By
Vareva Harris, Co-Editor
Vareva@thewoodrufftimes.com
Spartanburg County’s momentum as a growing center for entrepreneurship and innovation was on full display last week as two major events spotlighted the region’s emerging business leaders and technology ventures.
Community leaders, investors, mentors, and entrepreneurs gathered for back-to-back programs designed to strengthen the county’s startup ecosystem and support innovators building the next generation of companies.
On Thursday, March 5, Power Up Spartanburg hosted its Power Up First Pitch event, drawing more than 150 attendees eager to hear some of the county’s most promising entrepreneurs present their business ideas.
The event featured a lineup of high-potential small businesses pitching their ventures live before an audience of business leaders, potential investors, and community supporters. The presentations provided attendees with an early look at companies that could help shape the future of Spartanburg County’s economy.
Dr. Shelia Snoddy, director of the PowerUp Mentoring Program, joined Jay Jenkins, director of PowerUp, and Allen Smith, president of OneSpartanburg, in welcoming participants and emphasizing the important role local entrepreneurs play in driving innovation and economic growth.
“Events like First Pitch allow the community to see firsthand the creativity and determination of the entrepreneurs who are building the future of our region,” Smith said.
Just one day later, the focus shifted from pitching ideas to refining them. On March 6, the American Technology Venture Lab (ATVL) hosted its mentoring session for technology entrepreneurs at the Johnson College of Business and Economics at USC Upstate, in the BMW classroom.
Founded by Dennis Hayes, ATVL is a nonprofit organization that delivers a next-generation mentoring and educational program designed for scalable, early-stage science and technology ventures. The program helps founders sharpen their strategy, strengthen their teams, and prepare for future investment.
Each ATVL cohort typically begins with approximately 20 early-stage ventures that are raising their first capital or preparing to raise Series A funding within 18 months of completing the program. Many of these ventures feature protectable technologies or innovative business concepts capable of generating hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue while creating thousands of high-paying technology jobs.
During ATVL’s structured one-day sessions, experienced mentors work closely with founders to identify the three most important objectives for an eight-week sprint. The mentor network includes successful entrepreneurs, angel and venture investors, corporate executives, and subject-matter experts.
