April 30: Hen Hatch finals

Horn Program holds final rounds of business startup funding competition

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10:24 a.m., April 9, 2014--The Horn Program in Entrepreneurship has announced the finalists for the student track and alumni, faculty and staff track of Hen Hatch, the University of Delaware’s premier business startup funding competition.

In March at the Venture Development Center, 18 semifinalists pitched their business ideas to a set of judges, who selected the top three business ideas from each track to advance to the final round.

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Finalists in the student track are:

  • ShopTutors, led by Nathaniel Matherson and Matt Lenhard;
  • Udwell, led by Yael Bloom and Tali Cohen; and
  • Board to Death, led by Chris Melillo and Krista Adams.

Finalists in the alumni, faculty and staff track are:

  • Grasshopper Solutions, led by Liz Brenner, Nicole McCabe and Deb Stambaugh;
  • Jaggery, led by Asmita and Anand Atre; and
  • PenguinAds, led by Mac Nagaswami.

The UD community is invited to watch the finalists pitch their ideas to a panel of seasoned entrepreneurs, investors and business executives in the final round, to be held Wednesday, April 30, from 5:30-9 p.m. in the Trabant University Center.

Judges will include: Neil Book, president and CEO, Jet Support Services; Bryan Harvell, vice president, Product Engineering, SevOne; Jennie Horn, founder and chief creative officer, Second Base; John Petterson, senior vice president, Operations, Tiffany & Co.; Mike Phelan, venture partner, Osage Venture Partners; Mark Parsells, executive chairmain and CEO, GDR Acquisitions Company.

The event will also feature a keynote address by Phelan, as well as an entrepreneurial exhibition featuring several student and alumni startups.

Following the main program, a $50,000 prize pool in startup cash and services from organizations like Belfint, Lyons and Shuman; Barnes and Thornburg; Hunter Public Relations; Corporation Service Company; and Connolly Gallagher, will be awarded in a ceremony for Hen Hatch. Hors d’oeuvres and refreshments, including beer and wine, will be provided.

Registration is free for students with a valid student ID and $15 for attendees who register by April 16; general admission sales will continue through the event day. All attendees are asked to register in advance online

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