April is Innovation Month

A message to all strategic thinkers, bold idea brandishers and fearless founders! For #StartupGVL, April means INNOVATION. We are thrilled to participate in the first-ever statewide effort to promote it.

This Spring we’re celebrating the growth in our ecosystem, from small seeds to flourishing flowers. The #StartupGVL community is resourcing veterans in business, matching fledgling founders with established mentors and watching #StartupGVL entrepreneur Erin Mehagan on national television. YOUR city is quickly becoming a center for new and exciting ventures

INNOVATING FOR OUR HEROES

Cutting the ribbon on the first of its kind in South Carolina

Upstate Warrior Solution opened the Rupert Huse Resource Center as a hub of veteran services. Public, private, and nonprofit partners will join forces with a united goal: creating a welcoming and accessible space for all Upstate veterans. Through the RHVC, veterans and their families will be able to access the workforce development, housing, financial and emotional services they need to thrive.

EQUAL ACCESS TO EMPLOYMENT

LGBTQ+ Job Fair Focuses on Inclusion

Both a sense of belonging and the ability to find employment. The #StartupGVL ecosystem prides itself in placemaking. The City of Greenville, South Carolina, Greenville Police Department, major manufacturers like Michelin and Milliken & Company, Prisma Health and local non-profits participated in the second annual Upstate SC LGBT+ Chamber job fair.

#STARTUPGVL LAUNCHPAD

Giving Founders Force For Takeoff

Seven winners were chosen to receive $95,000 worth of services during the NEXT Upstate #StartupGVL Launchpad on April 7. The annual event matches young founders with established companies to provide serves like team development, marketing and branding, legal advice and more.

Incora Health won design and branding services with SLANT
Modal - Coffee & Hostel won business services with Elliott Davis
Avallano won team development services with Find Great People | FGP
Bottle Titan won legal services with Wyche, P.A.
Metatomic won SEO & digital marketing with DFS Creative Concepts
Builder Rocket won seed grant assistance with SCRA: South Carolina Research Authority
A/R Funding won prototype development with Designli

PROPULSION: THE STRATEGY BEHIND NEXT’S LAUNCHPAD

From blogger Wei-Huan Chen:
"Picture a rocket ship set for the moon. What does it need? To start, a lot of force. Without enough power and support, especially in the early stages, a rocket can’t leave the atmosphere. It needs momentum, driven by continued acceleration, until it hits escape velocity."

Read more from Wei and find out how the Launchpad program was designed with the understanding that, beyond investment dollars, “force” means different things to different founders.

MEN OF COLOR SUMMIT: TAKEAWAYS ON BLACK ENTREPRENEURSHIP

From blogger Byron Melvin:
"Since arriving in Greenville from Charleston, my life has changed in ways I could not imagine. One of the key things being that I've started my own business - a business that makes money. Yet I found myself yearning for the supportive community I had in the Lowcountry."

Find out what Bryon calls his three main takeaways on Clemson’s Men of Color Summit.

FOUNDER FEATURED ON THE TODAY SHOW

Erin Mehagan, founder of Livi Lu Lane, had her bra line featured on the Today Show with Hoda and Jenna in an innovative undergarments segment. Mehagan, who won support from GVL Starts and Launchpad 2022, created bras with interchangeable inserts. She developed the idea after breastfeeding changed her body shape. She calls her product an alternative to plastic surgery.
Watch Livi Lu Lane featured on national TV

GSP Earns Top Ranking

Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP) earned five awards from the Airports Council International’s Airport Service Quality awards that rank “the world’s best airports as judged by customers.” GSP earned accolades in North American categories including Best Airport of 2-5 Million Passengers, Most Dedicated Staff, Most Enjoyable Airport, and Cleanest Airport.

Do you know them yet? you should.

The Hill Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Furman University is a nonprofit organization that helps aspiring entrepreneurs and founders launch social and entrepreneurial ventures.

More about the Hill Institute’s mission and activities

SUMMIT: INNOVATION IN AUTOMATION

Thursday, April 27, 2023 at 5:30pm - 7:00pm
Historic Greer Depot
300 Randall Street, Suite D, Greer
FREE
The Platform at Greer and our partners from Clemson, Greenville Area Development Corporation, and Koops Automation Systems invite you to join us at The Historic Greer Depot for drinks, heavy hors d'ouevres, and a conversation about how automation can help grow your business, what it takes to build the right kind of automated systems, and how researchers are breaking new ground in this already innovative space.

Register for Innovation in Automation

UPSTATE WARRIOR SOLUTION: RUPERT HUSE VETERAN CENTER OPEN HOUSE & RESOURCE FAIR

Friday, April 28, 2023 at 10:00am - 2:00pm
Rupert Huse Veteran Center
770 Pelham Road, Greenville
FREE
See it for yourself! The newly opened center will welcome veterans, first responders, their families and members of the community to drop in, tour the new facility and connect to a range of service providers. No RSVP needed.

NEXT ACCELERATOR DEMO DAY

Thursday, May 18, 2023 at 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Greenville ONE
2 West Washington Street, Greenville
FREE
The cohort members of the NEXT Accelerator will deliver their final pitches in front of a great crowd of supporters and share what they've learned throughout this 10 week intensive accelerator program.

Register for Next Accelerator Demo Day