We are building a better world through entrepreneurship

Chief Executive

Dirk Bischof

Dirk is the founder of Hatch Enterprise, which started in 2013. He’s been following his passion to build responsible businesses since 2004 where he’s worked on over 50 projects across the UK and Europe, focusing on sustainability, vocational training and entrepreneurship. Dirk helped set-up a number of social enterprises and a commercial Solar PV company. He’s passionate about enterprise and helping people get their ventures off the ground.

He managed to get through a BSc in Social Anthropology with Business Studies and completed his Masters in Social Anthropology (Goldsmiths). He’s interested in understanding the gift vs contract culture and organisational anthropology. A cyclist commuter by heart, he loves it so much that he’s done a few 1000 mile charity rides around England and Japan.

Communications and IT manager

Adam Koroma

Adam specialises in multimedia design, from websites to booklets, from films to photography. He has a penchant for combining multiple types of media to achieve his end goals and he’s always looking for new challenges to aid him in expanding his skill-set.

Head of Cohort Programmes

Joanna Hamer

Joanna has designed and run entrepreneurship programmes at Hatch since 2019. Before Hatch, she was the co-founder and director of award-winning social enterprise Juta Shoes, supporting women into work through sustainable craft. Her previous work includes designing a video game to support young people with mental health issues at BfB Labs, working in the Communications team at Wellcome Collection, and being a 2016 Year Here fellow in social innovation.

Head of Corporate Partnerships

Deryl Thatcher

Deryl joins Hatch with a background in CSR, working in partnership with City and Canary Wharf companies to provide meaningful volunteering opportunities for their staff particularly supporting students and young people.  Deryl is also a freelance coach with a focus on women changing or developing their career.  She is a keen cyclist, loves playing pool, Scrabble and – true to her NZ roots – can disappear with a backpack for a day or two to explore new places.

Programme Manager

Jade Baker

As well as being the Female Founder Programme Coordinator, Jade created a company which offers administrative support for small creative businesses. With a background in wellbeing and administration, Jade is eager to help support entrepreneurs on their journey. 

Operations Director

Philippa Frankl

Philippa joined Hatch as Operations Director in September 2020. She brings with her almost 20 years experience in the non-profit sector, having worked across the UK and in the global south in training and learning, capacity building and enterprise development organisations. She has worked in large organisations (Prince’s Trust, Plan UK) and smaller entrepreneurial ones (World Challenge Expeditions, School for Social Entrepreneurs) in facilitation, programme management and leadership roles. In 2008 she launched and led the UK office of Canadian charity Street Kids International for seven years. 
Philippa believes that happy, motivated teams are the cornerstone of all successful organisations and she is committed to ensuring the team at Hatch have the space, structure, systems and support they need to excel individually, organisationally and for the founders Hatch serves. 

Philippa is passionate about equality of opportunity and outside of her working life is a Trustee of Khulisa. She enjoys yoga, meditation, cooking and eating good food and travelling to new places – near and far. 

Finance and Operations Manager

Nasrat Sayyad

Nasrat has a Master’s degree in Commerce and comes with over seven years of experience of accounting, book-keeping and management in the charity sector. She is a refugee and has previously volunteered and worked with a number of charitable organisations supporting asylum seekers and refugees in the UK.

She is very excited to join Hatch enterprises as their Finance and Operations Manager and looks forward to leveraging her past experience and skills to provide support and advice as they continue to grow. She is a new mother and enjoys every precious second with her little one. She enjoys travelling, hiking, cycling and good food!

Head of Marketing and Communications

Bevis Man

Bevis joins Hatch with more than 15 years of experience working in communications, PR and marketing in the third sector. Over that time he has worked for international development charity VSO, and several health and research charities, including the NHS’s Imperial Health Charity and national bone and soft tissue charity Sarcoma UK. He has grown and developed communications teams and is a passionate believer in the power of communications in all its guises to do some good in the world.

He is a keen runner and yogi, a music hoarder, and loves nothing more than being surrounded by trees, hills and mountains.

Programme Manager

Anu Chandy

Anu works as a Programme Manager at Hatch. Her background is in healthcare but entrepreneurship is her true passion. She runs a vegan candle company on the side, with plans to grow it into a social enterprise one day. She’s excited to support small businesses and founders like herself to create positive change in the community and scale their businesses.

During her spare time, She loves a good hike and enjoys meditation, yoga and travelling to hot countries (mostly just to eat the food).

Head of Community Programmes

Meredith Greey

Meredith has more than a decade of experience in the non-profit sector, working with organisations including NSPCC and Alzheimer’s Society on corporate partnerships and programmes and later leading Childhood Cancer Canada as Acting CEO. She transitioned into strategy while completing her Masters in Business at the University of Manchester and is passionate about optimizing programme design and customer experience.

Canadian-born and still a camp counsellor at heart, Meredith believes we take strength from community. She’s thrilled to be helping entrepreneurs build their own support networks and drive meaningful change.

Programme Coordinator

Letisha Larmond

Letisha thrives when working with the community! Her background includes participating and working with a wide range of social enterprises that focus on recognising the potential in people and the importance of having a positive impact on the world.

In her spare time, she is currently preparing to launch her digestive-friendly smoothie business. She wants to help people be their best selves by enabling them to incorporate a wider range of plants in their diet in the most convenient and freshest way. Other hobbies include roller skating, meditating, and empowering others to discover what makes them happy.

Community Manager

Cecília Veríssimo

After finishing her MA in Africa and Development, Cecilia joined one of Brighton’s largest independent coworking spaces, and together with the Creative Team, helped plan, produce and manage the whole range of virtual and in-person events – from member-focused, business development to community engaging events.

She is now committed to being part of a team dedicated to structural change in the entrepreneurial world, committed to listening and understanding underrepresented founders and entrepreneurs and their needs, and to continuously innovate and provide a tailored experience.

In her spare time, Cecilia loves doing Kickboxing and travelling to new places, meeting new people and trying out new food.

Impact Evidence & Learning Manager

Jasmine Beresford

Jasmine is an Impact manager, data analyst and psychology graduate with experience working in charity and not for-profit sectors. She focuses on advising stakeholders and heads of service by developing analytic reports, KPIs and social impact frameworks.

Jasmine has helped bring transparent data-driven insights and a clear strategic pathway to improve services, engagement, and shared learning for private companies and lottery funded projects. These include DOTPROJECT, Charity Digital and Tectonic.

Outside Hatch, Jasmine focuses on building her company Parla, a company aiming to prevent mental health issues occurring among the most vulnerable people in every community around the world, in partnership with her customers. Deeply passionate about breaking down disparities and empowering equity, she is excited to join Hatch as an impact manager.

Director of Development

Rebekah Capon

Rebekah is delighted to join Hatch as Director of Fundraising and Partnerships. She brings with her almost 20 years of experience in the non-profit sector, and nearly a decade of leading fundraising teams in the International Development sector. Most recently, having worked for World Vision, a large international children’s charity and Mercy Ships, a charity that is improving access to safe, affordable and timely surgical care in West Africa. 

Rebekah is looking forward to building meaningful relationships with current and future Hatch supporters. She is excited to help them achieve their philanthropic and CSR  missions through their engagement with Hatch and our amazing business founders. Rebekah enjoys giving supporters the best and most enriching experience possible and strives to demonstrate how their support makes a lasting impact. 

Rebekah is passionate about equality and the power of opportunity and is a Trustee of Talent Trust, a charity that provides educational support and daily meals to children in the Philippines. She also volunteers for a local charity, Lasting Memories Charitable Trust, which supports people who are affected by cancer. 

Rebekah loves to spend time with family and friends, eat good food, and likes to dabble in a bit of running. Her happy place is on a sunny beach!

People and Operations Officer

Pia Zicchi

Pia joined in November 2020 and will be ensuring the smooth running of Hatch operations. Coming from a background in the performing arts and wider arts culture sector, Pia brings a creative approach to her work and to our team. She is passionate about equality, diversity and inclusion and is excited by Hatch’s ethos and aims.

Outside of work, Pia enjoys exercising (whether that’s doing a home workout, heading to the dance studio, or going for a long walk), visiting new places in the U.K. and abroad, trying new food/restaurants, theme parks, spending time with friends and family and is an animal lover.

PR and Communications Manager

Emily Hill

Emily joined Hatch as PR and Communications Manager in January 2022 bringing experience in establishing and growing an impactful communications department from her last role at a homelessness charity in Cornwall.

She has a keen interest in promoting sustainable entrepreneurship which was developed during her time volunteering on a Raleigh International ICS livelihoods programme in Tanzania, and is passionate about telling the stories of those who are often not given a platform.

She is a very amateur hockey player, aspirational rock climber, and enjoys volunteering through Girlguiding. 

Community Coordinator

Samantha Kidjo

Along with being our Community Coordinator, Samantha runs her own company which creates sustainable and personalised haircare with a focus on afro and curly hair. She moved to London from Paris in 2019 a year after graduating as a material science engineer. She enjoys problem-solving and travels.

Fundraising & Partnership Coordinator

Seema Pirbhai

Seema is the fundraising and partnerships coordinator, she brings with her volunteering experience and previous event coordination experience. She is passionate about volunteering and looks forward to engaging with the community more, once settled into her new role. 

She has an academic background in Criminology and an LLM in Human Rights and Justice. She is passionate about restorative justice, inclusivity, diversity, gender and race equality. 

In her spare time, Seema runs a social media page dedicated to bringing light to global humanitarian crises that are largely ignored due to racial inequality. In 101 words or less she aims to educate the public on human rights infringements happening across the globe.

Head of Philanthropy

Rosie Pannell 

Rosie joined Hatch Enterprise as Head of Philanthropy in 2022, having previously worked in a variety of fundraising roles across the arts and charity sectors. She is committed to building meaningful relationships with trusts, foundations and individuals that share Hatch’s vision to create a more inclusive society through entrepreneurship. Outside of work, Rosie loves to go to the theatre, spend time with friends, enjoy good food and wine, and explore the Hertfordshire countryside with her husband, Matt, and Corgi, Cheddar.

Event Coordinator

Sosina Binyam

Sosina is the Event Coordinator at Hatch. She is an International Development graduate with a background in the charity and non-profit sector. She’s passionate about promoting equal access to opportunities and supporting underrepresented groups. She’s excited to use her creativity and entrepreneurial experience to support Hatch’s community of founders.

Outside of Hatch, Sosina is the co-founder of Hope and Unity, a non-profit organisation that supports vulnerable and minority communities to get access to information and services. She is also an artist and has founded her art business called Sxss Collection.

Programme Manager

Naomi Nathan

Naomi comes from a theatre and higher education background, having worked with students, young people, and those at the beginning of their careers to find their potential, develop their skills and successfully take their first steps into the professional world. Naomi is passionate about community, relationship building, and providing opportunity in order to facilitate social mobility.

She has a love for food (both cooking and eating), musicals, and literature.

Digital Marketing Manager.

Thomas Humphrey

Tom is Hatch’s Digital Marketing Manager. He has worked in digital marketing roles for some of the UK’s leading arts and cinema organisations, ranging from the British Film Institute to Rich Mix and Bertha DocHouse. During the pandemic, Tom took DocHouse from a London-based business to an international brand, helping people to find free entertainment during the lockdowns around the world.

He is well familiar with the soul-searching founders often face, as he set up a CIC in his hometown, Nottingham. He remains deeply committed to bringing that UK-wide approach to the work Hatch does.

Programme Manager

Mellissa Morgan

Mellissa joined Hatch in February 2022 as Programme Manager for Launchpads and Hackathons. Having founded the UK’s first vegan bakery Ms. Cupcake back in 2010, she fully understands the ever-changing life of a startup entrepreneur! 

Through Ms. Cupcake, Mellissa has been a keynote speaker, written cookbooks (Ms. Cupcake: The Naughtiest Vegan Cakes in Town was published by Random House) and has taught master classes at events around the world. Having begun her career in the creative and education sectors, she is excited to now be supporting underrepresented entrepreneurs to grow their businesses and communities. 

Mellissa loves going to the theatre, singing karaoke, and playing board games (slightly too competitively).

Programme Manager

Brenda Kola

I am the Programme Manager for Incubator Programme on Hatch, with over 5 years of experience in programmes, working on large scale programmes supporting over 50,000 young people, to smaller-scale programmes like Hatch. I studied Psychology at university and I am very interested in understanding the psychology of founders today and how I can design a programme that can support founders to excel.

Outside of Hatch, I run my own business called Orbit with my co-founder Shanice. Orbit is a community for women that happen to be mums; a safe place where we can share our stories and build genuine connections.

Programme Manager

Norvie Dzimega

Norvie is the Accelerator Programme manager at Hatch, helping established entrepreneurs to maximise their income and impact. She has a background in psychology and her biggest passion is empowering women and people from underrepresented backgrounds, to excel in their businesses and careers.

This also led her to found Fulfilled and Thriving, a coaching platform providing workshops and coaching on confidence, self-belief and authentic leadership. 

Outside of work, Norvie loves music, singing, dance, travel and her guilty pleasure- Australian reality TV shows.

Community Programmes Coordinator

Iulia Costinescu

Iulia is passionate about human creativity and technology and using the power of technology to make lives easier and improve inequality. She did a Law degree and a Masters in the Creative Industries where she was inspired by entrepreneurship, generating ideas, pitching (for 2 different social impact business ideas) and understanding the startup ecosystem.

After 8 years of supporting businesses, social enterprises and higher education institutions through events and project management, she took a leap of faith and launched her own business in the summer of 2020 enabling ethical and impact-driven companies work more efficiently and with less overwhelm through marketing and tech support.

In her spare time, she enjoys outdoor walks in the Oxfordshire countryside, spending time at her allotment, dancing, exploring, and watching Gilmore Girls.

Mentoring and Volunteering Coordinator

Denait Petros

Denait is the Mentoring and Volunteering Coordinator at Hatch. She is a Politics and International graduate with an interest in current affairs. She has experience in both mentoring and volunteering and is excited to help support founders to gain access to invaluable mentoring.  

Outside of Hatch, Denait enjoys all things travel and experiencing different cultures. 

Programme Coordinator

Tiany Valentine

Tiany is the Deep Dive Programme Coordinator at Hatch. She will be working behind the scenes to help ensure the smooth running of the accelerator-level programmes and that each founder is getting the most out of the experience as possible. She’s excited to be part of an amazing team who are working to drive social change and rebalance opportunity for deserving founders.

Outside of Hatch, Tiany is a jeweller and ceramicist. She is also in the process of creating an online collective called POUR: a space where creatives from poorer backgrounds can connect, co-work and collaborate, apply for funding and reach a wider audience: with the plan to later liaise with schools and doctors surgeries to provide free workshops for young people experiencing depression and/or bereavement.

She will take any opportunity to try new food and loves to cook, swim, kayak, and watch a healthy mix of documentaries + trashy 2000s films. Being in her studio, listening to music and making something out of metal or clay is one of her happiest places.

Stories and Media Officer

Naomi Low

Naomi joined Hatch in July 2022 after having gained experience as a Media Intern with a charity in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. She is so excited to be working with Hatch in improving representation and accessibility in the entrepreneurial world through her role as a Story and Media Officer, sharing and uplifting underrepresented founders’ stories. 

Outside of work, Naomi enjoys spending quality time with friends and family, or attempting endless creative pursuits (photography, crochet, clothes-making, sketching…) and never mastering them.

Head of People

Justine Willmott

After graduating from Leeds University, with a BSc Hons in Pharmacology, Justine pursued her sporting ambitions in badminton and considers herself lucky to have been able to travel the world doing something she loved. She then worked as a national coach and moved into performance leadership/management positions in Olympic and Paralympic sports and feels privileged to have attended 3 Olympic/Paralympic Games through her work. Justine has a postgraduate Business Management qualification and is also a qualified Executive Coach/Mentor and NLP Practitioner. More recently, Justine has worked in the education sector as Head of People across a group of Schools and Nurseries.

Justine’s passion is in human potential and helping people be the best they can be, so she is relishing the opportunity to work with Hatch in their vision to build a better world through entrepreneurship. Justine lives in Northamptonshire with her two boys who keep her on her toes! In her spare time she enjoys sport, getting outdoors and on her bike or walking, especially if it involves a decent coffee stop! She also enjoys the occasional pub quiz.

Cohort Programmes Coordinator

Cecile-Aure Ajavon

Cecile is the Launchpad Programme Coordinator at Hatch. She completed a masters in Social innovation in 2020 before gaining some programme support experience in the non-profit sector. She’s passionate about understanding social systems and is excited to use her interest in social entrepreneurship to help deliver impactful support to founders on the Launchpad programme.

Outside of work, Cecile loves to read, travel, spend time with family and friends, and bake the occasional cake while listening to music.

Trusts and Foundations Manager

Kerry Glencorse

Kerry joined Hatch as Trusts and Foundations Manager in October 2022. Prior to that, she worked as a Literary Agent for 20 years, working closely with authors to develop their ideas and sell their work to the right publisher. She believes passionately in the power of storytelling to make sense of the world, foster understanding, and build communities. She likes reading, podcasts, wine, the mountains, running, dogs (although she doesn’t have one – yet), and cycling around the city.

Finance Officer

Toyin O

Toyin has a bachelor’s degree in Business Studies. She is also a Part-Qualified AAT Finance Professional. Toyin has several years’ experience in Bookkeeping and Accounting.

Her hobbies include sightseeing, reading books and trying new recipes.

Executive Assistant and Office Manager

Jessica Agyeman

Jessica is the Executive Assistant and Office Manager at Hatch. After graduating in PR and communications, she spent her early career working within operations in the beauty industry. She came to Hatch looking to be part of an organisation with a passion and purpose she truly aligns with and believes in.

Outside of work, Jessica enjoys socialising with friends, cooking and trying new dishes; she also has a keen interest in all things beauty.

Incubator Programme Coordinator

Shari Lawrence-Willis

Shari is the Incubator Programme Coordinator at Hatch, supporting founders to take their businesses to the next level. She holds a bachelors degree from Warwick Business School and has a background in digital marketing, tech and operations.

She is enthusiastic about all things entrepreneurship, and is motivated by helping others to maximise their potential, grow in confidence and excel in achieving their goals.

Outside of work, she is passionate about fitness and wellbeing, enjoys playing the piano and loves exploring the world of fashion.

Social Media Officer

Jess Stillwell

Jess is the Social Media officer for Hatch, joining in July 2022 after graduating from Leeds Arts University in Fine Art and stumbling into marketing through passion for video making, photography and working with various charities across Leeds. She has brought her experience in the creative sector together with strong beliefs in creating powerful communities, resulting in a drive for telling the stories of others through visual communications. She believes strongly in the positive powers of social media to uplift underrepresented business founders across the UK and promote more easily accessible knowledge online.

In her spare time Jess is a lover of good food, good films and good music. She also spends her time dabbling in graphic design and taking on her own creative passion projects such as photography series and magazine making.

Engagement Manager

Susanna Sek

Susie is the Engagement Manager at Hatch. She is passionate about empowering underrepresented communities and using business as a force of good. She currently identifies and executes on meaningful partnership-focused activities within the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Outside of Hatch, she loves exploring new places, yoga, diving, and cooking new dishes. On the side, she also runs a slow jewellery brand supporting artisans in Bali.

Accelerator Programme Coordinator

Lia Deans

Lia is the Accelerator Programme Coordinator at Hatch and holds a bachelor’s degree in Drama & Theatre Arts from Goldsmiths, University of London. She’s passionate about community based work and is excited to work with Founders helping them to reach the next stage in their business.

Outside of Hatch, Lia is the co-founder of Beloved Theatre Company, created with her best friend after graduating university. Beloved Theatre focuses on amplifying Black culture, tradition and stories on stage whilst also creating pathways for underrepresented groups to enter the arts industry and equipping them with skills they can take throughout life both within and outside of the industry. 

An avid lover of food, music and pretty much anything creative – you can usually find Lia at her happiest somewhere in the sun pursuing a new hobby.