cohort of startups that had undergone an intensive acceleration journey.

Horn Entrepreneurship’s pre-accelerator program, Summer Founders, ended with Demo Day on August 18, 2022. Demo Day is a showcase for entrepreneurial students seeking help from our community. Held in-person for the first time in three years, the room was filled with University of Delaware alumni, former Summer Founders, Horn team members and notable entrepreneurs and business leaders. The agenda included presentations by the 2022 Summer Founders and selected Summer Founders alumni, a networking reception and award ceremony.

Personal Growth. Self Discovery. Overcoming Obstacles. These are the recurring themes during my interviews with the 2022 Summer Founders. Now mostly through the program, this group of young entrepreneurs have made strides working full time on their ventures.  

Horn began its summer in April with Diamond Challenge Summit semifinalists and Ice cream. UDairy' Moo Mobile was founded in partnership with Horn Entrepreneurship in 2013.

Horn Entrepreneurship’s Summer Founders Pre-accelerator came to an end with Demo Day on August 19, 2021. However, the founders continued progress towards more successful startups never ends. The unique experience of Summer Founders increases the possibility of students launching viable startups and social ventures, all while gaining valuable advice that will provide dividends in the coming years. Summer Founders includes all aspects of an accelerator except a financial investment, with cohort members receiving guidance from experienced entrepreneurs, advisors and mentors. The founders are also paid stipends to allow them to fully focus on their startup pursuits as long as they continue to demonstrate progress, much like how they might need to sell an investor on progress to get a next round of funding.

Milestones can be celebrated as a measure of accomplishment. For the Horn Entrepreneurship Summer Founders, they have reached an important one of being at the halfway point.

Individual progress is dependent on their biggest challenge of “getting out of the building” to meet potential customers and learn how valuable their startup solution is, or how it could be appreciated even more. By this measure, they have collectively made 442 visits, in-person locally or somewhere in the USA, virtually. The best personal growth measure is what they each find from one another. The pre-accelerator program is designed to collaborate and that is why on a daily basis, they work together to advance each other's product potential.