Testimonials

"Surround yourself with five of the people you want to be like." – Dr. Gene Poor

The Entrepreneurship program and The Hatch particularly have had a profound impact on me, prior to graduation, in my personal life and as a professional. Professors, mentors and friends such as Gene Poor and Kirk Kern are the reason I not only survived college but thrived. During the first lecture of opening weekend in 2014 given by Dr. Poor, he told us that he was successful in becoming a professor because he surrounded himself with them; he said he was successful in business because he surrounded himself with business owners. This became my goal: surround myself with successful people. Professor Kern was one of the many people I decided I needed to surround myself with. I was able to do this by getting involved in the College of Business and visiting professors (even if they were not mine) during office hours. Professor Kern was one of them. Once I applied for The Hatch, during my second year on campus, I knew I was in for a journey. During The Hatch program, Professor Kern taught me how to start a business. You need to start with an idea, and pivot. The most important advice he has ever given me was that in order to stay in business, you need to keep adapting to the new surroundings. My experiences in The Hatch taught me to be better – a better person and a better leader. Because of the Schmidthorst College of Business, the entrepreneurship program and The Hatch, I have become a better person, and that is why I highly recommend and encourage people to attend BGSU and to learn more about entrepreneurship.

Khory Katz ‘18
2016 Hatchling
2021 Hatch Mentor

"The entrepreneurship minor and The Hatch at BGSU are outstanding programs! The entrepreneurship classes have really inspired me to do big things and take risks that others may not. I have great professors like Kirk Kern and Gene Poor to thank for that inspiration and support along my entrepreneurial journeys. That inspiration turned into starting a web design company my junior year, which led to entering The Hatch my senior year. The Hatch program taught me a wide range of different business skills and has even taught me lessons outside of the business world. It helped me launch an idea that has given me the opportunity to give back to our community and make a difference in the world. The product that I had designed will reduce the amount of litter within the environment and make homeowners lives easier when thinking about taking out the trash. I would highly recommend taking the entrepreneurship courses and taking a shot at The Hatch program if you have an idea. I can promise you that you won’t regret it!"

Brandon Bayes ‘20
2020 Hatchling