School News
UNT students win $25,000 from UNT’s Murphy Center for Entrepreneurship to put toward their start-up Nurture n’ Nature
By UNT News Service
Dec 3, 2009

DENTON (UNT), Texas – Nurture n’ Nature, a learning facility dedicated to serving the children and parents of Erath County, has received $25,000 as the winner of the 2009 New Venture Creation Contest. The contest is sponsored by the Murphy Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of North Texas. 

The winner of the annual contest was announced at the BDO Seidman, LLP Leadership Luncheon on Nov. 13. Nurture n’ Nature was created by Moms Who Know, Inc. and is owned by UNT College of Business students Leticia Jaimes and Amy Edwards. The state-certified facility, which opened in early September 2009, offers parents and guardians the flexibility of extended hours of operation, high quality educational curriculum and experiences, and a choice in the type of care their children receive. 

The facility, located at 1225 W. South Loop in Stephenville, was previously a Chinese restaurant. Jaimes and Edwards, together with their families, renovated the space into the state-of-the-art childcare center that it is today. Both Jaimes and Edwards are graduates of Tarleton State University and are working toward their Master in Business Administration degrees at UNT. They both work in the Department of Information Technology at FMC Technologies in Stephenville and also are mothers of young children.

“Nurture n’ Nature clearly stood out among the finalists.  In three years of judging the NVCC this is the first venture that really came to life for me, both on paper and in person. The venture is viable and in demand, so from that aspect it is a ‘win’ right there.  They presented with tremendous passion, even completing each other’s thoughts and showed great teamwork,” said Mike Zampino, owner and operator of El Guapos Restaurant in Denton.

The facility emphasizes all things natural. Children are inspired through exploration and imagination in a loving environment created by Moms Who Know.  The facility is be open from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

“We are honored and very thankful to have been given an opportunity like this.  The $25,000 is such a blessing and we have big plans for it.  We both decided that we wanted to use the money to better our business rather than utilize it for cash flow,” said Jaimes. “Some of our plans include updating our parking lot, repairing broken signage, adding additional technology, and creating a ‘village’ in our playground to enhance dramatic play and imagination.

For more information, contact Jaimes at 254-396-6558.