Rocket Hatch is the first accelerator in Alabama. Created in 2014 by a group of local entrepreneurs, our mission is to unleash the untapped entrepreneurial potential in North Alabama. This report represents the summary of our activities in the past year.

1. Building a dynamic North Alabama economy
fueled by a vibrant and diverse startup community
ANNUAL REPORT 2014
© Rocket Hatch, 2015

2. 2
Rocket Hatch Community Accelerator
www.rockethatch.org

3. 3
Rocket Hatch Community Accelerator
www.rockethatch.org
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?
MissionRocket 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

4. 44
Rocket Hatch Community Accelerator
www.rockethatch.org
A diverse
population
grows in the
Huntsville metro,
creating economic
opportunity and
transforming our culture.
Why?

5. 5
Rocket Hatch Community Accelerator
www.rockethatch.org
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. 6
Rocket Hatch Community Accelerator
www.rockethatch.org
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.

7. 7
Rocket Hatch Community Accelerator
www.rockethatch.org
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.
VisionRocket Hatch Community Accelerator
www.rockethatch.org

8. 88
Rocket Hatch Community Accelerator
www.rockethatch.org
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. 9
Rocket Hatch Community Accelerator
www.rockethatch.org
“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. 10
Rocket Hatch Community Accelerator
www.rockethatch.org
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

11. 11
Rocket Hatch Community Accelerator
www.rockethatch.org
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. 1212
Rocket Hatch Community Accelerator
www.rockethatch.org
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

13. 13
Rocket Hatch Community Accelerator
www.rockethatch.org
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 ShowcasedWill This Fly?
Impact

14. 14
Rocket Hatch Community Accelerator
www.rockethatch.org
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. 15
Rocket Hatch Community Accelerator
www.rockethatch.org
1Cohort
CO.STARTERS
COMMUNITY METRICS
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

16. 16
Rocket Hatch Community Accelerator
www.rockethatch.org
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.

17. 17
Rocket Hatch Community Accelerator
www.rockethatch.org
A NEW CONVERSATION
HAS EMERGED
25+ stories, interviews and
blogs on local and regional
media and TV

18. 18
Rocket Hatch Community Accelerator
www.rockethatch.org
“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

19. 19
Rocket Hatch Community Accelerator
www.rockethatch.org
HARD METRICS
60+startups Served
39
December 31st,, 2014
Impact
Assessed&
Promoted&
Educated&
Hatched&
19
9
5

20. 20
Rocket Hatch Community Accelerator
www.rockethatch.org
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. 21
Rocket Hatch Community Accelerator
www.rockethatch.org
“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. 22
Rocket Hatch Community Accelerator
www.rockethatch.org
“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. 23
Rocket Hatch Community Accelerator
www.rockethatch.org
“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. 24
Rocket Hatch Community Accelerator
www.rockethatch.org
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. 25
Rocket Hatch Community Accelerator
www.rockethatch.org
“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. 26
Rocket Hatch Community Accelerator
www.rockethatch.org
“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

27. 2727
Rocket Hatch Community Accelerator
www.rockethatch.org
How Was
This Even
Possible?

28. 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. 29
Rocket Hatch Community Accelerator
www.rockethatch.org
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. 30
Rocket Hatch Community Accelerator
www.rockethatch.org
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.

31. JOIN US IN INVESTING IN OUR STARTUP COMMUNITY

32. www.rockethatch.org