The Paul J. Hooker Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership and BGSU’s Schmidthorst College of Business are proud to announced that Sophia Stockham, a 2018 Wauseon High School graduate, has been accepted into the 2021 Hatch® Program.
The Hatch®, modeled after the ABC hit TV show “Shark Tank,” features student entrepreneurs (Hatchlings) giving a live pitch of their business idea to a panel of BGSU alumni investors.
Hatchlings are chosen after a highly selective application process. Prior to the Hatch®, each Hatchling completes an eleven-week program with an accomplished BGSU alumni mentor to create a business presentation. The Hatch is a virtual event free and open to the public.
The 2020 Hatch® was streamed live to Hatch Watch Parties around the region and had over 3,200 views on YouTube. To date, more than $650,000 has been committed to student startups by alumni investors through equity investments.
Stockham’s Hatch idea, Hear To Help, seeks to use 3D printed technology to create custom-fit, durable, and affordable hearing aid replacements.
“The Hatch® is a very rewarding and unique experience for BGSU students and alumni,” commented Kirk D. Kern, Director of the Paul J. Hooker Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership. “It improves not only our Hatchlings entrepreneurial minds, but also their work ethic and business knowledge.”
“I’m very excited to participate in the Hatch® 2021,” stated Stockham. “I look forward to obtaining funding to begin my entrepreneurial venture.”
The Paul J. Hooker Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, serving as “Hatch Headquarters,” was recognized by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) as one of the top 20 centers worldwide.
The Schmidthorst College of Business is among the top 1% of business programs in the world and is ranked as the 29th best public undergraduate business program in the United States. You can learn more at http://www.bgsu.edu/business.