A-B Tech electronics engineering alumnus and current Small Business Incubation client, Rick Shaich, who goes by the name “Hawker”, loved playing guitar and tinkering with electronics as a boy growing up in Minneapolis. Now, the sound engineer and founder of Asheville Music Tools builds guitar pedals that allow musicians to contort traditional sounds into echoes, gritty fuzz, and other audio effects.
Hawker moved his business into the A-B Tech Small Business Incubation Program at A-B Tech Enka this past July. In this video, he shares his thoughts on the importance of holding tight to personal vision and dreams in the midst of life’s pressures. More on Hawker and Asheville Music Tools will be published in A-B Tech’s Fall 2025 Educational Journal magazine.