Venture Carolina announces inaugural class of the Palmetto Venture Fellowship
February 15, 2022
Venture Carolina, a nonprofit dedicated to bridging the funding gap between investors and entrepreneurs has partnered with the South Carolina Department of Commerce’s Office of Innovation to launch the Palmetto Venture Fellowship, a program that will create more local accredited investors and expand risk-capital accessibility for early-stage startups in South Carolina.
The Palmetto Venture Fellowship, which kicked off last week in Columbia, will utilize a seven-part workshop series to expose participants to the intricacies associated with early-stage capital formation. The program, with an inaugural class of 38 participants (see list below), will run through October 2022.
“We are thrilled to announce our inaugural class of fellows—a group that is diverse in so many ways,” said Venture Carolina Executive Director Charlie Banks. “The foundation this inaugural class is setting not only sets a precedent for future classes, it represents a tangible building block for the sustainability of South Carolina’s innovation economy. I was truly blown away at the combined talent and energy in that room.”
Several members of the inaugural Venture Fellows class echo Banks’ sentiments and are excited for the what the next 18 months could mean for South Carolina.
Michael Nix, President of Verity Investment Partners in Beaufort and Chairman of the South Jobs and Economic Development Authority (JEDA), stated, “I’min awe at the gathering of such a diverse group of professionals all willing to advance early-stage and venture investment in our state. I’m energized by the potential of this fellowship program and its impact for South Carolina.”
Anthony Herrerra, Chief Innovation Officer at Furman University, added, “The Palmetto Venture Fellowship will be catalytic for South Carolina’s innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem. Educating, equipping, and empowering our state’s investor community to commit capital to early-stage ventures is critical in making South Carolina a vibrant hub for entrepreneurship.”
Sam Johnson, Attorney for Nexsen Pruet commented,“In order to retain our diverse talent, grow our diverse businesses, and experience the type of growth South Carolina is poised for, venture capital must be leveraged. The Palmetto Venture Fellowship is a phenomenal tool that engages leaders across the state and provides invaluable insight.”
2022 Venture Fellows include:
Brad Ball – Partner, Poogan’s Hospitality Group
Jimmy Banyas – Co-founder, PunchListUSA
John H. Barnes – Co-founder and CEO, Pendleton Street Business Advisors
Calvin Beamon – Employee Benefits Consultant, McGriff
Carl Blackstone – President and CEO, Columbia Chamber of Commerce
Dr. Jay Blankenship – Senior VP of Development, Zylo Therapeutics
Dr. Luke Bonnett – Founder, Chapin Pediatrics
Tom Coffman – Engineer, CRE developer
Rogers Coxe – President and CEO, Dove Print Solutions
John Deworken – Co-founder, LobbySC
Wesley Donehue – CEO, Push Digital
Herbert Drayton – Managing Partner, HI Mark Capital
Dr. Tracy Dunn – Dean, Benedict College Tyrone Adam Burroughs School of Business and Entrepreneurship
LaTasha Gandy – VP and Senior Business Banking Relationship Manager, Bank of America
Brian Gillespie – Senior Associate, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough
Dan Handford – Managing Partner, PassiveInvesting.com
Mike Harper – Asset Manager, Middle Street Partners
Anthony Herrera – Chief Innovation Officer, Furman University
Greg Hilton – Co-founder, SOCO
Julie Hussey – CEO, Civic Communications
Sam Johnson – Attorney, Nexsen Pruet
Harriet Lampkin – Executive VP of Legal Affairs, INLIVIAN
Curtis Lee – Independent Consultant
Julia Linton – Project Manager, Palmetto Tech Bridge
Jamie Lynch – Director, ES Integrated
Selena Martin – Chief Operations Office, Denture Care Shop
Larry Mercado – CEO and President, Bold Biologix
Michael Nix – President and Chief Investment Officer, Verity Investment Partners
Jay Patel – Director of Clinical Pharmacy Management, BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina
Tom Pietras – Shareholder, Bauknight Pietras & Stormer
Kyle Putnam – Managing Director and Cofounder, Insignis Partners
Austin Rhodes – President and Co-founder, Rhodes Branding
Dee Dee Simmons – Chief Marketing Officer, The Fitts Company
Dr. Patrick Springhart – Physician, Prisma Health
Diana Stevenson – CEO, Grace Outdoor
Hal Stevenson – Chief Development Officer, Grace Outdoor
Lauren Taylor – Founder, The Haven Group and Haven Home
Matt Vaadi – CEO, guHRoo
The inaugural class of the Palmetto Venture Fellows was selected by a committee of business leaders and investors throughout South Carolina.For more information, visit https://www.venturecarolina.org/palmetto-venture-fellowship.
About Venture Carolina
Venture Carolina is a South Carolina based non-profit organization that uses comprehensive educational resources to teach entrepreneurs how best to position their companies for early-stage funding, and to guide investors on how to make disciplined angel investment decisions. The result is an environment within the Southeast that successfully bridges the critical funding gap that exists between entrepreneurs and investors. To learn more about Venture Carolina and our partners, please visit www.venturecarolina.org.
