The University of Delaware’s Lerner College of Business (Lerner College) is home to one of the region’s leading programs for MBAs who are seeking a foundation in entrepreneurship.
The Lerner College’s Horn Program is currently hosting a 12-week pre-accelerator entitled Summer Founders, during which students will receive support and guidance as they pursue their business ventures.
Eight Lerner students will receive a stipend to develop their projects in such areas as medical device technology, app development and social impact efforts. Along with financial support, students will receive mentorship, advisement sessions and seminars in which to flesh out their ideas. Vince DeFelice is a Horn Program instructor with a specialty in venture support. “The program can be thought of as a… job [or a] paid internship allowing students to work on their business concepts over the summer,” he said.
The Venture Development Center (VDC) will serve as a hub for participants. The VDC will offer free and discounted services, as well as a public forum in which students can display the progress of their projects’ development. Jordan Gonzalez, participant in the Summer Founders Program, is the CEO of the Practice Set. A database for science, technology, engineering and math majors that provides practice problems for testing, Practice Set is one of the ventures hoping to gain momentum through the session. “There is always some healthy competition that happens when you’re around other groups who are working hard and getting results,” Gonzalez said. “I look forward to pushing myself as well as pushing [fellow students] to achieve more with this awesome program.”
The inaugural Summer Founders Program will culminate in a presentation to mentors and advisors, during which students will showcase their efforts.