Entrepreneurship Competition at University of Delaware Seeks Potential CEOs

The University of Delaware’s Horn Program in Entrepreneurship announced a competition wherein students create a video pitch of a business idea.

The program, open to all University of Delware (UD) students, pits budding entrepreneurs against one another, while also testing their ability to convey their business idea using a digital medium. Through the Horn Program and this competition, the university follows in the footsteps of other schools that have created startup incubators and programs to stimulate entrepreneurship globally.

According to the UDaily, the Horn Program officially launched in October 2012 in order to “enhance and expand” studies for entrepreneurs at UD. Money from the program goes toward pitching contests, and prizes include support and resources for the winning entrepreneur(s). Patrick Harker, UD President, says the program caters to the driving economic force in this country — the entrepreneurs — not “multi-billion dollar companies.”

Startup incubators and entrepreneurial programs continue to pop up across the country. One such program, Syracuse University’s South Side Innovation Center, created a reported 447 jobs since the program’s inception in 2006, and created 384 new businesses through the program. Universities like Syracuse and UD acknowledge the importance of cultivating entrepreneurs at a young age to increase their chances of creating viable businesses. Universities across the country continue adding entrepreneurship programs to their curriculum, creating leaders and stimulating the economy by educating fledgling students.

These programs provide an opportunity unavailable in the past to people like Charles Horn, primary donor of the Horn Program and former student of UD. “I was always interested in starting my own business, but in those days universities were focused on preparing students to work for someone else, not for yourself,” says Horn in the UDaily post. After graduating, Horn became a successful entrepreneur working in health care and marketing, and believes educating young professionals earlier builds better entrepreneurs.

According to a UDaily announcement, judges for the video competition, dubbed “Perfect Pitch,” decide their vote based on “perceived value,” tone and visionary merits. The winner will receive $1000 in funding for their startup and an invitation to the Venture Development Center. Judges decide the winners on April 26, and the award ceremony will follow.

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