Ten at the Top Upstate News
November 1, 2021 | Volume 12, Issue 11
Join Us November 17th for the
Annual TATT Celebrating Successes
Program & Lunch Reception
Join Ten at the Top for our 11th Annual Celebrating Successes Event as we recognize businesses, organizations and individuals who are helping make the Upstate a leading place to live, learn, do business and raise a family.

During the event program, five finalists for the 2021 Hughes Investments Elevate Upstate Vibrancy Grants will make their grant presentations. We will also be honoring two award recipients for the Burdette Leadership Award and the Welling Award for Regional Collaboration.

After the conclusion of program, we will have a reception for attendees to enjoy lunch and refreshments while networking.
Schedule:
  • 10:00–10:30 am Opening Registration
  • 10:30 am –12:00 pm Event Program (To include both Elevate Upstate Grant Presentations and Award Presentations)
  • 12:00 –1:00 pm Lunch Reception

Individual tickets for the event are $20 and can be purchased through this link. If your organization is a current TATT Funding Partner you should have received information regarding your complimentary tickets.
Finalists Named for 2021 Hughes Investments Elevate Upstate Vibrancy Grants
After not awarding the Hughes Investments Elevate Upstate Grants in 2020 due to the pandemic, we were excited to receive 19 outstanding applications for the 2021 grants. From that group, five applications have been chosen as the 2021 finalists. The five finalists will each make a five-minute presentation and the two $5,000 grant recipients will be announced during Ten at the Top's Annual Celebrating Successes event on November 17th.

The five finalists (including brief summaries of their proposed project) are below:

Artisanal Anderson – United Way of Anderson (Anderson)
Artisanal Anderson will be held late summer, early fall of 2022 and will showcase the many home-grown delicacies Anderson has to offer. It will be a night for many to enjoy a multi-course meal with ingredients from all around Anderson County. There will be local musicians and artisans showcasing their work as well. With a venue of the eclectic downtown Electric City, long tables and rows of chairs will adorn Main Street. A vibrant night of remarkable food, good music, and a number of home-grown products will surely invite all to bask in the light that is the city of Anderson.

Belton’s Downtown Sounds – City of Belton (Belton)
Downtown Sounds will combine music and food trucks 4 times during the summer of 2022 to bring residents and people from surrounding communities to downtown Belton.  The lively bands and variety of food trucks will create a sense of fun and vibrancy. It will offer an opportunity for people to get out of their houses and enjoy one another’s company in a festive atmosphere. People will have fun with neighbors and have a chance to meet new people and tell them all the remarkable things about their city.

Concerts at Conestee: A May Music Series in the Preserve – Conestee Nature Preserve (Greenville)
We are the most accessible greenspace of our kind in the area, only 6 miles from downtown Greenville, and we offer a unique opportunity to residents of the Upstate: the ability to socialize with friends, neighbors and family through fun programs and events, all while being immersed in the wildest, most natural part of Greenville County. Our new approach to community engagement, adding fun and intriguing events in the Preserve, will only add to the vibrancy of our closest cities (Greenville, Mauldin, Simpsonville, etc.). In May 2022, we want to host a music series that will occur every Thursday evening (5:30 - 7:30 p.m.). The concerts will take place in our "amphitheater", an area of tiered seating that overlooks the "lake" in Conestee Nature Preserve. This location was made for performances, the visuals are stunning, and it is easily accessed from the parking lots in Conestee Park. Food and alcohol will be available for purchase from a food truck and beer/wine vendor. We expect capacity in the space to be roughly 100 people, and admission to the event will be free.

Italian-American Festival – Italian American Club of Greater Greenville (Simpsonville)
The project is designed to share and expand the Italian Culture in the Upstate with a one-day Italian Street Festival. The Festival will be held in the town of Fountain Inn on Main Street. It will include food and drink vendors, craft vendors, live music, dancing, and carnival rides. The area will be decorated with appropriate Italian décor to set the tone and atmosphere.

Let’s Take a Walk -Honea Path Planning Committee (Honea Path)
The Honea Path Planning Committee’s new project, “Let’s Take a Walk”, will reintroduce citizens and those from surrounding communities to downtown Honea Path. Our walks include a Spring Honey Walk to coincide with the Honey Sop Festival. The Summer Beer Walk will coincide with the 4th of July Celebration. The Fall Wine Walk will be coordinated with the Fall Festival. The Winter Walk will be coordinated with the Christmas Tree Lighting.
October Workshop Summaries
Ten at the Top hosted several virtual and in-person workshops in October. Below are summaries from those sessions. You can also watch videos of the virtual workshops on the TATT YouTube Channel.

October 7- Mastering Hard Conversations – How to Talk While Networking: Conversations to Best Explain Your Business
The Upstate Entrepreneur Ecosystem gathering via Zoom to participate in the third of a partner series on having hard conversations. Sara Carter, Program Coordinator from CommunityWorks Women’s Business Center, led the conversation with LeKesa Whitner of Start:Me Spartanburg and entrepreneur Tamika Thompson. LeKesa hears pitches and stories from many business owners, so she has a great perspective on how to stand out. Tamika is the owner of Beyond this February, a Black women owned independent bookstore that prioritizes Black stories year-round. Tamika has been a finalist in the Start:Me and Leap program.
Watch a recording of the event here.

October 12 - Greer Development Corporation and the Platform at Greer
The Upstate Entrepreneur Ecosystem met at Greer City Hall to hear from Reno Deaton of Greer Development Corporation about how Greer incorporates entrepreneurship into their economic development plan, and The Platform at Greer promotes a culture of entrepreneurism to help local business owners start and grow their business. The Platform at Greer offers several programs for entrepreneurs; Ignite Greer, Business/Entrepreneur Bootcamp, Business Huddle, and Business Summits.

October 21 - How to Talk About Problems; Conversations to Clearly Explain Issues and Solicit Feedback
The fourth in the UEE partner series on hard conversations was a panel moderated by Erin Ouzts, Director of the Upstate Entrepreneur Ecosystem with panelists:
  • Chris Jefferson, Co-founder, B.A.R.S. Academy + Elephnt Group LLC
  • Terrance Hawes, Co-founder, B.A.R.S. Academy + Elephnt Group LLC
  • Chelsea Rikard, Partner, A Business Law Firm
  • Stephanie Acker, Chief Experience Designer, Design the Experience & The Marketing Mastered
  • Caroline Gaddis, Business Education and Event Manager, City of Anderson
Panelists shared how they managed hard conversations with partners, employees, and in businesses relationships. Remaining flexible in the face of hardship, open and honest communication internally and externally, and trust and integrity are key.
Watch a recording of the event here.
Law Enforcement and Community Leaders Discuss Key Public Safety Topics in Beyond the Shield Workshops
The Creating a Safer Upstate Committee will be hosting a pair of "Beyond the Shield" virtual workshops in November.

The November 2nd session will be from 3:30-4:30 pm and focused on the topic of Recruitment, Retention & Training.

The law enforcement panelists will be:
  • Chief Howie Thompson, Greenville Police Department
  • Chief Matt Hamby, Greer Police Department
  • Chief TJ Chaudoin, Greenwood Police Department

The workshop is free, but you must register to receive the login details.


On November 30th, the format for the workshop will flip as we will initially hear from Community Leaders about public safety issues within their communities. There will then be a panel of law enforcement officers to participate in a discussion around the various issues.The participants for this workshop are still being finalized.

The virtual workshop on November 30th will be held from 6:00-7:30 pm. The workshop is free, but you must register to receive the login details.

Have Time for a Chat?
While we have not been able to connect in-person as much over the last year as we would like, TATT is still making sure we can stay connected virtually through our regular TATT CHATs.

The next TATT CHAT is scheduled for November 4th with Scott Carr from GSP International Airport providing an update on the airport as they prepare for the holiday season.

Below is the upcoming schedule:

November 4: GSP International Airport Update
Guest Speaker: Scott Carr, VP, Commercial Business & Communications, GSP Airport District

You can see the upcoming TATT CHAT schedule and watch previous chats on the TATT CHAT page.
Creating a Safer Upstate & Tri-County Technical College Hosting In-Person Workshop on Community Safety in Anderson County
A community forum for Anderson County residents and law enforcement officials will take place Monday, November 15, 5:30-7 p.m., at Tri-County Technical College’s Anderson campus located at 511 Michelin Boulevard. The forum is an outgrowth of Ten at the Top’s Creating a Safer Upstate initiative, which seeks to provide opportunities for law enforcement and the community to convene to discuss community issues and emerging law enforcement topics.
 
The Anderson forum is the first in a series of community forums being planned across the 10-county Upstate region. 

The November 15 community forum is open to all Anderson County residents. Registration is not required but is highly encouraged. To register, visit tctc.edu/forum.

Check Out Upstate Resources
Leadership Level Partners
Ten at the Top is fortunate to have many great funding supporters and appreciate all who help ensure the current and future success of the organization. Our highest partnership level is the Leadership Level, with companies or organizations investing $10,000 or more annually to support TATT.
Support Ten at the Top
Ten at the Top funding partners and event sponsors are the backbone of the organization.

If your company or organization is not already a TATT partner, we invite you to join us. Here is a direct link to partnership opportunities for 2021 and the 2021 Commitment Form.

In addition, TATT is continuing to accept support for our Ignition Fund Campaign. This effort is a long-term funding program designed to help TATT to continue to ignite initiatives across the Upstate. Click Here for more details.

If you have questions about TATT partnership and sponsorship opportunities or would like to set up a personal meeting, please contact Dean Hybl for questions or more information.
Ten at the Top is a regional non-profit organization with the mission of fostering collaboration and partnerships across the Upstate around issues that impact economic vitality and quality of life.
Ten at the Top | 864-283-0346 | info@tenatthetop.org| www.tenatthetop.org