The Hatchery

Embark on a transformative journey to uncover your innovation potential, tap into your entrepreneurial mindset, and reach your social change-maker aspirations. Regardless of your major, background, or phase of journey to cultivating a meaningful career, the Conway Center provides the space where you can bring ideas and ventures to life, powered by Smith’s world-class liberal arts education.

What Is the Hatchery?

Smith’s first and only idea incubator space located within the Conway Center, offers space, time, support, and dedicated accountability for those ready to access the tools, techniques, and practices needed to make your vision real.

Here you will learn to see problems as opportunities, find the confidence to share your ideas with others, get feedback early and often, work collaboratively, create new pathways forward for yourself and others. You will engage with invited faculty and staff from across the campus who will share their research and resources, experienced entrepreneurs who will link classroom learning to the world of innovation, and entrepreneurs-in-residence who will guide your learning and offer mentorship.

The Hatchery will be your place to connect with an engaging and growing community of creative thinkers who stir things up and get stuff done.

Apply to The Hatchery.

Step 1

Complete an online application by September 13.

Step 2

Interview on September 18 between 5 and 8 p.m.

Step 3

If accepted, confirm your participation by September 23.

Step 4

Show up to our first session on September 25 from 5 to 8 p.m.

Make Room for Innovation (MRI) funding compensates you for the time you invest in developing your idea/project, reducing the time you need to dedicate working on-campus for someone else.

To receive this funding, you will need to apply and be accepted to The Hatchery.* If you are not in The Hatchery, you are not available for MRI funding.

Students receiving MRI funding will be paid the base Smith hourly rate for up to 10 hours of work per week on your project. In the same way that you would be expected to show up to your work study position every week, you are expected to attend all weekly sessions of The Hatchery.

*As this opportunity will serve as on-campus employment, if you hold a position on campus that does not allow for a secondary job, you will not be able to participate. If you are unsure of your eligibility to participate, please speak with Student Employment.

  • Build accessible benches that encourage community and connection
  • Support women in the digital creator economy
  • Launch professional development program for young adults in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sierra Leone
  • Manufacture women’s sporting equipment

Have an idea but not quite sure that it fits? Contact Andrea St. Louis, Ann Kaplan ‘67 Director, to discuss.

Dave Peak, M.B.A.

Dave has driven digital innovation and AI at several large firms. He currently leads an AI startup, is an LP at Companyon Ventures, and is a Venture Architect with AI Venture Studio C10 Labs. With 15 issued patents, he was previously Chief Innovation Officer for a public fintech company. In 2023, his team supported $100 million in AI investments within the pharma sector. Dave has spent a decade as a judge, mentor, and partner at MassChallenge, a nonprofit accelerator that has helped 2,000+ startups in 40 countries. Meet with Dave.

Gillian Isabelle, Ph.D.

For over 20 years, Gillian has focused her career at the intersection of science and business, leading multi-disciplinary teams and building collaborative partnerships to advance early-stage businesses towards commercialization. She is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Enlivity Corporation, a Boston-based company developing supportive care products for cancer patients. Gilliand received a masters in material science and engineering from U.C. Berkeley, and both a bachelors of science and doctorate in material science and engineering from M.I.T. Meet with Gillian.

The Program

Explore exciting classes that will help you understand global problems, learn cool methods, and figure out solutions. This is just a glimpse of all that is available. You can find more details on these and other courses by searching through the course catalog.

Explore Global Problems

  • ANT 229: African and the Environment
  • BIO 101: Modern Biology for the Concerned Citizen
  • BIO 206: Plant Physiology
  • CCX 120: Community-Based Learning: Ethics and Practice
  • CHM 108: Environmental Chemistry
  • CIX 101: Introduction to Collaborative Innovation
  • CSC 256: Human-Computer Interaction
  • ECO 125: Game Theory
  • ECO 214: Anti-Trust Economics
  • ECO 224: Environmental Economics
  • EGR 100ee Topics: Engineering for Everyone-Energy and the Environment
  • ENV 101: Sustainability and Social-Ecological Systems
  • GEO 108: Oceanography: An Introduction to the Marine Environment
  • GOV 240: NGOs in World Politics
  • HST 157: Africa and the Making of the Modern World
  • PHI 204: Philosophy and Design
  • PHI 238: Environmental Ethics
  • PPL 220: Public Policy Analysis
  • REL 109: Rest
  • SWG 238: Women, Money and Transnational Social Movements

Cool Discovery Methods

  • EDC 311: Rethinking Equity and Teaching for English Language Learners
  • ENV 201: Researching Environmental Problems
  • IDP 116: Introduction to Human-Centered Design
  • PHY 117: Introductory Physics

IDP 146: Critical Perspectives on Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship takes on a diversity of meanings, forms and structures depending on its source and context. In this course, entrepreneurship is studied from a variety of critical and emerging vantage points such as ethics, access, inclusion, culture, power, expression, agency, economic empowerment, cultural and social transformation. We will critically consider what it takes to build a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem, and the potential of entrepreneurship to create sustained social transformations through its unique identity within and outside of the realm of economic exchange. 4 credits

IDP 155: Introduction to Innovation

Students will begin a journey towards developing an entrepreneurial mindset, gaining immediate experience with entrepreneurial innovation by ideating and generating bold solutions to problems. What does it mean to be entrepreneurial? How can entrepreneurial thinking empower us in our careers and lives even if we aren’t interested in starting a business? How can the entrepreneurial process help us develop innovative solutions to some of the world’s greatest challenges? 1 credit; S/U only 

IDP 156: Entrepreneurship in Practice

Students will explore innovative strategies for building a business, consider obstacles and challenges many entrepreneurs face along the way, and explore pathways to overcoming them to cultivate a sustainable and values-centric venture. We will reflect on how the entrepreneurial process can help us to develop innovative solutions to a broad range of challenges in our world. 1 credit; S/U only

Around Campus

Imaging Center: offers image collections, software training, 2D and 3D printing and scanning, virtual and augmented reality development, equipment checkout, studio and exhibition support, and specialized technical support in our computer labs.

Prototyping Studio: where your ideas come to life! The studio offers laser cutters, a vinyl cutter, sewing machines, and 3d printers. We also collect a whole variety of scrap foam, plastic, cardboard, and many more random knick knacks that encourage sustainable and reuse friendly making

Spatial Analysis Lab: promotes spatial literacy and the creative processes in critical map-making, through the use of GIS and related technologies like Global Positioning Systems (GPS), remote sensing, and drones.

UX Lab: a space where you can make sure that the people using the websites, apps and gadgets that you create find it easy and enjoyable!

Around Town

The Sphere: connect with local entrepreneurs seeking interns and founders willing to help you with your customer discovery research.

Student Spotlight

Glory Divine Yougang Tahon ’26

Majors: Computer Science and Psychology

Founder, Glorious Farms and Joy Incubator for Women

Glorious Farm is disrupting the food supply chain in Cameroon by growing and selling food locally at affordable prices. Our goal is to reduce the level of hunger and poverty in the country. Since 2023, we have planted over 1,000 plantain suckers—a staple of the Cameroonian diet—on just under 10 acres of land. We employ regenerative, sustainable agricultural practices and are committed to providing a psychologically and physically safe space for all of our workers.

“In The Hatchery, my teammate and I worked on a project to expand beyond the farm. The Joy Incubator for Women provides entrepreneurial guidance and mentorship to women in Cameroon. Through this project, I’ve grown to be a detail-oriented, collaborative founder. My mentoring and networking skills have improved and I know that these skills can help me in the future.”
Glory Divine Yougang Tahon ’26

Frequently Asked Questions

The Hatchery is a flexible idea incubation space for current Smithies who desire to work on building out innovative projects—from ideating to prototyping to validation—with the direct support of staff, subject-matter experts, and their peers. The Hatchery provides a dedicated working space, expert advisers, and relevant programming for even the earliest stage ideas or projects. The Hatchery is designed to improve the chances of your ideas becoming successful, tangible realities.

Fall sessions will focus on introducing you to tools, techniques, and resources needed to make your vision a reality. Spring sessions will focus on defining/refining your idea, building your team, and helping you plan and test the desirability, feasibility, and viability of your idea. *Note: session topics are subject to change based on participant needs.

Conveniently located in the Conway Center, Neilson Library Room 103, The Hatchery will meet every Wednesday evening when classes are in session, from 5–8 p.m. (dinner will be provided for all participants).

The space features: moveable tables and chairs, whiteboards, comfortable lounge area, basic “making” materials, helpful books and resources, and games for when you need a break!

YES! The Hatchery is open to all current undergraduate students at Smith, regardless of major or graduation year. Whether this is you are a first year just starting out or a senior getting ready to graduate, you are welcome to participate in this exciting new initiative!

YES! We encourage all students interested in meeting and networking with like-minded peers to apply. If you have an interest in creating something new, you’ll discover opportunities to address some of our world’s most pressing challenges. We are excited to join you on your journey from finding an idea that makes you light up, to prototyping, to validation, with the hope that you will continue to grow your idea beyond your time here at Smith!

YES! If your current commitments won’t allow you to fully participate in The Hatchery at this time, we encourage you to attend the three open sessions each semester (see Activities for details).

YES! Even if your project team members are not participating in The Hatchery, you are welcome to apply. We highly recommend that your full team schedules and attends regular check-in meetings with an Entrepreneur-In-Residence, to ensure that you are making progress collaboratively and address any concerns about project roles.