Celebrating South Carolina Women

By Alan Cooper
Publisher, Who’s On The Move
MidlandsBiz, UpstateBizSC, LowcountryBizSC

Back in the beginning of March, I spoke on the South Carolina Business Review about Women’s History Month and the important role that women have played in our state. The episode is titled ‘Celebrating Women in business in SC and has as its purpose to 1) offer a brief history of Women’s History Month and, 2) encourage each one of us in South Carolina to think about the impact that women have had on our cities, our state, and our country. Then, as we all have our spheres of influence, our channels, maybe even our dining room tables, to elevate their stories

Women’s History Month started in 1981 as a week-long celebration in the United States. The idea was to create a dedicated time to celebrate and acknowledge the achievements and contributions of women throughout history. Based on the success of the ‘week’, the celebration expanded into a month-long observance in 1987.

I’d like to highlight a few ground-breaking, impactful women in South Carolina in a few key areas:

• women who have broken barriers in male-dominated fields
• female CEOs
• women entrepreneurs who have launched impactful businesses
• women advocating for equality and justice

This not meant to be an exhaustive list and I am sure there are going to be some glaring omissions. Some of the women mentioned below have been featured on our websites or have been interviewed for our Entrepreneur Minute series. Others have been contributed by friends from around the state. I encourage you to send us names to add to the list. The format is simple: the name of the woman, and three sentences about her impact.

In putting this list together, I was reminded that South Carolina ranks 49th out of 50 states in terms of percentage female representation in statewide elected office. Despite gains for women elsewhere across the U.S., the 2022 election actually saw the total number of women in the S.C. State Legislature decrease, reversing a decade-long trend. It dropped from 17.6% to 14.7%. There are currently no women on the Supreme Court of South Carolina.

Women who have broken barriers in male-dominated fields

Nikki Haley – Born in Bamberg, South Carolina, Haley served as the 116th Governor of South Carolina and later as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations. She is recognized for breaking barriers as a female governor in South Carolina and her influential role on the international stage. She recently ran, unsuccessfully, for President of the United States.

Pamela Evette – A businesswoman and the current Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina. She co-founded Quality Business Solutions, a human resources outsourcing company, and is the first female Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina. In her role, she has focused on economic development, job creation, and advocating for small businesses.

Janet Bates, J.E. Dunn Construction – Janet was the YWCA of Greater Charleston’s 2021 #WhatWomenBring business honoree and has gone on to win a host of other honors in the empowerment space. A construction industry veteran who currently heads business development for JE Dunn Construction, Janet aims to change the face of construction so that young girls can see themselves in any role in the industry. She is the past president and a founding member of the Palmetto Chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), and has served as both NAWIC South Atlantic Regional Membership chair and National Chapter Development co-chair.

Jasmeen Shaw, Charleston County School District – Jasmeen Shaw, CCSD’s new director of capital programs, is rare: a Black woman in leadership in the construction and nuclear industry. We love that she has already managed a $26 billion project for Georgia Power.

Christina Harrell, Partner and President of Jack Porter in the Upstate, a design firm that primarily helps college athletic departments showcase their brands by motivating, educating, inspiring and entertaining fans and college athletes performing at the highest NCAA level. We interviewed Christina back in 2017.

Robin LaCroix, MD. – Dr. LaCroix established the first Pediatric Infectious disease practice in the Upstate of SC. She has been a part of medical education and training programs and established the Greenville combined Internal Medicine/Pediatric residency as co- Program director with a medicine counterpart. She was Medical Director for Pediatric Infectious Disease division and continues to be the Pediatric Hospital Epidemiologist for Prisma Health. She is currently a Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville and is the Chair of Pediatrics and Medical Director of the Prisma Health Children’s Hospital. She is also the immediate past President of the Prisma Health—Upstate medical staff.

Rachel Haan is an equity partner of McBee Avenue Wealth Advisors and serves as COO. She began her career as an Associate Financial Representative over 20 years ago and served as a member of the executive team, integrating the major functions of the business, overseeing special projects, human resource management, and finance. She became an equity partner a few months ago.

Naida Rutherford – Coroner Richland County – From a homeless teen to a history making elected official, Naida Rutherford is thankful for the gift she has been given – to inspire and motivate others. She is a motivational speaker and elected official making history as the first woman, first POC and first medical professional in the 173 year history of the Richland County Coroner’s office.

HOPE TZ SCHMALZL – Commerical Real Estate Agent. Hope is one of only a few female commercial real estate agents in SC, specializing in retail and office sales and leasing along with a focus on land, and industrial sales. Drawing from years of experience in the retail wine industry and leveraging her extensive contacts in the restaurant industry, her clients include out of state restaurants expanding into the market, local restaurants and retail establishments relocating or expanding.

Catherine Garrison Davis and Elizabeth Garrison Rasor – Twin sisters who are 4th generation and current owners of the original Garrison Farmstead, also known as Denver Downs Farm. They are very active in the Farm’s operation and countless events hosted at Denver Downs every year. They are committed to preserving their farming legacy and providing special crops and farm experiences with the community and region. They are also co-authors of “Night-Night, Little Tiger.”

Women C-Suite

Barbara Melvin has been the president and CEO of the S.C. State Ports Authority in Charleston since July 2022. She is the first woman to lead a top 10 U.S. operating container port. South Carolina Ports owns and operates marine terminals at the Port of Charleston and two rail-served inland ports in Greer and Dillon. As the 8th largest U.S. container port, SC Ports connects port-dependent businesses throughout the Southeast and beyond to global markets.

Anita Zucker, CEO of The InterTech Group – Both a prominent philanthropist and businessperson, Anita co-founded and then took over leadership of The InterTech Group, Inc. as CEO after her husband’s death in 2008. The daughter of a Holocaust survivor and a billionaire whose wealth is ranked by Forbes, she has also chaired The Hudson’s Bay Company, owned a number of other Charleston-based businesses, and serves on a number of local nonprofit boards. She was the YWCA of Greater Charelston’s MLK Celebration Breakfast Summit keynote speaker, addressing more than 600 business and faith-based leaders, in 2020.

Lou Kennedy – CEO of Nephron Pharmaceuticals – Nephron is a global leader in manufacturing generic respiratory medications and also contract manufacturing. Through its innovative approach to sterile manufacturing, Nephron also provides patients access to affordable, high-quality medications.  In 2022, The National Association of Manufacturers honored Lou with the Manufacturing Icon Award during the NAM’s spring board meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona. The award recognizes leaders who inspire Americans to promote, perpetuate and preserve manufacturing in America.

Jo Hackl – Greenville author Jo Watson Hackl has traveled throughout the world since the publication of her book, “Smack Dab in the Middle of Maybe” was published in 2019. She loves spreading the message of hope, grit and resilience to young readers through the story of 12-year-old Cricket. Jo is also an attorney at Wyche Law Firm and represents clients in corporate and securities law. Her practice has an emphasis on corporate governance issues.

Jennifer Compton – Director of Human Resources RedSail Technologies, Jenn is an experienced HR Business Leader in the Greenville/Spartanburg, leading teams through ownership and culture changes. She is very active on The Prisma Community Development council and a board member of the Junior League of Greenville.

Kimbrelly Kegler – Brand Director, BFGoodrich Tires, Michelin North America. Kim is responsible for leading and growing the $1B BFGoodrich tire business in North America. She was a 2018 Riley institute Fellow and was part of Class 27 for Leadership Greenville.

Pixie Dezutti, CEO of Skirt magazine. Paula “Pixie” Dezzutti has long been on Charleston’s empowered-women radar as CEO of Skirt Charleston, and now she has been featured nationally by Forbes magazine on its 50 Over 50 “Age of Disruption” list. Thousands of women leaders and entrepreneurs are nominated each year for a spot on the list. Paula made the list in the Lifestyle category, among powerhouses like Judy Blume, Jamie Lee Curtis, and one of Pixie’s own inspirations, Viola Davis. Pixie, who is also CEO of award-winning Local Choice Spirits, highly accoladed Striped Pig Distillery, and tech-driven wellness leader Sycamore Pharma, will convene in NYWC with the other winners for the Forbes annual 30/50 summit.

JoAnn Turnquist, the President and CEO of the Central Carolina Community Foundation (CCCF) – Under Turnquist’s leadership, CCCF has awarded grants and scholarships totaling more than $220 million in the Midlands of South Carolina. JoAnn will be retiring in April and we wish her all the best!

Mickey Layden, President and CEO of LCK Construction, a leading company in project management and development services. Layden has played a pivotal role in the growth and success of the company. LCK was recently announced as the lead for the $97M new parking garage facility at the GSP Airport

Elizabeth Davis, President of Furman University. Dr. Davis, a respected academic leader, assumed the presidency in 2020, becoming the first woman to hold this position in Furman’s history. Her accomplishments include advancing initiatives related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as fostering academic excellence and community engagement within the universityWwomen in STEM – science, technology, engineering and math

Dr. Marjorie Jenkins – A distinguished endocrinologist, Dr. Jenkins served as the Dean of the School of Medicine at the University of South Carolina and is known for her leadership in healthcare and medical education. She recently earned the The ATHENA Leadership Award given out by the Greenville Chamber.

Heather (Hoopes) Matthews, CEO NP Strategy – NP Strategy is a strategic communications firm composed of top-notch 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. Watch for an upcoming interview with Heather on our sites and listen for her Phillipians 2:3 quote!

Minor Mickel Shaw is a notable businesswoman and philanthropist with deep roots in South Carolina. Serving as the President and CEO of Micco, LLC, a real estate and investment firm, Shaw has made significant contributions to the economic landscape of the state. Beyond her business endeavors, she is widely recognized for her philanthropic work, particularly in education and healthcare. As the Chair of the Peace Center, she has played a key role in promoting arts and cultural enrichment in the community.

 

Women entrepreneurs who have launched impactful businesses

Donna Mungin, Donna M. Collection (fashion) – Donna launched her own boutique and fashion line in addition to hosting the podcast Fashion Unfiltered. Among other press, she was interviewed by South Carolina Business Review (SC Public Radio) about being a woman entrepreneur of color in South Carolina soon after graduating from the WE 360 program at the YWCA of Greater Charleston. The mission of the company is to inspire and ignite the inner beauty of woman and to build confidence through style.

Amy Barch, founder of Turn90 – Turn90 is the recipient of the Riley Institute’s 2024 OneSouthCarolina Partners in Progress Award and just received a $2 million investment from Mackenzie Scott. Turn90 stands as a model for social progress and change in South Carolina and beyond. They create an opportunity for success after prison through cognitive behavioral classes, case management, transitional work, and job placement. We interviewed Amy back in 2018.

Minh Le – Owner, 831MINHLE – From her roots in Vietnam, Minh Le has always had an eye for fashion and design, first teaching the artistry of sewing to women to help support her family, and later creating her own styles and designs as a teenager. After moving to America in 1994, Minh continued to create her own unique beauty and vision with designs that have been published in the pages of Elle, In Style and Vogue magazines. She operate out of Lexington, SC. , and recently voted one of Nylon’s 10 fashion designers to watch at New York Fashion Week, her personalized approach and artistry takes fashion to a new level.

Lindsey Calcutt, CEO, Incora Health. Incora Health is a Greenville-based startup that has patented a smart earring that tracks biodata without interrupting the user’s activities or sleep. The wearable accurately tracks core body temperature using machine learning and artificial intelligence, which provides women with reliable biometrics to help meet their maternal and wellness goals. We interviewed Lindsey last year.

Dr. Kristen Quinn, Co-Founder and CEO, Heartbeat Technologies, a company that set out to improve CPR outcomes. Their product, the SAVER is a novel, patent-pending CPR adjunct device that preferentially redirects blood perfusion to key areas of the body. The device can be deployed both in the field and in hospital settings, and will ultimately be found wherever an AED is stored.

Johnny Caldwell & Taneka Reaves, The Cocktail Bandits – Listed among Imbibe magazine’s 75 People to Watch in 2018 and Charleston’s 50 Most Progressive is the duo known as the curly-haired Cocktail Bandits. They have been featured by NBC BLK, Essence magazine, Sirius XM Radio, and more. They promote female empowerment through advocacy for the food & beverage community from a feminine perspective.

Mollie Hobbs – Owner, Slate on Devine.  – Mollie owns Slate on Devine, a retail women’s fashion store located at 2702 Devine Street in Columbia. She owns her own building, has built her own clientele, and employs women in her business.

Catherine Cantey – Catherine spent 20 years in big banking, managing both billion-dollar lines of credit for her clients and creating 90% success of the 3,000 proposals she led her team to produce. A huge advocate of the power of new thinking, Catherine initiated and supported a $12.1 million public-private partnership resulting in the installation of 256 miles of fiber to help close a rural broadband gap. The focus of her own business is to provide opportunities to innovate, disrupt and evolve to existing businesses using her unique process for business vitality over time and in ever-changing markets

Rita Patel, Owner, Hotel Trundle – Hotel Trundle, owned by husband-and-wife team Marcus Munse and Rita Patel, opened its doors in April 2018 and is located at 1224 Taylor Street in downtown Columbia. They have rewritten the rules of Southern hospitality with a unique blend of curated guest experiences and services, good old-fashioned thoughtfulness, and an eclectic, 20s-era Art Deco style. Rita is big advocate for the Midlands of South Carolina. Watch for an upcoming interview with Rita on our Midlands site!

 

Laura Boccanfuso, CEO Van Robotics –  Laura Boccanfuso, whose firm builds robotic math tutors for kids, appeared on Shark Tank before winning TIME magazine’s Best Invention of 2020. She also received the 2022 SC Women in Business Award and was named Top 10 Most Influential Women in Technology by Analytics Insight. Laura is changing the way we use technology in learning with ABii, the smart robot tutor for the K-5 classroom, and Van Robotics’ new high school robotics program, Classroom to Career which builds strong ecosystems for STEM throughout K-12.

 

Women Advocation Equality and Justice

LaVanda Brown, Executive Director of YWCA Greater Charleston since 2016 – A formidable ally of women, LaVanda works hard each day to empower women and eliminate racism: YWCA.GC’s dual mission. While honoring the nonprofit’s powerful historic legacy with programs like its annual MLK Celebration, she has also transformed it with a series of highly effective programs, including its Racial Equity & Inclusion workshops facilitated by the nationally renowned Racial Equity Institute, WE 360° for women entrepreneurs of color, Y Girls Code, SheStrong, and #WhatWomenBring, among others.

Barbara Rackes, President, SC Women in Leadership (SCWIL) – Barbara Rackes is often remembered for her years in the women’s apparel industry, where she built a $10 million company doing business in three southeastern cities and employing more than 100 people. She also founded The Rackes Group, a website development and IT company. In 2018, Rackes co-founded SC Women in Leadership (SC WIL). Its mission is to encourage women to step up and lead corporations, boards, and governments. SC WIL is a multi-partisan, multi-racial alliance of women with a mission to move South Carolina forward socially, economically, educationally, and environmentally by sharing information, making connections, and encouraging engagement in local and state leadership opportunities.

Michelle Ward, Co-founder of Fearfully & Wonderfully Made Event, held at First Presbyterian Church in Greenville. This fashion show showcases amazing friends with special abilities for an evening of awareness, understanding and achievement. Michelle pours herself into this event, and she is building bridges in Greenville. She is also an Author of “God Chose You: Growing Faith-filled Girls in the Likeness of Christ.”

Kenya Dunn, The Power-Filled Woman / Power Tribe – As vice president at T-Mobile, Kenya was one of the few female executives in her company, an active advocate for diversity and inclusion, a mentor to multiple women, and an inspiration for many. “For many black women like me, she blazed a path showing us we can make a difference by working hard, being fully ourselves, and empowering others,” writes one. Today, as the CEO of her own firm, she concentrates all her efforts on coaching women for success.

Kenya is also active with the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce, co-leading its Diversity, Equity & Inclusion program as its DEI Executive Fellow.

Michele Schusterman, Shusterman is the co-founder of the Cerebral Palsy Research Network and a member of the board of directors. She is the mother of a child with cerebral palsy and a tireless advocate for improved support, education and research for cerebral palsy. Michele recently joined the leadership team of the Cerebral Palsy Research Network (CPRN) to coordinate patient and parent input into the CPRN research agenda.

Erica Walters, Erica is a program manager for the ClemsonLIFE ™ Program. She was instrumental in getting this program off the ground 10 years ago. ClemsonLIFE ™ program at Clemson University offers a collegiate experience that prepares young men and women with intellectual disabilities for competitive employment and independent living through a combination of academic coursework and career exploration. Erica was just selected as a member of the 2023 President’s Leadership Institute Cohort.

Lilyn Hester, Google – In 2019, her bio – “Lilyn leads Google’s public policy, government, and community relations across the Southeast. Among other initiatives, she founded and implemented Google’s Rolling Study Halls program to give rural and low-income students access to resources they need to stay competitive, and contributed to Google’s founding and funding of the Racial & Social Justice Initiative at the Avery Research Center for African American History to engage the public and develop community outreach and public history resources.

Cindy Crick is an attorney at Cindy Crick Law, LLC and focuses her practice on Title IX/Student Misconduct Issues, Criminal Defense, and Government and Internal Investigations. She spearheaded the Violence Against Women Task Force and gained valuable experience in prosecuting cases involving criminal domestic violence, sexual assault and HIV exposure, and domestic homicide. Cindy has extensive first-chair trial experience, a background in the scientific and technical issues of complex cases, and experience in co-prosecuting a capital murder case. We interviewed Cindy back in 2021.

Erin Mehagan – Erin started Livi Lu Lane apparel company in 2021 and has grown the company tremendously across the globe. Through uniquely designed bras and swimwear, Erin helps women create the shape they desire to boost their confidence and improve their self-image. She was featured on the NEXT Women in Innovation panel with Greenville’s most innovative and influential women, who shared their stories of resilience and success in a world primarily dominated by men.

Kamber Parker Bowden – Kamber is the founder and CEO of YoPro Know, a company to be the bridge between ambitious young professionals and the proactive companies that wish to attract, develop, and retain the next generation of leaders. Today, YPK is an innovative consulting firm that uses their own data and research to support companies looking to improve their recruiting and retention efforts of young professional talent.

Lindsey Stemann is the Principal & Founder of McMillion Consulting. She is an accomplished speaker, writer, and prospecting trainer. As a credibility consultant, she is an expert on how to use LinkedIn as a business tool with professionals and their teams to help them drive revenue for their businesses. From supporting individual financial advisors, Fortune 500 companies, and boutique advising firms, to speaking at global conferences, she provides practical teaching skills at a very high level.

Lynn Mann – Director of Community Relations for Fluor Corporation. She was previously a Program Director A.J. Whittenberg Elementary School of Engineering where she coached one of the school’s FIRST® LEGO® Robotics teams and founding “Innovate!” an intervention program with the primary goal of helping at-risk children succeed in the 21st century.

Erin Rigot – INSTRUCTIONAL COACH at League Academy of Communication Arts and a leader in education. She is also a Co-director of ARMES (Arts Reaching Middle and Elementary Schools), a tuition-free artistically gifted and talented program designed to meet the needs of identified 3rd – 8th grade Greenville County students in the areas of music, dance, drama, visual art and writing. Erin also started ExposED Resilience with Mary Leslie Anderson to give emerging female leaders with skills needed to lead and empower a team, so that they can be resilient when faced with the inevitable challenges of leadership.

Marcela Rabens, Universal Latin News Charleston – A defender of the rights of women and immigrants, Marcela created the first local Hispanic newspaper in Charleston in 2005… and followed it up in 2015 by creating the first local Hispanic directory, GuiaLatina Charleston.com: each one connecting the Hispanic community to others. She also hosts Ritmo Latino, a show featuring Hispanic music, culture, and interviews on Ohm Radio 96.3 FM. She has served on the College of Charleston’s Diversity Board and Hispanic Studies Advisory Board, as well as on the boards of the Trident Literacy Association and Trident United Way. She sits now on TUW’s Palmetto Steering Committee. She holds a bachelor’s degree earned in Peru.