Head Cheerleader: Natalie Shmulik, Chief Strategy and Incubation Officer, The Hatchery and ICNC
📣 Head Cheerleader: Natalie Shmulik, Chief Strategy and Incubation Officer, The Hatchery and ICNC
Natalie Shmulik has nurtured hundreds of food and beverage startups in her role as chief strategy and incubation officer at Industrial Council of Nearwest Chicago and at The Hatchery, a 67,000 sq. ft. facility featuring commercial kitchens and storage, on-site business planning and support and more.
Drawing on her wide range of experience spanning retail, foodservice, consumer brands and culinary publications – not to mention a master’s degree in gastronomy from Boston University – Shmulik plays a key role in guiding entrepreneurs through the complexities and challenges of scaling a food business. She is involved in advocating for policy and initiatives that benefit shared kitchen facilities in the Chicago area. She is also the recipient of the Specialty Food Association’s award for leadership in vision.
Moreover, she is viewed as a passionate advocate for elevating diverse and female founders, who traditionally lack access to resources and mentorship. If that’s not team spirit, we don’t know what is.