Mario Brown, a Greenville, SC native and co-founder of Affordable Upstate, has been pivotal in reimagining affordable housing. Through N.O.A.H. Property Management, an Affordable Upstate initiative, Brown has launched economic mobility-focused programs that ease economic burdens and enhance accessibility. His innovative approach not only uplifts the Greenville community, but also sets a new benchmark for dignified and accessible housing solutions.

NP Strategy is a strategic communications firm composed of former journalists, communications professionals, political insiders, and public relations executives. NP Strategy is a wholly owned subsidiary of Maynard Nexsen, a 550-attorney national law firm with 24 offices from coast to coast, providing NPS access to deep relationships across the United States.

The Columbia Museum of Art announced in April that it had been selected as a recipient of a $75,000 grant that will support the revitalization of Boyd Plaza to create a vibrant and welcoming atmosphere through placemaking programming and interactive art. And, on Memorial Day, they are launching 'Free Summer at the CMA', a new endeavor that offers all residents of South Carolina free general admission to the museum through Labor Day.

Lily Pad began in 2022, thanks to a dream by Greer, SC residents Benjamin and Jennifer Tice. As active foster parents in the Upstate, the Tices wanted to give vulnerable foster youth a soft place to land.

Lily Pad creates stunning before-and-after transformations within DSS offices across the state, creating living room-like settings for children and youth awaiting foster placement and giving them a place to comfortably rest, play games, do homework, and distract themselves from the difficulties of their everyday life. Lily Pad has transformed 19 spaces in South Carolina and hopes to create a Lily Pad in all 46 counties in South Carolina over the next few years.

Sarah Frick has been in the yoga and fitness industry for 16 years. After opening and operating two successful power yoga studios for 10 years in Charleston, South Carolina, Sarah sold both at the peak of their success to rebrand not only her fitness concept but herself.

The Works a Sweat Studio by Sarah Frick are soulful fitness studios located in Charleston, SC and Mount Pleasant, SC with sister studios The Works Cycle and The Works Renew. The Works believes that in sharing our stories we heal each other and ourselves.

Charleston-based designer, Cassidy Caulk, is the creative force behind Kindred Label, a brand for women by women. With a passion for fashion and a business degree from the College of Charleston, Caulk’s entrepreneurial mindset and determination set the stage for the birth of Kindred Label.

A self-taught cobbler at the age of 24, Caulk meticulously designed and engineered the first prototype by hand, setting the foundation for the brand's ethos of innovation and quality. The patented technology is now displayed in each Kindred Label sandal design to blend fashion and functionality.

Tim Gardner is the owner of Lula Drake Wine Parlour on Main Street in Columbia, SC. The story behind the discovery of the location, coming up with the name Lula Drake, and the journey to becoming nationally recognized by the James Beard Foundation is nothing short of magical. Lula Drake is a 2024 James Beard for Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program and a 2023 nominee for Outstanding Hospitality.

The City of Columbia, SC has had the 'Eor' syndrome for too long, according to Mayor Daniel Rickenmann. In office as the Mayor since January 2002, Daniel Rickenmann is on a mission to get the City to stop defining itself in terms of what it is close to (the mountains and the sea) and to start building on what we are. We couldn't agree more! How can we help?

More than 24 million people in the United States live with chronic lung diseases such as COPD or asthma. Amanda Clark is a registered respiratory therapist passionate about bringing innovative solutions to this problem. She has founded several companies in the health care space.

Her most recent company, PulManage, is a digital health company that has developed a platform for chronic lung disease which pairs with FDA-approved lung-function devices.

SC currently ranks 37th in the country in terms of sustainability. An organization that is looking to improve that ranking is Sustain SC. Recently, they released their Roadmap to Sustain SC highlighting seven specific areas, or accelerators, that offer a path forward for collective actions that will establish South Carolina as a leader in sustainable economic development. The key? Collaboration between commerce and commerce and conservation.