From the Classroom to Entrepreneurship: Eleven86 at the 30th Annual BTW Summit
Updated: Sep 22
Investing in the Next Generation
Sometimes sharing the Eleven86 story means talking about water. Other times, it means talking about everything it took to get the water into the bottle in the first place.
On September 10, 2026, Eleven86 Real Artesian Water Founder and CEO Marquis Forge participated in the 30th Annual Booker T. Washington Economic Development Summit at Tuskegee University. The two-day summit brought together entrepreneurs, educators, community leaders, students, and economic-development professionals around conversations about entrepreneurship, education, innovation, and community empowerment. This year's program placed a particular emphasis on developing the next generation of leaders, including dedicated student programming centered around entrepreneurship and social impact. (BTW Summit)
That made it a fitting place to tell the Eleven86 story.
Mr. Forge joined an entrepreneurship success panel for college students, where he had the opportunity to share some of the journey behind Eleven86: how an idea rooted in Autaugaville, Alabama grew into the company students see today, and what it takes to continue building when the path ahead isn't always obvious. But the conversation wasn't simply about celebrating where Eleven86 is now. It was about using that journey to encourage students who are still figuring out where their own stories may lead.
One message was especially important: continue pursuing your dreams academically. Entrepreneurship and education don't have to exist on opposite sides of the conversation. The knowledge, discipline, relationships, and experiences students develop while pursuing their education can become part of the foundation for whatever they choose to build later.
A Story Worth Sharing
There's something particularly meaningful about having this conversation at Tuskegee. The Booker T. Washington Economic Development Summit was established to honor the legacy of Booker T. Washington and his emphasis on education and economic self-reliance. Thirty years later, that mission continues through conversations connecting entrepreneurship, economic development, agriculture, education, and community empowerment. (Tuskegee University)
For Eleven86, those ideas hit close to home.
Our story has always stretched beyond the production floor. Building a company in a rural Alabama community has meant creating opportunities, investing locally, supporting education, developing partnerships, and believing that something significant can grow from a place others might overlook. Being able to take those experiences and share them directly with college students made this summit especially worthwhile.
We hope at least one student left that room a little more confident about an idea they've been sitting on, a little more committed to finishing their education, or simply more willing to believe that where you start doesn't determine how far your vision can travel.
Thank you to Tuskegee University, Andrea Mosely, Cordeo Young and the Booker T. Washington Economic Development Summit for giving Eleven86 the opportunity to pour into the next generation of entrepreneurs and leaders. Thirty years of bringing people together around education, entrepreneurship, and economic opportunity is something worth celebrating, and we're grateful Mr. Forge had the opportunity to be part of this year's conversation.
Keep learning. Keep building. Keep pursuing the dream. 💧🎓
Were you part of the 30th Annual Booker T. Washington Economic Development Summit? We captured some incredible moments throughout the event, and we'd love for you to have them!
See a photo you love? Download the high quality version and make it yours. Feel free to share it on social media, add it to your professional portfolio, or simply save it as a memory. If you post, we’d love for you to tag Eleven86 so we can celebrate the moment with you!
Comments