October last year saw Hatch launch our first programme specifically tailored to Disabled entrepreneurs, the first of its kind in the UK. This programme was a learning experience for our whole team, and speaking to the first cohort of graduates has helped to shape the support we will be offering moving forward, as well as revealing the breadth and depth of Disabled entrepreneurial talent and aspiration across the country.
The ambition and ability of Disabled entrepreneurs has never been in question, but this programme revealed a gaping oversight in the business support landscape, with Disabled and neurodivergent people too often left behind or not considered. We spoke to the inaugural cohort graduates to find out what Disabled entrepreneurs want to see implemented nationally, and how the Hatch programme has impacted their entrepreneurial journey.
Meet the cohort
There is no ‘one size fits all’ to entrepreneurship, and this programme welcomed twenty Disabled entrepreneurs from different locations, with different experiences, working in different sectors, with different goals. The five founders spotlighted below give an idea of this range and diversity.
Evan is the founder of Warstone Prosthetics, selling gender-affirming packers and prosthetics for transgender men and transmasculine people within the UK. The mission of Warstone Prosthetics is to reduce gender dysphoria and make the wearer feel more confident in themselves.
Evan’s personal experience navigating gender dysphoria before lower surgery led him to start his business. Trans people often face long wait times for appointments and pay a lot of money for private options and travel.
Evan said, “I actually studied business at university but didn’t learn much about this side of things, and I didn’t have any contacts to ask.
“I was also unsure of the direction to take the business in, and wasn’t sure if I was doing things right, I mainly lacked the confidence in myself that I needed. I hoped the Ares Launchpad with Hatch would help me, especially the networking and mentoring… and it did!
“I’m excited to be an entrepreneur so I can solve problems and use my own personal story to help the trans community. I have the freedom to make my own decisions and be creative. I think being an entrepreneur is very rewarding. It makes you feel proud of yourself knowing you’ve started something to make a change, no matter how big or small.”
Joanna is the founder of Adira Jewel, which sells modern handcrafted talismans, having studied Jewellery Design at university and worked in the sector for various brands before a worsening in her health necessitated a career change.
Joanna has Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, chronic migraines, and endometriosis, and starting Adira Jewel gave her the space to do things her own way and reignite her passion for the craft whilst being able to work around her needs.
“Through the Hatch course I have learned that my personal journey is a part of my brand, and isn’t something I need to shy away from. I had thought that talking about my illness would be a negative thing for the business. It’s really changed my perspective, I don’t hide away anymore,” she shared.
“Finding a group of people through Hatch who have got drive, and have got ambition, and also have an illness or disability and can understand me, that’s been amazing. It’s nice to feel seen and represented.”
Pippa is the founder of Neurokin, a business encompassing various elements of training, campaigning and partnership work to improve the quality of life for neurodivergent children and their families.
She began exploring entrepreneurship after her experience of supporting her Autistic children. Her experience has given her a unique perspective that has allowed her to create interactive training and support that actively shows participants, such as teachers, the real-life impact and consequences of people living in an environment that is not suitable for them.
“People really want to make a difference and it’s those of us that have struggled, or are a parent of a child that struggles, that tend to be the ones that go out there and really make the difference and that’s something to be celebrating.”
Moses Basi, St Clement Ltd
Moses is the founder of St Clement Ltd, a luxury accessories label specialising in headwear that combines artistry and functionality.
His vision for the business had been developing for some time. A late diagnosis of ADHD gave Moses the understanding of why he was experiencing burnout, overwhelm, and task paralysis – and it was through this period of self-discovery and processing that he made the leap with his business, discovering the Ares Launchpad programme whilst in the middle of writing up his business plan.
“The thing that the other entrepreneurs and I had in common is that we have to manage health conditions alongside running the operations of our businesses. Before attending the course, it was something that I was quite anxious about doing.
“Unfortunately, Disabled entrepreneurs don’t have a very loud voice in this country. It’s not often you hear their stories. To hear firsthand experiences was very eye opening for me.
“One reason I want to enter the fashion industry is that there aren’t many people with learning disabilities and from lower-income backgrounds in creative roles like me. I want to prove to myself and others like me that it is possible.”
Gwendoline is the founder of The.Workshop, and offshoot startup Spoonful. The business aims to support neurodivergent people with cooking through an accessibility app that uses AI to convert regular recipes into sensory-aware instructions, personalised interfaces, and smart meal planning to prevent executive burnout.
For Gwendoline, self-acceptance was the biggest takeaway from the Ares Launchpad programme.
“Hatch has been a really supportive experience, I’d highly recommend it to anyone in the neurodivergent or Disabled community, it was so highly tailored to our experiences.
“It was really special, I hadn’t seen anything before that was actually tailored around neurodivergent people. Being in a room full of other people with the same experiences, who understand each other and can help, it’s an environment that’s so conducive to success.”
Jess Rad, founder of The WomenHood, was a facilitator on the programme and said, “It was a true honour to be part of this first cohort and play a small role in guiding and mentoring such an extraordinary group. Every single member inspired me deeply and reinforced my belief that neurodivergent and Disabled individuals are made for entrepreneurship.
“Neither experiences are easy, but the deep tenacity and resilience required to navigate life when you have additional support needs, translates perfectly to what’s required to build a business.”
Support for Disabled Entrepreneurs
This programme of support had built in adaptations to make it as accessible as possible for Disabled and neurodivergent entrepreneurs, from representative facilitators and experts, to flexibility around attendance and participation. We have already shared some of our learnings around building an accessible recruitment procedure with Disabled and neurodivergent people at the heart, and hope to continue building on our understanding to better serve Disabled entrepreneurs looking to grow and scale their enterprises.
Feedback from this inaugural cohort gave us three key takeaways:
1. Shared Experiences are Key
We try to ensure that accessibility is embedded into all the programmes we run at Hatch and have encouraged Disabled people to access our support prior to launching this specialised programme. While graduates have always reported positive experiences, it is clear from running this new programme that the importance of shared experiences cannot be overstated. Having commonality among the experiences of not only the cohort, but also the facilitators and experts, resulted in a host of benefits for attendees. As well as the practicalities of similar challenges, experiences, and coping mechanisms that could be shared, another key outcome was psychological safety. Free from the burden of having to always explain barriers and experiences, or request access considerations, the cohort was able to focus directly on building and scaling their businesses.
2. Representation and Visibility
Disabled people lead 25% of UK businesses, but are frequently missing from media depictions, social campaigns, and sector acknowledgments. This can feed into a narrative that excludes and dissuades Disabled people from seeking out entrepreneurship, as well as preventing existing entrepreneurs from speaking about their disability. Entrepreneurs from this cohort said that they want to use their stories to inspire others, championing business-ownership as a viable route for their community. For those just starting out in entrepreneurship, role models further along in their careers can be a huge inspiration, and the more we can encourage this representation and visibility, the better.
3. Intersectional Considerations
Communities do not exist in silo and it is important to consider people’s intersectional experiences. Women, ethnic minority founders, and queer founders all bring their own unique experiences which may play into or exacerbate barriers within the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Recognising and adapting models of support to people’s full experiences is crucial in building a fairer system, and a big part of this is not pigeon-holing people into rigid, separate identities. Programmes catering to underrepresented identities have a responsibility to create psychologically safe environments that consider diverse experiences.
Join a Programme
This programme has demonstrated the value of having dedicated support available to Disabled entrepreneurs, and we are grateful to the Ares Charitable Foundation for enabling such a crucial resource. We are delighted to now be offering two parallel programmes for Disabled entrepreneurs this Spring – one funded by NatWest and the other by Ares. Both programmes will run on the same dates, taking place online and consisting of six expert-led sessions, six workshops and a pitch day. The programmes are open for applications, and you can find out more below.
Join our next cohort
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