The Beet Box’s Alex Perlman and Colton Babladelis (a student in the College of Literature, Science and the Arts, chop cilantro on Thursday night in preparation for opening day. Photo courtesy of the Beet Box ANN ARBOR—Less than a year ago in Africa, two new friends studying abroad wondered if they could fuse their passions in a way that would impact society.

Kay Feker is a foodie. Daniel Morse is into youth empowerment programs.

They grew their team and fine-tuned their idea in University of Michigan’s TechArb student business incubator. They won a $5,000 Dare to Dream grant along the way.

This spring in Ann Arbor, their “strong food” kitchen called the Beet Box opens in the popular eatery courtyard Mark’s Carts. The Beet Box healthy fast food cart aims to serve dishes that are both nourishing and delicious. The students plan to eventually partner with other wellness-oriented businesses to make a positive impact on their customers and in the community.

“We’re all incredibly excited,” said Morse, a junior in U-M’s Ross School of Business.

The night before Friday’s opening day, the team prepped for what they expected to be their highest volume days. They planned to chop 50 heads of cauliflower to roast in the morning and serve with yogurt-feta sauce. They had to shear 150 corn cobs for their “East meets West tacos” ceviche condiment. And they needed to clean and slice 15 pounds of poultry for their chili lime chicken bowls.

“It’ll be all hands on deck,” said Robert Fitzpatrick, junior economics major and Beet Box board member.

Since January, the Beet Box has been one of the 20-plus tenants in the TechArb business accelerator, which is sponsored by the U-M College of Engineering’s Center for Entrepreneurship, the Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies and the Office of the Vice President for Research.

“TechArb is an incredible environment to be in,” Morse said. “We’re surrounded by people who are never satisfied, and who are always striving to learn more, and thinking on the edge.”

The team’s mentors are proud that the students have come this far.

“This team rocks,” said Moses Lee, assistant director for student ventures and lecturer at the Center for Entrepreneurship. In just a few short months, they raised over $10,000 and built buzz on campus and in the community, he said. “They have a great team and concept and I believe they will have great success.”

For Tim Faley, manager of the Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies, said the team shows what’s possible in this campus’s vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem.

“The Beet Box team has been very enthusiastic and coachable during the past academic year. The business has been significantly transformed by going through the institute’s start-up grant process and is currently launching through the support of an internship administered by Zell Lurie,” Faley said.

“It’s a classic example of how students that come with a passion to the U-M are able to transform their idea into a viable business.”

Feker, the team’s resident foodie and head chef, is a junior majoring in international studies and Spanish in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. She is currently studying abroad in Argentina with her Beet Box colleague junior Kendra Hall, who is enrolled in the Program in the Environment in LSA. Junior Alex Perlman, who is studying Global Enterprise and Sustainable Development in LSA, helped launched the cart this weekend with his Ann Arbor colleagues.

For more on TechArb, visit: http://cfe.umich.edu/techarb

The University of Michigan is committed to catalyzing the transformation of our economy by supporting technology transfer, encouraging entrepreneurship, and linking faculty and businesses to spur innovative research. Visit www.innovate.umich.edu