Governor Jack Markell, Carla Markell to host 2025 Reinventing Delaware Dinner

Governor Jack Markell and former First Lady Carla Markell will serve as honorary hosts for the 2025 Reinventing Delaware Dinner at The Wilmington Club. (Photo courtesy Pete du Pont Foundation)

WILMINGTON– The Pete du Pont Freedom Foundation (PDFF) announced that Governor Jack Markell and his wife Carla Markell will serve as honorary hosts for the 2025 Reinventing Delaware Dinner.

The annual dinner brings together 100 of Delaware’s leading innovators, entrepreneurs, and community leaders to share new ideas aimed at creating jobs and improving quality of life for residents.

The dinner marks the official launch of the Foundation’s Reinventing Delaware program, which helps visionaries develop and implement innovative concepts with the potential to transform Delaware’s future.

Selected ideas enter a six-month incubator program valued at more than $25,000, providing pro bono coaching, strategy, and implementation support. PDFF’s goal is to help participants move from bold concepts to actionable investments.

Past successes include Zip Code Wilmington, a coding school where 75% of graduates secure jobs averaging more than $83,000 annually, and Aternium (originally pitched as First State Hydrogen), which has become a leader in the nation’s clean energy and decarbonization transition.

At the end of the program, one standout idea receives an additional grand prize to accelerate its growth.

Honorary hosts

Governor Jack Markell served as Delaware’s 73rd governor from 2009 to 2017, later representing the United States as Ambassador to the OECD (2022–2023) and as Ambassador to Italy and San Marino (2023–2025). Alongside his public service, he has remained active in business and philanthropy.

Carla Markell, Delaware’s former First Lady, has been recognized for her advocacy in community service, volunteerism, and women’s empowerment. Her work has advanced opportunities in education, wellness, and cultural exchange throughout the state.