Stories & Updates

Vince DiFelice, Senior Instructor of Practice and Faculty Director of Venture Support, has been an instrumental figure in helping nascent student startups find their footing and future success. Beyond delivering exceptional venture support guidance, Vince has helped students find new passions and recalibrate their career goals to better match what they are most interested in.

Six teams comprised of students and alumni from across several colleges, including Alfred Lerner College of Business & Economics, College of Arts & Sciences and College of Engineering, are advancing to the final round of Hen Hatch, UD’s premier startup funding competition. Finalist teams will pitch before a panel of accomplished judges and an audience of regional business leaders, experienced entrepreneurs and the broader UD community for a share of a $100,000 prize pool.

The University of Delaware Horn Entrepreneurship recently hosted The Out of This World Pitch Party at the Venture Development Center, complete with 20 student pitch presentations and a $1,200 prize pool.

Horn Entrepreneurship’s Vincent Di Felice, Manager of Venture Support, has been awarded a primary appointment as Senior Instructor of Practice and a secondary appointment of Faculty Director of Venture Support in the Department of Business Administration in the Lerner College of Business and Economics.

The spring semester is a busy time for Horn Entrepreneurship with many signature program offerings available over the coming months. Hen Hatch finals will be at The Queen in April, VentureOn, our in-semester venture support program, is in full swing and Summer Founders, our full-service pre-accelerator, is accepting students on a rolling basis. The sheer amount of opportunities can be slightly overwhelming, so the Horn Entrepreneurship media team sat down with some of the community’s most fervent doers to ask them, well, just how they do so much.

Brandon Holly, College of Health Sciences, Class of 2021, began his college career as a Nursing major, but quickly found himself trying to get more from his college experience. A simple conversation impacted Brandon’s college journey significantly and brought him clarity and confidence in how to help people through his medical career goals.

Jason Bamford recognized a need for a more immersive experience in entrepreneurial education at the University of Delaware and three months after a compelling conversation with Vince DiFelice, the Horn Entrepreneurship Summer Founders pre-accelerator program was born.

Jeremy Moskowitz, founder of PolicyPak Software and successful entrepreneur, served as Horn Entrepreneurship Philanthropic Investor for Summer Founders 2018 and shares his thoughts, as well as a special announcement, in the post below.

Joost Elling, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and an Entrepreneurial Studies minor, began his entrepreneurial journey when he was just 13 years old. Joost discovered the stroopwafel while visiting his grandmother in her native Netherlands and set out on a mission to share the taste, and experience, of the great cookie with others in the United States. 

Hawaii Governor David Ige recently signed a bill into law banning sunscreens that include ingredients harmful to coral reef development. RiKarbon, a sustainable startup making waves at University of Delaware, is exploring eco-friendly alternatives to harmful ingredients in cosmetic and skin care products to provide a greener option for lotion consumers. RiKarbon will be presenting at the Tech Innovation Showcase on Oct. 4.