Tegan Bernard started her first business when she was 14. It was a natural hair and skincare line, now called Versatee, and she's still running it today. Since then, she's added a piercing business and is developing Poptails, an alcoholic bubble tea brand that recently won the Commercial Category prize and £2,000 in funding at the Enterprise Challenge. She also picked up the Most Enterprising Student award at this year's Greenwich award ceremony.
We caught up with Tegan to talk about her experience studying Entrepreneurship and Innovation at GBS, what she's building, and what's coming next.
Choosing Greenwich
Tegan came to Greenwich Business School already knowing a lot about running a business. She'd been doing it for years. But she wanted the academic side too: the theory, the strategy, the structured thinking that could take what she was already doing and make it sharper.
She'd heard that Greenwich had strong business courses and good student support, and that combination appealed to her. "GBS helped me understand the logic, theory and strategic thinking behind successful ventures," she says. "I already had practical experience, but this gave me the tools to think bigger."
The course
Venture Creation has been her favourite module because it let her apply what she was learning directly to her own businesses. She also talks warmly about her lecturer Lucien, who she says has given her guidance and motivation both in and outside the classroom.
Her engagement really picked up in her final year. She started putting her ideas forward more, talking to more people, and going after opportunities. One of those led to a collaboration with Borna Foods on a limited-edition drink, which she says was a turning point for her confidence around Poptails.
"That breakthrough was only made possible through the support and environment at GBS," she says.
Her businesses
There are three running at the same time. Versatee is the hair and skincare brand she started as a teenager. The piercing business is more commercially focused and helps fund her other projects. And Poptails is the one she's most excited about: cocktails mixed with bubble tea.
Poptails is now registered with Companies House, and Tegan is working on getting her personal alcohol licence. She's got plans to turn it into a ready-to-drink product that could eventually be stocked in corner shops and supermarkets, and she'd like to open a standalone Poptails store too. She also wants to structure it as a social enterprise, with a percentage of profits going towards supporting children affected by substance-abusing parents.
With Versatee, she's expanding the product range and developing something new around synthetic hair and hair growth, which she sees as an underserved area in the market. She recently did the big chop on her own hair to show people how well the Versatee Hair Growth Range works, which is a pretty serious commitment to your own product.
Student life
Greenwich works well for Tegan on a practical level. She's based in Southeast London and her business studio is opposite The Queen's House, so getting between university and work is easy. She's also used Poptails as a way to connect with the wider university community, collaborating with societies like the Cricket Society.
What's next
She's considering a master's degree in something closely related to entrepreneurship and innovation, but her businesses will keep growing alongside whatever she does next.
"Ultimately, my aim is to build sustainable, impactful businesses that combine creativity, inclusivity and commercial success."
Advice for prospective students
Tegan says the main thing is to be proactive. Join societies, talk about your ideas, and build relationships. She recommends the Generator Scheme, which offers up to £5,000 in funding for student ventures, and suggests applying early.
"If you don't win initially, the experience you gain is truly invaluable. Success at GBS comes from combining your academic commitment with initiative and ambition."
Outside of all that, she's recently gotten back into reading and is currently working through 'Ward D' by Freida McFadden. How she finds the time is anyone's guess.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Please note that course timetables, the availability of modules and opportunities offered to, and services for, students can change over time - i.e. things may not be available from one year to the next - and that some things may also not be available to you if you are joining Greenwich as a direct entry student. In the case of modules, please always check the 'What will you study' section of the course webpage for the course and entry year you are interested in. You can find an index of all our subject areas, within which you will find the individual course pages, at: https://www.gre.ac.uk/subjects
