Latest news with #JohnCarney
Technical.ly
16-04-2025
- Business
- Technical.ly
Delaware's fintech moment: CAFE's 2025 spring cohort and more on the horizon
Delaware is having its fintech moment. Since the Center for Advancing Financial Equity — better known as CAFE — launched in 2023 at the then-new Fintech Innovation Hub at the University of Delaware's STAR Campus, it has quietly been building a name for itself. It's also been building a fintech brand for Delaware, something that has long seemed elusive despite the state being a major financial center since the 1980s. Even with prominent fintech companies like Delaware-based Best Egg, FairSquare and a PayPal presence, there was a certain kind of buzz that didn't seem to resonate beyond state lines. That may be changing. For its current spring cohort, CAFE held a three-day event from April 8 to 10 that drew fintech insiders, leaders and investors from all over the country to Delaware, including the Fintech Innovation Hub, sponsor Best Egg's North Wilmington headquarters, and, finally, the DuPont Country Club for an invite-only pitch and networking event that included the fintech portion of the Delaware Prosperity Partnership's Startup302 competition. 'I have really found a tremendous welcoming here in Delaware, so much so that I've adopted the Blue Hens as my own,' said Phil Goldfeder, president of the American Fintech Council, one of the many big names in fintech who came for the event. Speakers included Wilmington Mayor (and former Delaware Governor) John Carney; Ben du Pont, cofounder of Chartline Capital Partners and Zip Code Wilmington; Rob Habgood, CEO of Wilmington-based FairSquare/Ally Card; and CAFE founder Kristen Castell. CAFE startups from California, New York and Arizona made their pitches In the past CAFE cohorts, Delaware startups, including NESTER and Carvertise, participated among others from all over the country. This cohort's six CAFE startups are all established startups from out of state. Some are looking to do business in Delaware, but all are getting an exposure to Delaware's tech ecosystem to take home with them. The spring CAFE cohort is comprised of AI underwriting platform DubPrime (Los Gatos, California), smart estate planning platform Goodtrust (Palo Alto, California), ATM alternative Spare (Los Angeles, California), expense reduction platform Starlight (Brooklyn, New York), client management system TAZI AI (San Francisco, California) and predictive credit platform Trackstar AI (Chandler, Arizona). All six gave 5-minute pitches to cap off the event. Three Startup302 fintech finalist startups pitched early in the day, competing for part of $100,000+ in cash grants, mentoring and investor connections. Those startups are Roam, an Everett, Washington-based HOA management platform (first place), Wilmington-based Grad Village, a platform that connects college students with private donors to help them with tuition costs (second place) and Innocuous AI, a New York City-based data management platform (third place). There will be two more Startup302 finals competitions at upcoming exosystem events: environmental impact startups will pitch at the Clean Tech Ecosystem Summit on April 24, and life sciences startups will pitch at Delaware's DNA Life Science Conference on May 8. These events will feature finalists from Wilmington, Baltimore and Philadelphia. A spotlight on Delaware's talent Delaware's history as a finance and business center was held up as a major component of the state's brand identity, with Mayor Carney telling the story of how Wilmington became a center of banking for out-of-towners from places like San Francisco, New York City and Los Angeles. 'When Ben's father [Pete du Pont] was governor, our economy here in our state was in really bad shape,' Carney said. 'One of the things that the administration did around 1980 was they passed important legislation called the Financial Center Development Act.' What it did, he explained, was bring a big New York bank to Delaware to set up its credit card operations, which was then followed by many others. Later, as banks consolidated, Bank of America bought MBNA, which had turned part of downtown to its own corporate campus. 'There was a lot of talent here looking for things to do,' Carney said, 'and that's where our Fintech sector came from.' That history continues to be apparent in the state's talent pool, said Habgood. 'What really drove the success of Fairsquare was being here in Delaware,' he told the attendees. 'Just finding ourselves in Delaware was a huge benefit because there's clearly more talent in the credit card space in this Wilmington area than anywhere else on the planet.'
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
A boozy battle: Maryland, Delaware in spirited debate to make ‘orange crush' their official cocktail
A boozy battle is brewing between Maryland and Delaware — with both states designating the 'orange crush' as their official cocktails. Lawmakers in Maryland voted Monday to approve the orange crush as the Old Line state's official state cocktail. 'We have to set the record straight and we need to show our Maryland pride,' Wayne Hartman (R), a member of the House of Delegates, said as he noted the potential economic impact and urged the passage of the 'original orange crush as the state cocktail of Maryland.' But the move came amid an liquor-soaked war of sorts: Less than a year ago, Delaware beat Maryland to the alcoholic punch and named the orange crush as its official cocktail. The orange crush — made by mixing fresh-squeezed orange juice with lemon-lime soda, orange vodka and triple sec — is said to have originated in Ocean City, Md. But in legislation signed last August by then-Delaware Gov. John Carney (D) denoting it as the official state cocktail, orange crushes were described as having been 'made famous and become synonymous with Dewey Beach, Del.' 'Be it affirmed, the Orange Crush — made from vodka, Grand Marnier and fresh juice, topped with soda, an orange wedge and mint leaf — is now the official cocktail in the state of Delaware,' Carney said at the time. 'Delaware stole this from Maryland,'Hartman told The Baltimore Banner earlier this year. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) is expected to sign the cocktail-focused legislation — and 'will surely be having an orange crush to celebrate,' a spokesman told the publication — which would take effect on June 1. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
09-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
A boozy battle: Maryland, Delaware in spirited debate to make ‘orange crush' their official cocktail
A boozy battle is brewing between Maryland and Delaware — with both states designating the 'orange crush' as their official cocktails. Lawmakers in Maryland voted Monday to approve the orange crush as the Old Line state's official state cocktail. 'We have to set the record straight and we need to show our Maryland pride,' Wayne Hartman (R), a member of the House of Delegates, said as he noted the potential economic impact and urged the passage of the 'original orange crush as the state cocktail of Maryland.' But the move came amid an liquor-soaked war of sorts: Less than a year ago, Delaware beat Maryland to the alcoholic punch and named the orange crush as its official cocktail. The orange crush — made by mixing fresh-squeezed orange juice with lemon-lime soda, orange vodka and triple sec — is said to have originated in Ocean City, Md. But in legislation signed last August by then-Delaware Gov. John Carney (D) denoting it as the official state cocktail, orange crushes were described as having been 'made famous and become synonymous with Dewey Beach, Del.' 'Be it affirmed, the Orange Crush — made from vodka, Grand Marnier and fresh juice, topped with soda, an orange wedge and mint leaf — is now the official cocktail in the state of Delaware,' Carney said at the time. 'Delaware stole this from Maryland,' Hartman told The Baltimore Banner earlier this year. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) is expected to sign the cocktail-focused legislation — and 'will surely be having an orange crush to celebrate,' a spokesman told the publication — which would take effect on June 1.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The road ahead: How journalism takes me on a journey
I consider myself an adventurer at heart. Over the last 17 years, my family and I have gone on many adventures up and down the First State. From hiking and cycling around Lums Pond State Park to taking a weeklong getaway to Fenwick Island, we made it a goal to try and explore as much as Delaware as we could, taking in all our new home had to offer. That's part of what drew me to being a journalist in the first place: the chance to go somewhere new, meet new people and learn what truly drives them to do what they do. Whether it was a Lewes restaurant hosting drive-thru movie nights, a Middletown student collecting donated prom dresses or small-business owners pushing for lawmakers to raise the minimum wage, covering Delaware not only allows me to tell the stories that need to be told but also to learn more about a state I have called home for the last several years. When I first joined The News Journal last summer, there was no shortage of breaking political news: The previous legislative session just ended. Then-Gov. John Carney declared his candidacy for Wilmington mayor, leading to the gubernatorial race. Then-U.S. Sen. Tom Carper announced his retirement, leading then-U.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester to run for his soon-to-be-open seat. Several political newcomers vied for vacant positions at Legislative Hall. Needless to say, there was a lot to explore. For the last several months, my reporting has taken me to new places across the First State, introducing me to fresh and reacquainting me with familiar faces, and experiencing some traditions and big events: attending the Delaware State Fair in Harrington. Talking with now-U.S. Rep. Sarah McBride in Wilmington. Attending Return Day in Georgetown. Speaking with now-Gov. Matt Meyer while walking through downtown Dover – the list goes on. With the legislative session underway, a slew of bills have been (re)introduced and potentially could lead to change in the First State – including, but not limited to, enshrining reproductive freedom in the state constitution and reintroducing the end-of-life options act. Related: Delaware House Rep. Kendra Johnson's service came from divine inspiration Don't get me wrong: It's not always an easy road. Aside from the constant fear of getting stuck in traffic – which, knock on wood, has happened only once – there's also one question that continues to linger in the back of my brain: What if? Ordinarily, this question wouldn't bother me. Heading out into the unknown was an adrenaline rush – I thrived on it. But now, with the current political climate, an air of uncertainty hangs in the air. Thoughts of what might happen, how it might trickle down and who may be caught in the crossfire. While that question hangs in the balance, and may keep me up at night, I've come to learn this is what we as journalists do: We continue to do what we do best. We put ourselves out there, absorb as much as possible and tell the stories that must be written. This is all part of the process: We have a general idea of where we're going, but we have no idea what we might encounter – or learn – when we get there. Because journalism in itself is an adventure – and I cannot wait to see where it takes me next. One final note: I am the author of The Press Room, a weekly roundup to what's new, what's happening and what's changing in First State politics. As always, if you're interested in sharing story tips, ideas or observations, please send them my way at omontes@ Olivia Montes covers state government and community impact for Delaware Online/The News Journal. If you have a tip or a story idea, reach out to her at omontes@ This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: How journalism takes reporters on an adventure
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Delaware Department of Elections, Criminal Justice Information System make cases in budget hearings
The Delaware Department of Elections, the Delaware Criminal Justice Information System, Delaware's state treasurer and Delaware's auditor of accounts are next to present their budget appeals. These departments and individuals will be putting forward their requests all day Tuesday. The state Joint Finance Committee wrapped up its first week of hearings last Thursday, with presentations from Delaware Technical Community College, Delaware State University and the University of Delaware. This week marks the second week of JFC hearings, with the state Department of Corrections and the state Department of Labor among those scheduled to make their appeals on Wednesday. ICYMI: UD, Delaware State and DelTech make cases for state money in continued budget hearings The Delaware Department of Elections was the first state department to present its budget requests to committee members Tuesday morning. The election department provides several resources and services for elections including, conducting elections, registering residents to vote and counting election results. In addition to highlighting requests in former Delaware Gov. John Carney's recommended budget, including the expansion of the New Castle County Warehouse to store voting equipment 'in a single location,' the department requested more money to 'provide increased stipends' for Board of Elections members. The payment has not grown in several years. The increase would help 'recognize [the] additional service' many members have dedicated to election preparation and on Election Days, Commissioner Anthony Albence said. The Elections department also currently has one vacant full-time position, which they plan to fill before June 30. This is a developing story. Updates will be made throughout the day. Olivia Montes covers state government and community impact. You can reach her at omontes@ This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware Joint Finance Committee hearings week 2
