The Horn Program in Entrepreneurship at the University of Delaware’s Lerner College of Business has announced Brad Bono, chairman and CEO of the cloud based services provider Princeton Hosted Solutions, as the next startup adviser available free of cost through the summer to advise University of Delaware students, alumni, faculty and staff working on startups. Bono, a graduate of UD, will offer his services on a first come, first served basis on certain Fridays at the new Venture Development Center, at the University of Delaware, where he will provide startup advisory services in an effort to help students, faculty and staff determine how to turn their ideas into companies, and work with them to help make it happen.
Bono has been extremely successful in the telecommunications industry. Prior to his role at Princeton, Bono was founder and CEO of Magellan Hill Technologies LLC. In 2010, Magellan was the fastest growing telecommunications provider and sixth overall on the Wharton School’s “Philly 100” list; Line Systems Inc. acquired the company in January 2012. Bono was also cofounder of PaeTec Communications and served as co-chief operating officer from 2004-06. He began his career at PaeTec as the president of the Eastern region, and served as a member of the board of directors from the company’s inception in 1998. During his tenure, PaeTec grew from $150,000 in revenue in 1998 to over $500 million by 2005. He has also held roles as co-founder of Vista International Communications Inc., including executive vice president and member of the board of directors from 1991 to 1997 and as vice president of the Mid-Atlantic region and vice president of alternate channel sales for ACC TeleCom, which acquired Vista in 1997. Bono is a past recipient of the NatWest Bank/Morris Country Chamber of Commerce New Jersey Young Entrepreneur of the Year award, and in 2002 received the New Jersey Business Journal’s “40 under 40” award for his business achievements. He previously served on the board of trustees at the Ronald McDonald House in Camden beginning in 1999, and was its president from 2002-04. He currently serves on the board of Our Lady Lourdes Medical Center.
