the big 4-0
Houston activewear guru inks deal with Inc. Magazine and Tilman Fertitta
Fashion and science have more in common than you think: Just ask Accel Lifestyle founder and CEO Megan Eddings, who spent three years developing the Prema fabric used in the ethical and environmentally friendly activewear brand she launched in Houston.
“I’ve always loved science. I’ve always been fascinated by things you can’t see which is, to me, science and chemistry,” Eddings tells CultureMap.
Her fascination with fashion and science has paid off: Eddings is one of 40 selected entrepreneurs across the United States to participate in Inc. Magazine’s Founders Project. In honor of Inc.’s 40th anniversary, it launched the year-long project. Designed to assist entrepreneurs to grow their business, the initiative will match 40 established entrepreneurs, including Houston’s billionaire Tilman Fertitta, MailChimp’s Ben Chestnut, and Drybar’s Ali Webb to provide advice, access to capital, marketing guidance, and other valuable assets.
Eddings says she was blown away and couldn’t wait to learn about the new mentor-mentee relationship. “I was super excited to be paired with Tilman Fertitta,” she says.
Fertitta, the sole owner of Fertitta Entertainment, the restaurant giant Landry’s, the Golden Nugget Casinos and Hotels, and the NBA’s Houston Rockets tells CultureMap he, “enjoyed meeting Megan and learning more about her unique product. She will surely be another successful Houston entrepreneur and look forward to following her growth.”
Eddings says Fertitta has already shared his expertise as she continues pitching Accel Lifestyle to national retailers.
“We’ve already had a few conversations,” she says. “One was about wholesale versus retail, which was printed in the November issue, and there was a video interview published on Inc.com.”
With a degree in chemistry from the University of Virginia and experience working in labs at UVA and Brown University, Eddings put her education to use after pondering why her husband’s sweaty gym clothes weren’t coming out clean.
Her anti-stink fabric ensures consumers are less likely to throw away their clothing, which is a strong focus for the brand — not contributing to the landfill epidemic. With antimicrobial properties, the proprietary fabric is ideal for various industries besides fitness, including hospitality, medical, automotive, and more.
