By: Ella Lima

Staff Writer

Felecia Hatcher is an African American author, entrepreneur, speaker, and mother all in one. She is an inspiration to young women everywhere. When Hatcher was in high school, she was a “C” student who beat the odds by being creative and won over $100,000 in scholarships. In one of Hatcher’s TED Talks, she talks about her failure to success story.

“Failure doesn’t look like what we think it’s supposed to look like,” Hatcher said. She then goes on about how she started her ice cream shop with only $3,000.

Because of her talents in personal marketability, she was able to start her first business as a freshman in college at Lynn University called Urban Excellence. In college, Hatcher ran and built college prep programs in many places. After college ended, Hatcher interacted with tech companies such as Nintendo, Sony, StageCoach Island (Wells Fargo’s Second Life video game), Microsoft, PNC, and food giant Little Debbie (Mckee Foods).

Hatcher’s funny story of falling in heels while chasing an ice cream truck is the reason she started a gourmet ice cream and popsicle catering company in 2008. The vegan ice cream company, Feverish Ice Cream, was devoted to charity, donating a portion of each popsicle sold to charity. They also used profits to found a youth entrepreneurship program in 2010 where they taught how to become entrepreneurs just like Hatcher, through ice cream carts, called PopPreneurs. They sold the company in 2015.

Currently, Hatcher is an advisor to startups, and she travels the world to speak to students and other aspiring entrepreneurs about personal marketability and moving on from failure. Hatcher also works to increase inclusive innovation in Miami and other communities around the world to make their communities inclusive through activities such as Urban Innovation Lab, Code Fever, and BlackTech Week. Freshman Zane Clark was particularly impacted by Hatcher’s story. Clark is one of many students affected by Hatcher’s wonderful story of success.

“Hatcher’s story has inspired me positively to put in more effort and hard work to achieve my goals…I can relate to her attitude and determination,” Clark said. 

Hatcher’s first book took her 10 years to write and six months to write her second. She is the author of five books called, The “C” Student’s Guide to Scholarships (Petersons), Start your business on a Ramen Noodle Budget (Petersons), FOCUSED Strategic Action Planner, How to become an Epic Expert, PopPreneurs, and FAILURE: your Greatest Success Story. 

Hatcher has won many awards and honors that go from NBC’s Grio 100 Top 100 African American’s making History, to White House Young America Presenter. Some other honors and awards she has received are Legacy Magazine 50 under 50 Most Powerful and Influential Black Professionals, Ruth Shack/ Miami Foundation Leadership Award 2015 / Leave a Legacy Award 4 UY8Miami Foundation. Hatcher is moving forward and growing with her company and writing every day.