Founder Background

My name is Jeff Hatch, and I am the founder of the Blue Pillar Self-Reliant Project.

I am a manufacturing business owner with over 14 years of ownership and leadership experience. I own and operate Pillar Machine, Pillar Service, and Larick Machinery (collectively, the Pillar Companies), businesses focused on the design, manufacture, and long-term support of industrial manufacturing equipment.

My experience building and sustaining manufacturing companies—where accountability, disciplined execution, and financial stewardship are essential—directly informs Blue Pillar’s approach. I bring a long-term operator’s mindset to Blue Pillar, shaped by years of managing risk, capital, and people in complex manufacturing environments. This background influences the project’s emphasis on structure, oversight, and practical guidance grounded in real-world operations rather than theory alone.

How Blue Pillar Began

The Blue Pillar Self-Reliant Project began long before it had a name. It grew from two influences in my life that eventually came together with a clear purpose.

The first influence came from my faith. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I have seen how the Perpetual Education Fund has helped thousands of people gain education and improve their lives. For many years, I believed education was the most important key to breaking the cycle of poverty.

The second influence came later, through time spent in Kenya.

There, I met young adults who were educated, disciplined, and capable. Many were returned missionaries. Many were BYU–Pathway graduates with U.S.-accredited degrees. On paper, they had done everything right. Yet many of them still could not find work. The issue was not effort, character, or training. The issue was opportunity. Jobs were limited, and employers were few.

That realization fundamentally changed my perspective.

In places like the United States, hard work often leads to opportunity. In Kenya, hard work is essential, but opportunity does not always follow. Many capable individuals do not need more education—they need a bridge between education and real employment.

The Purpose of Blue Pillar

Blue Pillar was created to fill that gap.

The project exists to help individuals create their own opportunities through entrepreneurship, training, accountability, and verified support. The goal is not dependency, but independence—supported by structure, clear expectations, and consistent follow-through.

Through this work, I also learned that entrepreneurship is not the right path for everyone. Some individuals thrive as business owners, while others succeed best in stable employment. Because of this, Blue Pillar’s long-term vision includes the development of job-creating initiatives—such as manufacturing and agriculture—that provide steady work alongside entrepreneurship programs. Both paths matter, and both deserve support.

Why Structure and Accountability Matter

Experience has shown me that real progress requires more than financial assistance alone. People succeed when they are supported by systems that encourage responsibility, consistency, and growth.

Blue Pillar emphasizes weekly accountability, practical business training, simple bookkeeping practices, and direct verification. These elements create a framework that helps individuals stay focused, build confidence, and make sound decisions over time. This approach mirrors what I have seen work in business: steady progress, measured risk, and clear expectations.

A Different View of Charity

Blue Pillar is not charity in the traditional sense.

It is a commitment to principles that lead to independence. It is rooted in the belief that people grow when they are trusted, challenged, and supported with structure. When given real opportunity—and held to meaningful standards—individuals are capable of building lasting change for themselves and for others.

The purpose is simple:
help people stand on their own—and then lift others.

That is the heart behind Blue Pillar, and why the project exists today.

Jeff and Patrick after a morning run in Eldoret. Patrick looked over and said, “running slowly expends my energy”. Jeff laughed and replied, “I thought we were running fast”