Hustle Awards 2025 Special: Hatch Enterprise, Winner of Outstanding Startup Support

0:00Welcome back to The Serial Entrepreneur, I'm your host Anna Wood. In today's episode, I'm joined by Rebecca Sun, CEO of Hatch Enterprise. We discuss Hatch's position in the startup space, supporting the founders and not the businesses, and winning outstanding startup support at the Hustle Awards 2025. Let's dig in. Hi, Rebecca. Welcome to the podcast today. How are you? I'm good, thank you, Anna. How are you doing? I'm great, thank you. Thank you for coming on today. Thanks for having me. so we begin every podcast with our signature icebreaker question which is what's your favorite breakfast cereal and why so that was the hardest question that you sent me because I'm not actually a massive cereal eater however I was thinking if I could choose a cereal to eat right now probably be Lucky Charms because they were definitely a treat in the early 90s I think yeah if I wanted to see that was that that was a treat cereal so probably if I could choose a bowl of cereal that would probably be a bowl of Lucky Charms nice nice to tell we get a lot of people saying oh I don't really eat cereal anymore but this was a childhood favorite and to be fair fair enough I don't eat cereal anymore either so would you be able to introduce yourself and tell me a bit about your background yeah sure so I'm Rebecca Sun and I am the new CEO at Hatch Enterprise as of the 1st of September I've been in the third sector charity sector for over 20 years now and I've held leadership positions that have spanned fundraising, strategy, operations and programs.

1:37I've worked for organisations such as World Vision UK and Mercy Ships. I've been at Hatch since 2021 and I have started as the Director of Development and then also took on the Interim CEO role during 2023 and more recently have been the Managing Director for the last year and a half. I'm so excited to be taking on the new CEO role and leading such a committed, talented, innovative team who are really passionate about our mission at Hatch. And for me, Hatch's mission and what we do is deeply personal to me. I've seen the power of entrepreneurship firsthand. My grandfather was a entrepreneur out of necessity.

2:22He was a refugee that moved from China to India in the late 40s, so against a really difficult political background. And he started a restaurant in order to provide himself an income and support his family. And then my father, when I was about three years old, he started a charity. He was an entrepreneur from purpose and mission. He saw a problem that he wanted to do something about, and he started a charity that fed children in the Philippines a nutritious meal every day, so these children would have otherwise gone without. and it's a real lifeline for their parents to know that their children are going to get a meal that day.

3:00And that charity existed for the last 30 years, so the legacy has been over hundreds of thousands of meals that have been provided to children that really needed it. So I've been really inspired and motivated by this to work in the charity sector and in the third sector to make a difference, use my skills, my passion and my experience to make a difference. and that's why Hatch really deeply resonates with me. I know what it means to build something meaningful against all of the odds, facing lots of barriers, but also what it means to build something that is impactful as well. And that's what we do at Hatch.

3:36Yeah, that's amazing. And congratulations on the new role. Thank you very much. So kind of looking more into Hatch. So what is it and what are you trying to achieve at the company? Hatch is a national charity and we support underrepresented entrepreneurs to imagine, to launch, to grow and scale their businesses. These businesses are not just viable, but they also have an impact on their community and the wider world. We believe that potential and talent is equally distributed, but unfortunately, opportunity isn't. And so we exist to support entrepreneurs, to surround them with community, give them the knowledge and the tools and the confidence to take their ideas and create successful businesses.

4:21We do this by providing cohort-based programmes, mentoring, and in recent years we've been providing grants as well. And I'm really proud to say that over the last 12 years we've supported over 10 ,000 entrepreneurs on their journey. That is truly amazing. So our aim is to level the playing field and provide opportunities for those who are traditionally excluded from the entrepreneurial ecosystem. It might be because of their gender, because of their ethnicity, perhaps they're disabled or they're from poorer social economic backgrounds. And so we provide that opportunity and that community and that support system and the conditions that are right to be able to see them thrive and flourish as individuals, not just businesses.

5:03Yeah, that's amazing. So you likely touched upon it in your answer there, but what kind of support does Hatch offer startups? so what specific services and programs do you offer? We support founders through a mix of cohort based programs, one-to-one coaching and mentoring as well as offering grant funding that helps founders get their ideas off the ground so if you've got an idea and you want to launch your business we have our launch pad, we also have our incubator program if you've already started a side hustle but want to grow that and expand and then we have our accelerator programs that help you scale your business as well.

5:40What makes our programmes really special is that they're designed for entrepreneurs but by entrepreneurs so a lot of people that work at Hatch are entrepreneurs themselves and have really real life experience of starting and failing and growing their businesses as well and we also respond in real time to our founders needs so we really get to know our cohorts, we really get to know the people that are coming to us, where they need confidence building, where their skills gaps are and we work with them to to identify them but also then to target our support for that and I've seen that in practice I always had the privilege of attending a kick-off day an accelerator program that we did recently and we did live feedback forms from from the founders themselves to saying what what are your needs how can we adapt this program for you and so our programs team then were direct we're creating the program as we were we're getting to know the entrepreneurs themselves so that makes us really I think that's what makes our programs really special.

6:41Yeah great so what types of founders does Hatch primarily work with and why do you think that focus is important? We work with founders who are typically underrepresented in the business world so whether that's female entrepreneurs those from ethnic minority backgrounds disabled entrepreneurs or those who are from poorer socioeconomic backgrounds and don't have the opportunities that most people do. Because we believe that talent is equally distributed and potential is, but unfortunately opportunity isn't. And structural inequalities means that many founders don't have the networks or capital or the confidence to get started.

7:23And our job at Hatch Enterprise is to unlock that potential by creating the right conditions for these people and these businesses to thrive and I really believe that a more diverse entrepreneurial ecosystem isn't only just fairer it's absolutely necessary we need these ideas for our economy we need innovation and we need to build resilience and having a much more diverse entrepreneurial ecosystem is absolutely the way to do it. Amazing. So I think some of the things you already said are probably the answer to my next question. But what do you think differentiates Hatch from your competitors? So firstly, inclusivity runs through everything that we do.

8:05It's our absolute core and it's our mission. It's not just a side programme. We don't just support businesses, we support the people and we support them with compassion, community and care. And like I said earlier, we build relationship, we get to know them and we are with them along their journey. So I know that many entrepreneurs out there, we might be a part of their journey but during that part of the journey, we really invest in them and we build relationship and we meet them where they're at. Secondly, we're founder first. So we design with our founders and alongside our founders and we adapt, we listen, we respond quickly to what's working and what's not working.

8:52This year we launched our very first programme for entrepreneurs with disabilities. It was a launch pad and we learnt so much from our founders on how to adapt to their needs and how to create a programme that really meant they were able to get the most out of it. And finally, we're a charity but we operate with a business mindset and so that allows us to balance purpose and passion but also we need to do this sustainably and we also need to ensure that we can go the distance for the founders that we support so that we are still here serving them we're still able to support them in years to come yeah it's definitely important that you're kind of meeting founders where they're at and kind of responding to if something's not working for them kind of like figuring that out as you go yeah absolutely we've learned so much in the last year particularly with our disability cohort and we've got so many so many entrepreneurs waiting to do that program as well so we were overwhelmed with application so we know that the need is out there as well yeah I think as someone who's like working with startups in the startup space is not something that's really seen a lot kind of having actual programs dedicated to founders who are disabled and I think this is possibly the first time I've actually heard of a program like that.

10:16Yeah we're sure it's the first ever launchpad for disabled founders and like I said we were overwhelmed with applications so we've got a long waiting list of founders wanting to do that program so we just need we need the fact we need the partners and the funders to help us unlock that all of that potential yes perfect so hatch having supported so many startups through the years what is one mistake that you often see founders make in their first year and how do you think they can avoid this i think a common challenge is that try is trying to do too much it can be really overwhelming and and actually when you've got a really big vision and a really big idea and you just want to get it started and doing and almost run before you can walk so what we do is we take founders right back to the basics and very very often our first session with our founders is very much focusing on the individual and their leadership and their kind of areas for personal development before we even start looking at the business or their vision because it's so important that you start building that confidence in the individual and you also start equipping them with the leadership skills to not only lead others but to lead themselves as well so I think start starting to run before you can walk is a key challenge and we really we really try and break it down and so it might be that founders come to us and they think their biggest problem is they don't understand the legal structures of the business or the or how to uh put together a cash flow but actually they come to realize actually i need to understand what my uh what my story is and how i can translate that to my business so understanding themselves and so yeah so we really encourage them to slow down and validate their ideas build community around them as well and and also develop their vision so we yeah uh before they then start to to do all of the other kind of bigger stuff I think clarity and focus is just as important as the hustle and working hard yes definitely so also working within the entrepreneurial space what keeps you optimistic about the future of entrepreneurship in the UK without a doubt it's got to be our founders our founders are incredible and I love listening to we run pitch days and pitch events where founders get to talk about their business to potential funders and they get to practice that.

12:49And hearing the incredible ideas and the personal journeys that founders have gone on through their support, some of it's with Hatch, some of it's with other organisations, definitely keeps me optimistic because you've got people with incredible ideas who are hungry, who want to make a difference and who are motivated. I'm also optimistic because the conversation is shifting there is growing recognition that diversity is absolutely essential in the entrepreneurial world and in business we need different perspectives we need different lived experiences and we need different people to bring these ideas and their leadership into into decision making roles or to businesses that actually make a difference in communities and the economy.

13:39Yeah, definitely. If it's the same people sitting around the same kind of tables over and over, there's not going to be as much innovation and as much new ideas coming out as if there was a diverse table, whether that's more people of colour, more women, or just anyone really, just one person even, that's different around a table can already bring so many more ideas. Yeah, and ask the right questions as well. that doesn't have to be an idea. It could be asking a question and that brings a different way of thinking, totally. Definitely. So Hatch Enterprise won outstanding startup support at the Hustle Awards this year.

14:19So congratulations on that. How did that make you feel and what do you think that means for Hatch? It was incredible. I'm so proud of the team and I think it's just a real testament to how hard they work and a testament to our core belief in diversity and our commitment to inclusion and as I said our team are incredible they're incredibly passionate they're committed they're dedicated and I think it just really is a testament to how the community of the founder community trusts us with their journey and the relationships that we've built within the ecosystem but also it's really hard being a charity right now and it's really hard starting a business at the moment against a really difficult political backdrop lots of different challenges and changes within the world and actually I think this is this was validation for us that we are we are going in the right direction we're providing the right support to our founders and we're still meeting the needs of our founders today yeah amazing congratulations thank you so much it's testament to the team yeah I think the outstanding startup support category is always one that gets a lot of people enter because I think everyone who supports startups wants to shout about it so I think even being shortlisted is impressive in the first place but then to win is like another feat in itself and it's a testament to our founders as well you know we've like I said we've been part of their journey but a small part of their journey probably and um and it's amazing to be part of that to be part of their story so yeah yeah amazing so moving on to kind of more of the journey side what would you say have been some of the biggest challenges on the journey so far yeah so as I mentioned earlier it's it's quite difficult being a charity at the moment uh the funding landscape isn't great um and there's lots of different changing political environments and um and but then as I also said earlier we've got so many founders waiting to come onto our programs I think I thought our um waiting list at the moment is about 400 strong so we know that there's a need for our support and we know there's a desire for it and we know there's really amazing ideas and talent that needs to be unlocked internally we've been through some changes over the last year we need to we over the last few years we have grown in terms of our impact and our income but some of our processes and our systems haven't necessarily grown with us so we have um we over the last year we've been through a restructure and we've to build a more agile and financially resilient organization and it's meant some hard decisions but it's also been an opportunity to refocus on what we do best so our core programs our launch pads incubators accelerators and some of those kind of connecting programs in between as well to make sure that we're having the biggest and deepest impact for our founders, but also that we're future fit so that we can still be here supporting founders for years to come.

17:25Great. And on the flip side of that, what do you think have been some of the biggest highlights? Biggest highlights. So obviously winning the Hustle Awards is incredible. But also, you know, looking over the last 12 years, we've supported 10 ,000 founders on their journey, which is incredible. And we're so proud of that. And we've had a tangible impact, As I say, we support the people, we don't support the businesses. So we've had a tangible impact on people's lives. And whether those founders have gone into entrepreneurship or alternative employment and out of necessity, or whether they're trying to unlock a problem or solve a problem that they've seen, or if they're really excited about a certain type of business and they want to be successful in that area, we've had an impact on people's lives.

18:09We're really, really proud of that. another highlight is the incredible partnerships that we've built we've built really meaningful and deep relationships with our partners and our network is is really quite impressive and quite vast and really from organizations like UBS, NatWest, Postcode Innovation Trust and Southwark Borough Council we've created really strong ties with these partners and and again they're part of that kind of co-creation of our offering to our founders as well and for me personally I being trusted to lead Hatch into the next chapter is a massive highlight for me and something I really don't take for granted I feel incredibly honoured and incredibly proud to be working alongside the Hatch team our board of trustees and our partners to continue to do and build on such an incredible legacy and do something meaningful.

19:06Amazing I can imagine kind of seeing the impact that you're making on these founders lives must be truly an amazing feeling. So how do you think that startup support organizations need to evolve over the next five years to help founders? So we definitely need to be more flexible and more digitally enabled and I think just in the last couple of years it's incredible to see how tech and AI has evolved and and we're we're experimenting with that and we're we're trying to harness that the best we can but also more importantly it's it's becoming ever more important to be rooted in lived experience and really understanding what our support the support that our founders need so it's not just adopting one size fits all models but we our founders need access to capital they need access to network and it's about their well-being as well not just business skills so i think in a world where everything is driving efficiencies and there's tech and you it's very tempting to start to create templates or one size fits all fits all but i think what really sets hatch apart is that we get to know our founders we co-create and we are rooted in getting to know rooted in lived experience and getting to know and meeting our founders where where they're at support organizations will need to move beyond traditional programs and I think collaboration is becoming much more important it's not just about being competitors and who can support different founders and owning that part of their journey but actually genuine collaboration in supporting founders across the ecosystem fantastic so what does the future hold for Hatch Enterprise, you've spoke about how there have been some reshuffles and things are looking kind of different.

20:57Do you have any big plans in the pipeline that you can discuss? Yeah, so we're really focused on three things at the moment. Firstly, deepening and scaling our impact. And secondly, expanding our reach. And then thirdly, securing long term sustainability. So this means strengthening our founder programmes, building and diversifying our income model, and working closely with partners and other actors in the ecosystem to shape a more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem. Our goal is to support another 5 ,000 founders over the next five years and we're developing delivery models that allow us to do that in a flexible, scalable and financially resilient way.

21:39So yeah as I said I'm really excited to be leading the team into this next chapter and there are challenges but as I said I've got we've got an incredible team who are so committed And we have got so many founders that are coming through our programs who are just so inspirational and amazing. I can't wait to follow their journeys. Yeah, it definitely sounds super exciting. And that follows on to my next question and last question, which is, do you have anything else that you wanted to add or plug for the end of the podcast? So, as I mentioned, Hatch is a charity. We rely on our partnerships and funding to be able to do what we do.

22:16We're very much part of Unlocky. We're very much focused on unlocking potential and supporting underrepresented founders. And we really couldn't do it without our founders that come to us and trust us with their journey. And also our partners who enable us to unlock their potential. So if you're a founder and you don't know where to start and you've got an idea or maybe you've started something and you're not really sure where to take it next, please get in touch with us. We'd love to talk to you. We never turn a founder away. we'll always find something that can support you where you're at right now and if you're a potential partner maybe you're a corporate maybe you're an individual or someone who's just interested in in our mission and what we're trying to do at Hatch please also get in touch with us there's lots of ways you can get involved you there's not just about funding but you can get involved by becoming a mentor drawing alongside our founders and encouraging them on their journey but there's lots of other ways you can get involved in volunteering or becoming a trustee so if you're excited about what we're doing at Hatch we'd love to hear from you you might even have another idea of how you can be involved that I've not mentioned so please do get in touch I'd love to chat to you.

23:26Amazing thank you Rebecca I'm very excited to see kind of where Hatch ends up under your supervision and once again congratulations on winning the Hustle Awards and on your new role. Thank you so much Anna it's been a real privilege to do this podcast I really appreciate you invite me to take part. Yes, yes, thank you. And I'm glad I learned more about Hatch in it. I'd already known about Hatch Enterprise before, but I think hearing it from someone in the company that you can tell is really passionate is just something different. Yeah, all good. I'm glad. Thank you. Perfect. Thank you so much.

24:02Bye. If you like this episode, be sure to subscribe to the podcast and check out Startup Magazine's socials to stay up to date on the latest startups news.