Opening remarks and special creative kickoff performance:

Speakers:

Jacquie Berger – Executive Director, Lowcountry Local First
BOSCO – Founder & CEO, Slug Global

Dr. Kristian Edwards, CEO and Founder of BLK + GRN, an all-natural marketplace for Black artisans, takes our main stage with Charleston’s own Raquel Padgett, entrepreneur and Program Director of Lowcountry Local First’s Good Enterprises program, to discuss how to lead a business by leading a movement.

Speakers:

Keynote: Dr. Kristian Edwards, BLK + GRN
Moderator: Raquel Padget, Lowcountry Local First

Enjoy 15 mins of stretch and refill time.

Cullen Gilchrist, Co-Founder and CEO of Union Kitchen, a DC-based accelerator program, takes our main stage with Charleston’s own Carrie Morey, Founder and CEO of Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit, to shine a light on how to build a business whose success is interwoven with the success of its community.

Speakers:

Keynote: Cullen Gilchrist, Union Kitchen, Washington D.C.
Moderator: Carrie Morey, Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit

After our keynotes discuss their personal and professional journeys, the audience will have ample opportunity to ask their own questions, with the help of our moderator Mimi Striplin, Founder of local jewelry and accessories brand The Tiny Tassel.

Speakers:

Moderator: Mimi Striplin, The Tiny Tassel
Cullen Gilchrist, Union Kitchen, Washington D.C.
Dr. Kristian Edwards, BLK + GRN

Neil Oliver – First Reliance Bank, Presenting Sponsor

Lunch provided by Verde, outside in Hutson Alley (to the right of Charleston Music Hall front steps)

Choose 1 from the 3 sessions below to attend.  

ROI-Focused Digital Marketing: The Latest Trends, Tips, Tricks and Tech //  Charleston Music Hall

There are plenty of Youtube videos, ebooks, and seminars claiming to have the singular, magic-bullet solution to successfully marketing a business, but rare is the opportunity to eavesdrop on a dynamic and panoramic marketing-based discussion between an Apple accessories designer, a nationally-renowned musician-turned-CEO, an SC Women in Business Award winner, the Founder of one of the fastest growing businesses in America, and a serial entrepreneur whose red-hot hot sauce brand banks $100K in a month. This is a conversation about storytelling, branding, and the modern – and ancient – tools we should all be using as small business owners to optimize our marketing efforts.

Speakers:

Chris Clark, Digital Ignite
Jai Jones, Twelve South
Charlotte Berger, CharlotteBergerPR
BOSCO, Slug Global
Molly Fienning, Red Clay

Shaking the Trees: Creative Funding for Your Business //  Forte Jazz Lounge

Securing funding for your business doesn’t have to be a complicated or intimidating process! This session brings together business funding experts who understand the unique obstacles and opportunities of a Lowcountry-headquartered small business.  Level up your financial literacy with a commercial lender, a CDFI rep, a crowdfunding platform specialist, and two social impact investors.

Speakers:

Rutledge Baker, First Capital Bank
Herbert L. Drayton III, Hi Mark Capital
Cindi Rourk, Climb Fund
Chip Homer, Honeycomb Credit
Brady Quirk-Garvan, Natural Investments

Banking & Borrowing: Navigating Cross-Cultural Differences (offered in Spanish language) //  Upstairs at Rue de Jean
Banca & Préstamos: Navegando las Diferencias Interculturales

Speakers:

Charlie O’Brien, CLIMB Fund
Marco A. Ríos, SC SBDC
Rubi Monge, Pinnacle Financial Partners
Alex Bonetti, First National Bank

Choose 1 from the 3 sessions below to attend.  

Beyond Profit: “There’s No Business To Be Done On a Dead Planet” //  Forte Jazz Lounge

Doing business better can also mean being more mindful of the physical world in which your business operates. Hear from leading local sustainable business advocates and learn how optimizing your business’ profit and being a responsible steward of our coastal community can go hand in hand. Reason One, Emerger Strategies, Amplified Ag, and Planet+Purpose Solutions will have an honest conversation about innovation, environmental responsibility, and ROI.

Speakers:

Stacey Bailey, Reason One
Rick Crawford, Emerger Strategies
Kindall Brantley, Amplified Ag
Lia Colabello, Planet+Purpose Solutions, PBC

Serving Society: How to Nurture Customers, Colleagues and Community //  Charleston Music Hall

The positive impact of a good company starts from the inside out. Compassion for employees and forward-thinking HR policies will bolster hiring and retention efforts. But a good company – one that other businesses aspire to be – also strives to enhance the quality of life for all individuals in its sphere of influence. Hear personal stories and professional advice from a Director of People & Impact, a Director of Organizational Performance Design, and 2 CEOS – all of whom lead some of the Lowcountry’s best known brands and teams.

Speakers:

Sharon L Middleton McGhee (M.A., PHR), HR Cares Rx, LLC
Kate Schmieding, Obviouslee
Femi Oyediran, Graft Wine Shop
Chris Amato, The Indigo Road Hospitality Group
Andy McCarthy, The Building People

Brand Storytelling: Bringing Hispanic Heritage to Life (offered in Spanish language) // Upstairs at Rue de Jean
Relato de Marca: Trayendo a la Vida la Herencia Hispana

Únete a nuestro panel de Marketing, donde expertos líderes hispanos como Pedro De Armas, Viviana Chimal y Marco A. Ríos de SC SBDC compartirán su experiencia y consejos. En este panel, discutiremos los desafíos específicos que enfrentan los empresarios hispanos en la comercialización de sus negocios, y compartiremos estrategias y consejos para alcanzar el éxito. No te pierdas esta oportunidad de aprender de expertos y prepara tus preguntas para ellos.

Speakers:

Pedro De Armas, El Informador
Viviana Chimal, La Casa Love
Marco A. Ríos, SC SBDC
Corina Costa, Corina Costa Beauty Studio
Jamie Tinoco, El Molino Supermarket

Join us for happy hour at Republic Garden & Lounge to connect with your fellow do-gooders.

462 King Street