JUNE 2025 | THE HILL INSTITUTE NEWSROOM | |
This June, we launched our first-ever Innovation Academy, a high-intensity, real-world immersion into the world of startups, innovation, and leadership — all designed for rising high school juniors and seniors. What unfolded over five days wasn’t just a camp, it was a transformational journey.
Our inaugural cohort of students stepped onto Furman’s campus with early-stage ideas. By week’s end, they had real ventures, viable business models, tested value propositions, professionally produced commercials, and the experience of pitching to actual investors. It was intense, challenging, and unforgettable.
Unlike a typical program, this wasn’t theoretical or lecture-heavy. Each day followed an 80/20 model: 80% hands-on venture work, team collaboration, real-time problem-solving, and direct engagement with industry experts. The remaining 20% featured curated instruction, foundational insights, and one-on-one coaching — all delivered by a powerhouse lineup of industry professionals.
Take a look below to see how eight students from The Mount Vernon School in Atlanta turned their ideas into startups (and had a blast doing it).
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DAY 1 | DESIGN THINKING & MAIN STREET PITCHING
Students kicked off the week at Michelin’s North American Innovation Lab, working alongside senior innovation leaders in a design thinking sprint. In the afternoon, each cofounder team took their rough venture ideas and hit Main Street with the South Carolina Research Authority, tasked with pitching strangers for $1 investments. A total of $50 was raised in under 20 minutes. Real stakes. Real feedback. Real learning.
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DAY 2 | LEAN STARTUP & MARKET RESEARCH
The cohort joined forces with EY Consulting for a rigorous session on market research, customer segmentation, competitive analysis, MVP design, and go-to-market planning. Teams presented their revised models for feedback and prepared for a peer review that led to major pivots for most ventures.
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DAY 3 | LEGAL, LEADERSHIP, & PERSONALITY MATCHING
Students explored legal frameworks for launching a business with attorneys from Kim, Lahey & Killough Law Firm, then shifted into values-based leadership and team communication. By Design Advisors delivered a personalized session built around DISC and Working Genius assessments, helping students understand their work styles and startup leadership profiles.
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DAY 4 | MARKETING & BRAND STORYTELLING
Branding took center stage with Jami Mullikin from Wonder guiding students through StoryBrand principles. By lunch, each team had a 30-second customer-centric pitch ready. In the afternoon, students traveled to 9/8 Central Studios, where Emmy-winning directors helped them film their startup commercials in a high-energy studio shoot.
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DAY 5 | VENTURE CAPITAL & FINAL SHOWCASE
The final day brought it all together with VentureSouth leading a seminar on investment capital, due diligence, valuations, and cap tables. Students met directly with managing partners, received feedback on their ventures, and gave their final investor pitches at Furman 101. The day concluded with a private awards dinner at Scoundrel, where students, mentors, parents and guests celebrated their accomplishments.
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IT WASN'T ALL JUST BUSINESS….
Between a campus-wide scavenger hunt, night-time volleyball tournaments, team dinners, a pool party at President Davis’s home, and late-night laughs in the dorms, the cohort didn’t just work together, they bonded. They built trust. They learned to lead and follow, pivot and persist, listen and speak up. And those lessons will carry far beyond the boardroom.
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THANK YOU TO OUR PROGRAM PARTNERS
Michelin Innovation Lab, SCRA, EY, Wonder, By Design Advisors, 9/8 Central Studios, VentureSouth, Curiate, Jenno Co., Kim, Lahey & Killough, ChartSpan, Abundance Capital, Founderville, and NextGEN.
🚀 You helped turn a pilot into a powerhouse. Thank you for believing in the next generation of innovators.
The Innovation Academy wasn’t just about launching ideas — it was about launching the future.
Want to support or mentor next year's cohort? Let’s build what’s next — together.
👉 Email us to get involved.
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GVL Starts | Fall 2025
This transformational 9-week experience will include mentoring from successful local entrepreneurs and business owners, coaching from experienced design thinkers, instruction from distinguished university faculty, and an investor community that’s engaged and committed to supporting aspiring entrepreneurs and business owners. Hurry, applications close July 31!
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Clemens Angel Analyst Fellowship | Fall 2025
We’re proud to share that this year’s Clemens Angel Analyst Fellowship cohort is officially full! Interest in this one-of-a-kind experience continues to grow, and we’re excited to welcome a stellar group of student investors. If you’d like to be added to the waitlist, please email innovation@furman.edu.
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SUDsGVL (Startup Drinks)
Lefty's West End Tavern | 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Hosted by NextGEN, SUDsGVL, or StartupDrinks is an unstructured networking event is open to entrepreneurs, ecosystem allies, and all community members of the #StartupGVL ecosystem. The first drink is Free!
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Flywheel: Community Day
Flywheel Greenville | 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
We invite you to join us for a Community Day with our Flywheel partners! Free coworking and while you're here, enjoy a You're So Fly member lunch. It's a day to see how Flywheel coworking can help you be more productive in your work, more connected in your community, and accelerate your business.
| | | WE ARE THANKFUL FOR OUR COMMUNITY COLLABORATORS | | |
Our operations are fully supported by generous donors and program sponsors. Please consider donating today to support our mission of creating innovative and entrepreneurially minded leaders at Furman and in the Upstate.
Interested in sponsorship opportunities?
Please email Innovation@Furman.edu
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