One thing you could say about Sally Hatcher ('97) is that she is most certainly not afraid of change. From business consulting to white-water rafting guide, attorney to high-tech startups, September鈥檚 Alum of the Month has amassed a wide variety of different experiences throughout her career. But she sees these experiences as united by a love of building鈥攑utting ideas and people together. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a theme here; I like to read widely, think broadly, and pull together smart people to execute a plan into reality. My varied experiences are the building blocks of these life and business skills,鈥� Hatcher said. 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽Hatcher鈥檚 reflections on building companies come after 15 years as an entrepreneur.聽 It should come as no surprise that she is currently growing her second Boulder-based business, MBio Diagnostics. She and her husband, Dr. Christopher Myatt, co-founded the company in 2009, which develops simple solutions for the in vitro diagnostics and life sciences markets, with specific focus on rapid, easy-to-use tests that generate laboratory-quality results. MBio鈥檚 unique technology is focused on an initial application for a low-cost, point-of-care test for HIV/AIDS from a single drop of blood.Growing up near Chattanooga, Tennessee, Hatcher enjoyed science, theater, and travel. She notes that her diverse interests taught her most importantly that grit, and learning curves, are required to juggle everything you want to achieve. Her interest in theater (which she now calls 鈥渞isk-taking in public鈥�) led her to Southern Methodist University, which she chose because of its esteemed Conservancy Theatre Program and excellent scholarship program. After earning a degree in philosophy, Hatcher went to work as a business analyst for McKinsey & Company in Texas. That experience, as Hatcher describes it, was a great introduction to the business world because it afforded her the opportunity to help some of the largest corporations in the world solve problems and grow their businesses.Knowing that she was headed to graduate school, but not committed to a field yet, Hatcher moved to Colorado and worked as a raft guide on the Arkansas River near Buena Vista, a job she had done over summers during college to earn money. While she loved working in the outdoor industry, Hatcher was fascinated by the way different local groups would compete for the limited amount of water available. Realizing the central role the law played in resolving the issues, she was motivated to pursue a legal education. And, with its exceptional environmental law program, Colorado Law was a natural choice.Upon graduation, Hatcher went to work as a clerk for Division One of the Colorado Water Court, which adjudicates water rights, use and administration for the South Platte River Basin. She found that her legal skills were sharpened by understanding both the science and culture surrounding water issues. When the clerkship ended, she moved to the Colorado Attorney General鈥檚 Office, where she had the chance to help facilitate hazardous waste cleanup for, among other places, the Arkansas River, where she had previously been a river guide. A few years into her tenure, however, Hatcher found herself being pulled in a different direction.At the time Hatcher鈥檚 husband, Myatt, had recently completed a PhD in atomic physics at the 乐播传媒 and decided the time was right to start a company. The two met with friends on their back porch and soon launched Precision Photonics Corporation. The company started out in the second bedroom of their home, and they set up sophisticated machinery in the couple鈥檚 garage. Over time Hatcher found herself focused more and more on the strategy, financing, hiring, and legal work of the new company, eventually finding herself working two full-time jobs. She left the Attorney General鈥檚 office in 2000 and went to work exclusively for Precision Photonics.Initially targeting the optical telecommunications sector, Precision Photonics was forced to pivot shortly after its founding because of a massive downturn in the telecom industry. The company survived against all odds. When 90 percent of its customers went out of business, it began shipping optics to China as a new available market, using better technology to out-compete China鈥檚 low labor costs. The company鈥攆unded essentially on a shoe-string鈥攇rew to a diverse business of laser optics and instruments, and was eventually acquired in 2012 by IDEX, Inc. Hatcher and Myatt鈥檚 current business, MBio Diagnostics, was created as a spin off from Precision in 2009.Over the past fifteen years, Hatcher has found her true calling as a business leader in the Boulder entrepreneurial community. She sees her broad experiences as tools in her toolbox鈥攈ow to try new ideas without getting stuck, how to meld all the complexities of VC-backed business into a thriving company, and how to grow teams to accomplish a vision. Her latest steps have included both volunteering on boards and investing strategically to help other organizations clarify their vision and grow. She has relished the opportunity to build these businesses, hire great employees, and help create the type of work environment that gets her excited to go to work every day.Five Questions for Sally Hatcher (鈥�97)What is your fondest memory of being a student at Colorado Law? My best memories are exploring the tangible aspects of environmental law, such as skiing into Uncle Bud鈥檚 hut (this is really next to a wilderness area, but I parked inside an 18 square mile superfund site); the Rio Chama road trip with Charles Wilkinson ("How do Colorado and New Mexico water laws vary based on waves of immigrants?"), climbing the Great Sand Dunes and snow shoeing the James Peak Proposed Wilderness Area ("How do national parks and wilderness areas gain political approval?")What do you know now that you wish you had known in law school?聽 Even if you plan to practice environmental law, every law student really should take corporations as a building block to creating legal solutions. I practiced environmental law right out of school, and it was terrific. But longer term, the best policy jobs required savvy beyond NAAQs and RCRA. Go get as much real world work experience鈥攐f any kind鈥攁s you can. Great lawyering requires common sense.What advice would you give to current students as they鈥檙e preparing to graduate?聽Get experience. Throw yourself into your career for a couple of years and find time for some legal volunteer work. It will pay off with competence and the ability to execute on your longer-term goals鈥攍ike getting the perfect environmental job, or starting your own company.聽Who was the biggest influence on your career? Judge Jon Hays, the water court judge for whom I clerked, took on diverse challenges throughout his career, e.g. public defender, district attorney, civil court judge, then water court judge. He taught me to be fearless in trying new paths. Also, Judy O鈥橞rien is arguably Silicon Valley鈥檚 legal thought leader. Her mentorship changed the way I think about how the law can build productive companies and change organizations.Of what accomplishment are you most proud? Being co-founder and president of Precision Photonics Corp. We built a venture-backed high-tech company literally from the garage into a great organization of 45 talented people, developed and patented novel technologies, shipped product to China, and returned a great win to our investors.