The University of Delaware's Horn Entrepreneurship received two grants totaling $40,000 from VentureWell, a nonprofit focused on providing resources and training to emerging entrepreneurs that are solving the world’s biggest challenges. Both grants develop entrepreneurship and innovation resources at UD.

The first grant will provide UD students access to the VentureWell E-Teams’ intense workshops and STEM industry experts.

“We are very excited to accept this grant and begin to incorporate the valuable training and resources from VentureWell’s E-Teams,” said Christina Pellicane, the director of commercialization. “The training and structure brings the Blue Hen Proof of Concept program to the next level and combines nicely with the funding and support we already offer.” Pellicane attended VentureWell E-Teams’ Train-the-Trainer course at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this summer.

The second grant will provide a way to scale and institutionalize the Delaware Innovation Fellows, a selective enrichment program at the UD. The program is designed for innovative, creative and entrepreneurial students who seek to make their world a better place through solving important environmental, societal and business problems during their four years at the university. The program is currently comprised of approximately 51 students from 31 majors and 6 colleges. Increased resources and support will allow the program to grow to more than 200 fellows.

“At times, silos form and students may not have the opportunity interact with like-minded, motivated peers based on schedules, majors, and other common factors,” said Dan Freeman, founding director of Horn Entrepreneurship. “Because of the generosity of the VentureWell team, more students will be able to foster meaningful connections and maximize impact on the world.”

About Horn Entrepreneurship

Horn Entrepreneurship ignites imaginations and empowers world changers through educational offerings that emphasize experiential learning, evidence-based entrepreneurship and active engagement with entrepreneurs and other members of the broader entrepreneurial ecosystem. Through participation in Horn Entrepreneurship offerings, students gain the knowledge, skills, personal capacities, experiences, connections and access to resources needed to successfully manifest innovation and thrive in the rapidly changing world.