^{Friends of HatchBridge,}  

Hey y’all!

For the first time in our newsletter, we’re sharing what we’ve been quietly working on since the beginning of 2024. 

In July 2025, HatchBridge will move into a new, larger home with nearly double the amount of space for companies and significantly more space for programming. We’re starting to spread the word- and inviting those who want to join us in person to head to hatchbridge.com/building and join our interest list.

We want to share this news broadly: please take a second to forward this email to someone you think should see it.

Upcoming programs:

• Community Startups: Venture Creation in partnership with Cobb Chamber: This 4-week program in June introduces the basic frameworks to go from idea to customer segmentation and will help you develop value propositions that resonate with your customer. Learn more and apply here.

• Faculty startups: Innovation Launch Pad launches at the end of May! Come learn about charting a course for your research-based startups. We’ll talk about grants, customers, and a path to market. Learn more and apply here.

We’re excited to share our new space with you as we get closer to opening. Stay tuned!

Colin Ake
^{Director of Incubation and Commercialization
HatchBridge Incubator}

Our final Mentor Mayhem of the season marked the close of the spring Hatching Success Cohort—and what a finish it was!

A huge thank you to our incredible mentors: Drew Williams (FanFundr, Chasing Venture 1), Ian McDonald (MycoLogic, Chasing Venture 2), Monique Mills, Sofia Torres, Thanacha Thamma, and Ashley Velez. Your insights, feedback, and energy helped our founders tackle some of their toughest challenges head-on.

We’re grateful for your support—and so are the teams you helped move forward.

We’re thrilled to welcome 15 new companies into the fourth installation of our Venture Creation Program, in partnership with Cherokee County Office of Economic Development.

This group of companies includes everything from bold new ideas to early-stage small businesses- all ready to lay strong foundations and grow their presence in Cherokee County.

🕶️ Gleam Eyewear is an independent brand redefining what eyewear looks and feels like for women. After overpaying for unattractive glasses since she was a child, founder Eva Lester created Gleam to offer stylish, high-quality eyewear designed with diverse women in mind.

From blue light-blocking glasses to prescription frames and statement sunglasses, Gleam's designs are bold, empowering, and affordable, celebrating women through every detail. Gleam has been featured on the Today Show, Refinery29, Good Housekeeping, and BuzzFeed, and continues to grow as a purpose-driven brand that blends fashion, function, and social impact.

Join us in congratulating our incredible HatchBridge Fellows who are graduating and stepping into exciting new opportunities this May!

• Thanacha Thamma is graduating from Kennesaw State University with a degree in Interactive Design—a huge milestone in her creative journey.

• Katherine Lanham will be interning this summer at The Home Depot here in Atlanta while continuing her work with Lavni (Chasing Venture – Cohort 2).

• Siddharth Sanghavi is heading to Indianapolis for a summer internship with Bastian Solutions, where he’ll deepen his experience in engineering and innovation.

• Sofia Torres will be interning at Kahua, and was recently honored with the Ken and Elaine Rainey Endowed Scholarship—awarded by her instructors at KSU’s Radow College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

We’re so proud of everything they’ve accomplished—and excited to see what’s next!

Ready to take your startup to the next level?

Applications are now open for Hatching Success Cohort 6!

This 14-week program meets every Monday and is designed to equip early-stage founders with the tools, frameworks, and accountability they need to grow. Whether you're refining your idea or preparing to scale, Hatching Success will help you hit your next big milestone.

The next cohort kicks off in August and is open to all members of the startup community.

Anna Teal will be sharing her perspectives on Marketing Automation and showing founders how to build their funnel with software tool - ActiveCampaign.

Come hit the trails with us on Friday, May 30th, from 8:45 AM to 11 AM.

This informal gathering, open to everyone in the Atlanta startup ecosystem, is a chance to connect with fellow entrepreneurs and innovators in a relaxed setting. The hike encourages meaningful conversations while enjoying the outdoors and getting some exercise.

Whether you're looking to exchange ideas or just take in the scenery of Kennesaw Mountain, we’d love to have you join us.

🌿 See you there!

Interested in getting involved at HatchBridge? Follow us on Social Media for the latest events and updates

Contact: Marie Northington, Operations Manager - [email protected]