Christal Hector began her career after college as a financial analyst in New York. But her heart was set on launching her own venture, and she knew Nashville was the place.

“Since I went to Vanderbilt for undergrad,” she says, “I already had a deep love and appreciation for the university.” She also knew that the venture she wanted to launch involved music, and there was no better spot to combine business education and music than Music City.

She also knew that nurturing entrepreneurs was one of Owen’s strengths, and that the school could connect her to a network of support and resources for startups. “I had the flexibility here to work on my business while learning skills that were directly applicable to its success,” Christal says.

Through grants from Vanderbilt’s Center for Entrepreneurship, she was able to focus on launching her business instead of interviewing for and obtaining a summer internship after her first year. The Center also connected Christal with Nathan Youssef, a fellow MBA student and her eventual business partner.

“The Center connected us with many opportunities to win grants and to speak to potential investors,” Christal says. “We were even invited to speak about our startup before the [Vanderbilt] Board of Visitors. These grants and opportunities enabled us to pursue our business with resources and support we might not have had otherwise.”

Before graduation, Christal launched her venture—TuneHatch, Inc.—which weaves itself into the fabric of Nashville’s live music scene by matching independent artists with “unconventional venues” and taking the hassle out of booking and ticketing through an innovative online platform. The business
was profitable in its first year.

While launching a new business, Christal also founded the Vanderbilt Innovation Council during her time at Owen. “It was a fun challenge,” she says, “to start an organization from scratch and see the power of a strong vision and mission unfold while attracting more than 40 top-tier students, none of whom I knew previously, who shared the vision and wanted to participate in making it a reality.”

Fun Fact: An avid dancer, Christal is part of a bachata performance team in Nashville.

“I had the flexibility here to work on my business while learning skills that were directly applicable to its success.”