Over the summer, Andrea Hargrove ’19 and Seabelo John ’19 participated in an entrepreneurial competition at The University of Memphis known as Imagine U. Backed by a collegiate and community partnership, Imagine U is an 80-day start-up accelerator.
The educational program admits students from nearby colleges interested in gaining hands-on entrepreneurial experience. Students competing in the program hone their abilities through weeks of workshops, guest speakers, and various enterprising challenges in preparation to compete for a monetary award.
Before picking their teams, each participant pitches a pressing world issue. All 22 entrepreneurs then vote on the top five problems to serve as the inspirations for their start-ups.
“[I]n order to be an entrepreneur, we’re not just supposed to be making things, we’re supposed to figure out problems in the world that need solving,” Hargrove says.
Hargrove’s team, Graphic Medicine, addressed the growing negative health rates in America. In order to engage and educate children on this serious topic, their company produced comic books on diabetes and dental hygiene, as well as a coloring book about allergies.
During “Pitch Day” in August, Graphic Medicine was awarded a collective $2,500 for their creative and engaging idea. As for her future entrepreneurial pursuits, Hargrove has her own plan. The international business and theatre major aims to open her own theatre in Washington, D.C., to explore the stories of black people from around the world through theatrical performance.
John, who is from Botswana, was the first international student from Rhodes to be accepted into the Imagine U program. His team, INRI Fashion, repurposed fabric scraps to create tasteful and environmentally conscious women’s clothing. “It is all about beauty with responsibility and integrity,” John says.
The company’s name comes from the crucifix inscription “Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews.” Inspired by women in the Bible, the leaders of INRI Fashion designed versatile dresses appropriate to wear from the workplace to religious gatherings and everywhere in between.
“Through this program and the opportunity to work with INRI Fashion, I was able to further my passion for promoting United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which include women empowerment and environmental conservation,” John says.
As chief financial officer of the company, he says he looks forward to continuing with the project and opening a pop-up on the Highland Strip with the rest of his team. John adds that he has been involved with the winning team’s partnership with the United Nations to promote global health by broadening the readership of Graphic Medicine’s products.
In addition to developing their teamwork, entrepreneurial, and problem-solving skills over the summer, every participant was offered residency at the Crews Center for Entrepreneurship at The University of Memphis.
By Jaclyn Flood ’21