The new Blue Hen 17 & 43 award celebrates the University of Delaware’s tradition of leadership, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Blue Hen 17 & 43 recognizes the 17 most- promising ventures and 43 fastest-growing companies founded, owned or led by UD students and alumni.

Nominations for the inaugural award are open now through May 15, 2017. Awards will be based on fiscal year 2016 performance. More information, including the nomination form, is available at this website.

“The incredible accomplishments of UD alumni – as innovators, entrepreneurs and business leaders – have been a well-kept secret,” says Dan Freeman, founding director of UD’s Horn Program in Entrepreneurship. “As we work to foster a bold spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship on campus, it’s time to reveal our secret by highlighting the many Blue Hens who are leading companies that are making a significant impact on the world.”

A panel of UD Horn Program and Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics personnel, accomplished entrepreneurs and business leaders will review the submissions.

The Blue Hen 17 Most-Promising Ventures will be assessed on the venture’s innovativeness, milestone accomplishment, current and future revenues, job creation and social impact. The Blue Hen 43 Fastest-Growing Companies will be evaluated on the compounded annual growth rate of the business based on revenues for the last three fiscal years.

Dean Bruce Weber of the Lerner College noted: “Leading businesses today are dynamic and innovation-driven. The Lerner College is excited to be involved in the Blue Hen 17 & 43 project to showcase University of Delaware alumni that are founding and leading ventures and firms that bring new services and products to markets, and solve problems and meet needs in society.“

Blue Hen leaders and their companies will be honored at an invitation-only dinner scheduled for September 2017. They will also be recognized in a special insert of the September 2017 issue of UD’s Messenger magazine.

The Blue Hen 17 & 43 is a project of UD’s Horn Program in Entrepreneurship and the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics.

About the Horn Program

The University of Delaware Horn Program in Entrepreneurship ignites imaginations and empowers world changers through entrepreneurial education. Our offerings emphasize experiential learning, evidence-based entrepreneurship and active engagement with entrepreneurs, business leaders and members of the broader entrepreneurial ecosystem. Participation in Horn Program courses and co-curricular activities provides students with the knowledge, skills, connections and access to resources needed to create, deliver and capture value from new ideas and thrive in our rapidly changing world.