Ingenuity Leads to Southwest Winning Imagine U Competition

By Victoria Brown

Southwest Tennessee Community College students are being honored for their ingenuity during a summer entrepreneurship competition.

Nacaria Royal, a May 2024 graduate of the College, and fellow team member Saia Reddy, won first place for their project, Back 2 Eden, in the UofM Imagine U Summer Entrepreneurship Accelerator program. Their efforts paid off with $2,500 of seed money to jumpstart their new business. 

Imagine U requires students to immerse themselves in a 12-week hands-on entrepreneurship experience. Over the course of three months, those involved in the program learn the ins and outs of what it is like to develop and start a company or business as an entrepreneur. Participants were tasked with developing a business idea and pitching it to a panel of investors.

Royal said her project was a mobile grocery store that was designed to address the need for fresh, locally sourced produce in underserved communities. Over the 12 weeks, the team developed this concept into a fully-fledged business model. 

“Back 2 Eden operates as a mobile farm, specializing in farm-fresh fruits, vegetables, and local raw honey,” said Royal. “The goal is to partner with local farmers and community gardeners to keep our produce affordable while also leveraging government contracts to accept food stamps and WIC payments. Initially, we will focus on serving low-income individuals, but we will also cater to health-conscious customers.”

Royal shared that her ImagineU team faced considerable challenges throughout the completion of the program, but that the end victory was welcomed. 

“I was somewhat surprised that our team won first place, given the strong performance of other teams, who were well-coordinated and had clearly defined roles,” said Royal. “Nevertheless, the victory was gratifying and validated our hard work. It also provided important lessons in managing team conflict and leadership.”

Royal also shared that she felt grateful to compete in the competition.

“Despite the overwhelming stress and challenges of the project, we persisted and found the experience to be a profound learning opportunity,” said Royal. “I encourage others to view each challenge as a chance for growth and to never give up.”

Royal is pursuing a career in social work and plans to begin courses at the University of Tennessee Knoxville in the fall of 2025 to continue her education.