Stories & Updates

The final round of Hen Hatch featured four teams with widely divergent concepts: straws that change color to discreetly reveal spiked drinks, an app for women to manage chronic health conditions, a clothing line that supports animal shelters and autonomous robots that look for leaks in water lines.

This October, The Siegfried Group, LLP (Siegfried) and Horn Entrepreneurship at the University of Delaware (UD) honored Geoff Woods, author of #1 international bestseller The AI-Driven Leader and Founder of AI Leadership, with the 2025 Siegfried Award for Entrepreneurial Leadership. In a private dinner and award ceremony at Wilmington Country Club, Woods was celebrated for his groundbreaking approach to leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) as a thought partner and commitment to getting in the driver’s seat in a rapidly evolving digital landscape – learning and wielding the emerging technology to spark exponential progress.

Four teams advanced to the final round of Hen Hatch, UD’s premier startup funding competition, at the 2025 Blue Hen Innovation Fest on December 4. These finalists will compete to find out how much of the $50,000 prize pool will help them advance their ventures.

On Wednesday, April 23, UD’s Venture Development Center (VDC) was buzzing with energy, creativity, and big ideas as students took the spotlight at the annual Spring Pitch Party—this year themed “Ideas in Bloom.” Hosted by the Entrepreneurship Club and Horn Entrepreneurship, the event welcomed more than 80 students, alumni, and supporters for an evening of fast-paced pitching, community, and celebration.

Four teams competed in the final round of Hen Hatch, UD’s premier startup funding competition, and all four won thousands of dollars from a panel of judges – plus $2,500 for travel expenses to other competitions and often time with consultants.

Graduating from college is a pivotal moment in a person's life, marking the culmination of years of hard work, dedication, and personal growth. Noticing all those early mornings, busy days, and late nights. It's a time of celebration and reflection as graduates prepare to step into the next chapter of their lives. Whether the journey has been straightforward or filled with unexpected challenges, reaching this milestone is a significant achievement that opens the door to a world of new opportunities. We celebrate the resilience and achievements of those who have reached this important turning point.

The 4th Annual Ratcliffe Eco Entrepreneurship Fellows Pitch Day, hosted by Horn Entrepreneurship at the Venture Development Center recently took place Monday May 6. Nine participants with a strong passion for the environment and sustainability came together to pitch their ideas to the judges and compete for a grab at the cash prize. Ideas ranged in all areas from, sustainable home buying, to energy conversion, to aquatic ecosystem preservation.

On April 10th, Horn Entrepreneurship and the E-Club hosted the fan favorite 2024 Spring Pitch party at the Venture Development Center, which was transformed into a charming tropical getaway for the night. During this school year, once again driven and zealous entrepreneurial talents were brought together ready to pitch their ideas against each other, whether it's for some pitching practice or the cash prize. The night consisted of 15 90 second pitches from students of varying majors and experience levels, each with their own unique startup ideas to share with the eager audience.

Where ideas meet innovation and charisma meets community, 2024 Diamond Challenge Summit. From April 25th to 27th, a conference celebrating entrepreneurial high school students from all around the globe, featured workshops, panel discussions, innovation sprints, and networking opportunities. Over the past few days, we've witnessed a convergence of groundbreaking ideas, disruptive strategies, and valuable insights shared by some of the brightest minds in the entrepreneurial landscape.