The University of Delaware’s Entrepreneurship Club (E-Club) will host Ashley Biden as a speaker for Free Lunch Friday on Feb. 24 at 11 a.m. in the Venture Development Center.

The event will be facilitated fireside chat-style with Mona Parikh, adjunct professor and tech liaison for the Horn Program in Entrepreneurship. This event will be first come, first served.

“I am very excited to have someone as important as Ashley come and speak,” said Meredith Ackerson, head of speaker and alumni relations for the E-Club. “I’m excited to hear about how she got involved in entrepreneurship and her story behind her new company and brand.”

Biden is the founder of Livelihood, a social venture that helps community development through initiatives such as school funding, vocational training programs and job placement services. This year proceeds will benefit Biden’s hometown of Wilmington, Delaware, and the Anacostia neighborhood in the District of Columbia, where she served as a social worker.

“Livelihood is about celebrating the resiliency in underserved communities, the artists, the entrepreneurs, and the innovators, supporting them as they work to advance social and economic justice,” said Biden.

In a collaborative partnership with fashion website Gilt.com, Biden has introduced Gilt x Livelihood, an exclusive collection of hoodies made in the United States. All proceeds of the outerwear line will support Livelihood initiatives.

“I would like people to view the name Ashley Biden not just as her father’s daughter, but as Ashley Biden, an entrepreneur and businesswoman,” said Ackerson. “I want people to leave this Free Lunch Friday just like any other, feeling inspired and motivated.”

Biden serves as the executive director of the Delaware Center for Justice, a nonprofit for criminal justice reform in Delaware. She is also the daughter of former Vice President Joe Biden, who recently announced a partnership with the University.

UD offers a minor in social entrepreneurship in which students explore and pursue innovative solutions to societal challenges. Information on the minor will be available during this Free Lunch Friday.

About the Horn Program in Entrepreneurship

The Horn Program in 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 Program 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.