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The Hami-Down team has reflected on what has truly been one of Hami-Down’s most successful semester’s yet. The momentum across three events reaffirmed something the team already believed: sustainable student fashion is thriving.

The TIA Incubator Weekend featured two innovative student venture pitches and an inspiring talk from Nick Freud ’15.

Gate Hacks 2025 brought together students from ������Ƶ and beyond for a fast-paced, sleep-optional weekend. Sophia Martin ’27 and Onil Carrion Herrera ’26 offer their perspectives as first-time organizer and participant respectively.

The keynote address at the Nov. 15 TIA Incubator session from Yuni Baker-Saito ’13, co-founder of Chicory, can be best summarized as be resilient, willing to learn, and never be afraid to take bold first steps.

Experienced venture capital partner Gus Coldebella ’91 shared about venture capital: “the fuel that drives innovation in the United States” and is one of the distinguishing features of the U.S.’s “entrepreneurial culture.”

E&I co-sponsored a talk by Chicago-based artist Shannon Downey, a lifelong activist who uses her passion for crafting to bridge advocacy and creativity. “A bullet came through my bedroom window while I was sleeping,” she said, “so, I stitched a gun.”

������Ƶ’s six-week program “Ideation to Implementation” serves as a bridge to the TIA Incubator, helping students turn their ideas into real startups through hands-on lessons, such as business modeling and customer discovery.

The October session of the TIA Incubator brought a burst of entrepreneurial energy, featuring keynote speaker Mike Ellenbogen ’86, P’26, and two exciting pitches by alumni-led Rendezvu and student-led The Sunrise Classic.

Richard Maxwell’s work expands the boundaries of what theater can be. An evening chat with the acclaimed playwright and director centered on the concept of: What happens to empathy when the performer isn’t human?

The TIA Incubator is composed of ambitious student entrepreneurs, often ready to dive into the business world headfirst. However, the program also fosters a space for the underdogs of E&I: the Idea Squad.