Stories & Updates

Calling all innovators, entrepreneurs, and changemakers! Get ready to celebrate creativity, groundbreaking ideas, and entrepreneurial spirit at the University of Delaware’s Blue Hen Innovation Fest on December 5. This exciting new festival is a unique opportunity for UD students, alumni, and community members to connect, collaborate, and showcase their entrepreneurial journeys. Whether you’re an aspiring founder, a seasoned innovator, or someone curious to learn more about the future of entrepreneurship, this event has something inspiring for everyone!

Four teams advanced to the final round of Hen Hatch, UD’s premier startup funding competition, at the 2024 Blue Hen Innovation Fest on December 5. These finalists will compete to find out how much of the $50,000 prize pool will help them advance their ventures.

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!

Embarking on the quest for a new natural skincare brand can indeed be a daunting task, as the array of options can be overwhelming. The challenge often lies in deciphering the lengthy list of ingredients on the back of  product labels, with some names sounding like a foreign language. Finding a natural skincare brand can often be challenging, but look no further. Arima Skincare, created by Arielle Mahugu, is a natural skincare brand that won second place in the Pitch Party last fall.  Arielle is a freshman medical diagnostics pre-med student who has a passion for skincare since discovering the harmful chemicals that many brands include in their products.

This article was originally posted by the Lerner School of Business and Economics as part of their "Seeing Opportunity" series.

As he sat in class listening to the lecture, Nicholai Williamson was taken aback. The native of Jamaica had been drawn to the University of Delaware in part because of the strength of its entrepreneurship programs, and now his entrepreneurship instructor was saying that the sooner he failed, the better.

Heading down Main Street on a Saturday night with your best friends determined to have a fun time at the bar is a common story for many students here at the University of Delaware and universities in general. Most students know the danger associated with drinking recklessly and take precautions to be responsible drinkers, however, there is one scenario that can get the better of even the most vigilant people. Someone slipping “something” into their drink. An unfortunate situation that has been victimizing innocent drinkers all around the world.

Take control of your summer and embark on the journey of entrepreneurship. Join the Summer Founders Pre-Accelerator at Horn Entrepreneurship, where you can be the captain of your startup, receive a stipend, and collaborate with fellow student visionaries. Throughout a three month period, tap into the expertise of seasoned entrepreneurs and investors, enjoy 24/7 access to a dedicated workspace, and delve into the principles of evidence-based entrepreneurship. Plus, if you choose, you can earn 3 credits while doing so—all of this, while obtaining valuable information about entrepreneurship.

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.