HATCH is a class offered to juniors and seniors. It is an entrepreneur program that helps students who either have a business already or an idea to create one. The class offers knowledge on how to start and run businesses.
Ruby’s Confectionery
Sophomore Ruby Stoller’s business is Ruby’s Confectionery, a candy business that sells mostly toffee.
“I started selling candy in 2021 to raise money for St. Judes for my Bat Mitzvah Project,” Stoller said.
Stoller heard about HATCH through a family friend whose son did it. They recommended she take the class after they had tasted her candy. Stoller emailed the HATCH teacher, Michelle Jochim, to see if she was able to take the class as a sophomore.
Jochim and Stoller met in person and Jochim loved Stroller’s idea allowing her to join HATCH.
“I plan to use the knowledge [I get from this] later in life by going further into business and using my past entrepreneurial experience to help,” Stoller said.
HATCH students are presented with many opportunities, including designing a logo for their company. Stoller explains that the class has taught her many skills like professionalism and how much work is required to be successful.
“I’m excited to do a pop up and work at the craft fair at Westside this November,” Stoller said. “I am also excited to start selling in November.”
Ruby’s Confectionery can be found on instagram @rubysconfection and on email at [email protected]
Angel’s Beauty
Senior Angela Ayika’s business is Angel’s Beauty which sells bracelets and will eventually be adding lipgloss.
“I want to own a beauty business with a boutique inside and my teacher gave me ideas for it,” Ayika said. “I agreed to the bracelets because I’ve made them since I was little and found a passion for them.”
Ayika had owned a soap business before this one so she’s familiar with skincare and thinks adding a lip gloss would be fun.
“The goal is to be able to learn how to operate a business and find out what it takes to persuade customers,” Ayika said.
Ayika is excited to open up a website and add lip gloss to her business. She has been researching lipgloss and testing them out before selling them.
“I do plan to use this knowledge later in life, I’ve learned a lot from HATCH,” Ayika said. “This small business has taken me to another level and sales have been going great to a point I know secrets to market a business.”
Angel’s Beauty’s mission is to “add aesthetic and shimmer to your everyday style.”
“When people put on my bracelets or future gloss I want them to feel complete,” Ayika said. “My bracelets are really strong which makes them unique and each bracelet has a name.”
Angel’s Beauty can be found on instagram @angelsjewelryandcosmetic, on email at [email protected], and her cell phone number is 402-378-6949.
Apparel Clothing
Senior Christian Combs’ business is Upparel Clothing. He started out by selling designs on shirts that he personally created. After a few months, he switched his focus to customized merchandise. Now, Combs works with multiple businesses in the Omaha area and does their merchandise.
“I just moved my business out of my house and into a warehouse, so that’s a big achievement,” Combs said.
Combs’ inspiration for his business all started in the second semester of his sophomore year in the course Business Principles. There was a unit in the class where students created a design for a team and sold it in the school store. Combs participated and was the top performing team. That summer, he came up with the idea for his business and started it at the beginning of his junior year. Eventually, it took off.
“I’ve learned so much from this and picked up skills that you can’t learn in class,” Combs said. “You have to experience it hands on.”
HATCH is Combs’ favorite course in his high school career.
“It allows student entrepreneurs time and space to strictly work on growing and expanding their business and network with others,” Combs said. “There are some great resources allocated to HATCH and it has set me and my business up for success.”
The goal of Combs’ business is to ultimately have it run itself and expand it. He says he would love to work with individuals and businesses all around the world to create custom merchandise for them.
“Even if I look back in 5 years and this business isn’t running, at least I have the skills and knowledge from doing it,” Combs said. “I’ve learned so much from this and picked up skills that you can’t learn in a class – you have to experience it hands on.”
