Stories & Updates

(This article was originally published by University of Delaware's Lerner School of Business as part of their Seeing Opportunity series.)

This year, the UD Alfred Lerner College welcomed several new faculty members into its community. Johann Ducharme is an assistant professor of entrepreneurship and a faculty director of the Siegfried Fellows Program; he spoke with Lerner about his research focus and why he chose to join the University of Delaware.

As time goes on, our circle of brilliant entrepreneurs and innovators continue to impress others and add to the list of ongoing achievements and accolades. Whether it’s obtaining funding through investments and grants, winning awards and competitions, or getting the recognition they deserve from notable people and publications, UD students, faculty, and alumni continue to succeed and display their excellence. Below are all those aforementioned achievements and accolades categorized by students, faculty, and alumni.

Another celebratory night in the books where innovative students and professionals came together to embrace the true essence of entrepreneurship at one of our biggest events of the year.  On Thursday, Nov. 16th at The Tower Audion at UD’s STAR Campus, Horn Entrepreneurship’s premier startup funding competition Hen Hatch, officially concluded after the third and final round. After months and months of passionate hard work from teams striving for a spot in the final pitching round, four young innovators secured their finalist position and a chance to pitch for the top spot plus a piece of the prize pool at 2023 Hen Hatch.  

The 2023 Siegfried Award for Entrepreneurial Leadership Workshop & Dinner was a grand event that brought together aspiring entrepreneurs, established business leaders, innovators from various industries, and University of Delaware students. Held on October 3 at the prestigious Wilmington Country Club, this annual gathering provided a platform for participants to engage in meaningful discussions, gain valuable insights, and to recognize individuals for outstanding contributions to the entrepreneurial leadership ecosystem.

The Horn Hen of the Month article series is a series dedicated to highlighting Horn students who are inspiring others and impacting their community. One nominated Horn student is chosen each month and a written feature will document their hard work and progress as they go through their time at Horn, within our community and beyond. The winning student also receives a gift card and a Horn Hen of the Month certificate.  

To nominate a student, fill out this Google form. Any student involved with Horn Entrepreneurship is eligible to be nominated.  

For October, Xen K. Bossard has won the Horn Hen Of The Month award. Xen is currently a sophomore, majoring in Finance and English with a minor in Entrepreneurship. His involvement in the Delaware Innovation Fellows adds another dimension to his diverse interests. Xen has worked at The Tutoring Center since 2019 as Head Instructor, where he works with over 100 students in Math and English from ages 4 to 18. Within this role, he helps run the SAT prep program and trains the other instructors on academic instruction goals. The Tutoring Center is just like the type of business that Xen would like to own one day. Xen envisions owning a business focused on helping children learn English. His passion for education and assisting kids, coupled with his understanding of finance and language, forms the foundation of his entrepreneurial aspirations.

Horn Entrepreneurship and the Lerner College of Business and Economics are thrilled to announce the prestigious recipients of the 2023 Blue Hen 17&43 Awards. Recognizing that economic growth depends on the creation of new businesses, this year’s Blue Hen 17&43 Awards focused strictly on the most promising new businesses. This annual accolade, which was established in 2017, celebrates the University of Delaware’s rich history of leadership, innovation, and entrepreneurship by recognizing exceptional early-stage startups led by Blue Hen entrepreneurs. The 17 ventures honored in this year's awards exemplify the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurial excellence within our community.

After careful consideration, Horn Entrepreneurship has selected the finalists for Hen Hatch, the University of Delaware’s premier startup competition held annually.  The entries this year show a wide array of students passionate about entrepreneurship, coming from a variety of colleges, majors, and interests. As difficult as the teams made it for our judges to come to a decision, we have successfully narrowed it down to a few especially promising innovators that we are excited to highlight in the final round. Students, alumni, and other community members interested in watching the Hen Hatch final round can register for the event to reserve a seat or watch from home via a live stream.

The Fall Pitch Party, hosted by the Entrepreneurship Club and Horn Entrepreneurship at the University of Delaware, brought a night filled with creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit on October 25th at the Venture Development Center. The annual competition, which was Halloween-themed this year, serves as a platform for budding entrepreneurs to share their game-changing ideas and receive feedback from a panel of experienced entrepreneurs. 

The Horn Hen of the month article series is a series dedicated to highlighting Horn Entrepreneurship students that are inspiring others and impacting their community. One nominated Horn student will be chosen each month and a written feature will document their hard work and progress as they go through their time at Horn, within our community and beyond. The winning student will also receive a gift card and a Horn Hen of the Month certificate. To nominate a student, fill out this Google form. Any student involved with Horn Entrepreneurship is eligible to be nominated.

On October 6th and 7th, University of Delaware Horn Entrepreneurship hosted the REEF@UD Eco Entrepreneurship Design Sprint, a special event that brought together innovative minds to address the pressing issue of climate change and its impact on coastal regions. The event, titled "Shoring Up Against Climate Change: Design for Coastal Resilience," showcased the power of entrepreneurial thinking in finding sustainable solutions to protect vulnerable coastal communities.