Fueled: A JMU Entrepreneur's Legacy

2015 Zane Showker Entrepreneurship Award winner, Amanda Presgraves (Kinesthetics, ’16), has seen her idea for a food truck, Fueled, grow from a concept developed at the Shenandoah Valley Small Business Development Center’s “What’s Cookin’” program, to a business model developed in the spring 2015 MGT 472: Venture Creation class and validated in the Society of Entrepreneurs, and ultimately to a JMU Dining program through Aramark and JMU faculty. The food truck has been featured on the Net Impact website as one of their Newman’s Own Foundation Challenge Success Stories. Amanda will be beginning a graduate management program at Wake Forest in the fall, but she leaves behind a legacy; Fueled will be available as a dining option to students beginning in the fall of 2016.

“Hi guys!

Today was a very monumental day for Fueled - we threw our Launch Party on the Commons where we tested our menu, gained student feedback, passed out 300 shirts (in less than an hour!!) (that students designed!), had the university vote on the Top 5 SMAD student truck designs…it was amazing. The energy and engagement was unlike anything I’ve experienced and truly made this all worth it. Even Jacob Hurd came!! We’ve had over 4000 people vote on the designs as well…in less than 20 hours. This event was a testament of what can happen when you put people of many skills, positive energy, ideas and passions together.

I share this with you because I couldn’t have done this without your support…and I wanted you to see the influence your support and, further, Fueled is creating…and the food truck isn’t even on campus yet. You’ve been a catalyst from the beginning and I hope you realize what your support has allowed to come to life. The opportunities for student entrepreneurship are beyond our imagination…people were bombarding me at the event with ideas they had…all they needed was a spark. JMU is on to some VERY incredible things. While I am graduating in one week and won’t see the physical truck come to fruition immediately - what I experienced today was why I do it. The truck is a platform for the vision, but it’s the engagement, collaboration and energy of those involved that bring this to life. Fueled already brought students together to design the actual truck, for students to choose what they want to eat, for faculty to collaborate with students, for the local community to be supported and come on campus…education has spread, ideas have been generated and real student experience is taking place. This was just one launch party…can you imagine what will happen when it becomes a real student-run collaborative business and class?! Thank you for your support from the start…really couldn’t have done it without you." 

Amanda Presgraves
James Madison University ‘16
Kinesiology B.S. Exercise Science
Humanitarian Affairs and Pre-Physical Therapy JMU Varsity Swim and Dive Team 

Stay connected with Fueled: Instagram – Facebook – Twitter

Resources mentioned above:

Shenandoah Valley Small Business Development Center (operational support and workshops)

James Madison University Department of Management (entrepreneurship courses and entrepreneurship minor)

Center for Entrepreneurship (Society of Entrepreneurs, Epsilon Nu Tau and competitions)