Who we are
HatchForm was founded in 2018 with a focus on challenging the cookie cutter consulting practices rampant in economic development circles. Through the years many things have changed but HatchForm remains committed to the core values of our founding: service, integrity, and innovation.
HatchForm is dedicated to turning ambitious visions into measurable realities. We partner with public, private, and non-profit organizations to navigate complex market dynamics, forge powerful regional strategies, and cultivate environments where businesses and communities thrive. Our methodology is rooted in defining outcomes and driving action. Every recommendation is both deeply insightful and immediately actionable. Our policy and program design work in particular is shaped by current thought leadership on how regulatory regimes can hamper progressive outcomes. As a firm we are continually dissecting local, regional, and national policies and programs to find clear, and sometimes not so clear, lines between enactment and achievement. And we do this for fun!
At HatchForm we believe that the most successful economic development is achieved through thoughtful partnerships and deep local understanding. We serve as an extension of your team, providing the specialized expertise and objective perspective needed to unlock your community's full potential. We don't just deliver reports—we co-create sustainable frameworks that lead to stronger organizations, diversified economies, and enhanced quality of life.
Meet the team
Sean O’Shea, CEcD, MBA
President & Lead Consultant
sean@hatchform.com
Sean has worked in economic development for over a decade as a project manager with the Fairbanks Economic Development Corporation and then as the program director at the Santa Fe Business Incubator. Sean started HatchForm in 2018 with the mission to change how economic development consulting works. Originally from Philadelphia, PA Sean has called Santa Fe, NM home for 15 years. He has an MBA with a finance concentration from Jefferson University in Philadelphia and is a certified economic developer with the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) and a certified business incubator manager from the International Business Incubation Association (iNBIA).
Julia Wise, Phd, PMP
Chief Strategy Officer & Tech Led Economic Development Consultant
julia@hatchform.com
Before joining HatchForm Dr. Wise was a Project Manager for Los Alamos National Laboratory. With experience in education, health care, and technology transfer, Dr. Wise holds a BA in Biology and Chemistry from Macalester college as well as a Master’s and Ph.D. in Geology from the University of Cincinnati. She has worked at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Medical Center, the Science Museum of Minnesota, the University of New Mexico, and as Director of the Office of Science of Technology at the New Mexico Economic Development Department. Julia currently serves on the Board of the New Mexico Partnership, The BioScience Advisory Council at the Santa Fe Business Incubator, and is active in mentorship programs for NM Students
Ayla Bystrom-Williams, MBA
Consultant
An MBA-trained analyst and U.S. patent holder, Ayla has over 7 years of experience in consumer insights, innovation, and brand growth across the alcohol and NoLo beverage categories. Ayla is skilled in turning complex data into clear, actionable strategies that drive brand performance and new product development.
As the founder of Honeymoon Brewery, she built and scaled a patented beverage innovation into Whole Foods and secured international recognition, including a silver medal at the World Kombucha Awards in Barcelona and Miller Lite’s National Business Plan Competition. Her work involved consumer research, taking innovation from lab to market, distributor coordination, and P&L accountability, skills that directly translate into corporate innovation and insights roles.
Complementing this experience, Ayla served as a Finance Analyst at the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, where she conducted financial analysis and market research for global investments exceeding $50 million. This role strengthened her expertise in structured reporting, knowledge synthesis, and data-driven decision-making.
Ayla’s current research interest, developed during her MBA at American University, focuses on cultural and regulatory determinants of NoLo beverage consumption in global markets. This dual perspective, as both a practitioner and a researcher, allows her to bridge real-world market growth with academic rigor.
Ayla is passionate about combining consumer insights, innovation strategy, and global market analysis as a consultant at HatchForm
Interested in Working for HatchForm?
We don’t have any available openings at the moment but are always looking for talented people interested in economic development, clean energy transitions, and program design and development. We also often have projects that require subject matter experts and deep domain expertise. Whether you’re a student interested in internships or opportunities after you graduate or a seasoned professional looking for extra work or a career pivot - get in touch and we can talk.