Hatchathon Expo

Hatchathon 2026: Innovation, Creativity, and Entrepreneurship in Action!

Join us for Hatchathon 2026, the University of Southern Mississippi’s annual entrepreneurial competition, where students turn innovative ideas into real-world solutions!

Throughout this exciting weeklong experience, students collaborate in teams to develop creative business ideas, build prototypes, and prepare to pitch their solutions to a panel of judges.

We invite students, faculty, staff, and community members to attend the Hatchathon Expo and Finale to see these ideas come to life!

The Expo features a science fair-style format, where guests can walk from table to table, meet student teams, explore their innovations, and learn about the creative solutions they've developed. Guests are welcome to come and go throughout the Expo, making it easy to stop by, explore, and show support at their convenience.

During the Expo, teams will compete in four different tracks, each evaluated by a panel of judges. The top two teams from each track will advance to the Hatchathon Finale, where eight finalist teams will take the stage to pitch their innovations live to a new panel of judges and compete for the Hatchathon Grand Prize!

Come celebrate the creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit of Southern Miss students as they bring their ideas to life!