Business Black Box

Business Black Box
Quarter 4 • 2013 www.InsideBlackBox.com
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IN THIS ISSUE...
38 54
Out of the Shadows
The Iron Yard Spartanburg
BUSINESS
BLACK
BOX
FEATURES
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Real Estate Hot Spots
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Q4 2013 // Business Black Box

EVERY ISSUE...
Q4/2013
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Launch: Knifesource
Speed Pitch: Vagabond Barista
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Trailblazer: Scott Harke
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GUT CHECK
LAYERS OF THOUGHT
RANDOM & RELEVANT
STATUS CHECK
NEXT GEN
MEET STEVE
Q4 2013 // Business Black Box
11 Questions: Nayef Samhat
THE THINK TANK
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TECH
LAW
GLOBAL
ENTREPRENEUR
POLITICS
CEO
SALES
HR
EN ESPAÑOL
What Matters: John Baker

ABOUT BBB
BBB LEADERSHIP
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Jordana Megonigal
PUBLISHER
Geoff Wasserman
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Chad McMillan
OUR STORY...
Whether planes crash or
crews overcome obstacles to
successfully complete flights,
airlines go to the black box to
discover secrets, answers, and
missing information to explain
what happened and learn for
the future.
That’s the mission of our
magazine, our connect
events, and our interactive
platform. News of businesses
succeeding, failing, merging,
hiring, firing and more are
reported everyday, all over
the Upstate. But in business,
the real power is not just
hearing the news, but about
going behind the scenes,
discovering, connecting, and
learning from those that made
it happen.
At the heart of every event,
every blog, every magazine
issue, and every documentary
Business Black Box produces,
you’ll find a relentless passion
for connecting, advising and
growing Upstate business.
EDITORIAL
CONTRIBUTING
WRITERS
Peter Barth
Marc Bolick
Andy Coburn
Chip Felkel
Steven Hahn
Leslie Hayes
Evelyn Lugo
Walker McKay
Chad McMillan
Josh Overstreet
Alison Storm
Geoff Wasserman
DESIGN
SENIOR DESIGNER
Chris Heuvel
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Catherine Roberts
PHOTOGRAPHY
Wayne Culpepper,
Fisheye Studios
Nill Silver Photography
TRAFFIC COORDINATOR
Jessica Riddle
INTERACTIVE
DIRECTOR
Johnathan Burgess
IT ADMINISTRATION
Liz Page
BBB READER SERVICES
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SC 29607.
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Business Black Box (Vol.5, Issue 4) is
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ACCOUNTING
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SPECIAL THANKS
EVENT MANAGEMENT / SPONSORSHIP
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BBB ADVISORY COUNCIL
For complete bios on our advisory council visit www.insideblackbox.com/advisors
A TEAM OF EXPERIENCED, CONNECTED BUSINESS LEADERS FROM DIFFERENT REGIONS OF THE UPSTATE,
WHO ADVISE US REGULARLY ON TRENDS, CHANGES, GROWTH, AND PROGRESS IN UPSTATE BUSINESS.
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amy wood, anchor, wspa
chip felkel, ceo, the felkel group
julie godshall-brown, president, godshall staffing
andy coburn, attorney, wyche law firm
maxim williams, leadership develoment, apple
tiffany hughes, director of marketing, meyco products
michael bolick, president, lab 21
greg hillman, upstate director, scra/sclaunch
ravi sastry, vp of sales & marketing, immedion
jil littlejohn, president, urban league of the upstate
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tony snipes, business coach & entrepreneur
coleman kirven, commercial banking executive, the palmetto bank
todd korahais, operating partner, keller williams realty
terry weaver, ceo, chief executive boards international
sam patrick, ceo, patrick marketing & communications
matt dunbar, managing director, upstate carolina angel network
john deworken, partner, sunnie & deworken
bill west, managing partner, the atlantic partners
steven hahn, director of entrepreneurial systems, spartanburg chamber of commerce
Q4 2013 // Business Black Box 11
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GUT CHECK
Building a culture of altruism
This year marks the 75th anniversary of Kristallnacht — the “night of broken
glass”—which is typically considered the beginning of the Holocaust. In
remembrance of this event, the Upstate community has embraced the Year
of Altruism, where more than 60 organizations will focus on others—in the
definitive “unselfish regard for or devotion to the welfare of others.”
It’s a beautiful concept—one that should not be lost to history and media
recounts in off years. It’s a culture we should be embracing…cultivating…
even on a corporate level. And make no mistake—altruism is about a
culture, not a cause.
Take, for instance, the bookkeeper in Georgia who talked down the student
gunman. Take, for instance, the kids at camp who pack “care kits” for the
homeless downtown. Take, as an example, a teacher who provides out of her
own pocket for a lower-income student. Or, think of a company who dictates
percentages of their profits (or time) to help certain non-profits or causes. Each
serves as proof that altruism is something cultivated in each of us—something
that we deem worthy of consciousness—and in its best forms, something
worthy of sub-consciousness.
But, as anything good in this world, altruism has its enemies.
Fear, of course, is an enemy, as it keeps us focused on all the “what ifs”
that prevent us from doing good. “What if I help that guy change his tire and
he turns out to be a serial killer?” “What if I buy that kid an ice cream cone and
people think I’m a kidnapper?” “What if I talk to that guy on the street and he
steals my wallet?” It’s a threat that’s been bred into us, decade by decade, as we learn
the truths of the world and its uncertain possibilities. It becomes scary to help
someone, because you don’t know who that someone is or what he or she might
do with a bit of kindness.
But—and this is important—the biggest enemy to altruism is not
fear. It’s indifference.
German pastor and theologian Martin Niemöller said “First they
came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—Because I was
not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and
I did not speak out—Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there
was no one left to speak for me.“
It’s easy to become indifferent. We get busy. There are
bigger fish to fry. And really, how does it affect me anyway?
So, realizing that 1) altruism is a culture and 2)
indifference is the largest obstacle to a culture of altruism,
how can we say that altruism relates to the business
economy?
Well, what if our businesses and organizations created
their own culture of altruism? What would it look like to
start there, as each employee then took this same paradigm
back home…to their friends…to their children….to the
world? What if we could look back and say “this happened
because the places that people congregate most often—their
jobs/offices/workplaces—took it upon themselves to change
their own culture, and in doing so, changed the people who
worked there so much that they left, naturally more altruistic?”
Editor, Business Black Box
jordana@insideblackbox.com | 864/281-1323 x.1010
twitter.com/jmegonigal | linkedin.com/in/jordanam
facebook.com/jordana megonigal
Photo by Wayne Culpepper/Fish Eye Studios
14 Q4 2013 // Business Black Box

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LAYERS OF THOUGHT
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Production
Hours
10
Individual
Photographs
Used
112
Photoshop
Layers
original
photo
DESIGN
Chris Heuvel
smoke effect
applied
flipped
building
added
PHOTOGRAPHY
Wayne Culpepper
Fisheye Studios
background
and color
tweaks
MODEL
Trude Heller
Q4 2013 // Business Black Box
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RANDOM & RELEVANT
A Global View
According to a survey done by the Pew Research Center in 2002, six out of every 10 Americans were more
likely to say that their culture is superior to others. Today, however, that number has declined to around
half. The younger generation in America is less likely to believe that their culture is superior, while that is
still an opinion held by the elder generations.
In the most recent study (February 2012), it is clear that Americans differ greatly in many other areas to
Europeans. While Americans are more likely to champion individualism over state involvement, European
countries are more apt to agree that the state is necessary and should see to the needs of its people,
especially Spain and France at around 60 percent. Only 36 percent of those in the U.S., however, believe
that one’s success in life is determined by forces outside of their control.
“My Culture is Superior to Other Cultures”
For more from Business Black Box visit insideblackbox.com
Of those that agreed, older Americans (50+) were more likely to agree than younger
Americans (under 30) and those who did not hold a college degree agreed more than
those who did.
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Q4 2013 // Business Black Box

RANDOM & RELEVANT
Isolate? Or Engage?
Should we, as a country, help other countries deal with and resolve their problems, or keep our mind on
our issues at home? Interestingly enough, more than a third of Americans say that we should help other
countries across the globe; which is low compared to countries like Spain and Germany.
% of people who feel we should help other countries with their problems.
Of the countries surveyed, Britian was almost evenly divided between those who say they should
deal with their own problems rather than letting another country help with their problems.
Individualism
While Americans are more likely to champion individualism over state
involvement, European countries are more apt to agree that the state
is necessary and should see to the needs of its people, especially
Spain and France, who tap in at around 60 percent.
% of People Who Believe the Government Should Provide for Those in Need
The study, in its entirety, can be found at: http://www.pewglobal.org/2011/11/17/the-american-western-european-values-gap/
For more from Business Black Box visit insideblackbox.com
Q4 2013 // Business Black Box
19

RANDOM & RELEVANT
Calendar
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NOVEMBER
WHAT: Innomobility 2013
WHERE: Gunter Theatre (Peace Center)
Greenville, South Carolina
WHEN: November 6 & 7
The Innomobility Conference is
a gathering of minds from major
corporations, middle market
companies, entrepreneurs and
education institutes in order to
create conversations and ideas for
transforming mobility. Under this year’s
theme of “Connected, Multi-Model
Transportation,” the conference will
showcase more than 30 business
ideas that are shaping the future
of mobility over the course of two
days. These emerging ventures
will be presented by leaders in
major corporations, middle market
companies, entrepreneurial businesses,
and academic centers.
FOR MORE INFO:
www.innomobility.com/2013
DIRECTORY
Greenville Works
Focused on training qualified workers
to fill the gaps in our workforce, Greenville
Works is a partnership of local, state and
federal organizations working together to
help new and existing businesses meet their
workforce and business growth needs.
www.GreenvilleWorks.com
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14
NOVEMBER
WHAT: InnoVision
WHERE: The TD Center
Greenville, South Carolina
WHEN: November 14, 2013
For 15 years, The InnoVision Awards
have become the mark of distinction
for outstanding leadership, innovation
and technological excellence. As the
only awards program of its kind in
South Carolina, The InnoVision Awards
distinguish businesses, individuals and
educators who set new standards for
innovation in finding, developing and
retaining profitable business.
FOR MORE INFO:
Email Kham@mcnair.net or visit
www.InnoVisionAwards.org
“The man who
will use his skill
and constructive
imagination to see
how much he can
give for a dollar,
instead of how little
he can give for a
dollar, is bound
to succeed.”
HENRY FORD
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Q4 2013 // Business Black Box

Michael Bolick,
Selah Genomics,
Biotechnology
BANKING CENTERED AROUND ME.
“Innovation is our calling card, so we needed a bank with innovative solutions. That’s why
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RANDOM & RELEVANT
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Q4 2013 // Business Black Box

RANDOM & RELEVANT
This info graphic provided to
Business Black Box by
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Q4 2013 // Business Black Box
23

LAUNCH
A BETTER BLADE
INDUSTRIAL KNIVES AND BLADES
From S.C.
to the World
made by
the knifesource
fountain inn, sc
for more info, visit www.knifesource.com
Photo by Nill Silver Photography

PETER BARTH
FOUNDER
THE IRON YARD
TECH
Education has been a hot topic for a while, and everyone likes to point to a different cause
for the turmoil. Parents point to the government, politicians point to the other party, and
everyone points to the pocket book.
Here’s one thing we know for sure: technology has changed education as we know it. Until the
recent past, educational institutions derived a significant amount of value from their possession of knowledge.
Be it in books or teachers, on some level, schools were places you went to access information you couldn’t get
anywhere else. Now, much of that information is available for free to anyone with a smartphone.
Of course, simply having access to information doesn’t mean you can make meaningful use of it,
but it definitely means changes in educational distribution channels as we’ve known them, as well as
people’s perception of the value of the information itself.
Take Georgia Tech’s Computer Science program, for example. A master’s degree used to cost
tens of thousands of dollars in tuition only, not including living costs (and for many, a move to the
Southeast). Today they offer the same degree online for $7,000 through a service called Udacity.
A Greenville-based startup I’ve written about before, Pathwright, has built a platform that allows
teachers of any subject to deliver their courses online. That includes class discussions, homework
assignments, and the ability to adjust curriculum and resources on the fly.
TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION:
IT’S ALL CHANGING NOW
About the author...
Peter went to Vanderbilt
University, where he studied
computer engineering.
After school he moved
to Manhattan to become
an options and securities
principal at Duke & Company
(and later Morgan Stanley).
A few years on Wall Street
reminded Pete he was
a hacker at heart, so he
packed up and headed to
Indianapolis to develop
software for SinglePoint, an
enterprise payroll service.
With hard work and technical
expertise, he worked his way
up to CTO and purchased a
stake in the business.
In 2006, Peter moved his
family to sunny South
Carolina. In Greenville, Peter
has taken leadership roles in
the development of NEXT,
the NEXT Innovation Center,
InternGreenville, and the
southeast’s premier startup
accelerator, The Iron Yard.
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Skill-based education isn’t immune, either. Treehouse offers classes on almost every code language
out there, and it’s all through online videos, projects, and discussion forums. (Several of their employees
work in Greenville.)
Some people are wringing their hands at the thought of our educational future, but these changes
are exciting for several reasons. First, more people than ever in the history of the world have the
opportunity to learn about almost anything they want. That fact alone has the potential to change
entire economies.
Second, we believe that this massive momentum in online education will ultimately make in-person
instruction more powerful. Direct interaction with a human teacher is one of the most powerful ways
to learn, and our code and design classes are tangible proof that it’s true. The tools mentioned above
allow our instructors to distribute incredibly rich resources and assignments outside of class, making
their time with students in person that much more focused, personal, and productive.
We’re launching new, tech-augmented classes for kids and adults this fall and next spring, and we’re
excited to be forging a new path in an industry that will have significant influence on the world our
children live in.
For more on this topic visit InsideBlackBox.com/tech

ANDY COBURN
ATTORNEY
WYCHE LAW FIRM
L AW
On July 10, 2013, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) finally adopted
regulations to permit “general solicitation” in “Rule 506” private securities offerings.
The intent of the regulations is to assist companies in raising capital by permitting them
to offer securities to a wider group of investors than they could have under the older
Rule 506 rules. However, companies that want to take advantage of the new regulations will need to
comply with new requirements to do so.
Securities offerings must be registered with the SEC or must qualify for a registration exemption.
Registered offerings are expensive, so many companies use exempt offerings to raise capital. A
Rule 506 offering is an exempt offering that complies with SEC Rule 506. The new regulations are
significant because the Rule 506 offering is the most widely-used type of exempt offering.
What exactly do the new SEC regulations do? Previously, a company could not engage in
any “general solicitation” when conducting a Rule 506 offering. This limited the potential investors
that a company could approach because the SEC had taken the position that, in a Rule 506 offering,
a company generally could only solicit potential investors with whom it had a pre-existing relationship.
The new regulations remove the ban on general solicitation, subject to certain new requirements.
If a company complies with the new regulations, they will be able to use internet, TV and
newspaper advertising, seminars and mail solicitations to seek investors in a Rule 506 offering.
NEW S.E.C. RULES FOR RAISING CAPITAL–
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING?
About the author...
As an attorney with Wyche,
Andy regularly represents
clients in mergers and
acquisitions, reorganizations,
structuring of joint ventures,
securities offerings and other
financing transactions. He
has extensive experience with
growing companies and private
placements of securities.
Andy also advises and assists
public and private company
clients in the design and
implementation of executive
compensation arrangements,
equity compensation plans
and broad-based employee
benefits. Outside of his legal
profession, Andy is on the
board of the Greenville Little
Theatre, a project leader for
Habitat for Humanity, and
serves as a Business Black Box
advisor in law.
What are the additional requirements that need to be met to engage in a general
solicitation? The two primary additional requirements are that (a) only “accredited investors” can
participate in the offering and (b) the company must take “reasonable steps” to verify that all investors
are accredited.
How can a company satisfy the verification requirement? Whether or not a company has
taken “reasonable steps” to verify accredited investor status will be determined based on all of the
relevant facts and circumstances. Factors involved in this determination will include the information
that the company has about the investor and the nature and terms of the offering. The SEC has
specifically stated that relying on an investor’s self-certification in a written questionnaire will not
be adequate, absent other evidence that the investor is accredited. The regulations provide certain
non-mandatory, safe harbor verification methods, including review of relevant IRS forms (such as
a W-2 or income tax return) to verify income, use of brokerage statements to verify net worth and
reliance on written confirmation of accredited investor status provided by a registered broker-dealer,
registered investment adviser or licensed certified public accountant or attorney in good standing
Do companies have to comply with the new additional requirements if they don’t intend
to engage in a general solicitation? No. A company can still conduct a Rule 506 offering
without a general solicitation in compliance with the old Rule 506 requirements.
What effect will the new rules have on raising capital? The new regulations are not effective
until September 23, 2013. This means that a company cannot legally engage in general solicitation
with respect to a Rule 506 offering prior to that date. It is unclear whether the new regulations
will have a significant impact on raising capital. The biggest question is probably whether verification
procedures can be developed that are acceptable to both companies that want to make sure
their offerings comply with the new verification requirements and investors who may be reluctant
to share too much personal information.
32
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STATUS C HEC K
Election 2014:
What should we look out for?
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34 Q4 2013 // // Business Black Box

There are several key issues that will come before the S.C. General
Assembly in January: The Department of Administration (which
gets rid of the Budget and Control Board), Ethics Reform, and
Tax Reform are the largest, but there will also be attention given,
(hopefully) to addressing the state of our roads in SC. Keep in
mind that during an election year (and this is one with the House,
Senate and the Governor all up for re-election) there are issues
they want to address and some they want to ignore. I expect
any controversial issues, if they are tackled at all, to be on hold
until after March 30, which is when Members of the House and
Senate will know if they will face any opposition for re-election.
Brian Aufmuth
COO, The Felkel Group
We are at a critical juncture where decisions being made in the
next couple years will impact the long-term ability for South
Carolina to maintain and grow the economic vitality and quality
of life for those living here today and those coming in the future.
Instead of always being reactive, it
is critical that our leaders become
proactive and lead the charge to invest
now in those areas that are crucial
to our economic and community
success—including transportation
& infrastructure, workforce & skill
development and education. Instead of
simply being satisfied with getting by
and putting Band-Aids on problems,
it is time to make systemic changes
that have the ability to strategically
position South Carolina for long-term
success. Our elected leaders must
champion efforts to prioritize and,
over time, address all the issues that
impact our ability to be economically
competitive and provide for the needs
of our residents. Taking a pro-active
approach is not always easy because
some of the solutions necessitate
making hard choices and supporting unpopular solutions.
However, if our leaders are willing to work together in taking a
comprehensive approach and make choices based on what is
good for South Carolina and its residents. Doing anything less
would be a missed opportunity.
Dean Hybl
Executive Director, Ten at the Top
Workforce and Education and the alignment of the two are key
issues that we are dealing with and are of prime importance. If
South Carolina, and the Upstate in particular, are going to continue
to attract industry and jobs to our area, then our workforce must
be aligned with the needs of more advanced manufacturing than
ever before. The worker of today and tomorrow has to have a
greater capacity of “thinking skills” than yesterday. They must be
more skilled in math and science and critical thinking. The good
news is that our educators are starting to “get it.” We have several
initiatives going on at the Spartanburg Chamber that are addressing
these areas and we are encouraged by the early results.
Jim Thomas
Government Relations Director,
Spartanburg Chamber of Commerce
“Instead of simply being
satisfied with getting by
and putting Band-Aids
on problems, it is time to
make systemic changes
that have the ability to
strategically position
South Carolina for
long-term success.”
As an election year, 2014 promises to be an interesting one. There
are several important topics that should be at the forefront of
debate next year. Ethics reform is an issue that nearly all primary
and general electorate voters feel should be stronger in S.C. I
fully expect an ethics reform bill will pass the legislature and be
signed by the Governor next year. The proposed Department
of Administration or “government restructuring” legislation has
been one of Governor Haley’s priorities for several years now.
Expect this issue to surface once again.
The elephant in the room is still the issue of infrastructure
funding. While the General Assembly and the Governor should
be commended for passing a nearly $600 million funding bill
in 2013 ($800 million to $1 billon after federal matching), it is still
a drop in the bucket. Transportation officials say we need $29
billion over the next 20 years just to meet our maintenance
needs. It’s an economic development issue, a safety issue, and a
quality of life issue.
Workforce development will continue to be an issue discussed in
2014. There are numerous examples across S.C. of companies who
simply cannot find skilled workers that they
need to fill critical positions. Look for various
proposals to be introduced and discussed
on how to better educate, train and retrain
our workforce.
You cannot have an election year in S.C.
without having a debate on education
and tax reform. Everything from the
expansion of K4 to school choice to
increases in college tuition will be
discussed by the candidates. The need
for comprehensive tax reform comes up
every election cycle.
In the Governor’s race, Governor Haley
has touted job creation numbers across
S.C. for the past two years. Her Democratic
opponents will question those numbers
by pointing to state unemployment
rates which are higher than the national
average. They will also put an emphasis
on rural areas where those unemployment rates are the highest
in the state.
With both U.S. Senators and all of our U.S. Representatives on
the ballot next November, there will be a trickle down effect
of federal issues and buzzwords that will make there way into
our state level elections. The issue of government waste and
government spending in Columbia may come up along with
the always popular topic of government transparency. We
can also expect some partisan debates around the Affordable
Care Act and Medicaid expansion as some Republicans will
try to distance themselves from the President and his legacy
healthcare legislation.
As for cyber-security and the data breech that occurred at the
Department of Revenue, I do not think that you can pinpoint
the blame on any one person or legislative body. Mistakes were
made and the legislature and Governor took steps during the
2013 session to begin addressing those mistakes and to further
protect taxpayers’ info. I do not see this having much impact on
the outcome of the elections.
Mark Cothran
VP Public Policy,
Greenville Chamber of Commerce
STATUS C HEC K
Q4 2013 // Business Black Box
35
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MARC BOLICK
PRESIDENT
DMARC8 INTERNATIONAL
Many frequent travelers develop a mental checklist of things to do pre-departure,
however the list gets more complicated when you travel abroad. Consider these
things as you plan your next business (or leisure) trip abroad.
GLOBAL
What to pack
Pack lightly. Pack a number of undergarments for every day you’ll be away, and about half that number
of outer garments (ok, easier for us guys, but you get the idea). If you plan on being away more than a
week, plan on doing laundry. Plan to carry-on a small backpack for your crucial documents, electronics,
in-flight essentials, and a long-sleeve item to keep you warm (depending on season and destination).
How to pack
Compact packing is an art, but a few basics can ensure you’re using your space economically. Pack
shoes with soles facing the outside walls. If you carefully fold your outer garments and either pack
them flat on the bottom of your bag, or roll them, they should stay fairly wrinkle free.
WHEN TRAVELING ABROAD,
LESS IS MORE
About the author...
Marc Bolick replanted his
native roots in Greenville after
living in Europe for 13 years.
He has worked in all aspects of
product and service creation
for companies ranging from
Fortune 100 multi-nationals
to mid-sized European firms
to startups. For the past ten
years he has run Dmarc8
International, a consulting firm
that helps clients to qualify,
plan and implement innovative
growth strategies. Marc is also
a partner with the international
design driven service innovation
firm, DesignThinkers Group.
Pack electronics chargers, cables and other small bulky items in gaps and voids, then use
undergarments, socks and other small items to fill remaining gaps. Don’t be afraid to compress things.
Remember, you’ll be glad to have smaller luggage if you have to run for a train, navigate a crowded
street, or even squeeze into a tiny elevator.
Business travel tools
Consider leaving the laptop at the office. A tablet or smart phone plus a thumb drive can handle
most of what’s really needed. Don’t forget a universal plug converter, ideally one that has a built-in
USB charger for your devices.
Plan on keeping your smart phone in airplane mode. Using voice and data abroad will cost you a
fortune! The following applications (all available on iOS and Android) will save you serious money
while still keeping you wired in. All you’ll need is a wi-fi connection.
• Google Drive: With a Google Drive account you can store a picture of your passport, health
insurance and other important documents in the cloud. Even if you lose your phone, you’ll have
access in case of emergency.
• Skype: With this app you can call other Skype users anywhere for free, or for pennies per minute
you can call any telephone number with prepaid minutes. Voice quality will depend on a good
wifi connection, but it works very well.
• WhatsApp: This text messaging application lets you send text messages for free to any other
WhatsApp user, anywhere. So, get your family signed up and stay in touch.
• TripAdvisor, Kayak, Booking.com: These apps can help you search and book accommodations
(something that you hopefully take care of before you leave), in case your plans change.
Finally, ask your mobile service provider to enable international roaming so that you can make calls
in case of emergency. But, keep in mind, it will cost you upwards of $1.25/minute. So, the apps listed
above, and a reliable wi-fi connection, should be your mainstay.
36
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I
n a voice tinged with an accent that never left, and
a lexicon sprinkled with Yiddish, Trude Heller
recounts her life story—a story that began back in the
early 1900s in Vienna, Austria. It’s a story that took
her through the Holocaust, into the United States, to
eventually become the “first lady” of Greenville.
It was in 1937, at a resort in Voslau, Austria, that
a 14-year-old Trude Schonthal was asked to dance.
The 17-year old boy was confident and self-assured,
and so she accepted. When the boy, named Max,
told her that night that they would marry some day,
Trude thought he was insane. Still, they became
friends as the year passed, and the relationship
bloomed. Their introduction was indicative of
what their future relationship would look like—
bold steps taken in good faith, and an ability to see
the good in everything.
But that ability would soon be tested, to a degree
that few would ever have to endure.
Trude—tall, blonde, and blue-eyed—knew
she was “sheltered”, she says, and didn’t pay much
attention to politics, but knew that a vote would
be had that weekend to determine whether or not
Austria would become a part of Hitler’s Germany.
But as she walked into a gym class in Vienna on a
fateful Friday back in March 1938, she didn’t know
that life would allow her to be sheltered no longer.
Only an hour later, as she walked out of class into
the city, all she saw were swastikas. Flags, stickers,
badges, banners. Hitler’s mark—in less than one
hour—had coated Vienna.
“Every policeman. Every building. Jewish
buildings were already ablaze,” she says. “They
never had the vote, they just marched in. Germany
took over Austria that day.”
It seemed like the beginning of the end for Trude
and her family, who were Jewish and now marked
as such. While they discussed plans to leave, few
countries would offer a visa for fleeing Jews from
Europe. It wasn’t long before German soldiers
knocked on their door to demand their car keys.
Not long after that, they came back to demand the
very apartment the family lived in. In six hours the
family packed what they could, and moved into a
place in a ghetto. Then, they lost one of their stores.
For months they lived there, considering escape.
The Nazi Party came to power in
Germany in 1933.
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By 1938, the Germans had
extended their power by annexing
Austria and Czechoslovakia.
In 1939, war broke out as the
Nazis invaded Poland.
Over the next two years,
the Nazis had conquered
most of Europe
The Nazis invaded the
Soviet Union in 1941.
By the end of WWII, the
Nazis had killed millions
in their quest for power.
40
Q4 2013 // // Business Black Box

Yet a life lived in the ghetto was tolerable, at least in
comparison with what was about to happen.
In early November 1938, in response to the shooting of a
German embassy official stationed in Paris, Hitler’s propaganda
minister Joseph Goebbels announced “the Fuhrer has decided
that…demonstrations should not be prepared or organized by
the Party, but insofar as they erupt spontaneously, they are not
to be hampered.”
In essence, he declared an “open season” against the
Jewish people.
Nights of Brokenness
In response to Goebbels’ directives, Reinhard Heydrich,
the head of the Security Police, delivered orders as to how
the pogroms (violent massacres or persecutions of an ethnic
or religious group) should be carried out, not least of which
was that officials should arrest as many Jews as the jails could
hold—especially young, healthy men.
The Schonthals had not heard about these active pursuits
when Trude’s father, Schimek, left the house on the morning
of November 9, just before a friend of Trude’s called the house.
“Don’t let your father leave,” she said. It wasn’t long before her
father returned, though, having convinced officers to let him
return home to say goodbye before boarding a train—one likely
headed to a concentration camp.
“‘I’m lost,’ he said,” Trude remembers. But the family
was not yet ready to give him up. A neighbor hid him in a
closet until they were able to get a taxi, where the driver
hid him on the floor as they transported the family to their
last open store. They would hide for almost two days there,
while German soldiers and citizens destroyed everything
Jewish in what would be come known as Kristallnacht—
“The Night of Broken Glass.”
“We had an iron curtain on the store, and we closed it,”
she says. “And we stayed there for 36 hours.”
Soldiers knocked on the door, and the family remained
quiet. But when they sealed the lock with a swastika sticker,
it was up to Trude to get the family out after the program
had eased.
“To destroy a swastika is death,” she remembers. “It was
up to me to take the big key and open the lock without
disturbing the sticker. So I did.”
The family returned to their home, knowing that now,
for good, everything had changed. So when her father got
an invitation to go to the Gestapo (“Nobody ever came back
from that,” she says), he decided that it was time to leave.
He boarded a train destined for Rotterdam, bribed a waiter
to hide him, and eventually made it to Antwerp, Belgium,
where they could get temporary, 30-day visas.
Back in Vienna, Trude and her mother, Rose, were facing
their own demons. Trude, being a blonde, blue-eyed beauty,
struggled against offenses by German predators, all while
helping Rose maintain her sanity.
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41

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“I was the one keeping it together,” Trude says. “My mother
was too hysterical. The only time I saw her face relax was when
she died…she carried it with her.”
Still, it was vital that the Schonthal women followed Schimek’s
lead, and so, with the guidance her father had sent back, Trude
made moves toward an escape. They boarded the same train, but
when Trude found the same waiter, he cut her off.
“Don’t speak to me. I’m being watched,” he said.
With nowhere else to go, Trude and Rose were forced off
the train at the border, completely unprotected, in the middle of
winter. But they had heard of an hourly hotel that would hide
refugees under the eaves, and so they went there, paying a scout
to pick them up after dark and smuggle them across the border.
But time after time, for six weeks, they were caught and
sent back.
“We tried almost every night and were caught. We ended
up in ditches with a gun in my ribs, and were sent back each
time,” she says. At that time, she adds, “there were no camps for
women, and that’s why I’m still here.”
Soon, though, her father met a man whose brother agreed to
smuggle them out—for a price. After a three-hour walk, they
werepicked up in a car, and the Schonthal women made it to
Belgium, where they were reunited with Schimek.
For a year, every 30 days, Trude would re-negotiate their
visas. The family stayed on in Belgium, falling into a somewhat
“normal” lifestyle that included dancing and music. But
Belgium wasn’t their landing place, and so they continued to
try and find asylum elsewhere on the globe. The efforts were
made more difficult by the fact that because Rose and Trude
were born in Austria, and Schimek in Poland, the family could
not obtain visas together.
Eventually, after hearing that the Chilean ambassador was
out of town, and that his vice counsel was illegally selling visas,
Trude managed to obtain visas for her and her family. They
prepared to sail on the Simon Bolivar in November—one year
after Kristallnacht changed their lives in Vienna.
But the night before the ship was to leave, a knock came on
the door. The Chilean embassy had discovered the fake visas,
and was cancelling them.
The family was devastated. But the next morning, as the
ship pulled into the English Channel, it hit two mines, killing
hundreds and sinking the ship. One more miracle kept the
Schonthals safe yet again.
It took until the following March for Rose and Trude to gain visas
into the U.S., where they would start off in New York. Schimek made
plans to follow, and would leave Antwerp on May 11.
On the 10th of May, Hitler marched into Belgium.
Two Different Paths
Meanwhile, Max Heller had made his way to South Carolina,
in a twist of fate born from his love of dance.
After meeting Trude back in the summer of 1937, Max—
who loved to dance—asked an American girl to dance. They
June 19, 1922
Trude Schonthal is born in Vienna,
Austria, to Rose and Simon Schonthal
Summer, 1937
A 14-year-old Trude meets a 17-year-old
Max Heller while on vacation
March 12, 1938
Hitler invades Austria prior to the
planned plebiscite. Max immediately
writes to a friend, Mary Mills, in
Greenville, S.C. asking for a sponsor
May 9, 1938
Max hears back from Mary
Mills that Shepherd Saltzman, a
local businessman, will sponsor
him and any other family
November 9, 1938
On the morning of Kristallnacht, Trude’s
family goes into hiding at one of their
family-owned shops.
January 1939
Simon Schonthal (called Schimek) is
summoned to the Gestapo. He decides,
instead, to flee to Belgium. Rose and
Trude follow a few months later.
November 1939
With bought visas to Chile, the
Schonthal family plans their leave.
However, the night prior to their leave,
their visas are revoked. The ship sinks
in the Channel the next morning.
42
Q4 2013 // // Business Black Box

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Q4 Q4 2013 // // Business Black Box
43

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danced for two hours, but couldn’t converse because of the
launguage barrier, so he took her on a walk the next morning,
bringing along an English dictionary. The girl—Mary Mills—
was from Greenville, South Carolina.
“[That summer] he brought a map to my house and we
couldn’t even find Greenville on it,” Trude remembers.
So when the Germans invaded Austria, Max wasted no time
in securing a sponsor that would get him to America. He wrote
Mary—in broken, pieced-together English—and asked for help.
Through her family’s connections, Mary contacted Shepherd
Saltzman, who owned the Piedmont Shirt Company, and he
agreed to help.
“How could I, a Jew, not help when she, a Christian, wants
to help?” Saltzman is quoted as saying.
And so, Max made his way to Greenville, S.C., working for
Saltzman upon his arrival.
Then, one day in the summer of 1940, Trude answered the
door to find Max at the door. Beside him: a Western Union
telegram delivery boy with a note from Schimek, whom they
had not heard from since word of Hitler’s march on Belgium,
saying he was okay.
“They were together,” says Trude of the good news and
Max. “I told [Max]…he’s been my good omen ever since.”
It wasn’t long before Max made good on the promise he had
made so many years prior, and asked Trude to marry him. On
August 2, 1942, Max and Trude were married on Greenville’s
Main Street.
Max proved to be a shrewd businessman, becoming general
manager of Piedmont Shirts before starting a number of
companies in the heights of the textile boom. Eventually, he
sold his business and, looking for another opportunity, ran for
City Council. In 1969, he became part of City Council, and
only two years later became Mayor of Greenville.
In the eight years that Max served as mayor and Trude as—
essentially—the first lady of a city that only a few decades before
she hadn’t been able to find on a map, the two were inseparable.
She went with him on every trip, to many meetings, and was
generally by his side.
“I was with him all the way,” she says. “He never went
anywhere without me. Even when he disagreed with me, we
did everything together.”
In fact, it was together in Europe that the vision for Greenville
finally materialized.
“We were sitting at a table outside, watching the world go
by, and I said, ‘Gosh, I love this,’” Trude remembers. “He said,
‘That’s what we’re going to do in Greenville.’ So when we got
back he went to a little shop, and he said, ‘Do me a favor: I want
you to put a little table and chairs outside and see if anybody
would like to eat outside.’ And the guy said, ‘I can’t do that…
there’s a law against that.’ And Max said, ‘You leave that to me.’”
Over the next decade, the city of Greenville became a place
of revitalization and growth, even as Max convinced the city, its
businesses and citizens to invest upwards of $30 million in the
mid-‘70s. Together, Max and Trude went to San Francisco to
March 1, 1940
Trude and Rose board a ship bound for
the U.S., and end up in New York
May 9, 1940
Schimek telegrams the family that he
is booked for passage from Antwerp on
May 11.
May 10, 1940
Hitler invades Belgium.
Summer 1940
Max visits Trude in New York; Schimek
sends a telegram that he is safe.
1971 -1979
August 2, 1942
Trude and Max are married
on Main Street in downtown
Greenville, S.C.
Max serves as Mayor of Greenville,
building out the European-style vision
he has for the city’s downtown.
1978
Max is asked by Governor Richard Riley
to serve as chairman of the S.C. State
Development Board. The couple travels
the globe on behalf of the Palmetto State.
MAy 28, 2009
The City of Greenville unveils the Max
Heller statue downtown
June 13, 2011
Max Heller passes away
44
Q4 2013 // Business Black Box

meet a designer who would bring forth the European feel that
they so wanted to see again.
“He wanted it to be a people’s place, a place with dogs, and
children and people,” Trude says.
Under his leadership, Greenville saw the additions of the
Main Library, the Museum of Art, and the Hyatt, along with
numerous others. Even as he was appointed to start and lead the
S.C. State Development Board under Governor Riley, recruiting
companies like Michelin and starting up organizations like
the South Carolina Research Authority, Trude was a constant
presence. For five years, they travelled the world together,
entertaining and visiting on behalf of the state and making
friends in unlikely places.
At one point, the Hellers ended
up at the embassy in Japan. While
others were bowing, as is custom,
the ambassador walked over to Trude
and, recognizing her, gave her a hug.
In Final Days
The Holocaust, after all, she says, did not come from pure
ignorance; Hitler’s regime targeted some of the most influential
and educated of his time.
“I can’t imagine how people can change like that,” she says.
“And then, I wonder…can that happen to all of us?”
And so, in what time she doesn’t spend with her family, she
spends much of her time now travelling locally, speaking to schools,
children in foster care, and church groups. There, she transports the
audience to a time that many will hear about and still forget—where
she, a 15-year old girl, was tormented, teased and threatened; where
her 80-year-old grandmother was beaten to death in Auschwitz,
and her cousins were pummeled into trees until they passed away;
where her father would try fate time and
time again looking for escape; where her
mother sunk into herself, never to return
quite back to normal; and of course,
where she met a 17-year old boy that
would, in time, change everything.
“I lived it all,” she says. “And I am
so lucky.”
In June of 2011, with Max’s health
failing, he still kept thinking of the
city he called home.
“He was thinking until the last
minute,” Trude says. “The day before
he died he said to me, ‘Please, quick,
get me a paper and a pen. I just had
such a great idea, and I need to run it
by some people.’ My daughter said,
‘Daddy, what is it about?’ and he
said, ‘Diversity. There’s not enough
at Furman; there’s not enough in
Greenville. But I have this idea and this
is what we’re gonna do.’
“That was the day he died,” she
says. “And then he took it with him.”
And with all her tales of the
Holocaust and the trials of Nazi
Europe, the only time Trude Heller
is taken by emotion is when she speaks of Max. The mother of
three, grandmother of 10 and great-grandmother of 16 tears up
remembering the man who, while dancing 77 years ago, told
her they’d one day be married.
She points at no one, shaking her finger to make a point. “He
always kept his word.”
Today, at 91 years of age, Trude Heller is still a force—
spending much of her time speaking to groups about the
Holocaust and its modern-day equivalent. The woman who lost
90 members of her family to an effort that killed six million
Jews now speaks against bullying, and cautions against man’s
inhumanity to man.

STEVEN HAHN
DIRECTOR OF ENTREPRENEURIAL SYSTEMS
SPARTANBURG CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
ENTREPRENEUR
To create a tangible and vibrant local entrepreneurial community, it takes collaboration. It’s
never one visionary business person, an adventurous venture capitalist, or a single campus
based research effort; it takes a village.
Quick: who started Silicon Valley? It was not a single entity, but rather a community
effort comprised, over time, of “geeks”, visionaries, financiers, bankers and academics. It took an
entire village.
Between the rolling hills of northern California, one pioneering business inspired other startups
and, in the early 1980s, the term “techies” was first coined. A profitable loan attracted further
investment, and suddenly “venture capitalist” became a new job description. The snowball effect
created an avalanche.
A well-equipped incubator amounts to very little without a group of burgeoning startups, an
angel fund without prospects sees no return, and an entrepreneur with neither facilities nor capital
is doomed.
Community collaboration is the key.
As an example, you need look no further than Spartanburg, where every single person whose
responsibility it is to support our entrepreneurial culture is an active member of an organization
IT TAKES A VILLAGE
About the author...
Steven Hahn is a former partner
in a management consulting
firm, and has launched several
successful businesses. He
presently serves as the Director
of Entrepreneurial Systems at
the Spartanburg Area Chamber
of Commerce.
we call the Spartanburg Entrepreneurial Resource Network (SERN). Specifically this includes the
local Small Business Development Center executive, the Managing Counselor at Piedmont SCORE,
the Economic Development Directors for the City of Spartanburg and Spartanburg Community
College’s Tyger River Business Accelerator, the Dean of the USC-Upstate School of Business, the
Director of the The Space in Mungo Center at Wofford College and my office at the Chamber of
Commerce. A true collaborative effort with diverse backgrounds and skills, the group meets regularly
and is fully committed to assisting all entrepreneurial efforts within the county by sharing projects
and resources.
Additionally, SERN members have direct access to more than a hundred of Spartanburg’s most
influential business leaders to serve as mentors—all told, a formidable team indeed!
The result of all this collaboration is several exciting new entrepreneurial programs, including The
Iron Yard’s Digital Health program, more total incubation space than any county in the southeast, and
dozens of startups—some small, some big, but all well on their way to success.
Ultimately, the goal is to cause a tangible shift the business culture of a community. And while that
may sound daunting, it simply takes a village.
48
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F
Get ‘em while
They’re hot.
2014 Festival tickets on sale now.
March 6-9, 2014
charlestonwineandfoo.com
PHOTO BY ANDREW CEBULKA

TRAILBLAZER
SCOTT
HARKE
DIRECTOR
DIVERGENT ENERGY
Trash is a hot topic these
days, and not only just
for those who want to be
“green.” For Scott Harke,
director of Divergent
Energy, finding solutions
to our waste challenges is
about responsibility and
sustainability—a necessity
for generations to come.
Photo by Wayne Culpepper/FishEye Studios

TRAILBLAZER
TRAILBLAZER.
By Josh Overstreet
Even at eighteen, Scott Harke knew
what he had a desire to do. He even
wrote a paper on it.
“I came across this paper I wrote as
a senior in high school for a scholarship,
and it was about how we didn’t manage
our resources sufficiently; how we
aren’t good stewards of energy—and
here I am at 50 doing what I wanted to
do when I was 18,” he says.
Today, Harke is the director for business
development for Divergent Energy, a
waste stream solutions company.
After moving in 1981 from
the Catskills of New York, and
graduating with a bachelors in
Industrial Management from Clemson
University, he began looking for work.
“At that point in ‘85, the economy
was horrible. I figured I would go
into banking and be an intermediary
between banks and industry, but that
didn’t work out,” he remembers.
That did not pan out however, and
due to prior experience working as a
photographer for the alumni magazine
and yearbook, Harke was hired by
Clemson as a photographer.
Realizing he would need to
move on and continue his education,
he participated in an intensive
MBA program in Venice, Italy.
Upon returning, he worked with a
technology supplying company that
transferred him to Denver, but, having
grown fond of the Greenville era,
Harke eventually returned.
At that time, a friend from Clemson
was working on start-ups and Harke
joined with him. Thus, Divergent
Energy was born.
“As we started talking about all we
could do with food waste and other
waste streams, we decided Divergent
Energy was the right place to start
developing these solutions.”
Two and a half years later,
Divergent Energy has acquired
instillations and key accounts that
have been very successful. One of the
largest is the Culinary Institute of the
Carolinas, where, after discovering
the Institute goes through 25,000
pounds of waste annually, Divergent
provided solutions for diverting their
waste streams—first installing a bulk
densifier, which takes organic waste
material and processes it into a more
useful and compact product.
“The material that comes out of
the machine is super rich, so if you
mix it into the soil, a little bit goes
a long way. It can compost really
quickly, it can be pelletized as a fuel
source, and it can be used as an animal
feed supplement.”
The chefs who oversaw the running
of the machine also began to notice
trends. Students would be somewhat
careless with what they were wasting;
as now the chefs could oversee much
of the waste going in, they were able
to identify these areas and began to
save more food waste just by being
more observant.
During this process, another
by-product of this food waste was
discovered. According to Harke, who
notes that 85 percent of organic food
waste is water. While maybe not useful
for drinking, this water can be filtered
into what is called “gray water” and is
useful for cleaning, watering, and other
utility type uses.
“As we continue growing as a
population, water will be an increasingly
precious commodity,” says Harke, “So
to be able to capture and repurpose it,
has gotten a lot of people’s attention.”
While the Culinary Institute is their
biggest success to date, there are other
avenues Divergent wants to work with.
“School budgets aren’t getting any
bigger and to be able to put a whole
solution in place, the school becomes its
own ecosystem.” By making schools selfsustaining
ecosystems, we can provide
three important benefits: environmental,
economic, and educational.
Additionally, because of the federal
mandates on ethanol usage, Divergent is
looking into being able to take “sweet
water,” or sucrose-heavy water from
organic waste, and distill it to make ethanol.
“What you’re doing is taking trash…
and creating an absolutely necessary
commodity,” he says.
Currently, Divergent Energy’s main
business strategy is to come alongside
businesses and other organizations and
help them find other means in which
they can remove their wastes.
“I guess I’m just an unrepentant
hippie,” says Harke. “It sounds corny,
but what excites me every morning
when I get up is that what we are doing
can change the world and make it a
better place.”
But aside from the desire to change
the world, Divergent Energy is still
a money-making enterprise whose
principles are also very mindful of
the economics of recycling waste into
useful commodity.
“We don’t go to businesses and tell
them to recycle just because it’s the
right thing to do; we look at it from an
economic standpoint.”
With a few successful projects,
Divergent Energy is focused on having
conversations and building relationships
to find ways in which they can partner
with either institutions or other waste
stream solution companies in order to
provide the best solutions possible.
“We want to be symbiotic, there
are some instances were its beneficial
for Divergent Energy to own that
relationship, and there are others that let
us be bolted on as part of your solution.”
At the end of the day, Divergent
Energy is working for the best possible
solutions because when it comes to
sustainability, everybody wins.
“The native Americans believed you
didn’t rule for yourself or for your kids,
but for the seventh generation,” he says.
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Q4 2013 // Business Black Box
51

CHIP FELKEL
CEO
THE FELKEL GROUP
POLITICS
It’s been a fairly busy fall in the “arena” in South Carolina. Incumbents and challengers are
announcing, organizing and of course, fundraising with an eye towards the March 30 filing
deadline and the June 2014 primaries. Taking shape, we have primaries or contested general
elections for governor, two for the U.S. Senate, potential Congressional battles and of course, all
members of the S.C. House of Representative are up.
Thanks to Jim DeMint’s unexpected exit from the Senate, we actually have two races for the U.S. Senate
in 2014. Both Sen. Lindsey Graham and Sen. Tim Scott are facing the voters, Graham for reelection and
Scott, appointed by Gov. Haley, is actually seeking not just the governor’s approval but the voters’ as well.
Scott looks like he will get a free ride in the GOP Primary which—given the raucous environment within
the party—is a gift. It is not all that surprising though. Scott is well liked by various factions in the GOP,
has been strategic and smart in his positions, has hired well and has taken a “listen and learn” approach since
his appointment that has served him well. The senator has visited all 46 counties and frankly, he hasn’t been
there long enough to do anything that might lead to a challenge. There are some rumblings of a potential
candidate on the Democrats side for the general, but so far, it’s just talk.
SETTING THE LANDSCAPE FOR
2014 ELECTIONS
About the author...
Chip Felkel is a veteran public
affairs strategist, media
relations expert and advocacy
innovator with over two
decades of experience in the
State and National arenas.
Felkel’s extensive political
resume includes roles with
Campbell for Governor, the
South Carolina Republican
Party, the Republican National
Committee, as well as the 1988
Bush-Quayle
Campaign (Executive
Director, Georgia), DeMint
2002 Congressional Re-elect
(campaign manager) and in
strategic and communications
roles with Bush-Cheney 2000
and 2004. He also serves as
a political analyst for WYFF
(NBC).
Clearly the most watched race, as far as primaries go, will be Graham’s. He is being challenged
by several candidates from the Tea Party (Richard Cash of Powdersville, State Sen. Lee Bright of
Spartanburg, and Nancy Mace of Charleston). These challengers are all from the more libertarian
wing of the GOP, but each represents a different segment of the disaffected and disenchanted, making
it hard to mount a serious threat. The Tea Party mindset seems to be that everyone in the GOP must
be totally in sync with their positions and their approach. To me, these RASCALs (Republicans Against
Solutions, Communication and Logic) need to learn that politics is about addition, not subtraction. The
GOP won’t win another national election until that point is not just recognized, but accepted. That
said, this current challenge is no surprise for Graham, and he seems to be well prepared for the coming
battle. Still, there are those who find his willingness to work across the aisle as sign of weakness or lack
of commitment to conservative principle. I don’t see any substantial evidence of that. Graham has never
felt the need to bolster his “true conservative” bona fides with fire-and-brimstone rhetoric, but rather
seems to be quite comfortable taking sometimes unpopular, but logical positions for what he sees as the
country’s greater good. You may disagree, but I like having a U.S. Senator who has the common sense
to know that communication and civility are necessary requirements for the job, and who also has the
fortitude to act on it.
Like the U.S. Senate race, the general election for governor is over a year away, but the battle lines are
already drawn between Gov. Haley and State Senator Vincent Sheheen, who have now both formally
entered the race. Haley chose the Upstate for her kick off and was joined by the governors from Texas,
Wisconsin and Louisiana in late August. A lot was made of the turnout for that event by the S.C.
Democrats who claimed is indicative of her low approval. It was also a late August afternoon. You can
come to your own conclusions.
That’s all for now, next time we will look at important policy battles in the S.C. General Assembly’s
Session which will be addressed starting in January.
52
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Q4 2013 // Business Black Box

if ever a startup had the
potential for market disruption,
Prime Genomics has it.
Potentially able to reduce
the need for mammograms,
painful procedures and other
medical challenges, the company
has developed a product with the
capability to detect diseases like
breast cancer with a simple saliva test.
With a background in math,
physics and bioinformatics, founder
Sandy Shaw had a head start in
working with data. Alongside Scott Greenstone
and Steve Smith, Shaw took what started as simply
investigating patterns in genetic data into a product
that addressed one of the most critical medical
challenges in the world—breast cancer—which kills
almost 40,000 women in the U.S. alone each year.
The test, which looks at RNA instead of DNA,
doesn’t tell women their potential to get breast
cancer; it actually identifies the presence of the
disease itself.
“It actually says you have breast cancer,” Shaw
says. “It’s telling you what your genes are doing in
real time.”
Already having raised the funding to do a
50-patient clinical trial in the U.S., the next goal for
Prime Genomics is to head overseas to India, where
around 95 million women who should be getting
mammograms are far underserved. Eventually,
Shaw and his team hope to bring the product back
to the U.S. and other developed countries, where
the saliva test can simply become part of a woman’s
annual exam.
Additionally, breast cancer isn’t the only medical
condition that you will see Prime Genomics
working in. According to Shaw, this test is just the
beginning of what the company can provide.
“We actually have 17 other diseases and
conditions along with breast cancer that we’ve
identified that we can detect using our platform—
but we’re focused on the breast cancer saliva marker
because we feel that will have the biggest impact.”
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Q4 2013 // Business Black Box
57

For more from Business Black Box visit insideblackbox.com
Imagine if going to your doctor was as easy as going
online. Imagine if instead of a long office wait, it actually
meant more time with your physician. And imagine if
you could manage your healthcare all from your mobile
phone or iPad.
Shameet Luhar and Philip Rub did, and used the Iron
Yard as a launch pad to “transform personalized medicine”
through their startup, Vheda. Meaning “knowledge” in
Sanskrit, Vheda is a care management platform that
offers patients that are suffering from chronic
disease or experiencing life events (like
type 2 diabetes, obesity, or even a high
risk pregnancy), a more individualized,
simple approach to their healthcare.
“We offer them live video coaching
sessions with a medical practitioner,
all from their handheld mobile
device,” says Luhar. For those with
chronic conditions, consistent care
is key, and through Vheda, patients
can ease some of the challenges of
maintaining and keeping doctors
appointments, while at the same
time have ready access to doctors on
a week-by-week basis. At the same
time, doctors’ offices should see a
reduction in no-show rates from toobusy
patients.
“By you being on our plan, you get to
see the same practitioner—or the nurse who
knows you—working with you on your
specific needs through the disease,” says Luhar.
Rub agrees. “It’s really about convenience
and personalization,” he says. “We’re trying
to build a platform that is convenient and also
is tailored to your specific needs, based on how
you are doing with that disease.”
Under new healthcare regulations, healthcare
that happens virtually is eligible for reimbursement,
so Vheda could gain traction in the industry very
quickly. By targeting employer groups, insurance
companies and hospital systems—and with an early
focus on diabetes care—they hope to show the
potential cost savings for all involved.
“There’s about a $7,000 difference between
a diabetic who is managing their diabetes and
one who is not, per year,” says Luhar, referring
to a study that says that diabetes patients, over
the course of their lifetimes, can spend upward
of $85,000 out of pocket for managing
their diabetes care. “What we want to do is
minimize that $85,000 over the lifetime of
their care and make it as small as possible.”
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Q4 2013 // Business Black Box

Healthcare has a lot of players in it—between
providers, insurers and patients, there’s a
lot of focus on the industry from different
vantage points. But according to Senthil
Premraj, there’s one group that is too often forgotten.
“There’s this subset that a lot of people forget about—
the employers—who are predominantly subsidizing a
large portion of the health insurance for their employees,”
says Premraj. “They are essentially the real payers [into
the healthcare system], because they are putting in the
money. The insurance company is just collecting the
money and putting it out to different groups.”
Employers were looking at how to trim costs in
employee benefits and healthcare, even long before the
Affordable Care Act, but today, that consideration has
turned into a major focus for most employers, where
getting lower premiums is relatively unheard of, and
consumer-based plans have a tendency to backfire.
It was out of this that Premraj created HealthPlotter.
It’s well known that “incentivizing employees
to be healthy can increase a company’s ROI in this
matter—the healthier that an employee is, the less
likely he or she will need constant healthcare, therefore
reducing premiums overall. But HealthPlotter takes a
deeper look—unlike the programs where employees
out of “healthy” range (BMI, weight, blood pressure,
cholesterol) pay more in premiums for their insurance,
HealthPlotter flips that on its head, determining
whether or not an employee is in the “normal” range,
or outside of it, and then incentivizing each employee
to get—and stay—within those healthy parameters.
“Employers can customize how much incentive
they want to give,” says Premraj. Employees outside
of the normal range can earn money proportional to
how well they do in getting closer to that goal; those
within the healthy range earn money consistently, if
they maintain healthy ranges.
“You have to be within the normal range to
earn money,” he adds. “It’s a full blown financial
rewards program, with the communication and
engagement aspects built into the program, for the
employee population.”
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59

60 Q4 2013 // Business Black Box
Today, health care is
fragmented—one person may
have numerous doctors, stacks
of historical records, a list of
past prescriptions, current health scores
and ranges, and everything in between.
It makes a complicated industry more
complicated—even for those who want
to maintain their own health records
and information.
Part of the problem, at least according
to Sean and Meredith Elwell, is that in
the current systems, consumers (patients)
aren’t allowed to act like consumers.
“We’re helping consumers to act
like consumers, which is something
that’s very difficult to do in the modern
paradigm,” he says, pointing to the
fact that in the current fee-for-service
structure, people not only aren’t paying
for what they need when they need it,
but they also don’t know the cost of their
procedure until they are billed. “There’s
a huge fog on the consumption side and
complete clarity on the supply side.”
To clear the fog, the Elwells, a married
couple from Connecticut, joined the Iron
Yard to launch Care.IT (pronounced
“carrit”), to help aggregate and simplify
a (self-insured or un-insured) patient’s
health information into one place.
Care.IT is a dashboard, where all
your information—your fitness “score”,
current prescriptions, upcoming
appointments and more—is featured
on one page. Going deeper into the
site will offer health archives, online
consultations with physicians, and even
a place to aggregate all the information
from different online or mobile apps
into one place.
“We ask you to access your healthcare
in a certain way; we ask you to start
virtually,” says Sean. “This doesn’t get
in the way of people going to see doctors
in the flesh and blood, its just that the
default is not to go see your doctor in the
flesh and blood.”
“That’s how we’re envisioning
healthcare,” says Sean. ”Step one is to roll this
out to the 56 million uninsured. Step two,
we want to be a health insurance company.”

How will you burn your lunch?
Darlene Rodillo wants to
know. As founder of Blaze
Health, Rodillo wants to
change the conversation around food and
exercise to one more focused on a positive
approach to personal energy usage.
“We’re really focused on obesity, as
it’s related to pretty much every other
chronic condition out there,” Rodillo
says. And while there are many apps
and services that help track food or
activity out there, many boil down
to a conversation about calories—
a measurement that evades many of
us on our quest for healthy foods and
fit bodies.
“What is available is clearly not
addressing the need,” Rodillo says,
“Obesity is growing year over year. And
it leads to a lot of other problems.
While tracking does work, Rodillo
notes, it’s a pain to do and many are
turned off of the system over time. But
through Blaze Health, Rodillo hopes to
change the center focus of health and
diet tracking from the calorie to an easier
method—one that could be as simple as
taking a photograph of your plate.
“It’s really more to get a food landscape
of what you’re eating,” she says. “Being
able to see something visually helps you
see where you’re falling off the plan.”
By partnering this system with one that
takes into consideration what activities
you already do, (walk the dog, go to the
gym, play basketball), the app (and future
web portal) can take an active approach
to balancing food and activities.
For example, that apple may fit in with
with your plan. That cookie, however,
might trigger a kickback: “How long
will you be playing basketball tonight?”
While Rodillo continues raising
funds to push Blaze Health into
development, she continues to draw the
correlation between what we eat and
how active we should be.
“It’s all about looking at food and
how foods translate to activities,” she
says. “We want to start creating better
habits, and find ways to do that.”
61

With advancements in Internet technology,
several services have been available for both
instant and widespread use by people. One
such example is banking. We can now log
on to a bank’s website and monitor accounts that have been
made with the bank. Why not apply this to healthcare?
“It’s empowering the patients to take care of their own
healthcare records,” says Lawless.
Chartspan.com is the creation of David Lawless and
brothers John-Michael and Patrick Carter. Using market
research showing 80 percent of healthcare purchasers are
women with 62 percent being mothers, they want to
tap into a niche market with their interactive healthcare
information app.
“Mothers tend to be the most engaged healthcare users,”
says Lawless.
The app is designed for mothers to keep detailed records
on their family’s health such as immunization records,
insurance info and birth certificates. These detailed records
can be sent to whomever needs them and doctors have a
detailed record on patients that is updated more constantly
then just the periodical doctor visit.
Working through Iron Yard as an accelerator program
has brought the product up to almost 90 percent completion.
They knew Spartanburg would be special when they joined,
citing a “unique feel” to the program as inspirational.
Their next step is to finish development then have the
product out in prototype and testing phases, having doctors
prescribe them to patients for testing in order to keep records.
Future plans for the app include physician accountability,
increased interconnectivity between devices such as scales
and glucose monitors, as well as finding a provider for mass
marketing and selling the app.
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62
Q4 2013 // Business Black Box

ith healthcare reform, nurses are asked to
“ Wsee more people; do more,” says Daniel
Godla, the man behind Thoroughcare.
Godla, originally from Pittsburgh, has
lived in Philadelphia for the past eight years before coming
to Spartanburg for Iron Yard, where he’s been impressed at
how much the local medical community of Spartanburg has
supported Godla and Thoroughcare.
“They really want this to succeed in Spartanburg.”
Iron Yard has been perfect fit for Godla, because of
the focus on healthcare and the availability of experienced
mentors to help the entrepreneurs along.
Thoroughcare is a software designed to be give
fast and accurate diagnosis and is designed to go
deeper than any current survey software out currently.
“This is the TurboTax of healthcare,” says Godla.
By using a guided interview style of surveying a
patient, it works with a nurse’s workflow to help them
meet the increasing number of patients, yet still remain
accurate with a diagnosis.
At this point, Thoroughcare is in the product development
phase. Once a prototype is developed, Godla wants to get it
into hospitals for testing. He’s excited for nurses to be able
to implement the systems and see if it makes their jobs easier
when initially talking to patients.
After that, Godla eventually wants to take it to Silicon
Valley, hoping to establish contacts with other CEOs and get
the product into the hands of more companies to get more
exposure and feedback.
“It’s hard to do on your own…meet with the CEO
of another company…that type of introduction makes it
much easier.”

Even while our population ages, technology remains
new and changing. At the crossroads is Second
Light, a startup that focuses on new developments
to help bridge these new technologies into usable
formats for an older population.
Meshing social media platforms like Facebook with
a dashboard that can help caretakers keep up with their
patients, Second Light effectively brings the two worlds
together. On one page, an elderly patient can keep up with
family and friends, while at the same time see appointment
reminders and medication schedules set up by their caregiver.
For founders Sachin Soni, Ajay Pal Singh and Kamaljeet
Singh, it’s a highly relevant solution to a growing
demographic of the world’s population, who want to
keep up, but may find the unending flow of social
networks and new additions daunting.
“It not only addresses the healthcare needs of elders, but also their
social requirements,” says Soni. “They can see the social updates of
their family and friends, they can see the reminders set by caretakers
or family or friends, or they can set them themselves. As their child,
I can sign up for my parents or my grandparents. They just log in to
the screen and can see everything.”
But the platform—which after development will be rolled
out to communities like assisted living facilities and nursing
homes—is more than a simplified version of Facebook; as
patients check off various “tasks” (like taking medicine), the
data provided also gives their caregiver an accurate snapshot of
the patient’s lifestyle, hopefully bettering the level of care for
that patient.
“It’s like a recording of actual activities that are done at
home,” Soni adds. “It’s very important for caregivers, who
can see the lifestyle of the person they are caring for.”

Imagine a mouse. Not the whole
mouse. Just the mouse’s brain.
Imagine that that mouse
is sick. Maybe there is a spot
that could be a tumor. Maybe
something is misfiring. You don’t
know, but you want to find out.
Now, imagine that in 100 hours
or less, you could have a digital map
of every neuron in that sample. Such
a technology could, very simply put,
revolutionize our abilities in drug discoveries
and medical devices.
That technology is not far off— in fact,
3Scan’s technology can do just that. Using
knife-edge scanning (or KESM), it can create
3D models of tissue samples.
Different diseases have different scales,
explains founder Todd Huffman. For some,
like cancer (especially cancers that form
tumors), the diseases start at a tissue level.
Through pathology, you might take a chunk
of tissue, then manually dissect it to examine
thin layers under a microscope—a very slow
and tedious process.
But all that changes with 3Scan’s technology.
“What we’ve done is applied automation
and robotics to the process of microscopically
examining tissue,” explains 3Scan’s founder
Todd Huffman. “Instead of having a human
manually moving around very small pieces
of tissue and then looking at them under
a microscope, we put the tissue into our
robotic system, and it automatically slices
and images the tissue. It then makes a
digital representation of it, and then you
can either visualize or run analytics over the
3-dimensional reconstruction.”
The potential rings clear for neuroscience
and histology, but 3Scan’s technology can
also be used in areas like composite materials
science, where one might need to examine
flaws in carbon fiber composites.
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65

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Q4 2013 // Business Black Box

As a doctor, keeping track of patients is stressful
enough, but what if you had a software that did all of
that for you? Or, as a patient, what if there was a way to
instantly see if an appointment time opened up and you
have the ability to jump right on it?
According to Jim Ness, CEO of My Doc Time,
the program is like Travelocity for doctors. Based on
ZocDoc, it is a scheduling and appointment service for
both patients and doctors to access. Doctors pay to be
a part of the service and can keep updated calendars,
appointments, patient records etc. in the database for easy
access by both parties.
Ness, along with Mike Roberts, President, and Max
Gillespie, investor came up with the concept seeing how
ZocDoc was succeeding in larger cities. They wanted to
see how it would translate in small and mid-sized cities.
With backgrounds in telecommunication, and the
Upstate’s history as a hub, it was an easy fit for the trio.
Coming to Iron Yard very late into their
development process, they were welcomed with open
arms into the program.
“You can never have access to all of this in such a short
amount of time,” said Max.
Having already launched in the Upstate, they are
looking to expand in Myrtle Beach and establish accounts
at doctor’s offices.
With the changing climate of healthcare, patient/
doctor communication and relations are more important
than ever, and My Doc Time wants to be there to help
that transition.
Q4 2013 // Business Black Box
67

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GEOFF WASSERMAN
PUBLISHER
BUSINESS BLACK BOX
I
had a baseball coach in high school who, when he saw any of us standing around, would shout,
“Get moving, you’re not here to kill grass and make my turf brown!”
People who stay in one place too long, get offended, or refuse to recognize their own
pride usually get their toes stepped on by those following a leader’s vision. For a vision to be
fulfilled, leaders need people willing to constantly be moving, growing, changing, challenging “the
way we always did things” and carving out new ground of opportunity and new turf. Those who
complain about their toes getting stepped on are usually spending far too much time attaching their
self-worth to the turf they’ve firmly planted their own feet on.
Problem is, when leaders cast vision, those called to the leader respond by blazing trails to fulfill
the vision. The only way new ground gets plowed is by digging up old turf. Progressive, growing
organizations have leaders who are constantly willing to allow people to take risks, challenge old
paradigms and build new bridges to the future. But you can’t build two sets of bridges simultaneously,
in opposite directions. It drains too many resources, zaps too much energy and sucks too
much life and joy out of the journey.
In large organizations especially, when teams begin building bridges to the future, the hope is that
everyone will cross the bridge. In reality, not everyone will. As a leader, the easiest way to figure out
CEOS
TO BUILD A VISION, GET
THEM MOVING
who’s on board, who has their own agenda and who can’t go with you is to see who’s trying to build
a bridge between where you are and where you used to be. In other words, they’re building a second
bridge to create a path—a way for them to stay the way they are and not work with those you’ve
brought in to effect change. You can’t afford two crews, so make a decision which crew to pull, and
give everyone the opportunity to get on the same bridge-building project.
As a leader, you aren’t responsible for the feelings and frustrations of those who feel their toes are
being stepped on, if you’ve clearly articulated the vision and given them every opportunity to get off
the old turf and start building toward the future. You are, however, responsible for recognizing who’s
complaining about their toes getting stepped on, and helping them see that, in reality, they are getting
their toes stepped on by the very people you’ve put in place to bring the organization to the place
you envision.
The other responsibility you have, to them and to the team, is to give them only one choice, and
give it to them with compassion: They can stay if they get their toes out of the way, off of the turf they
think is theirs, and get their feet moving on the new bridge. If not, that’s okay. There will always be
people assigned to different stages of your vision who helped you get here, but can’t help you get there.
People who stay in one place too long are the people who get their toes stepped on because they’re
standing idle, pointed in the wrong direction, and a vision only waits so long.
About the author...
A native of Montreal, Canada,
Geoff started the company in
1999. A successful entrepreneur
with a heart to help others
grow and succeed, Geoff’s
career includes seven years
of sports marketing with the
Montreal Expos and Atlanta
Braves, as well as seven years
as a Managing Director in the
financial services industry with
two fortune 500 companies.
Geoff spends the majority of
his business time advising and
consulting business owners and
leaders to develop strategies
and practical marketing,
operational and leadership
solutions to help organizations
grow and reach their full
potential. Geoff resides in
Greenville with his three
children: Noah, Rebecca, and
Alana.
For more on this topic visit InsideBlackBox.com/ceos
69

NEXT GEN

By Josh Overstreet
Mill Village Farms is more than just a few gardens sprinkled across the Upstate—
it’s a chance for young men to find a cause and for food deserts to become
a wealth of local produce. And Dan Weidenbenner knows:it takes a village.
A generation’s success,
or lack thereof, is vitally
dependent on those who
come before it. Many use
the word stewardship—
however stewardship is just
as important when we realize
that we are responsible for the
next generation.
“To be able to take a kid that
hasn’t had a job before and teach
them a work ethic, to teach
them to think entrepreneurially,
to get them to see a part of
a business and to have the
responsibility of showing up to
work on time and doing your
job with excellence,” says Dan
Weidenbenner, “that’s what gets
me going every day.”
Weidenbenner is the
director of Mill Village Farms,
an organization whose goal
is to plant small, urban farms
in communities where fresh
produce is hard to come by.
Born and raised in
Fort Lauderdale, Florida,
Weidenbenner attended
Furman University and
graduated with a degree in
psychology in 2011. While
at Furman, he participated in
farming outreach and its various
benefits for senior citizens.
“We did a bunch of different
things—what were the
cognitive benefits, what were
the social benefits, what were
the environmental benefits of
seniors involved in gardening
and farming.” During the
outreach, he found that the
use of gardening helped
improve quality of life, built
stronger communities, and also
increased the attention rates of
aging people.
After graduating he began
working with Grace Church
and Masha Lending, building
contacts and getting involved
with the community that
would lay the foundations for
his future career. His work
with Grace Church took him
to Allendale, S.C., and while
there, Weidenbenner’s eyes
were opened to the needs
of the community. Soon,
he realized that there are
communities in Greenville
who have the same needs.
“I was exposed to all kinds of
needs and issues that opened my
eyes to a whole different world,”
says Weidenbenner, “I knew the
same needs and issues were in our
community as they were there.”
So, he returned to Greenville
to the Greater Sullivan
neighborhood and joined
Long Branch Baptist Church.
Weidenbenner quickly saw
that the church had a vision for
not only meeting the spiritual
needs in the community, but
also the physical.
“The immediate need for
our neighborhood is that people
need jobs; they just don’t come
easily anymore,” he says. “A job
has a transformative quality, it
teaches the value of hard work.”
With this vision, Mill Village
Farms was created to start
impacting the community’s
youth and through them
transform neighborhoods. By
reaching the kids and giving
them jobs, Mill Village Farms
can then have those teens
impact their own homes.
“We take vacant properties
in our neighborhood that are
either condemned houses or
property that was never built
on, then turn them into small,
dense farms where we can grow
a lot of food in a small area,”
Weidenbenner says.
Since their start in 2012,
they now currently employ
10 kids with two farms in the
Mill’s Mill community as well
as another 50 acres off of Saluda
Dam Road in Easley. They drive
the kids to the farm in Easley
where they work on the farm,
then take the produce back to
their communities.
Other partnerships have
been built along the way—
one with Clemson to help
entrepreneurial education for
the youth and another with
Loaves and Fishes to begin using
one of their refrigerated trucks
to begin a mobile market.
“A lot of kids start seeing
the farm as a stepping stone to
better jobs, colleges and starting
their own businesses,” he says,
noting that when the kids move
on to their next step, other
kids see that step and decide to
begin working as well, changing
their neighborhoods from the
ground up.
“The kids are able to shape
their culture. The kids give
back to the neighborhood
and the neighborhood wants
to give back to the kids,” says
Weidenbenner. And as an added
bonus, “They are now eating
healthier because the kids are
the ones changing the culture.”
In addition to renewing these
older communities through
their teens, other benefits have
appeared with the urban farms.
According to Weidenbenner,
the farms have increased
biodiversity, beautified vacant
properties, increased storm
water management and created
community relationships.
In the short term, Mill Village
Farm’s next goal is to create a
central hub for themselves.
“Short term we want to
create a system to process our
produce. We would love to create
a hub—a space for Mill Village
farms to have a classroom, office
and work space,” he says, “then
within five years we would like
to develop for-profit businesses
that help fund our non-profit,
with more opportunities for
our kids and others to come
alongside and help our business
sustain itself.”
But even at its most basic, the
economic impact of Mill Village
Farms is impressive. After all, if
just one of the kids creates a new
business through Mill Village,
then South Carolina will have
five to 10 more jobs that didn’t
exist before. “The success of our
farms is the success of our youth.
If they are not successful, than our
farms are not going to be that
successful,” says Weidenbenner.
Q4 2013 // Business Black Box
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WALTER MCKAY
PRESIDENT
SANDLER TRAINING
SALES
Ten years ago, I suffered from terrible insomnia (as if there is any other kind). One morning I
was leading a training class in Greenville and was barely able to function. As I staggered into
the very full training room, one attendee said loudly, in her very distinct southern accent:
“Walker, you look like Hayell!!”
(Do let me say: I have a well-deserved reputation for being direct and my clients often follow my cue.)
I thanked her for noticing and told her that I was really having a bad bout of insomnia.
“You should eat more fish!!!” she replied, loudly and insistently.I kept my emotions to myself,
chugged a cup of coffee, and went on to teach the class.
Two hours later, her comment, as well as my reaction to it, really stuck in my craw. Why had I gotten
so angry? She certainly had no ill will. In fact, she was actually trying to help. What was it about
that interaction that made me flip out, if only in my mind?
Then I got it. She didn’t understand the details of my issue. She hadn’t asked any questions, and
therefore she hadn’t learned enough about my insomnia yet to earn the right to solve my problem.
How often is our well meaning advice dismissed because we did not take the time to really understand?
IT’S ABOUT MORE THAN
JUST THE FISH
About the author...
All you do is help them figure
out what’s real. It’s not just a
business philosophy, it’s a life
mantra for Walker McKay.
Innately curious, disarmingly
honest, and—let’s just say
it-liable to say anything at
any time to any one—he’s a
trusted coach and mentor to
entrepreneurs and business
owners across the state.
Walker is a proud graduate of
Washington and Lee University.
Prior to serving as president of
Sandler Training, he worked in
commercial real estate, a career
choice for which he says he
was “wildly unprepared.” That
led to his interest in helping
other high achievers learn the
skills they need to effectively
navigate a business world in
which everything can become
a negotiation.
As salespeople, it is our job to fully explore and understand, to diagnose before we prescribe
a treatment.
Let’s suppose that the conversation had been instead:
Client: “Insomnia? Tell me more about that?”
Me: “I am stuck in this pattern of going to bed at 10:00 exhausted, then I wake up at 1:30 am like
a shot has gone off. I am then wide awake until 5:00 when I usually fall into a deep sleep until my
children wake up at 5:45.”
Client: “How long has this been going on?”
Me: “Six months, at least.”
Client: “Wow, that’s terrible. What have you tried to do about it?”
Me: “I bought a new mattress, went to my doctor, gave up caffeine after lunch, quit drinking alcohol
(for a couple of days), bought a bunch of relaxation CD’s, you name it.
Client: “What do you suppose that has cost you?”
Me: “Including lost productivity? Probably $50k.”
Client: “Couldn’t be that much…”
Me: “It’s probably more!”
Client: “This may sound like a stupid question, but does it impact you personally that you aren’t
sleeping well?”
Me: “It’s killing me. I am not sure how much longer I can take it.”
Client: “I am so sorry. Have you given up trying to fix it?”
Me: “I can’t. I just don’t know what else to do…
Client: “I have a friend with a similar condition who was told to eat more salmon because of the
Omega 3’s. Helped her considerably. You open to trying that?”
The message is the same: eat more fish. But this time the client earned the right to share her solution.
Had it happened that way, I’d probably have gone straight to the store and eaten salmon on my
drive home!
The point is this. Don’t rush in with a solution until you have earned the right to offer it. Then
instead of looking like an idiot, you’ll be on your way to a trusting relationship.
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BUSINESS BLACK BOX
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Tech Colleges
Realtors
Banks
Law Offices
Interior Designers
Financial Services Providers
Insurance/Benefits Providers
Art Galleries
Hotels
Software Solutions Providers
Thank you, but the
position has been filled.
In 2012, Business Black Box made the decision to offer category exclusivity to our advertising partners. Our
readers don’t want our pages filled with 60 percent advertising like those other publications. After all, isn’t
separating yourself from your competitors why you advertise in the first place?
So, we commit to you that:
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LESLIE HAYES
PRESIDENT & ORGANIZATIONAL COACH
THE HAYES APPROACH
HR
We’ve hit the fall of 2013, and The Season is nearly upon us! No, not football. I’m talking about
(insert drum roll here) Performance Appraisal Season. Someone must love performance
appraisals, but I have never met this person. Most entrepreneurs I know despise them and
most human resources managers I have worked with see them as a necessary but tedious
part of the workplace routine. The question I have is, “Why are we doing this to ourselves?”
In the last century, the U.S. workforce experienced times of truly horrible conditions, blatant
mistreatment and rampant overt and subtle abuse and exploitation. These events led to a series of
reforms and laws that now make the American work environment (while not perfect) among the best
in the world. But, in the words of writer Oscar Wilde, “No good deed goes unpunished.”
To comply with increasingly complicated and litigated rules, many companies have resorted
to lengthy and multipart performance systems that attempt to grade objectively work that, often,
does not fit easily into “good” and “bad” categories. At the same time, many small businesses have
decided to forego appraisals entirely as useless bureaucracy. The result is a workforce complaining
that feedback is poor, inaccurate or completely lacking, which results in floundering, unmotivated
employees and frustrated managers.
RETHINKING THE
PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL
About the author...
Professional Coach, Workplace
Educator, HR Consultant and
Author, Leslie Hayes has used
her Psychology degree from
Harvard University to spark
a diverse career. Beginning
as an abuse investigator and
counselor, Leslie transitioned
into Corporate HR, building
HR teams from the ground up.
The Hayes Approach, formed
in 2007, provides a platform
to assist clients large and
small in all areas of workplace
effectiveness and productivity.
Enter Generation Y, Facebook, Pinterest and email world of instant commentary (read
“feedback”)—plentiful, often uncensored and available at the “like” of a mouse click. Who wants
to wait for the annual performance appraisal ritual? Indeed, with shortening product cycles
and instant world-wide communication, how realistic is it to confine feedback to an annual
conversation? In an effective performance review, nothing is a surprise.
People need feedback. Laws are real and companies need to have sufficient documentation
for personnel actions—good or bad. Yet the majority of performance management systems are
infuriatingly inadequate at best and dangerous demotivating at worst! What’s an enlightened
employer to do? Based on two decades of work inside large and small companies across multiple
industries, I offer the following:
Have a plan for feedback conversations. Whether or not your company uses an official form
or appraisal system, establish a time for frank, individual conversations with your team members
about their successes, mistakes, lessons learned and future goals. Put these conversations on your
calendar at a minimum every four to six weeks, and keep the appointments.
Write something down. Once every week or two, take 10 minutes per team member to reflect.
What have they done well? What needs improvement? Where do they seem to want to learn
more? Record these thoughts in a notebook or electronic journal along with the date, and you
will be ready with concrete examples for your next conversation.
Use electronics to your advantage. Did someone do a great job? Send a quick email letting them
know it, or post a recommendation on their Linked In account regarding the terrific project they just
managed. A few honest words delivered in a timely way have remarkable impact.
Consider using shared work platforms where team members can post work, feedback, suggestions and
praise in real time. There are many platforms out there, but to get your creative juices flowing, take a look
at Sharepoint or Getworksimple.com for ideas.
Don’t give up! You will miss a scheduled meeting, forget to reflect on your team, recognize one team
member and somehow completely miss something another team member did. When this happens,
take a deep breath, apologize if appropriate and start again. The momentum you will build with honest,
consistent, frequent performance feedback is worth it.
78
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Real estate agents are feeling it, developers
are driving it and homebuyers are paying for it.
Real estate hot spots in residential, commercial
and industrial markets are popping up across the
Upstate. Some may not come as a surprise, driven
by major capital investments, but others have been
quietly simmering for years and only recently have
plans materialized, driving up market values and
creating a run on property.
Plans passing through area building permit
offices include proposals for mixed-use
development, major industrial projects and housing.
According to the Greenville Building Permits
office, approved construction permits totaled
in 2012. In the first seven months of 2013 that
number was already closing in on approximately
More than 500,000 square feet of retail space
is either under construction or recently completed
in the Greenville Spartanburg area. That has made
for the most active retail market in the last five
years. While growth is happening throughout the
Upstate, these seven areas are particularly active.
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This year alone, more than half a million
new square feet of retail space has been
added to the Upstate, with more than
one-fourth of it happening in one spot:
Woodruff Road.
The Magnolia Park development is adding an additional 140,000
square feet of retail space, according to CBRE Global Research
and Consulting, where a flagship of the development includes
Cabela’s, which is currently under construction and expected to be
completed next year.
Michael Hatcher, Vice President of Real Estate Development
for Tex-Mex chain Chuy’s, was behind the company’s decision to
locate on Woodruff Road.
“That area of town, right across from Magnolia Town Center,
is kind of a retail bulls-eye of Greenville,” says Hatcher. Beyond
looking at traffic counts, he says, the company pays special attention
to nearby businesses, since 40-percent of their sales happen during
lunch. “BMW, Michelin, Hubbell Lighting—those are all great
daytime drivers which we love,” he explains, “It was kind of a nobrainer
for us.”
It seems the only thing that will slow development on Woodruff
Road is the traffic, and Dan Hamilton, founding partner of Keller
Williams Realty Greenville-Upstate (and member of the South
Carolina House of Representatives), agrees. The Greenville-Pickens
Area Transportation Study, GPATS, presented a $27 million plan to
create a parallel route that gives drivers alternatives to the already
jammed Woodruff Road.
“That is going to be a linchpin for any further development in
2020 or 2025,” says Hamilton. “If things go the way they’re going
it will be worse than Atlanta.” But finding the funding for the
project may be tougher than scoring a parking spot at the Shops
at Greenridge in December. “There are plans on the books,” says
Hamilton, “and we have to figure out how to get it done.”
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In terms of the ability of a development
to impact our community, it doesn’t get
much bigger than the inland port project.
Some leaders have compared it to the arrival of BMW in the 1990s.
Although the South Carolina Port Authority purchased the 40-acre
plot off Highway 290 and J. Verne Smith Parkway in Greer more
than three decades ago, construction on the inland port didn’t begin
until earlier this year. Delayed by 58 rain days, the approximately
$45 million project was completed in October with the first cargo
arriving in mid-month. Containers from around the world shipped
to Charleston will be loaded onto a train and make the 212-mile
overnight journey to the Upstate.
According to the South Carolina Department of Commerce,
the state’s exports hit a record high of $25.3 billion in 2012, and
that number could continue to grow, according to Jim Newsome.
As President and CEO of the South Carolina Ports, Newsome says
development officials have fielded more than 150 inquires in the last
year from companies interested in locating to the area because of the
inland port development. Of those, nearly 30 have resulted in visits.
“The area surrounding the inland port is ideal for distribution,
e-commerce and export consolidation activities,” says Newsome.
As an example, BMW is already working on a $13.4 million
expansion in response to the project.
Carter Smith, Executive Vice President of Spartanburg’s
Economic Futures Group, says his development organization
isn’t back to pre-recessionary numbers in terms of project
traffic, but they’re close. And the inland port project could
make all the difference.
“It has generated a good amount of interest from
companies that move goods in from the port or companies
that have the opportunity to export product,” he says. “The
airport adds another dimension to the movement of goods
that a lot of communities don’t have.”

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“The West Greenville neighborhood
has the potential to be one of the City of
Greenville’s most desirable places to live,”
says the West Greenville Master Plan, created after a year-long series
of community meetings more than a decade ago. Bounded by the
Norfolk-Southern Railroad tracks to the north and less than a mile
west of the Central Business District, the area has yet to become one
of Greenville’s most coveted, but local artist Jim Gorman says it’s
getting there. When he set up his studio five years ago he says you’d
still see the occasional panhandler, and there were far more derelict
buildings than there are now. “It’s a really positive environment
down here,” he says, “It’s really an up and coming area.”
Dan Hamilton recently announced his company’s plan to invest
in West Greenville real estate., as they will move the Hamilton &
Co. Keller Williams office into part of a redevelopment project
on Academy and North Markley Street. For more than a decade
they’ve leased office space off Haywood road, but Hamilton says
attractive interest rates and burgeoning opportunity made this
the right time to move. “We’re planting our flag in West End of
Greenville,” says Hamilton, “We feel confident that’s a place to
invest our dollars.”
In the area, conversations are once again happening among
developers and city leaders to turn the Brandon Mill into
a mixed-use development complete with 173 apartments,
restaurants and even a much-needed grocery store, as the U.S.
Department of Agriculture has designated West Greenville
a food desert—a community without ready access to fresh,
healthy and affordable food. In the meantime, a mobile
market called Good to Go makes regular stops in the
neighborhood to sell residents fresh produce.
Then, there are business owners like Mandy
Blankenship, who located her business Shop-
Keep to Pendleton Street in 2012, as she and her
husband Joshua are hoping to buy and renovate a
mill house nearby. Blankenship says even though
the original artists located to the neighborhood a
dozen years ago, they’re still working hard to get
the word out about the area.
“I think we’ve been fighting an uphill battle
letting people know who we are,” she says. Local
business leaders recently rebranded the neighborhood,
once known as the Pendleton Arts District. It’s now
called The Village of West Greenville, paying homage
to the area’s mill village vibe, where rebranding
efforts included creating a logo and launching a
website, VillageofWestGreenville.com.
“I feel like there’s a beautiful history that’s
really rich to this area,” she says, “I want to see
things coming in that are going to be accessible
to everyone from the hipsters to the people who
are lower income.”
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What’s the most exciting thing happening in Spartanburg? For Mitch
Kennedy, Spartanburg’s Director of Community Services, it’s the
revitalization of the city’s Northside. “There’s so much anticipation
about the possibilities and what could happen,” says Kennedy.
Two years ago, conversations started about
transforming the area and now progress is
well under way.
This fall the city is starting construction on a “model block”—12
townhomes complete with updated lighting and fresh streetscape design
that puts the neighborhood’s potential on display. But the revamp of the
Northside won’t stop at housing. “You have to make sure you are addressing
all things that create sustainable communities,” says Kennedy, and that
includes components like education, recreation and jobs.
In 2011, the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine opened the
doors of its Carolina Campus on Howard Street. In 2012, nearby Cleveland
Elementary became the first elementary school in the state to try a yearround
curriculum. There are plans that include building a new community
center in the neighborhood—plans that leaders are hoping the momentum
of development will also attract new businesses.
In early 2014, the $1.6 million Healthy Food Hub will open its doors
on Howard Street, housing the Hub City’s Farmer’s Market, an urban farm,
community kitchen and more. The Healthy Food Hub will add 22 jobs,
with 17 workers coming from within the Northside neighborhood.
“I think it will be great for serving the residents,” says Liberty
Canzater, President and Founder of the Butterfly Foundation, which
initiated the project. “It will help the area from being a food desert by
giving fresh produce to the community.”
The city also hired Columbia Residential to create a master plan for
the community, which is expected to be complete in 2014, and plans
to pursue federal grants to fund much of the work. In the end,
Mitch Kennedy hopes to be one of the residents who call
the Northside home. “We envision a neighborhood
where the people who live there choose to
stay there,” he says, “and the people
who can live anywhere choose
to move there.”

Vardry McBee, known as the father of Greenville, was also known
to be generous. According to historical records, McBee gave his
son, Pinckney, 22 acres of land. The younger McBee built himself
a home there—the very first in what is now known as Hampton-
Pinckney, according to Greenville’s website. Hampton-Pinckney
was considered the first “trolley car” neighborhood in Greenville—
highly desirable because of the easy access to Main Street. But as the
city expanded, Hampton-Pinckney was no longer the place to be,
making way for decay and disrepair.
In recent years the historic neighborhood
has seen a renaissance, thanks to residents
like Haro Setian.
When Setian moved his family into a townhome near the
intersection of Mulberry and Pinckney in 2009, demand was
sluggish. Out of 14 townhomes constructed the year before, just
seven were occupied. While he says the neighborhood’s reputation
among long-time Greenville residents was not good, he saw an
area prime for investment. “People from Greenville frankly feared
the area,” he says, “They had perceptions that were untrue about it
being dangerous and crime-ridden.”
Setian, a real estate agent, owns four single-family homes and
one lot in Hampton-Pinckney with three other properties currently
under contract. He also leases office space in the neighborhood.
“I’ve put my money where my mouth is,” says Setian, who sees
increased potential with the city’s plans to create a massive public
park near the Kroc Center and develop Washington Street with
restaurants and retail. The city also purchased Green Plaza Shopping
Center at the corner of Pete Hollis Boulevard and Mulberry Street,
and is relocating current tenants that include ABC Bartending
School and Just Right Barber Shop. Then, they’ll demolish the strip
mall to make room for new development.
For homebuyers, Hampton-Pinckney offers the opportunity to
buy property for a fraction of the price of other neighborhoods that
surround downtown, but the good deals may be fleeting. “You can walk
downtown from North Main, but you’re going to be tuckered out by
the time you get there,” says Setian, “I can be there in 10 minutes.”
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Alesia Hunter, Anderson County Development Standards Manager,
says once-dormant Anderson County housing projects have begun to
pick back up, with the bulk of activity happening in Powdersville.
“It’s a beautiful area,” says Hunter. “We
have an influx of people who want to be in
that area.” And developers are responding
to that increase in demand.
Three new subdivisions have recently received phase-one approval,
which means ground could break before the end of the year. Sixtythree
new homes are proposed in an extension of Airy Springs off
of Highway 81 North called the Enclave. Forty-five lots are being
prepped for construction in the Ellison Plantation subdivision and
another 35 are in the works for James Lake.
Sally Ballentine, New Homes Specialist for Airy Springs, says the
Wren School District is a big draw for families, as is the convenient
location in between downtown Greenville and Anderson. “I live off
Woodruff Road and I appreciate the lack of congestion,” she says of
Powdersville. But despite the variety of choices home buyers have
for new construction, she believes Powdersville is transitioning to a
sellers’ market.
“We’re in a place now where buyers are having to change the
way they’re thinking,” she says, “You can’t just ask for everything
and get it for a song.”
Besides hundreds of new homes, a new YMCA is currently in
the works on Wyatt Road and Highway 81. Recently completed
projects include a new Walmart, CVS and a medical complex,
which is now “the busiest part of development we have,” says
Hunter. During the first seven months of 2013 county officials
issued 294 single-family home permits—poised to surpass
last year’s number of 369 and double the number of permits
issued in 2009 when just 195 new homes were constructed in
Anderson County.
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Homeowners have already been hard at
work in the North Main area, uncovering
the beauty of its historic homes through
painstaking restorations.
It’s hard to find a block that doesn’t show signs of a major renovation
project. Meanwhile, the nearby thoroughfare of Stone Avenue
hasn’t seen as much activity. But in as little as a year, Stone Avenue
is expected to change from being simply a downtown gateway to
having its own distinct character and community for the residents
of North Main.
According to the Stone Avenue Master Plan, 73,454 people live
within three miles of the intersection of North Main and Stone
Avenue. Yet, more than five acres of prime land at this corner sits
barely used. Many things have come and gone: a grocery store, a gas
station, residential homes and an auto service shop, to name a few.
But now it’s mostly just a few patches of concrete and a billboard.
That could change in 2014.
The Charleston-based The Beach Company is in the process
of buying the land and constructing a mixed-use development
complete with residential and retail. Dan Doyle, Vice President of
The Beach Company, says they’ve met with nearby residents and
will continue to gather their opinions throughout the process.
“We received great feedback and were very encouraged about
their support and excitement for seeing that site develop,” says
Doyle, who hopes to present plans to the planning commission this
fall. “I do believe it will be something that hopefully when we’re
done, everyone can look back and be proud of.”
A second mixed-use development is in the works for the corner
of Stone Avenue and Rowley. Plans include 1,600 square feet of
retail space on the ground level and 51 apartments above with a
rooftop deck, bike parking and a fire pit in the back. At Vannoy
and Stone Avenue, a new neighborhood restaurant called Universal
Joint is moving in. City officials say some landscaping, streetscape
and sewer improvements are also likely.

11 QUESTIONS
CHIP FELKEL
CEO
THE FELKEL GROUP
NAYEF
We have just completed the first half of the regular session of the 120th South Carolina
SAMHAT
General Assembly—a gathering fairly unremarkable, even by Columbia’s standard.
Sessions are two years long, with the Legislature meeting from the second Tuesday
in January through the first Tuesday in June, giving us one of the longest part-time
POLITICS
legislatures in the country. A two-year session means that if a bill is still alive in a committee, or not addressed
by both bodies, it can be carried over to the following year without technically having to be reintroduced.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at what they’ve been up to in Columbia since mid-January. (By the
time you read this, and with some luck, the Conference Committee will have agreed on provisions for the
President
creation of a Department of Administration (getting rid of the antiquated Budget and Control Board) that
WOFFORD COLLEGE will let our governor actually govern like a chief executive, and passed the much needed Ethics Reform.)
The Conference Committee did, in fact, agree on a budget. However, it did nothing about the way
state aircraft are used. Senators originally had sought to sell two state-owned aircraft following controversies
involving how legislators and governors have used the planes. They did, however, limit the use of the planes
by state universities for recruiting trips.
GETTING WHAT YOU WANT AND NEED
FROM S.C. GOVERNMENT
About the author...
Chip Felkel is a veteran public
affairs strategist, media
relations expert and advocacy
innovator with over two
decades of experience in the
State and National arenas.
Felkel’s extensive political
resume includes roles with
Campbell for Governor, the
South Carolina Republican
Party, the Republican National
Committee, as well as the 1988
Bush-Quayle
Campaign (Executive
Director, Georgia), DeMint
2002 Congressional Re-elect
(campaign manager) and in
strategic and communications
roles with Bush-Cheney 2000
and 2004. He also serves as
a political analyst for WYFF
(NBC).
The budget rejected $2 million that Senate Majority Leader Harvey Peeler (R-Cherokee) had
requested to set up a fund for victims of a 2011 amusement park train accident in Spartanburg that
injured 28 and killed one. Spartanburg County owns the train and, because of a state cap on payouts,
the injured, almost all children, had to split $600,000 to help cover their medical expenses. Education
received $26 million to expand the state’s four-year-old kindergarten program for at-risk children into
17 additional high-poverty school districts, and will now operate in 37 school districts. And, thankfully,
in a long overdue move, our roads will finally get some attention. The committee agreed to borrow
up to $500 million to fix the state’s interstates and primary roads, spend $41 million collected from
the half the sales tax on motor vehicles on the state’s secondary roads, and use another $50 million in
one-time surplus money on bridge replacement and rehabilitation (The State).
Another bill that is finally getting some decent traction in the Senate is one that will shorten the
Legislative Session. A shorter session not only could save tax dollars but also force the Legislature to
work more efficiently.
It did not pass this year, but a very big topic in next year’s race for governor between the incumbent
Governor Nikki Haley and her former and current challenger, Sen. Vincent Sheheen will be the
expansion or lack of expansion of Medicaid. She is against it; he is for it. Most of the House of
Representatives are against it, but many are taking a look at how we might offer a state-based solution
that would tackle the issue. These folks realize something must be done as it also affects our state’s
ability to successfully compete for economic development projects.
The data breach fiasco will also be a topic in 2014 as will the need for continued funding for free
credit monitoring for those affected (all of us). The question is: how long will the state cover that cost?
Will it be for another two years, or 10? That will likely depend on just how many instances of fraud
are reported that can be accurately attributed to the breach.
A very positive outcome of this session is the passage of the Angel Investor bill which provides tax
credits to those who invest in new ventures in S.C. These investments will go to assist in the funding
of start-ups which are approved through the Secretary of State’s office. This bill will go a long, long
way in promoting innovative ideas, and creating new jobs. Credit should go to Bill Wylie, the former
Upstate representative who championed the bill initially, and who passed away in 2010.
90
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11 QUESTIONS
[1] What was your first job?
For my first job, as a kid I carried out cases of soda pop
for customers at my dad’s pop shop in Warren, Michigan. I’d
carry a wooded case of 24 twelve-ounce bottles of pop and
get tips. A quarter or 50 cents was huge. And during holidays
like the Fourth of July, I could make $25 in tips. A fortune.
[2] What are some of the skills you developed
early, that you’ve found essential now?
I think the most important skill is to sit back and listen to what
people have to say, and to model civility. It is not often that
people all agree on the same thing at the same time. Creating
conditions for people to hear each other, respect various
perspectives and to engage in a civil dialogue, recognizing that
everyone is after the same thing—the best for the institution—
has been an important lesson and operating principle for me.
[3] What vision do you promote for your
staff, and how do you get them to tap into it?
Higher education institutions are unique in their commitment
to shared governance. Everyone I talk to feels a deep sense of
commitment and loyalty to Wofford. So, several things come
to mind. Invest the community in the creation of a vision of
Wofford, listen to them and their aspirations, create channels
of communication through shared governance, and be direct
with everyone—trust them as I want to be trusted.
[4] What’s your most difficult responsibility,
and how do you deal with it?
I think the most significant responsibility that one has leading
an organization is responsibility for all those who work for the
organization. Decisions that one makes impact the livelihood of
others, so they—decisions—individually and collectively must be
made with great care. Importantly, decisions that advance the best
interest and mission of the institution, educating and transforming
the lives of young women and men, will most effectively ensure
and sustain all of those associated with the institution.
[5] What do you struggle with?
I am not sure “struggle” is the right word, but a great
challenge at the moment is managing time and tasks. There is
good reason to use a phrase like “drinking water from a fire
hose” when starting a new position. There is a lot to learn,
and one must pace oneself and understand that there is time
enough ahead to do the things that one wants and feels need
to be done.
[6] What is one of your favorite hobbies?
I enjoy cooking. It is relaxing, creative, it involves a variety
of skills, and I can realize great fulfilment in eating the end
result… assuming it turns out well.
[7] What was your biggest failure as a
professional and how did you recover?
I think a better approach is to reflect on learning opportunities
I have had. For example, early in my administrative career I
can think of a decision or two that was made quickly, perhaps
too quickly. Ultimately, I believe the decisions were right,
but I probably could have laid the groundwork a little better.
Now when you make a mistake, I believe it is necessary to
acknowledge it, take ownership, and change direction. No one
benefits from heading down the wrong road.
[8] If you could be in any career other than
academics, what would it be and why?
This may sound corny, but I am a great football fan. I’d love
to coach. But it is much easier to be an armchair coach….
[9] What is one challenge you are currently
working to overcome?
The opportunity before us at Wofford is to harness the energy
and enthusiasm to take a great institution to even greater
heights. Mobilizing students, faculty, staff, administrators,
alumni and friends of the college to imagine what Wofford can
be in the future is an opportunity that does not come around
often. When it does, we must take advantage of the moment.
[10] What is your vision for Wofford College?
Wofford will distinguish itself as an institution defined by
excellence in all of its dimensions—from the curricular and
co-curricular learning that students will experience, to the
support and services provided by members of the community.
And Wofford will distinguish itself as an institution that
truly transforms the lives of students, creating for them new
horizons of ideas and opportunities in their lives that they
never before imagined possible when they arrived.
[11] You have extensive background in
international relations, especially regarding
the Middle East. What is the one thing you
want people to understand about our current
international standings in the world?
I think it is important to realize that no matter what we
may think and feel about our place in the world, American
leadership has been complex and at times contradictory.
The impact of our role in the world has often been felt
and perceived by people whose experiences and history is
considerably different than our own. We would benefit from
putting ourselves in the position of others, to understand their
perceptions, hopes and dreams, which more often than we
might imagine are closely aligned with our own. We should
never forget that the U.S. is the most powerful nation in
the world, and so every interaction, every policy, around the
world is defined by an unequal power relationship between
us and others.
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91

SPEED PITCH
WILL
SHURTZ
VAGABOND BARISTA
THE PITCH:
I started Vagabond Barista about a year and a half ago when I was 19 years old. At the time, I was working in
a coffee shop and had recently realized that the coffee industry was the industry for me. It is full of art, culture
and influence, and it is all about people! I had about a year of experience in the specialty coffee industry, but I
knew I wanted to share the incredible culture of craft coffee with everybody I could and break the pretentious
stereotype so many people have associated with coffee professionals. I learned that coffee can be enjoyed in the
same way wine connoisseurs enjoyed wine.
Vagabond Barista does not have a brick and mortar location. All I do is travel, from wedding parties to business
meetings, small gatherings to festivals with foot traffic in the thousands—as far as clients need me to travel.
I have my craft brewing equipment, my glassware, and hopefully an engaging personality and all I ask for is a
water supply, electricity, and table space (although I could muster up a table if need be). After the event, I pack
up all my belongings and head out. Vagabond Barista is a traveling coffee brew bar sharing good coffee and
good experiences with as many people as possible.
I wanted to reach people where they were and give them a stunning coffee experience, as well as an incredible
relational experience. Also, I wanted to spread the word of this new coffee culture and of good community
among people. So that is Vagabond Barista, a traveling craft coffee brewing bar.
Photo by Wayne Culpepper/FishEye Studios

SPEED PITCH
THE FEEDBACK:
You don’t need to look very far to know that
coffee is big business. There’s a shop on every
corner and the U.S. consumes about three billion
pounds of coffee annually. So, demand for
coffee—especially high-end coffee—is strong.
The way I see it, your long-term success depends
on two key factors: quality and scalability. Your
quality is excellent (I’ve had the pleasure of
experiencing the Vagabond Barista first hand)
and your passion for coffee is evident. Your
presentation is engaging, unique and draws
crowds. From my perspective you’ve got that
piece nailed.
The issue you need to address is scale. One person
traveling from site to site is great for a hobby, but
not for a business. Going solo limits you to one
event or customer at a time. And since you craft
each cup of coffee with painstaking care, you
can’t produce a very large quantity at any one
event. If you can’t scale your business it will not
survive over time.
I would consider ways to increase the number of
people who can experience the Vagabond Barista
at any given time. How? You might consider hiring
and teaching others to do what you do. Think
of an ‘army’ of Vagabonds. A dozen Vagabond
Baristas working simultaneously will smooth the
impact of any one barista doing poorly, getting
sick, etc. Longer term, what about franchising?
The point is that if you aren’t able to scale you will
never grow and you might not be able to sustain
what you have now.
SCOTT COCHRAN
Dean, The Space
Wofford
The pitch well defines an interesting life style;
have some great conversation about a topic
that is as broad as you would like to make
it, great refreshment, make a few dollars...
whoops! A few dollars may not be enough. As
traveling consultant you’ll have limited time
for focused marketing / selling and responding
to inquiries. Good word of mouth advertising
from a cool experience will be likely, but that
may not be enough. Think about including
a comment about a small commission for
productive leads to the next gig.
One difficult issue with a single person
business is that stuff happens in life. If you
are out of commission for a time, there is no
income? Consider addressing an opportunity
to take on a working partner or two.
You might want to add some thought to the
business and the pitch regarding availability
of a “special, take-home premium brand” both
on-site and at your web page, to build an
opportunity for a residual revenue stream that
continues after the event.
Last thought in the pitch is let folks know you
have sewn-up the brand and that it is growing
(during the recent year sales went from here
to there..show something about projected
revenue /growth).
GREG HILLMAN
Director
SC Launch
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Q4 2013 // Business Black Box
93

EVELYN LUGO
FOUNDER & PRESIDENT
SCHCC
EN ESPAÑOL
Una cámara de comercio es una forma de red de comercio. Los dueños de comercios y
empresas de una región forman estas sociedades locales para proteger sus propios intereses. Los
empresarios locales son miembros, y eligen un cuerpo ejecutivo para hacer funcionar la cámara.
Son organismos extendidos por todo el mundo, usualmente regulados por ley.
En los Estados Unidos, las cámaras de comercio son entes jurídicos de gran poder e importantes para el
desarrollo y crecimiento de los empresarios. Las cámaras de comercio son entidades sin fines de lucro que
desarrollan programas de educación, velan por las políticas públicas que afectan el sector empresarial y a
diferencia de nuestros países latinoamericanos, no son regidas por el gobierno.
Encontramos unas 200 cámaras de comercio hispanas en los Estados Unidos. En el estado de California
existen unas 40, y le sigue Nueva York con 30, Texas con 17 y la Florida con 10. Estos mercados son
tradicionalmente hispanos y la actividad comercial y de negocios ha conducido al desarrollo de éstas.
En la Cámara de Comercio Hispana de Carolina del Sur es nuestro derrotero el servir a nuestra comunidad,
reconociendo la necesidad de educar y apoyar al empresario. En nuestros seís años de existencia hemos
desarrollado el “Entrepreneur Empowerment Series” que se ofrece en ambos idiomas (español e inglés). Esta
serie basada en módulos, se ha llevado a las ciudades de Columbia y Charleston. Al igual que a Greenville, SC.
UNA ORGANIZACIÓN HISPANA
PARA TODOS
About the author...
Evelyn Lugo is the founder and
President of the South Carolina
Hispanic Chamber of
Commerce (SCHCC). With
a background in business
administration, Ms. Lugo
obtained additional experience
in working with corporations
such as Eastman Kodak,
Abbot Pharmaceutical and
3M. Her motivation is to help
entrepreneurs, identify business
growth opportunities, and help
others to overcome
challenges during their business
development.
The South Carolina Hispanic
Chamber of Commerce was
incorporated in August 2007
and designated a 501(c)6 nonprofi
organization in June 2009
by the IRS.
Reconocemos la importancia de las redes comerciales y ofrecemos reuniones trimestrales, ya sean en conjunto
con otras cámaras o grupos, dirigidas a conectar individuos y negocios.
En el sector público colaboramos con el Departamento del Trabajo, la Comisión para Asuntos de las
Minorías, el Departamento de Rentas Internas, el Departamento de Rehabilitación del Empleado y nuestro
propósito principal es el conectar sus servicios con el mercado hispano.
Este año 2013 ha sido uno de mucho trabajo y continuo crecimiento. Nuestro sitio en la Internet, el
“Weekly-Connection” y “Newsletter” se han convertido en un instrumento importante de comunicación e
información para miembros y no-miembros por igual. Hemos estrechado los lazos de comunicación con los
oficiales electos, tanto a nivel local, estatal y federal. En estos momentos estamos en el proceso de solidificar
un acuerdo importante con la Cámara de Comercio de Cali, Columbia siendo este el comienzo de nuestro
enfoque en el desarrollo de relaciones con cámaras de comercio en Latinoamérica.
Desde el 2009 celebramos nuestro cierre de año con una gala corporativa, un evento que nos permite
hacer un recuento del año que pasó y la oportunidad de mirar hacia el comienzo del próximo con optimismo
y renovadas fuerzas.
La Cámara de Comercio Hispana de Carolina del Sur (SCHCC) es una organización sin fines de lucro,
fundada e incorporada en el 2007 y designada 501(c)6 por el Departamento de Rentas Internas de los Estados
Unidos. Nuestra misión es el educar y apoyar a los empresarios en el desarrollo de sus negocios. Si necesita
más información o desea ser parte de esta organización, favor de comunicarse al (864)643-7261 o visite
nuestra página en la Internet www.schcc.org.
94
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95

WHAT MATTERS
MARC BOLICK
PRESIDENT
DMARC8 INTERNATIONAL
For more from Business Black Box visit insideblackbox.com
Jobs. Even putting Ashton Kutcher aside, it has
become a buzzword recently. We People are looking have been through some hard times, and the U.S. economy still has a long way to
for jobs, employment rollercoasters up and down go to full recovery. With bad economic news still dripping in from many corners of
and businesses are having hard times filling certain the world, you might wonder if there’s such a thing as the American dream any more.
gaps in their workforces.
And yet…the economy is recovering and things are starting to feel a bit more
Fortunately, John Baker normal. has had The first-hand interesting thing is, there are some good reasons to be optimistic that the American
experience working both with dream employers will come and back stronger than ever.
GLOBAL
job seekers in the market. Baker Consider is the director what of the U.S. has going for it:
Greenville Works, an organization • was The born American from dollar is still the world’s reserve currency of choice. This makes our earnings
a partnership of several other organizations go further that in purchasing foreign goods and services, not to mention keeping our government
wanted to unite corporations and help running them work on vapors for longer than most.
in tandem to create a better workforce. • We speak English, still the language of choice for most business transactions. Oh, and a growing
According to John, there was no part shortage of our of population is truly bi-lingual, speaking Spanish fluently, the second most widely
entry level applicants for available jobs, spoken but there language on the planet behind Mandarin (English is third, by the way).
was an enormous need for next level • employment,
The U.S. economy is still roughly 2.5 times the size of our nearest competitor, China, on a
such as machinists, general technicians, GDP basis. and We are the second largest exporter behind the Euro area countries (on a country
chemical operators.
basis, we are the first ahead of China).
From businesses searching such “next level”
employees, Baker says, “the biggest response by far
was the inability to find a qualified workforce.”
WE In 2011, CAN Greenville Works SHARE was given money by THE AMERICAN
the National Fund for Workforce Solutions, and by
combining it with other raised capital, they began
DREAM
sector-specific training programs to take entrylevel
job seekers and shepherd them through a
program, all in order to create a worker who will
be willing to climb employment ladders. • In terms of natural resources, the shale gas revolution has pushed the U.S. to become the top
“We created a four-tier career ladder,” natural he gas says. producer in the world. That, combined with being third in oil production and
“We made it generic because we want second to show in job coal production, puts the U.S. in a position of energy competitiveness that many
About the author...
seekers out there ‘this is the path you go.’” could have barely imagined just five years ago.
Marc Today, Bolick these replanted classes his are going So, strong what and does are all this have to do with sharing the American dream? Just two weeks after taking
taking workers up the ladders. power, Ideally, the new says, leader “we of our biggest global competitor, Xi Jinping, began openly talking about what
living want in people Europe that for 13 are years. committed he and referred willing to to as go “the Chinese dream.” Like many slogans in one-party China, there are nuances
back and get training and move in up what a step.” is meant by the Chinese dream; anything from military superiority (nationalists), to more
product and service creation
By doing this, the program economic creates freedom another, (the wealthy middle-class).
for companies ranging from
less risky alternative to hiring an Should employee we feel from threatened by this Chinese dream? Perhaps we should be wary, but it is likely that
Fortune 100 multi-nationals
the Chinese dream is more about a country aspiring to better things for its people, than tyrannical
to somewhere mid-sized European else in the firms country, which has inherent
to risks startups. to it For such the as past culture nine assimilation world domination. or real estate It’s a dream of prosperity and a better life for future generations.
difficulties. years he has By run creating Dmarc8 a better That kind brings of worker us back to the current state of America, to the fact that, if you are reading this, you
from within companies, businesses likely can live improve and work the in the United States, and you enjoy an immeasurable level of fortune just by
that quality helps of clients life for to qualify, those who may virtue not of being have many part of this dynamic and vibrant society. You have plenty of room to dream, and there’s
other chances.
no reason to be threatened by other people’s dreams.
What growth Greenville strategies. Works is doing The U.S. is sits a new in a historically pivotal position, and there are many sound reasons to think that we
approach to solving what is probably will fully the recover number from the Great Recession reinvigorated and stronger than ever.
one problem in workforce development. The American They dream is alive and well. It’s also something that is “open source,” an idea, and we
work in the middle between should employers, be happy finding for it to spread and inspire others to more prosperous futures.
out what they need, and with employees, giving
them opportunities to work and improve their
own quality of life.
“It’s not just about showing up, you have to
change your life, your attitude, your aspirations and
your goals and you have to be willing to go to that
next step.”
native roots in Greenville after
He has worked in all aspects of
International, a consulting firm
plan and implement innovative
Photo by Wayne Culpepper/FishEye Studios
96
Q4 2013 // Business Black Box
For more on this topic visit InsideBlackBox.com/global

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