ExpertConnect
![Students participating in the "Hen Hatch" startup funding competition giving their semifinal presentations and meeting with mentors in the Venture Development Center. As part of the Horn Program in Entrepreneurship in the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics, Hen Hatch "provides entrepreneurial students, alumni, faculty, and staff with the opportunity to make connections and collect feedback on their ideas while competing for startup cash and prizes totaling $100,000." [http://lerner.udel.edu/] - (Evan Krape / University of Delaware)](/research-innovation/horn/venture-support/expert-connect/_jcr_content/par_udel_panel/columngenerator/par_1/image.coreimg.jpeg/1652983220044/he-startup-village-callout.jpeg)
ExpertConnect: Guiding, Leading, Advancing
ExpertConnect helps early stage founders avoid industry pitfalls, common mistakes, and decrease time to market by partnering University of Delaware affiliated startups with seasoned professionals representing all fields and industries for advice and counsel in their area of expertise.
These 1:1 meetings focus on the specific needs of the startup that are critical to the growth and development of entrepreneurs and their ventures in our ecosystem.
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ExpertConnect gave our team expert resources that helped us navigate the uncertainties of starting a company. The Horn program helped our technical team transition to understand the business concepts we needed to start a new company.
Founder, TRiC Robotics -
Some advisors and connections that Horn has introduced me to have become permanent mentors of mine. When I’m stuck or making a key decision, I always reach out to several of them for help. Being a solo founder can be lonely, and Horn’s mentors give me a support system.
Founder, Stemmer -
Horn’s mentorship programs are structured in a way that the mentors work “intensively” with the startup, providing valuable insights into the entrepreneurial journey and useful feedback necessary for early stage startup development.
Founder, Space in Africa
ExpertConnect Answers Your "How do I..." Questions
ExpertConnect is need-centric, on-demand and private. Founders can seek individualized guidance in a variety of areas, industries and topics. Sample questions asked of industry experts include the following:
How do I...
Find experts in a niche market or industry segment?
Breakthrough to potential customers?
Recruit, hire, and support a team?
Incorporate a business or file a patent?
Get a business license, collect sales tax, and set up quickbooks?
Develop marketing materials?
Raise money for my startup?
Convey my innovation in a clear and compelling manner?
Develop a viable business model?
Differentiate from the competition?
Avoid mistakes others have made?
Expert Connect operates via an on-demand structure with individual meetings lasting approximately 30 minutes. There is no minimum or maximum usage guidelines beyond the availability of the expert.
Founders log into the ExpertConnect system to research and request meetings with experts based upon mentee needs and goals. The ExpertConnect team will review each request for relevant alignment and then handle meeting coordination for ease of scheduling and information.
Search, select, and request - it's that easy.
Startups with Univeristy of Delaware affiliated enterpeneurs or leaders are eligible for ExpertConnect. Individuals and teams must have a willingness to be mentored.
ExpertConnect Subject Matter Expert
There are many reasons to mentor - from the satisfaction of helping others to the knowledge of cutting edge innovations and leading technologies. We are looking for experienced CEOs, founders and leaders who can advise and coach through constructive critiquing and are role models for mentees. Mentors must abide by Guiding Principles and commit to 1 - 3 hours per month.
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Bridging Design and Manufacturing: Meet Alumnus Rich Hayburn
January 12, 2026 | Written by Horn EntrepreneurshipRelay Manufacturing was founded by Rich Hayburn, a University of Delaware Class of 2020 graduate who studied Mechanical Engineering with an Integrated Design minor, along with a math minor and manufacturing concentration. While at UD, Rich leaned into Horn Entrepreneurship through Summer Founders, NSF I-Corps, and VentureOn, experiences that helped him turn hands-on problem solving into a growing business. -
UD Alumna & Founder Annabelle Brame is Reshaping Sustainable Fashion
January 05, 2026 | Written by Horn EntrepreneurshipA 2024 graduate with a BS in Fashion Design & Product Innovation and a minor in Entrepreneurship, Annabelle built the foundation of her fashion label, Brame, through Horn Entrepreneurship programs including Summer Founders, REEF, and VentureOn. Today, she’s crafting an entirely new conversation around ethical design, adaptable apparel, and what it means to build a fashion house rooted in purpose. -
Startup tackling spiked drinks wins over Hen Hatch judges
December 12, 2025 | Written by Horn EntrepreneurshipThe final round of Hen Hatch featured four teams with widely divergent concepts: straws that change color to discreetly reveal spiked drinks, an app for women to manage chronic health conditions, a clothing line that supports animal shelters and autonomous robots that look for leaks in water lines.