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Ben Garrett named director of The Hatchery, Emory Center for Innovation

As director, Ben Garrett will advance The Hatchery’s mission to empower student-driven innovation and entrepreneurship across the university.

Ben Garrett has been named the new director of The Hatchery, Emory Center for Innovation, following four years of service on the center’s leadership team. His appointment was announced by Wilbur Lam, vice provost for entrepreneurship.  

“Ben is the ideal leader for The Hatchery and at the ideal time,” says Lam. “Having been a key member of The Hatchery team for the last several years, he’s very well poised to implement the next chapter of this amazing center for Emory’s learners. Ben not only has expertise in startup formation, human-centered design and running accelerator programs, but he is also adept at connecting with our students, which is so important for this director role.”

In his new position, Garrett will advance The Hatchery’s mission to empower student-driven innovation and entrepreneurship across the university. He will oversee the center’s operations, facilities and strategic planning, ensuring that The Hatchery aligns with Emory’s broader innovation goals.

His responsibilities include managing The Hatchery’s suite of programs — Incubator, Accelerator and Skills Builder — to cultivate and support the entrepreneurial ambitions of Emory students.

Garrett will also work closely with Emory schools and departments to incorporate The Hatchery’s resources into their strategic objectives, fostering a culture of collaboration and entrepreneurship across the university.

Additionally, he will be responsible for strengthening The Hatchery’s connections with external partners, including businesses, sponsors, alumni and community organizations, ensuring The Hatchery continues to be a thriving, well-resourced environment for innovative learning and venture development.

“This is an exciting time for Emory’s entrepreneurial ecosystem,” says Garrett. “With Wilbur Lam as vice provost for entrepreneurship, we’re expanding our vision and focusing on building a dynamic environment where students from all Emory schools can adopt an entrepreneurial mindset in their problem-solving. Our goal is to empower students to launch their own startup ventures, making The Hatchery an innovation engine for Emory’s future entrepreneurs.”

Garrett has been a valuable member of The Hatchery team since April 2020, previously serving as the innovation programming and operations manager. As one of the center’s first hires, he was instrumental in shaping the initial Incubator and Accelerator programs and played a key role in The Hatchery’s early successes.

Prior to joining Emory, Garrett gained valuable experience at accelerators like the Points of Light Civic Accelerator and Acumen Academy, where he honed his expertise in innovation programming and startup support.


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