Business ‘Hatched’ at BGSU Featured on National Morning Show

BGSU graduate and former Hatchling, Elsa (Vogel) Vos ‘15, launched Pieces of Me, a company first conceptualized as a personalized clothing startup through The Hatch®. Since then, Pieces of Me has transitioned into a leading designer of meaningful jewelry and was featured on NBC’s show “TODAY with Hoda and Jenna” November 4. The Pieces of Me jewelry was part of a segment called Preview top gifts for 2019 holiday season. 

Vos exhibited her Pieces of Me products at NY NOW® in August and caught the attention of TODAY show producers. NY NOW® is one of the largest national gift trade shows in the country attended by over 20,000 buyers.

A graphic design major, she took part in The Hatch® in 2015, a business start-up program for students sponsored by the College of Business Paul J. Hooker Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership. Students pitch their business ideas to a group of alumni investors, similar to the television show “Shark Tank”. Vos was one of several aspiring entrepreneurs who received investor support that year. Since The Hatch’s inception, alumni have invested more than $600,000 in student ventures.

Kirk D. Kern is director of BGSU’s Paul J. Hooker Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership. “Elsa’s success is due to her hard work and grit! We are so proud of her.”

Following graduation, Vos rented space in downtown Holland, Michigan, to house her business, did some freelance design work and continued to craft the launch of Pieces of Me, a meaningful jewelry brand. Since 2016 she has moved the business to a 1600 square foot facility in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Through rapid growth, Pieces of Me can be found in over one hundred retailers across the country.

Vos remains connected to BGSU as a member of the Paul J. Hooker Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership Advisory Board and she shared her entrepreneurial expertise at the College of Business Women in Entrepreneurship Panel event last spring.
 Pieces of Me is a meaningful jewelry brand that’s rooted in the concept that everyone is unique. The line has over two dozen different personality trait icons which are visually represented in the brands’ line. Each piece is stamped on high-quality materials which is available in silver, gold, and rose gold with a lifetime guarantee and proudly made in the USA. To learn more, go to piecesofmeco.com.