The Hatchery: Lehigh’s Student Idea Accelerator
Where your ideas hatch, grow, and take flight
Whether you're a Lehigh student with a curious, creative spark ready to launch something meaningful, The Hatchery gives you the tools, time, and support to turn ideas into action — and maybe even a startup.
Why Join The Hatchery?
This is your chance to build something real — and build your future while you're at it.
- Solve real problems that matter to you and the world around you
- Stand out to employers with experience that proves you're a doer, not just a thinker
- The Hatchery is Free — with cost-of-living support available for those who need it
- Connect with mentors, professionals, and entrepreneurs who want to help you succeed
- Apply your classroom knowledge to real-world, high-impact challenges
Open to all Lehigh undergrad and grad students, across every college and major.
Applications open early during the Spring semester.
Skills You’ll Use Long After Summer Ends
At The Hatchery, you’ll dive into Design Thinking — the same creative problem-solving process used at companies like IDEO, Apple, and Google. You’ll apply it to real-world challenges, step by step:
- Discover problems through empathy and observation
- Define what truly needs solving
- Design practical, innovative solutions
- Prototype ideas into something real
- Test and refine based on feedback
This is hands-on learning from day one — not just theory, but action.
The Hatchery isn’t just a resume booster — it’s a mindset shift. By the end of the program, you’ll have:
- Pitching and presentation skills to lead with confidence
- Startup knowledge from experienced entrepreneurs
- Prototyping experience that shows you can execute
- Creative problem-solving skills you can use in any career
You won’t just think differently — you’ll build differently.
- Schedule: Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM–5:00 PM (evenings are free)
- When: Summer
- Who: Open to all Lehigh undergrad and grad students
- Cost: Free to participate
- Financial Support: Cost-of-living grants available for housing and expenses
We review all applications without considering financial need, and you won’t need to commit until your funding is confirmed.
My experience was transformative. The Hatchery provided the tools to take a technical MBA project and turn it into a functioning business model. Second, it acted as an entry point to the Lehigh University entrepreneurial ecosystem, which continues to provide value as my venture grows.
Matthew Oravitz, DPT, FAAOMPT
