At first glance, it looks like a startup competition. But behind the scenes it’s so much more. It’s a deeper experience. A high-intensity collaboration lab where people don’t just build products, they build trust, teams, and transformational insight.

It’s not just a pitch event. It’s a pressure test for ideas. A training ground for collaboration. A launchpad for startups that might not exist without it.

More than a hackathon, a human accelerator

Take Team UpKeeper, whose founder pitched a simple home maintenance tracking app. By Sunday, they had a working prototype, a customer-validated feature set, and a pitch polished enough to win the top prize.

Or Team Me2We, whose idea didn’t take the trophy, but sparked something even more powerful, a mission to help solo founders find collaborators who share not just skills, but values. That initial weekend set the foundation for what would later evolve into Celium, a platform to help teams stay aligned even after the pitch lights dim.

The HatchThis effect

What makes HatchThis different? It’s the intensity, yes, but more importantly, it’s the intentional design of the experience:

• Pitch to Pivot
  Every team begins with a spark of an idea, but the real magic happens when founders start listening to customers, to each other, and to the friction that reveals new paths forward.
• Build With, Not Just For
  You don’t just meet people. You build with them. Whether it’s a first-time founder or a seasoned engineer, everyone contributes with urgency and openness.
• Find Your People
  In a region where solo entrepreneurship can feel isolating, HatchThis has become a community-wide mixer for future cofounders, collaborators, and creative allies.

If an idea has been quietly tapping you on the shoulder, this might be where it begins.

Real teams, real companies, real growth

Ideas that started at HatchThis have gone on to pitch stages, pilot programs, and product launches. But even more meaningful are the founders who say the weekend changed how they see themselves, not just as solo builders, but as co-creators.

“HatchThis was buzzing with new connections and amazing people,” said Lilly Field, cofounder of Celium. “I was lucky to have a team of five truly brilliant people working together on the idea I pitched. The magic of building something together in such a time-pressured event is indescribable. We got more done over the weekend than I might have on my own in two months. A member of our team became my cofounder, and six months later, we onboarded our first business client into our built-out platform, Celium.”

“They really encouraged the customer discovery process, and you’re in a building full of people you can run discovery with right there. It definitely sped up the startup process for us. Beyond that, I still recognize people from the event, and they recognize me. It’s built stronger connections, which is so essential and beautiful since we live in a smaller city.”

For Lilly, HatchThis wasn’t just where Me2We was born. It was where she discovered her strength as a communicator, a collaborator, and a leader. That spark now powers Celium’s mission to help other teams thrive together.

Be part of the next HatchThis

HatchThis returns March 27–29, 2026, and we’re calling all makers, movers, and maybe-entrepreneurs to take the leap.

Whether you’ve got a full-blown idea or just a notebook full of questions, this is your chance to collide with creativity, co-create with intention, and step into the next chapter of your founder journey.

HatchThis is part accelerator, part startup sprint, and part community experience. You do not need a perfect plan to show up. You just need curiosity and a willingness to build.

Sign up. Show up. Start something.

🔗 Learn more, save the dates, and stay tuned, tickets go on sale soon:
hatchinnovationhub.org/hatch-this