---
title: Ben Rathbun Serves as Judge for The Hatching During 517 Entrepreneurship and Innovation Week
---

# Ben Rathbun Serves as Judge for The Hatching During 517 Entrepreneurship and Innovation Week

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## Ben Rathbun Serves as Judge for The Hatching During 517 Entrepreneurship and Innovation Week

- Posted on Monday, April 7, 2025

At Rathbun Insurance, _Being There Matters Most_ — and this past week, our CEO Ben Rathbun showed exactly what that means by stepping up to support Lansing’s entrepreneurial spirit.

Ben was honored to serve as a judge for **[The Hatching](http://www.thehatching.org/)**, a business pitch competition that helps local entrepreneurs bring their ideas to life. As part of Lansing’s premier **[517 Entrepreneurship and Innovation Week](https://www.517ei.com/)** (March 31–April 4), The Hatching was one of many exciting events designed to celebrate innovation, small business ownership, and community collaboration.

Throughout the week, innovators, small business owners, and community members came together for a variety of free events, presentations, and networking opportunities. Whether you were an aspiring entrepreneur, a seasoned innovator, or simply curious about Lansing’s thriving business community, there was something for everyone.

This year, The Hatching introduced a brand-new **Youth Hatching competition** , giving high school students a platform to pitch their ideas from 4:00–

5:30 PM. Following the youth competition, the main event took place from 6:00–8:00 PM at Lansing Shuffle, where adult entrepreneurs showcased their ventures. Across both competitions, over **$10,000 in funding** was awarded to help bring these innovative ideas to life!

For the main event, Ben was proud to join an esteemed panel of judges, including Edmund Tillett (Director, [Multicultural Business Programs- Michigan State University](https://broad.msu.edu/undergraduate/opportunities/mbp/)**)**, Michael Austin (Founder & Director, [OurSpace](https://www.ourspacefoundation.org/)), and Nikki Thompson Frazier (Owner, [Sweet Encounter Bakery)](https://www.sweetencounterbakery.com/). Leading up to the event, Ben helped review applications and select the best pitches to compete. Then, this past Friday, he joined in person to hear live presentations and help select the winners.

Huge thank you to, the [Lansing Economic Area Partnership](https://us-east-2.protection.sophos.com/?d=purelansing.com&u=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5wdXJlbGFuc2luZy5jb20v&p=m&i=Njc3MmNiYTU1OWY1NDY3ZjY0OGIwMzc0&t=TlQrMGFOMllGRkc1MUREMHhiRUZpekpGWndOcDRnMFlVLzhDc2NIWDZxQT0=&h=e84ad10499a14132a6c9bc87014d67cd&s=AVNPUEhUT0NFTkNSWVBUSVZKVdK7J9QXfdZUS3A0-oIIIw4IwrUXJ-2arRjS6topmg) (LEAP) for including us int his incredible event. We’re so proud of Ben’s involvement in this important community event. Moments like these remind us why _Being There Matters Most_ — supporting dreams, encouraging innovation, and helping to shape the future of our vibrant Lansing community.

Congratulations to all the participants, and a big thank you to everyone who made 517 Entrepreneurship and Innovation Week a success!

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