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Rocket Hatch started at the beginning of 2014 as an idea of a group of entrepreneurial individuals with backgrounds in creative, social and tech startups. Only 8 months later we could not be more proud of what our emerging startup community has accomplished and the role we have played as a catalyst. This success pushes us to continue with this mission. Will you join us in this effort?
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Building a dynamic North Alabama economy fueled by a vibrant and diverse startup community
ANNUAL REPORT � 2014
� © Rocket Hatch, 2015
2 Rocket Hatch Community Accelerator
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GETTING STARTED
� Rocket Hatch started at the beginning of 2014 as an idea of a group of
entrepreneurial individuals with
backgrounds in creative, social and tech
startups. We saw the need for a support
community for entrepreneurs that
wanted to focus their efforts in the commercial space, leveraging modern
technologies and business frameworks
to launch new companies that could
create value locally while selling globally.
� Many of us had seen first hand the
startup movement taking hold around the world and transforming it rapidly. We
understood that starting a business in
2014 was way different than just a decade
ago. First the internet, then the cloud and
now mobile technologies had changed
everything, and we knew we wanted to join in, but we did not want to leave our
home, Huntsville.
� We knew Huntsville had all the critical elements to be a thriving startup
ecosystem. However, disruptive
commercial startups were not common
and if they existed were disconnected to
the local scene.
� In April of 2014 we decided to change that by supporting the first Weekend
Startup competition in town. In May, we
incorporated Rocket Hatch as a 501(c)(3)
non-profit with the mission to unleash the
untapped entrepreneurial potential of
North Alabama through an open, inclusive and collaborative startup
community. Only 8 months later we could
not be more proud of what our emerging
startup community has accomplished
and the role we have played as a
catalyst. This success pushes us to continue with this mission.
Will you join us in this effort?
Mission Rocket Hatch Community Accelerator
www.rockethatch.org
� To unleash the untapped entrepreneurial potential of
North Alabama through an open, inclusive and
collaborative startup community.
THE ROCKET HATCH MISSION
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� A diverse population grows in the Huntsville metro, creating economic opportunity and transforming our culture.
Why?
5 Rocket Hatch Community Accelerator
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CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS DEMAND A NEW APPROACH
Total Population Huntsville Metro
683,871
Graduated College 44.2%
20-35 y/o 139,464 Double Income No Kids
35-45 y/o 90,602 Double Income With Kids
45-55 y/o 109,992 Mid-Life Executive & Spouses Returning to Work
Population In Prime Entrepreneurial Age
339,988
If only 10%+ of Potential Entrepreneurs Succeed the economic impact is huge
Small Businesses 3,399 x $1M = $3.3B
Medium Businesses 339 x $10M = $3.3B
High Growth Businesses 33 x $1ooM = $3.3B
10%* = Potential Entrepreneurs
33,998 LINK: GLOBAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP MONITOR
REPORT, BABSON COLLEGE * LOWE MILL ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT LARGEST PRIVATE ART CENTER IN THE US
Combined Economic Potential
$10B
6 Rocket Hatch Community Accelerator
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COMMUNITY: THE SUSTAINABLE ACCELERATOR � It all ends and starts with the community. To become sustainable, the community itself needs to organically transform in the accelerator. This means our efforts have to focus just as much on cultural change and values as on training and mentorship.
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A FRESH APPROACH FOR HUNTSVILLE
� The best way to achieve sustainable startup acceleration is to nurture the
community that is already here. Like the
internet, our community should be a
diverse network with multiple nodes and
engines so that a single failure cannot
bring down what we have achieved.
� Currently, there are glimpses of the new
startup community we want to develop,
but it is fragmented and disconnected.
Entrepreneurs, mentors, angels and other
key players exist but are hard to find.
� Our established business community has done well thanks to Research &
Development for the Department of
Defense and NASA leaving untapped our
potential for commercial, creative and
tech startups.
Grassroots Entrepreneurs Think Locally, Act Locally.
� In the past several decades, because of immigration and population growth, an
untapped pool of talent and resources
has been accumulating. This talent pool
includes young professionals who grew
up in the region, highly educated stay-at-
home spouses, and experienced executives ready to start their own
businesses. Our target community wishes
to engage in new and creative forms of
entrepreneurship that can make our
economy more diverse and resilient, our
community more interesting and inspiring, and improve our quality of life.
� We believe there is an opportunity for
great growth in areas that have not been
traditionally our strong suit, but that have
great economic potential in a post-
industrial age.
� We are creating a new kind of startup ecosystem that is supportive of risk-
taking and embraces the pioneers, the
big thinkers, the adventurous and the
bold.
� Market oriented entrepreneurship
requires a lean approach based on customer development instead of
product development. Products must
address market problems and business
models must leverage the digital
economy.
� Creativity needs diversity and trust so ideas can be safely discussed and rapidly
executed. Open communications are
critical to achieve the speed of
implementation required to compete
globally in a post-industrial world.
Vision Rocket Hatch Community Accelerator
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� Community Values
� Hatchers come from the community
we support and exemplify the
culture we are striving to create. Our culture comes from our core values:
+ Collaboration
+ Trust
+ Open communication + Encouragement
+ Inclusiveness
+ Risk-taking + Fail forward
Rocket Hatch as the startup
community we nurture is a
“do-acracy” where what Hatchers do supersedes what they have or who
they know, what or where they
studied or worked.
Hatchers are always looking to grow
themselves, their business, their
team and their community.
9 Rocket Hatch Community Accelerator
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“Thanks to Rocket Hatch, there is some very good new energy. I was pleased to meet many of the players and I will be happy to support you on other events —thanks for all this help to our community!
Peggy Sammon Serial Entrepreneur | CEO GeneCapture
10 Rocket Hatch Community Accelerator
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FROM IDEA TO STARTUP
� ONLINE
Social media is both a marketing tool and a virtual venue for our startup community
connecting people, places, ideas and events. We dig deep and wide into the local and
regional entrepreneur networks online.
ONLINE, EVENTS and CO.STARTERS programs create complementary cycles that help new entrepreneurs engage, connect and learn as they progress in their journey to create new startups. The cycles are designed to create a community of mentors that give back once they become successful entrepreneurs.
� EVENTS
� Rocket Hatch both supports and hosts entrepreneurship events in the region. Our
goal is to help develop multiple groups and venues that support a tightly connected
startup community.
� BOOTCAMPS+COMMUNITY
� Launching new startups needs community support. Our community helps entrepreneurs
through peer-to-peer interactions, support groups and organized programs such as
CO..STARTERS which helps move from idea to startup in 9 weeks.
Method
Entrepreneur Startup
ONLINE BOOTCAMPS COMMUNITY
O N B O A R D I N G G R O W T H
Engage
Learn
Launch
Accelerate
EVENTS
Connect
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INCLUSIVE, LEAN & SMART
� Rocket Hatch is a startup
We follow the process we are
asking our startups to follow
� Inclusive
� An acceleration network:
We are engaging with all players in the community.
Always looking to partner and
collaborate, our partners
include: entrepreneurs,
investors, mentors, incubators,
government, universities, and nearby communities.
� Players:
To spawn innovation, our
communities need to interact.
Scientists and artists,
engineers and physicians,
technicians and bankers, artisans and lawyers,
educators and public servants,
government and private
–all are welcome.
� Lean
� As agile as our startups:
We are a bootstrapped accelerator. We have spent
our time doing customer
development, understanding
the problems faced by our
local entrepreneurs and
stakeholders (our funders and sponsors).
� It’s not about the building:
Social capital comes first. We
operate virtually utilizing
existing infrastructure and
spending our resources in
activities that create lasting value: Engagement,
Connection, Learning,
Launching, and Accelerating.
The fancy building can wait.
Method
� Smart
� Strategic Partnerships:
We have established relationships with key startup
communities in our region and
beyond.
� We are licensing and adapting
proven programs, creating
new ones only when we see a market opportunity.
� Our local partnerships provide
us with physical locations,
infrastructure, funding, and
sponsorships.
� Our community network
provides volunteers, speakers, mentors, facilitators, services,
infrastructure and funding.
12 12 Rocket Hatch Community Accelerator
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2014 YEAR IN REVIEW
� Engaging � Launching
� Accelerating
� Highlights of our quest to build an open, inclusive and collaborative startup community in North Alabama.
� Connecting � Learning
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WHAT WE DID
ENGAGEMENT
CONNECTION
LEARNING
LAUNCHING
Social Media Public Relations
25+ Articles and Stories in the media 800 Facebook Likes 584 Twitter Followers
Sip+Hatch Friday Hatches
Candid Conversations
13 Events 804 Attendees
CO.STARTERS Facilitators Training Cohort 1
200+ Attendees 15 Startups Showcased Will This Fly?
Impact
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In less than a year, Rocket Hatch reached out to a diverse community of leaders, entrepreneurs, mentors, investors and stakeholders looking to create
and open, inclusive and dynamic startup ecosystem.
15 Rocket Hatch Community Accelerator
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1 Cohort
CO.STARTERS
C O M M U N I T Y M E T R I C S
1,400+ Total Community
767 Interested
521 Engaged
73 Volunteers
38 Mentors
800 584
Followers
41% Women
25-34 Median Age
13 Rocket Hatch
EVENTS
804 Attendees
24+ From other
communities
$
23 Sponsors
22 Partners
+ Geo-Energy Huntsville
+ HSV Open Tech Coffee
+ Rocket City Launch
Community
Events
Supported
38
December 31st,, 2014
Impact
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Rocket Hatch events inspired and brought together an eclectic mix of engineers, designers, artists, entrepreneurs, inventors, investors. Our goal is to generate excitement but also forward momentum for our startup community.
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A NEW CONVERSATION HAS EMERGED
� 25+ stories, interviews and blogs on local and regional
media and TV
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“There is a lot of momentum right now for startups in Huntsville. I think Rocket Hatch is a major reason for that. The Sip ‘n Hatch events, Will This Fly? and other programs they are hosting are getting people working together.
Harrison Diamond Business Relations Office, Office of the Mayor City of Huntsville
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H A R D M E T R I C S
60+ startups Served
39
December 31st,, 2014
Impact
Assessed&
Promoted&
Educated&
Hatched&
19
9
5
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CO.STARTERS
� Rocket Hatch licensed CO.STARTERS, a proven 9-week program from the Company Lab in Chattanooga that teaches entrepreneurs to examine assumptions and turn business ideas into action using lean business modeling methods in a simple and intuitive way with the help of a supportive community.
� As part of this effort we engaged and educated a select group of experienced entrepreneurs to serve as mentors and facilitators using the CO.STARTERS curriculum and approach.
� Our goal in 2015 is to develop further the mentorship culture around the program providing additional opportunities to engage, connect and activate local mentors and entrepreneurs.
21 Rocket Hatch Community Accelerator
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“I learned so much more with my CO.STARTERS cohorts than I did at college; and I have a business degree. I got the support I needed as I was getting ready to open my studio and was introduced to the North Alabama Revolving Loan which provided the initial funding I needed to get started.
Teri Hartmann CO.STARTERS Graduate Owner Designbyhart
22 Rocket Hatch Community Accelerator
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“It was clear from the quality of the materials that the CO.STARTERS applicant provided that she had a good understanding of her business. She was able to respond quickly and articulate key business metrics such as competition and market potential.
Mary Ellen Judah Executive Direct0r North Alabama Revolving Loan Fund
23 Rocket Hatch Community Accelerator
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“We asked Rocket Hatch to help us organize a one-time meeting of local food entrepreneurs, and they said, “No.” Instead, they helped us have a Food Hatch - three meetings that culminated with a big event centered around local food businesses. And we’re still meeting, still making connections, and still supporting and collaborating with other business owners. It was exactly the kick-start that we needed.
Caitlin Lyon & Michelle Novosel Co-founders Pizzelle’s Confections & Food Hatch Huntsville
24 Rocket Hatch Community Accelerator
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A celebration of the diversity of the creative and entrepreneurial spirit in North Alabama. Will This Fly? provided a platform for local innovators to pitch their ideas.
Finalists got the stage to tell investors,
mentors, and potential partners why their concept is awesome.
This fast-paced pitch event was the first moment in the limelight for new startup ideas around the Greater Huntsville Area.
INNOVATION & ENTREPRENEURSHIP
SHOWCASE
25 Rocket Hatch Community Accelerator
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“Will This Fly? was –hands down, one of the best events I've been to in Huntsville. Can't wait for next year!
Keithe Baggett Entrepreneur | Co-founder Thread
26 Rocket Hatch Community Accelerator
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“We made several key connections from the competition. This includes some potential partners as well as our IP attorney. Startup companies need local advisers and there is no better way to find them than at a competition where you are surrounded by like minded people.
Paul Gradl Will This Fly? Competition Winner Co-founder Weld-3D
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� How Was This Even Possible?
28 Rocket Hatch Community Accelerator
www.rockethatch.org Rocket Hatch Team
We are passionate local entrepreneurs and innovators who represent the primary segments of the local demographics we are trying to engage. Like our community, we love North Alabama and want to see flourish a uniquely local startup ecosystem that is rooted in our traditional strengths but moves us forward to in the post-industrial economy.
THE ROCKET HATCH TEAM
� Tarra Anzalone Co-founder &
Board Member
� Drew Chapman Board Member
� Brad Garland Board Member
� Ben Jarrell Board Member
� Antonio Montoya Founder &
Executive Director
� Ana Aristizabal Co-founder &
Operations Director
29 Rocket Hatch Community Accelerator
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� Jeff Goode Engineering
� David Cochran Finance, Valuations
� Karen Wynne Sustainable Farming
� David Nuttall Art, Design, Software
� Craig Kerstiens SaaS, Product,
Marketing
� Eric Grigorian Manufacturing,
Operations
Rocket Hatch Team
We have established a network of experienced business leaders who are willing to commit their time to help up-and-coming entrepreneurs in their difficult journey. We are proud to have assembled a truly impressive and diverse support community that provides insight, counsel and connections. Below are just a few of the members of our mentor community.
OUR MENTORS
� Timo Sandritter Organizational Development
� Bryan Powell Design, Education,
Software
� Bob Locklear Angel Investing, IP
� Rich Ortiz Marketing & Advertising
30 Rocket Hatch Community Accelerator
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Rocket Hatch true power comes from its committed volunteers that share our vision and want to build an entrepreneurial community that can stand side by
side to any other, anywhere in the world.
JOIN US IN INVESTING IN OUR STARTUP COMMUNITY
www.rockethatch.org