Events

For startup founders, mastering enterprise sales is key to driving exponential growth. Join us at this live online event and learn how to break into large corporations, manage extended sales cycles, and secure high-value deals essential for scaling your startup. Industry experts will share actionable insights on navigating the complex sales landscape, building trust with corporate clients, and overcoming common challenges that founders face. If you're a founder aiming to land major enterprise clients and accelerate your startup's growth, this event is a must-attend. Register now!

Are you overwhelmed by all the marketing choices for your business? Not sure how or where to spend your time and money? It sounds like you need a marketing plan! Without a plan in place, you could potentially waste thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours trying to grow your business.

In this webinar, professional marketing coach and expert Patty Ross will help you create a marketing plan, define your brand, determine your audience and find where to advertise to get a positive return on investment.

A well-executed marketing plan will help you:

• Define your business strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats
• Set goals for marketing your business
• Define your target audience
• Create your Unique Selling Proposition based on competitor analysis
• Measure and optimize your marketing efforts
• Define your brand with proper visuals and messaging
• Determine the tools you will need to execute your marketing plan

Live attendees will receive the slide deck and a link to this webinar recording.

Join us at December's Breakfast Briefing to explore coordinated efforts to address workforce challenges in the Midlands. Hear from program leaders about the skilled talent they're developing and data-driven strategies for tackling workforce issues. Learn how you can get involved and connect with the resources shaping tomorrow's workforce.

The Columbia Chamber's Breakfast Briefing exists to provide a place where Columbia Chamber Partners can discuss and address local, regional, and federal issues facing the business community. Briefings are currently being held on the second Wednesday of each month at 7:30 AM. Briefings include a hot breakfast and networking.

Tariffs can have a big impact on your business, from supply chain disruptions to changes in pricing strategies. Whether you're a small business owner or an aspiring entrepreneur, actively monitoring your supply chains is critical to staying competitive in today's market.

In this session, you will learn what tariffs are, how they can affect your business and how to prepare your business for possible challenges. With expert advice and practical tips, this webinar will give you the knowledge and tools you need to succeed.

What You’ll Learn:

• What are tariffs and how they can impact your business
• How tariffs can affect your pricing
• Learn strategies to prepare your business

Live attendees will receive the slide deck and a link to this webinar recording.

Building a successful startup starts with a strong MVP, but getting the right feedback is crucial for growth. Join us for this interactive event designed to help early-stage founders refine their MVPs with insights from experienced product managers. Attendees will have the chance to present their MVPs, receive actionable feedback, and even connect with potential first users. Whether you're fine-tuning features or validating your concept, this is a perfect opportunity to make your product more compelling for the market.

Who Should Attend?

• Early-stage founders with an MVP ready for feedback.
• Startup teams looking to refine their product based on expert advice.
• Entrepreneurs interested in gaining their first users and validating product-market fit.
• Anyone seeking insights from experienced product managers and fellow founders.

Join Together SC and Central Carolina Community Foundation. Come out and meet the new CEO from both Together SC and Central Carolina Community Foundation. Learn more about the work of each organization. Come prepared for engaging conversations!

Georgia Mjartan
President & CEO
Central Carolina Community Foundation

Karen Riordan
President & CEO
Together SC

Whether you're just starting out or scaling your business, This webinar will help you understand the different loans, grants and other funding options available to you as an entrepreneur or small business owner.

In this webinar, our expert presenter will guide you through the latest funding opportunities available to you, including loans, grants, and alternative financing methods.

You'll learn:

• Different Loan options
• Grant Opportunities
• Alternative Funding Strategies

Live attendees will receive the slide deck and a link to this webinar recording.

​​Our weekly, casual coffee meetup for the tech startup community. Join us every Wednesday morning at 8:00 at the BIC for coffee and conversations.

Join us to learn who Candid is and how our resources can help your nonprofit thrive. With our trusted data and training, Candid has resources on important issues in the social sector. This orientation will introduce you to Candid's flagship products and other resources to help you effectively fundraise, learn from peers, and tell your organization’s story.

Upon completion of this course you should be able to:

• Identify Candid’s resources for nonprofit professionals and where to find them.
• Determine which Candid resources are most relevant to your organization’s needs.
• Plan to tell your story online, using your nonprofit's Candid profile.
• Explain how Foundation Directory helps you find foundation donors and how to access the tool.

During the meeting we will cover the following:

• Visibility: Promote your work​
• Funding: Insights to find donors​
• Training: Build nonprofit capacity​

The Founder Showcase is Silicon Valley's leading international startup pitch event, helping pre-seed startups learn, launch, and connect with investors. At this interactive online event, you can watch the pitches of promising pre-seed startups from across the globe. We'll also have an inspiring keynote presentation from Jonathan Greechan, CEO & Co-Founder at founder Institute, where he will share his insights on what idea-stage and pre-seed startups can expect to see in the startup funding landscape for 2025, and how they can prepare. Stay after the pitches to network with international founders, investors, and executives.

Choosing the right retail space is crucial for any business owner. Whether you are opening your first store or expanding, knowing how to find the right space for your retail business can set you on the path to success.

In this webinar, you'll learn how to evaluate potential locations, negotiate leasing terms and ensure that your business plan and budget align with your goal of finding a retail space. Our expert presenter will show you practical strategies to help you make informed decisions when choosing a retail space for your business.

Learning Objectives:

• Create a business plan and budget before looking for a retail business
• Define and understand your ideal target customer profile
• Learn how to evaluate different trade areas and locations for your business
• Master the fundamentals of lease term negotiations

Live attendees will receive the slide deck and a link to this webinar recording.

If you're interested in learning about startup funding and discovering how the Founder Institute can help, join this live and interactive online event featuring Jonathan Greechan, CEO and Co-Founder of the Founder Institute. The webinar will kick off with a brief presentation on fundraising and an overview of the Founder Institute, followed by 30-45 minutes of 'Ask Me Anything' (AMA) covering all topics related to FI and entrepreneurship. Bring your questions and make the most of this opportunity to get expert advice and insights!

Who Should Attend:

• Anyone who has an idea for a startup or an early-stage company.
• Any with a pre-seed startup (pre-funding).
• Anyone interested in learning about the Founder Institute program.

Building a great Co-Founder team is one of the most difficult yet important steps in founding a startup. While many founders may start alone, there are multiple benefits of having a Co-Founder, and taking the time to establish a quality team can mean the difference between failure and success. Join us for this fun and interactive event where you will learn best practices for building an effective Co-Founder relationship. In addition, you will have the opportunity to network with other entrepreneurs who are looking for a Co-Founder at virtual tables and speed networking sessions.

Before attending, we encourage participants to take the Entrepreneur DNA Test to enhance the matching process by identifying traits and compatibility for a more tailored co-founder experience. Don’t miss this chance to build your dream team!

Elizabeth Gibson, HR Director, Coastal Conservation League with walk attendees through how to prepare Total Benefits Statements that show employees the total cash value of their employee benefits.