LANSING, Mich. – Empowerment, community and sustainability are embedded within the Lansing region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem—values which were clearly visible during the Lansing Economic Area Partnership’s (LEAP) Sept. 26 Hatching business pitch competition, where three entrepreneurs emerged victorious.

Coming out on top was Power in Passion by Katy Kelly, a software platform designed to help returning citizens find their passion as a means of establishing a realistic and sustainable path toward new beginnings.

“The Hatching turned my dream into a realistic goal. When we signed up for LEAP’s Hatching competition, we knew what we wanted to do, but we weren’t sure it could be profitable. By the day we presented our pitch we had identified four main revenue streams with more ideas coming everyday,“ said Katy Kelly, founder of Power in Passion. “I really couldn't be more grateful for The Hatching and LEAP and I’m excited to see what the next few months and years hold for us at Power in Passion.”

Taking home second place was Tantay by Jose Aste, an in-home Peruvian gastronomic dining experience and pop-up that brings people together through a shared culinary experience. For Aste, LEAP’s Hatching is a key piece of what makes the Lansing region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem work, “I continue to be blown away by the community support that Lansing has to offer. The Hatching event was no exception. I was in a room with creative minds and entrepreneurial spirits. It was environment that promoted connection and support for each other,” said Jose Aste, founder of Tantay.

Friendly Farm by James Hays, a local farm operation that uses sustainable farming practices, came in third winning as the crowd favorite.

The Hatching is a business pitch competition produced by LEAP in partnership with local businesses and provides winning entrepreneurs with a share of $3,000 in cash support, as well as connection to valuable business services. Regularly held throughout the year, LEAP’s Hatching offers entrepreneurs an opportunity to pitch new ideas to professional judges in front of a live audience. The September Hatching event was sponsored in part by Foster Swift.

“Lansing is home to an incredible community of entrepreneurs who are brave enough to take the first step in making their ideas a reality by sharing it with an audience,” said Joe Carr, director of New Economy for LEAP. “This event is a one of the best ways to meet other founders, mentors and even potential investors.”

People interested in participating and pitching at LEAP’s Hatching competition can submit their ideas to www.thehatching.org. The next Hatching event will take place Nov. 20, 2019, at Lansing Brewing Company in Lansing at 6 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

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About LEAP

The Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP) is a coalition of area leaders partnering to build a stronger community for all--working every day to grow, retain and attract business to the Lansing region.

About The Hatching

The Hatching is a regularly occurring business pitch competition founded by LEAP, established as part of a community wide effort to support local entrepreneurs. Participants submit business and product ideas through the Hatching’s online portal, where the public subsequently votes forward the ideas that will be pitched in front of a live audience and panel of judges.