SC Department of Commerce Innovation Challenge Proposal (co-author)

South Carolina Innovation Challenge - September 2014

DETAILS: Read the South Carolina Innovation Challenge details before beginning the online process.

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Entity Name The Institute for Leadership & Professional Excellence at Columbia College Entity Address Address Line 1 1301 Columbia College Drive Address Line 2 City Columbia State State Zip Code Type of Entity (Non-profit, university, etc.)

Head of Entity Christine Lomer LaCola, Ed.D. Prefix First Last Project Lead Katherine Swartz Hilton Prefix First Last Project Lead - Mailing Address Address Line 1

Address Line 2 City State State Zip Code Project Lead - Phone Number Project Lead - Email

Name of Project SC Women’s Entrepreneurship Network (SCWEN) Project Description Imagine a South Carolina economy in which women-driven businesses contribute equal, if not more, in start up ideas, revenue, job creation and successful attainment of capital funding. Imagine a self-sustained mentor ecosystem that supports women entrepreneurs and innovators at all stages of business and the upward mobility of women. Imagine a series of statewide educational programs, culminating in an annual conference, that challenges women to think beyond traditional business ideas and connect with national thought and action leaders. Imagine a resource network that is easy to access and navigate, connecting women to resources and to each other. In this women-led economy, the more women identify as successful entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs, driving ideas and innovation, the more women become economically empowered and independent. It’s just right for women in business in South Carolina.

The Institute for Leadership & Professional Excellence at Columbia College and the Center for Women have forged the “South Carolina Women’s Entrepreneurial Network” (SCWEN) alliance to connect, serve and accelerate growth of a new generation of women-owned businesses and empower women toward economic independence.

The SCWEN coalition will: Grow a supportive, connected innovation community by assembling and facilitating information exchange among a coalition of partners whose missions align with empowering women-led businesses; by developing a mentor ecosystem to support and serve women at all stages of business; by compiling research and resources; and by advocating and disseminating information and driving action to support a women-led economy.

Support access to capital for women owned entities at all stages of development by creating a women-driven, donor-advised fund offering seed capital.

Grow workforce talent by offering comprehensive educational and coaching opportunities designed to identify and grow specific opportunities and strengths of women, culminating in a statewide inaugural Innovation Conference that will gather forward-thinking thought leaders from across the state and country.

Funding Request For one year, not to exceed $250,000 (dollar figure only) $215,700

SC Innovation Plan Goal(s) the project will address: Develop a critical mass of high tech/high impact companies

X Grow a supportive, connected innovation community X Support access to capital for women-owned entities at all stages of development X Grow workforce talent equipped to work for high tech/high impact companies (Check all that apply)

Product or Service

Specify your key product or service (i.e., what would the Innovation Challenge be funding?)

South Carolina ranks sixth among the top ten states with the fastest growth in the number of Women Owned Businesses (WOBs) over the past 17 years, however the state’s overall economic clout rank is 35 based on revenue and job creation among WOBs.1 Contributing negatively to this ranking is net-zero percent WOB job creation in the state between 1997-2014.1 The state has an estimated net gain of 37,700 WOBs in the past decade, however the average firm revenue is down from $141,000 to $136,000. An average employee count of 1.14 per WOB is not sustainable. Therefore, it is imperative that additional, collaborative and structured resources be allocated to WOBs within the state to increase the likelihood of their success and sustainability.

The SCWEN partnership is set to expand and enhance programs and services and to provide opportunities to women entrepreneurs and innovators in South Carolina. The primary objectives of the coalition are to: > Educate women, including high school and college students, about the entrepreneurial and innovation process and economic independence. > Guide women through the entrepreneurial and innovation processes, from awareness, to understanding, to expertise in order to propel WOBs through the seed-startup-growth stages of business. > Create and develop a statewide peer and mentor ecosystem serving women in business and women entrepreneurs that includes upward mobility through mentorship. > Create state-level indices on the status and impact of women, specifically women entrepreneurs and innovators, to better define the economic impact of women, and disseminate this data through a statewide Innovation Conference. > Establish a capital, seed fund for women entrepreneurs and innovators.

1

NAWBO (http://nawbo.org/section_103.cfm)

What are its key features and comparative advantages over other products or services?

Current research indicates there are neither organizations nor partnerships like this proposed coalition dedicated to serving women entrepreneurs and innovators in South

Carolina. There are many organizations that specifically serve women and they will be connected through active collaboration and mapping through the following programs that will serve a mixture of seed and early stage to high growth companies: > A multi-tiered educational program for women entrepreneurs and young women, including entrepreneurial readiness workshops, the world-renowned Kauffman FastTracⓇ program series infused with custom curriculum for women, and business coaching opportunities that addresses the specific challenges women face when launching a business and when moving through the growth stages. > The establishment of a Columbia regional C4W Business Center office, thereby a hub for women-owned businesses and women entrepreneurs, and the enhancement of both the Charleston and Greenville metropolitan offices and their support services. > The production of a “Status of Women in South Carolina” report, including important indices about women-owned businesses, women entrepreneurs and women in business including other indicators that promote economic independence among women, accompanied by a statewide innovation-focused educational conference in 2016. > The development of a network of women entrepreneurs and innovators at various growth stages to serve as peer and aspirational mentors, advocates, coaches and guest speakers, supported by a virtual networking and mentoring platform. > Map and forge a network of organizations serving women entrepreneurs and innovators, to be published on the public domain and actively shared with the partner network. > Establish a donor-advised angel fund to provide capital opportunities for women with a goal of raising and awarding $25,000 by the end of 1Q2016.

Market and Your Customers

Define the number and characteristics of the customers your product or service will serve.

If your project will serve a niche customer, please explain why you chose that niche.

The NAWBO data indicates that while women are launching businesses in South Carolina, they are likely to remain stagnant in terms of revenue, static in moving up the growth phases, and/or becoming unsuccessful launches. 1 These data points are reinforced by recent conversations with agencies like the City of Columbia Office of Business Opportunity: women’s businesses receiving loan funding from the city are generally not as successful at transitioning from the seed to startup to growth stages as their male counterparts. The SCWEN initiatives focus on diagnosing and solving the roadblocks and hurdles women are facing through a holistic approach: education, coaching, access to an peer- and aspirant mentor-network, and opportunities to apply for capital or seed funding.

The Center for Women’s South Carolina Women’s Business Center program is funded primarily by the Small Business Administration and currently offers services in Charleston and Greenville for which it has high and unfulfilled demand. Partnership with the Institute allows for cost-conscious expansion into Columbia and enhances services available to women across the three regions.

The data and demand speak for themselves: women need a variety of specialized resources to propel their success. The expertise of the partner organizations blends well to effectively serve women-led startups, as well as to develop entrepreneurial skills among female high school and college students. Combined, the two organizations serve thousands of women across the state annually, with the capacity to leverage their impact through partnership.

1

NAWBO (http://nawbo.org/section_103.cfm)

Explain why your customers want the product or service, or can be persuaded to try it.

According to the 2014 State of Women-Owned Business report, “We...see a much lower than average growth rate in the number of women-owned firms with between five and nine employees—reinforcing the need for targeted growth support among this group of business owners. Firm growth post-recession is half that of pre-recession levels—both in terms of revenue growth and employment growth.” 1 The SCWEN partnership and slate of services pulls together needs-driven solutions that provide support and resources throughout the entire lifecycle of a woman-owned business.

Furthermore, the Center for Women has greater demand than it can fulfill in the state, limited to offering services in the two metropolitan areas it currently serves. The partnership allows for expansion of services with a specific focus on entering the Columbia market and a holistic approach to supporting the upward mobility of women and women entrepreneurs and innovators through a mentor ecosystem and a womendriven capital seed fund.

1

NAWBO (http://nawbo.org/section_103.cfm)

Provide no more than three (3) names of and contact information for individuals who have expressed a strong interest in being your customers.

Name/Organization: Kara Williamson, Meeting Street Productions, Client of the SCWBC Email: k.williamson.nc@gmail.com Phone: 704.591.1408

Lou Kennedy, Nephron Pharmaceuticals, Client of the SCWEN Donor Advised Fund Email: LouKennedy@nephronpharm.com 803.569.2805 Tina Herbert, Esq., City of Columbia Office of Business Opportunity, Client of the SCWEN Local Partner Organization Network Email: therbert@columbiasc.net Phone: 803-545-3326 Add Performance Targets

Specify the performance targets you are committed to achieving.

Expansion of C4W SC Women’s Business Center program into Columbia Market

> 100 workshop participants served quarterly through a monthly face-to-face and webbased “Entrepreneurial Readiness” and Business Development series across the state > 30 clients served through coaching sessions per quarter > Office established > Hire a Business Coach Consultant Kauffman FastTrac New Growth Venture for Women > 36 WOBs served in Columbia, Charleston and Greenville > Mentors engaged throughout programming > Local partners engaged: technical colleges, chambers of commerce and women’s organizations Entrepreneurial Mindset/Readiness for Female High School and College Students > Integration of entrepreneurial skills into summer camp curriculum serving 25 female high school students > New course offered at Columbia College, Kauffman FastTrac Ⓡ Planning the Entrepreneurial Venture, 15 students served. Students continue to Proving Ground Competition and/or Innovation Conference. > Women entrepreneurs serve as guest speakers and coaches Peer & Mentoring Ecosystem for Women Entrepreneurs > 50 vetted and actively engaged mentors from across the state and at different stages of business maturity > Web-based tool launched for virtual networking and mentoring > Quarterly mentoring series in all three locales > Local partners engaged New Entrepreneurship & Innovation Category within SC Status of Women Study & Resource/Asset Map for SC Women Owned Businesses

> Establish indices for WOBs and women in business to compliment the NAWBO 2014 State of Women-Owned Business Report > Status of Women Report produced and distributed to over 20,000 recipients > Digital asset and resource map designed and developed > Advocate for women’s economic indices for inclusion in existing regional competitiveness reports Donor Advised Micro Loan-Angel Fund > Donor-advised fund driven by women; fund and award $25,000 for women-owned start ups Women's Innovation Conference > Develop impactful learning objectives; focus on national-level speakers and conversations > Convene over 200 women > Host pitch competition for students and other clients, award cash prizes > Reveal Status of Women Report findings and present key action items Indicate the reason for not setting lower or higher performance target levels.

There has been much consideration in developing this approach to new programming and collaborative efforts on behalf of women’s entrepreneurship and innovation in the state. This set of targets represents a realistic assessment of our combined abilities and strengths to begin the effort in earnest, while maintaining quality programming and strong relationship building.

List any adverse and/or beneficial consequences associated with reaching your targets. 257 words SCWEN’s long-term impact (beyond the scope of this one-year proposal) includes:

> Supportive, connected, self-sustaining women’s entrepreneurial and innovation community. > Greater knowledge of, access to and participation in resources available to women entrepreneurs. > Direct capital to support women-led startups. > Increased rates, over time, of successful women-owned businesses transitioning from seed, to start up to maturity, specifically exceeding the $100,000 revenue mark and expanding (hiring) staff, thereby creating jobs. > Greater economic impact among women and women-owned businesses in the state. > Increased economic independence among women in South Carolina. > A new generation of women entre- and intrapreneurs are inspired to think and approach their contribution to the economy and the community differently.

The possible adverse consequences associated with this overall program implementation are relatively small, but unique. As with any collaborative project, covering multiple regional areas and promoting connections where none exist, it is

conceivable that all parties will not have equal stake in the outcomes. This sensitivity could cause delays in implementation efforts and lack of initiative of some partners. In addition, as data and outcome information is collected and assembled, it will be imperative for the collection process and dissemination process to be fair and justified in order for the data to be not only validated, but accepted.

Lastly, it is entirely possible that demand will continue to exceed capacity, not only of the SCWEN collaborative efforts, but also the state’s infrastructure. While significant growth and interest is a desired outcome, the sustainability of the momentum of such an effort requires established and consistently supported resources.

Verification

How will you verify the extent to which your performance targets are achieved?

A monthly reporting and tracking mechanism will be implemented that includes clients reached through “touch” interactions (phone calls, emails and meetings) in addition to client participation in programs and events.

The Steering Committee (The Institute and Center for Women, plus additional partners as needed) will conduct at least monthly meetings for purposes of coordination, progress and impact tracking.

All programs and events will include pre- and/or post- assessments to measure learning objectives, relevancy and impact with clients.

Feedback from clients and partners will be solicited regularly and tracked to be able to adjust and modify performance targets, ensuring market needs are met.

All partners and funders will receive quarterly progress updates and feedback will be solicited at least semi-annually.

Milestones

What are the critical quarterly milestones over one year which you must achieve to reach performance targets at the end of the project?

2Q2015 > Onboard business coach consultant in Columbia and open Columbia C4W Women’s Business Center office > Initial outreach and introductory meetings with partners that can contribute and benefit from the coalition’s work > Develop a universal calendar of programs and events, from which a project plans will be centered > Launch workshops, coaching services, FastTrac series and summer camp program in Columbia > Establish curriculum framework for building a training pipeline from Entrepreneurial Readiness to FastTrac and Business Coaching/Counseling > Participate in National Small Business Week events 3Q2015

> Formalize partnership relationships through participation agreements > Recruit and engage first tier of mentors and investors in the donor-advised fund > Participate in research and data gathering for the Status of Women Report > Deliver FastTrac course for Columbia College students > Launch FastTrac program in Charleston > Attend and represent South Carolina at National Association of Women Business Owners Annual Conference 4Q2015 > Launch virtual networking and mentoring tool > Participate and host events within Global Entrepreneurship Week and Global Women’s Entrepreneurship Day > Launch FastTrac program in Greenville 1Q2016 > Deliver on a Women’s Innovation Conference, present findings and recommended action items from Status of Women Report > Disseminate Status of Women report statewide > Develop framework for digital asset and resource map Throughout Project > Ongoing outreach, marketing and communications efforts around coalition’s programs and progress > Quarterly progress reports

Key Individuals

Please DO NOT submit resumes or bios Profile those individuals who will have the most responsibility for shaping your product or service, connecting it to customers and achieving performance targets by indicating 1) His/her unique skills, 2) His/her ability to seize on timing to get things done, and 3) His/her commitment to stay with the project throughout implementation.

Individual 1

Name First Last Profile Add Individual Amy Brennan, Executive Director, Charleston Center for Women Ms. Brennan has over 20 years of professional commitment to community development and support. She was responsible for the start up of three nonprofit organizations where she served as Executive Director. The first organization, a youth service organization, Service Over Self, won several local, state and national awards and helped Georgetown County earn its 2004 distinction as an “All America County.� Ms. Brennan also started a homeless venture called Friendship Place. She was also recruited to become the first director of the Georgetown County Family YMCA where her responsibilities included the start up of all programs, education of the community about the benefits of a YMCA, and raising $6 million to construct the new, Gold LEED Certified facility in 2009. Ms. Brennan hired and managed a staff of more than 80 and oversaw the management of more than 2,000 members. As part of her work in nonprofit management, Ms. Brennan also successfully wrote and received grant funding totaling more than $2 million from local, state and national foundations and businesses.

After relocating to Charleston in February 2012 to accept a development position with The Citadel Foundation, she joined the Center for Women in September 2013. Since joining the Center for Women, Ms. Brennan has overseen a comprehensive strategic planning process that provided a path for new messaging and new growth for the Center. In addition, Ms. Brennan continues to utilize strengths in nonprofit management to ensure accountability and to forge partnerships in the Charleston region and across

the state. Ms. Brennan’s community involvement has also included: Atlanta Organizing Committee for the Olympics, Atlanta Downtown Partnership, Trident Workforce Investment Board, Inter-Agency Council, SCANPO, Blue Ribbon Task Force to develop Best Practices for Nonprofit Management in SC, Hospice, AIDS Task Force, League of Women Voters and Episcopal Church outreach.

Christie MacConnell, Director, South Carolina Women’s Business Center As the director of the South Carolina Women’s Business Center in Charleston, Ms. MacConnell has more than 18 years of business counseling and economic development experience. She graduated with a double major in management and marketing from the State University of Albany and went on to work as a counselor for the Small Business Development Center in Northern New York State, where she was chosen as the Small Business Counselor of the Year. In the late 1990s she was hired as the director of marketing and business development for the Adirondack Economic Development Center. In the fall of 2000 she was chosen by Costal Enterprise Inc. (CEI) to be the lead business counselor for Southern Maine and remained with CEI for more than seven years, counseling in excess of 250 clients a year. While she worked for CEI, she became a certified Small Business Development Counselor.

In her current role as the director of the South Carolina Women’s Business Center, she provides one-on-one business counseling, training programs and workshops for the women of South Carolina. Over the next five years, under Ms. MacConnell’s leadership, the program will be rolled out over the entire State of South Carolina, offering business counseling, helping women to start new businesses and grow existing business to the next level.

Christine Lomer La Cola, Ed.D., Executive Director, Institute for Leadership & Professional Excellence Dr. LaCola joined Columbia College with more than twenty years’ experience in higher education and business with expertise in organizational management and program and curricular design. Prior to this role, she served as Assistant Dean of the Graduate Division, at the Darla Moore School of Business, University of South Carolina, where she directed the activities of eight graduate degree programs that deliver international experiences, internships, and language training to executive, professional and full-time graduate students. She was a member of the school’s curricular design team and supported a full-scale program enhancement to the internationally ranked International MBA program. She launched a best practice tele-presence learning technology into the nationally ranked Professional MBA program across the state of South Carolina and in Charlotte, North Carolina. She also co-led the development of a unique Master of Education degree focused on synthesizing higher education and business acumen.

Dr. La Cola was also Assistant Dean, Professional Programs & Services at the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland. Focused on the undergraduate, graduate and executive education markets, she lead the school’s MBA/MS recruiting efforts, career services team and all degree and non-degree

executive education. Her accomplishments include the largest financial executive-level leadership development contract in the school’s history. She also established and managed Smith’s Advisory and Collaborative Services unit, which included the MBA Consulting Program and faculty consultative services.

Prior to the higher education industry, Dr. La Cola spent over nine years at the IBM Corporation and PricewaterhouseCoopers. At PwC Consulting, she managed the national sales operations team and focused on strategic business development initiatives, such as improving the firm’s CRM tool usage and rebuilding the compensation/incentive programs for business development executives. Her focus at IBM was on operational excellence at the contract level within the federal practice.

Katherine Swartz Hilton, Director, Center for Leadership Ms. Swartz Hilton is the director of the Center for Leadership, overseeing professional development and training for students, alumnae and executive women. Ms. Swartz Hilton also oversees community outreach programs for middle and high school girls in addition to fundraising and marketing efforts to support the Center’s program of work.

She has 15 years of experience as a nonprofit executive in South Carolina and Georgia, and is well known for her work as vice president of talent and leadership development for the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce and executive director of Columbia Opportunity Resource, for which she ran Leadership Columbia and launched a portfolio of programs for young executives.

A current candidate for the Columbia College Master of Arts in Organizational Change and Leadership, Ms. Swartz Hilton is a graduate of the University of South Carolina College of Mass Communications and Information Studies, with a B.A. in communications. She was awarded the certified association executive (CAE) credential from the American Society of Association Executives in 2008 and is a graduate of the Non-Profit Leadership Institute at Francis Marion University and the Diversity Leaders Initiative of the Riley Institute at Furman University.

In addition to regular community and professional conference speaking engagements, Swartz Hilton has published articles with SC Biz Magazine, The State newspaper and the Municipal Association of SC’s Cities Mean Business. In 2012 she was recognized by the Columbia Regional Business Report as an Executive Woman of Influence and in the 2014 selected for the Tribute to Women in Industry “TWIN” awards by the Palmetto Center for Women. She serves on the executive committee of Women in Philanthropy, the membership committee of the SC Association of Non-Profit Organizations and is a member of the Emerald Circle of the Girl Scouts of South Carolina Mountains to Midlands Council.

If a team approach is being used, explain how the strengths of each member are complementary.

The executive steering committee not only offers comprehensive and complementary skillsets, but also is dedicated to fulfilling the respective missions of their organizations

and the partnership initiatives. In four short months, a camaraderie and cooperative spirit has formed among the team toward our shared focus: empowering women. > Ms. Brennan, an established social entrepreneur, brings expertise and creativity in nonprofit management, grant stewardship, fundraising and community advocacy. > Ms. MacConnell’s expertise lies in business coaching and working directly with women entrepreneurs, in addition to managing federal grant dollars and outcomes assessment. > Dr. La Cola is an expert in program design and implementation, with a focus on executive education and student-centric experiential learning, in addition to serving as lead strategist among the team. > Ms. Swartz Hilton specializes in building community networks, driving members to action by leveraging their talents and connecting people-to-people and organization-toorganization. She has extensive experience in conference and event production, in addition to corporate and foundation grant writing.

Both organizations and the steering committee are committed to the success of SCWEN and growing the women-driven economy in South Carolina.

Partners and Collaborators

List the names of three (3) organizations or groups you will collaborate with.

Partner 1 Center for Women (Primary Partner): The mission of the Center for Women (C4W) is to educate and advocate so that women in South Carolina have economic success and are leaders in their professional, community and personal lives. The C4W has been helping women succeed for 25 years. The C4W launched the South Carolina Women’s Business Center (SCWBC) in 2012 after receiving a competitive, 5-year $750,000 grant from the US Small Business Administration (SBA). There are approximately one hundred Women’s Business Centers in the United States partially funded by the SBA and is the only one in South Carolina. Since that time, the SCWBC has been successfully providing women entrepreneurs with business training and counseling. The SCWBC trains and counsels almost 1,000 women annually. By partnering with Columbia College, the SCWBC and C4W can exponentially ramp up entrepreneurial training and reach more women entrepreneurs in more areas of the state.

Partner 2 Local Organization Partner Network: The Institute and the C4W have established relationships with local Chambers of Commerce, municipalities, technical colleges, SBDC offices, SBA offices and other localized resources which will be stewarded and actively engaged as programs are launched. For example, the City of Columbia has committed to sponsoring a group of women-owned businesses to attend the proposed Innovation Conference and the Columbia Chamber of Commerce is seeking SCWEN’s recommendations and partnership for programming offered during the 2015 Small Business Week. Columbia College has established relationships with technical colleges across the state for the college’s “Associate to Bachelor” degree program, including Midlands, Greenville and Charleston Technical Colleges. Finally, The Institute and the C4W have excellent partner relationships with women’s organizations like the Greenwood Women’s Leadership Council, the Athena League of the Greenville Chamber, and Women in Philanthropy and Leadership at Coastal Carolina University.

Partner 3 Small Business Administration: The partnership support of the SBA is crucial to the SCWEN initiatives and also provides a vehicle to connect with similar women-focused efforts across the county. In the words of South Carolina District Office Director Elliott Cooper: I’ve seen multiple organizations take on the Women’s Business Center mantle. Not one of them can compare to the Center for Women’s South Carolina Women’s Business Center.

Since the SCWBC opened three years ago, they have reached thousands of women through entrepreneurial training, networking, funding and counseling services. Among those thousands of women have been the job creators and the innovators helping to drive our state’s economy… job creators and innovators who might never have started, let alone succeeded, without the SCWBC. The SCWBC understands the unique needs of women entrepreneurs, and more importantly, knows how to meet those needs.

Small businesses drive innovation, and I’ve watched as the growing support for cutting-edge small businesses has helped drive our state’s knowledge economy. Yet as the number of incubators, innovation centers, and technology clusters continue to grow, none addresses the unique needs of women entrepreneurs. That means that half of South Carolina’s future innovators and entrepreneurs are being ignored.

Center for Women’s partnership with Columbia College’s Institute for Leadership and Professional Excellence is an unprecedented opportunity to serve our state’s women entrepreneurs. I cannot think of a better way to foster innovation in South Carolina.

List any similar projects taken on by the parent group and the extent to which performance targets were reached.

Project 1

Project: Columbia College Mentor Program In 2013, Columbia College launched the Institute for Leadership & Professional Excellence, a comprehensive four-year program integrating high school-to-college and college-to-career advising and instruction. Students work one-on-one with professional career coaches and academic advisors, are mentored by successful and energetic alumnae and community leaders, participate in multiple internship experiences, and are trained in personal leadership.

The mentor and internship programs are critical components to the College’s strategic plan, and their importance was reinforced by a September 2014-released Gallup study on the linkage between education and long-term success. The two key indicators are a “mentor who encouraged their goals and dreams and/or had an internship where they applied what they were learning — these graduates were twice as likely to be engaged with their work and thriving in their overall wellbeing.” (Source: New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/10/opinion/thomas-friedman-it-takes-amentor.html?_r=0) The mentor program engages professional women with at least five years’ work experience and who live within driving distance to the campus, allowing the mentor and the student to easily meet. There are equal numbers of alumnae and nonalumnae serving, each of whom has been carefully vetted for interest and motivation to participate in this program. After a training session that also emphasizes a relationship network among the mentors themselves, students and mentors are paired through common interests or career aspiration.

Targets Reached October 2013: 137 mentors recruited, trained and paired May 2014 (end of academic year): More than 1,300 volunteer service hours were given to the mentor program during the 2013-14 academic year.

October 2014: With the addition of a new first-year class, and the successful recruitment of a new “class” of mentors, more than 250 mentors are serving in the 2014-2015 academic year.

Project 2 Project Two: Leader Shift Executive Women’s Program

Since 2008, the Institute has offered Leader Shift, a comprehensive women’s management development program that infuses classroom learning, executive coaching, action-learning projects and a tight-knit peer network. The curriculum was designed with guidance from the Center for Creative Leadership, Harvard Business School and Columbia College’s own expertise base. Special care is given to the participant experience and an underlying philosophy that women’s leadership development begins and ends with personal understanding and commitment.

Our experience successfully running this program lends credibility to our ability to launch the Kauffman FastTrac New Growth Venture for Women Entrepreneurs, taking Kauffman’s curriculum and offering it in a way that is impactful for the participants and meaningful for the guest facilitators and coaches involved.

Targets reached: Over 275 participants have graduated from Leader Shift since 2008. Through feedback mechanisms, repeat organizational support and network growth, the program has served to elevate and strengthen women’s leadership within the Midlands region and, specifically, with our partner organizations.

Project 3 Project Three: National Association of Colleges & Employers (NACE) First Destination Survey In 2013 with the launch of the Institute for Leadership & Professional Excellence at Columbia College, the Center for Career Coaching & Professional Development (one of the four centers that comprises the Institute) initiated a new career database and reporting mechanism for college graduation outcomes. The results of this implementation have not only provided much needed outcome assessment data, but also served to positively move the students’ perception of data collection and outcome data as a necessary part of membership of the Columbia College community. The college is now able to aggregately present its outcome data for all graduating students in a way that supports its academic and co-curricular programming and services and to show the link between professional development and the academic experience. It can also now compare this data to national averages of like institutions using its membership in the NACE community.

Targets reached: The May 2014 Columbia College graduates achieved an 88% employment and graduate school placement rate within six months of graduation. This is predicted to be above the national averages. In addition, a 97% graduate survey response rate was achieved to compile this data.

This project has created a platform on campus to articulate that outcome data has many purposes, both internally and externally. The ability to inform and leverage data to seek additional advocacy, promote new activities and programs and to justify expenditures is key to program sustainability. The Status of Women report program idea within this proposal is just such an effort.

Note and Justify the priority this project has for the parent group.

All three projects are essential components of the Institute’s strategic plan and are given high priority in the resource planning process. The functions and capabilities of all three projects is replicated through the SCWEN programs: mentoring, educational programs and data analysis and dissemination, with a concerted focus on women entrepreneurs.

Financial Projections

Based on your answers in the Milestones section above, please complete the quarterly Innovation Challenge Milestones & Cashflow template.

This template is based on receiving funding with a schedule starting in Q2 2015 and extending for one year. Specifytotal project and program costs on the basis of quarterly milestones. These total costs should reflect grant and matching income.

Please complete the template; a budget or other document will not qualify as an answer.

Please upload the completed milestones and cashflow document.

Upload or drag files here.

What match funding types of financial support will be employed for the project (i.e., private corporations, federal grants, individual donations and foundations)?

An assemblage of foundation and corporate grants, individual donations and program revenue will match the proposed Department of Commerce investment at a 1.02:1.00 ratio, totaling $220,700. Specifically: Corporate & Foundation Grants: The Institute and the Center for Women have or will submit proposals to Bank of America, Duke Energy, TD Bank, BlueCross BlueShield of SC and Nord Family Foundation to support SC WEN. The Center for Women has received $27,000 from Wal-Mart to be applied to the goals of the SCWEN. Total corporate investment: $87,000 Government/Municipal Grants: The Center for Women will utilize a portion of its Small Business Administration grant to support the opening of the Columbia office. The Institute has connected with the City of Columbia and Richland County to identify grant opportunities to support the Columbia-office opening. The City of Columbia is sponsoring women business owners to attend the Center for Women’s February 2015 Women’s conference in Charleston as an initial investment.

Total government/municipal match:$29,860 Individual Donations: Ms. Lou Kennedy, CEO of Nephron Pharmaceuticals, has made the first pledge toward the SCWEN coalition. A first round of investors list is prepared and underway for solicitations. In addition, the Center for Women will be a beneficiary of the May 2015 Day of Giving in the Charleston-area and has individual donation renewals planned for FY2015.

Total individual match: $36,140

Program Revenue: Registration fees and sponsorship investments are planned for the FastTrac series, summer camp programs for high school girls and the Women’s Innovation Conference.

Total program revenue match: $38,700 Direct Organizational Investments: The Institute and the Center for Women are investing directly in the partnership through cash and new staff positions.

Total partner organizational match: $29,000 What ratio of financial support to state funding will be required to meet the total project costs (i.e., 1:1 match; 2:1 match)?

At least a 1:1 match is required to complete the project as proposed.

How would the project continue without investment from SC Innovation Challenge Funding?

The Institute and the Center for Women are committed to opening an office in Columbia to support Midlands-market women entrepreneurs through educational programming and the development of a localized mentor ecosystem. The Center for Women is the lead member of the statewide coalition already working to produce the Status of Women report. These four components will launch and be self-funded regardless of a SC Department of Commerce investment by seeking funding from alternative sources and with support of the SBA. Should funding be allocated by the SC Commerce Innovation Challenge, and following fulfillment of initial goals and objectives as set forth in this proposal, the Institute and the Center for Women have identified preliminary Phase Two goals, including: > Build out Phase One services to other activity hubs across the state such as in Myrtle Beach, the greater upstate area, and Rock Hill/Ft. Mill. > Incubation space design and development. > Education and dissemination of impact data to South Carolina and the US Southeast Region. > Diagnose and develop services to support young women-owned companies to elevate the number and diversity of companies that move through the growth stages. > Connect SCWEN and women served to a broader regional, national and international network of women entrepreneurs and innovators. > Establish a center of excellence focused on entrepreneurship and innovation as a hub for women in the Midlands, including Columbia College students and young women entrepreneurs (high school aged young women).