Weekly Update May 1, 2013
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Chamber's NEXT Economic Development Initiative Sparks Launch of Innovative Business Driven High School
Exciting plans for the Next High School (NHS) were recently unveiled with the mission to prepare young people for life after school. NEXT, the Chamber's internationally-recognized economic development initiative dedicated to growing and attracting high impact, entrepreneurial companies in the Greenville/Upstate SC area, was launched in 2006. And with it, a dynamic and thoughtful community of entrepreneurial minds was formed.
Zach Eikenberry, co-founder of Ledger Work Inc., a NEXT company, has led the charge to develop this free public high school constructed around a project-based learning environment. The state-of-the-art school will engage and align with area businesses to provide real world projects that develop the skills necessary to local industries. According to Eikenberry, "NHS is founded upon the premier value that all young people are capable of becoming economic contributors, not simply economic consumers. In order to effectively introduce young people to life after school, NHS will offer projects built upon 'pathways' that represent the disciplines and skills in greatest demand relative to the Upstate's industry and economic clusters."
Several regional organizations, from advanced manufacturing to information technology and life sciences, have agreed to provide both support and projects to NHS. Greenville Chamber Executive Vice President John Moore notes, "We knew that bringing innovative, talented entrepreneurs together via NEXT would invigorate our business community, but we could not have predicted that it would generate the seed and support for this addition to our public education system in such a short time. That businesses are willing to be involved in training a skilled, competitive workforce at the high school level shows both urgency and an impressive dedication to the area."
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Reminder: Leadership Greenville Class 40 Applications are DUE TODAY! |
 Q&A with Ambassador of the Month Kathy Sheppard
What do you enjoy most about being an Ambassador?
I love learning more about the other businesses in our community, what they bring to the community, and the opportunity to encourage them to become active members and enjoy and participate in all that the Chamber has to offer.
How has being a Chamber investor enhanced your business?
The Chamber has not only given me the opportunity to learn about other businesses, but also the opportunity to network and share the mission of Operation Santa SC a 501 c(3) with other members. Through these networking opportunities we have been able to give others the chance to give back to the community in providing the basic necessities to kids and share the real meaning of Christmas to those who otherwise would not experience the joy of gifts during the holiday season.
What is your favorite thing to do in Greenville?
My very favorite thing to do is to take the grandbabies to Falls Park, walk over the bridge - and they love to find the brick with their names on it! Personally, I love, love downtown - the specialty shops, the coffee shops and all the wonderful dining places!
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Sign Up to Bid on Buyer Requests!
This feature on the Chamber's website allows members to make offers and bid on requests from community members!
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Please join us for the 9th Annual Upstate Diversity Leadership Awards Dinner May 23rd!
This event is hosted annually by the Greenville Chamber and the Riley Institute at Furman in partnership with the Anderson, Greer, Simpsonville and Spartanburg Chambers. This year's speaker is Rev. Baxter Wynn, who is the Minister of Pastoral Care and Community Relations at First Baptist Church, Greenville. He is a 1974 graduate of Wofford College, and received a master of divinity degree from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling from Wake Forest University, and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Philadelphia.
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Time crunch! Both the House and the Senate had a long, busy week working on the floor and in committees to move bills before the crossover deadline May 1/before budget debate starts in the Senate.
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Let Southwest Airlines help you book, manage, and track your company's travel with SWABIZ, their FREE online corporate booking tool. You'll have access to all of Southwest Airlines' fares for your business needs (including Web Only fares) as well as travel management tools including free reports for your air, car, and hotel reservations. All of this comes with no minimum segment commitments and no transaction fees. Click here to enroll today. Happy Travels!
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Your Small Business Resource
Great opportunities for small businesses to LEARN, SAVE & CONNECT:
LEARN
Wed, May 15 11:30am-1:15pm
Wed, May 22 11:30am-2pm
SAVE THE DATE: TUESDAY, JUNE 18
National Small Business Week Celebration!
CONNECT
Tues, May 14 7:30-9am Tues, May 21 5:30-7:30pm Tues, June 11 6-8pm |
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Have you been impressed by a small business lately?
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UPCOMING CHAMBER EVENTS
View our calendars for more upcoming events:
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BEST Tip of the Week: Did you know that the monitor consumes over half of the energy used by a computer? It is best to turn off your computer monitor when it is not in use, even if it is for ten minutes. The EPA recommends setting computers to enter system standby or hibernate after 15 to 60 minutes of inactivity. To save even more, set monitors to enter sleep mode after 5-20 minutes of inactivity. The lower the setting, the more energy you save. For more ways to save money and our environment, visit FurmanBEST.biz.
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PAY LESS FOR WHAT YOUR COMPANY IS ALREADY BUYING!
Is your company taking advantage of your Greenville Chamber group buying power programs? Our group savings partners Accident Fund, BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, GTS, Office Depot, a nd Windstream Communications are dedicated to helping your business save money. Click here to start saving today!
NationJob: Chamber members with 0-25 employees can post local job
 listings for FREE at NationJob! Take advantage of this valuable benefit by E-mailing the job description to njlistings@nationjob.com and note that you are a Greenville Chamber member. Sponsorships for the Chamber's Employment page are also available.Call 888-256-0919 for further details.
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Have you uploaded your Greenville Chamber App?
Go to web.greenvillechamber.org/mobile from your smart phone, follow the instructions to upload the Application to your Home Screen, and get to our Business Directory to find fellow members quickly and easily while you're on the go! If you have questions, please contact Marion Mann at 239-3729.
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