NOVEMBER 2025 | THE HILL INSTITUTE NEWSROOM

Momentum builds when people, ideas, and communities rise together. Across Greenville and on campus, our team saw this concept take shape in some powerful ways over the past month.

We opened the month with Advantage Greenville, where private, public, and academic leaders gathered to explore how entrepreneurship is driving our next economy. Later, we celebrated our Fall 2025 Clemens Angel Analysts - the largest group of graduates we've ever had. And toward the end of the month, I had the opportunity to speak at TEDx Unity Park, sharing why innovation and entrepreneurship thrive when potential is recognized and supported at the community level.

As we look ahead, we're already gearing up for the 2026 Rinker Paladin Pitch Competition, Furman's Next Big Idea, and so much more. I hope you’ll help us spread the word as we continue building this momentum.

Thank you for your support and for being part of the Hill Institute community!

Onward together,

Bryan Davis

Executive Director

THIS MONTH'S HIGHLIGHTS

ADVANTAGE GREENVILLE | BUILDING GREENVILLE'S NEXT ECONOMY

Advantage Greenville returned with an energizing conversation on the forces shaping our region’s next economy. Greenville City Councilman, John DeWorken, opened the morning with a keynote on Greenville’s momentum, the role of entrepreneurship in local policy, and the collaborative spirit driving the Upstate’s growth.

He later joined investor, Shay Houser, and startup founder, Karly Cunningham, for a panel moderated by our very own Dr. Steve Stewart, exploring how public leadership, early-stage investment, and small-business innovation converge to fuel Greenville’s trajectory. The conversation closed with a powerful reminder from Karly Cunningham, founder of Good Dogs of Greenville and recent GVL Starts winner:

“You’re two handshakes away from whatever you need here.”

— Karly Cunningham, Good Dogs of Greenville

Her insight captured the spirit of this installment of Advantage Greenville, underscoring that connection, collaboration, and a willingness to lift others remain at the core of our community’s progress.

CLEMENS ANGEL ANALYST FELLOWSHIP | FALL 2025 GRADUATES

We were proud to celebrate the Fall 2025 Clemens Angel Analyst Fellowship graduates, an outstanding cohort of 25 students, representing 8 countries and 13 majors. Their diverse perspectives elevated every diligence memo and investment discussion throughout the semester.

Fellows concluded the program by delivering their final due-diligence presentations to the VentureSouth team, offering clear, well-researched recommendations on a real company seeking investment. Their professionalism and analytical strength reflected the high bar this fellowship continues to set.

We’re excited to welcome them into the Clemens Angel Analyst Fellows Alumni Network as they continue shaping impact beyond the Hill Institute.

BRYAN DAVIS AT TEDX UNITY PARK | MOMENTUM

This month, our Executive Director, Bryan Davis, took the stage at TEDx Unity Park for the Momentum event, offering a powerful message on what it takes to design ecosystems where people and ideas can truly rise.

In his talk, Bryan challenged the audience to rethink how potential shows up in communities like ours, noting, “Every one of us is prone to underestimate our potential and the power of where we already are…but what if the next big thing already has our fingerprints all over it?”

He spoke to Greenville’s growing role on the national stage, and why the Southeast is no longer being viewed as an “emerging” market. As Bryan shared, “Founders, investors, families…are no longer viewing the Southeast as secondary. It’s the market. And it makes sense, we have all three forms of capital clicking on all cylinders here: intellectual, social, and financial.”

His message reflected Furman’s place as an academic catalyst in this momentum and the importance of building ecosystems shaped by community-centered entrepreneurship. We look forward to sharing his full talk once the recording becomes available.

OPEN APPLICATIONS

UPCOMING EVENTS

WE ARE THANKFUL FOR OUR COMMUNITY COLLABORATORS