Celebrate entrepreneurship, innovation and creativity in South Carolina
McNair Entrepreneurship Virtual Showcase announced for November 20, 2020

The McNair Institute for Entrepreneurism and Free Enterprise at the University of South Carolina invites students, alumni, faculty, staff and the community to the Fourth Annual McNair Entrepreneurship Virtual Showcase Friday, November 20, 2020, from 1 - 4pm EST. 

Featuring two dynamic keynote speakers, Mr. Ashley Bell, former White House Entrepreneurship Policy Advisor and Small Business Administration Regional Director, and Mrs. Lou Kennedy, President and Chief Executive Officer of Nephron Pharmaceuticals Corporation, the showcase is an afternoon of events designed to inspire, invigorate and inform students, business leaders and alumni about entrepreneurship and innovation in South Carolina.

Student- and alumni-driven startups will be featured through virtual display booths, along with resource providers serving startups and small businesses.

The showcase event is free and open to the public and is a featured event of Global Entrepreneurship Week, an international celebration of innovators who dream big and launch startups that bring ideas to life. Each November, GEW reaches millions of people of all ages and backgrounds through local, national and global events and activities. From large-scale startup competitions and workshops to small, community discussions – GEW connects new audiences and participants to a network that can help them take the next step, no matter where they are on their entrepreneurial journey.

About Ashley Bell

Ashley D. Bell is the former Entrepreneurship Policy Advisor for the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council and former SBA Region IV Administrator. In his policy advisor roles, Ashley was responsible for recommending policy to assist America’s underserved communities.

Mr. Bell was appointed in 2018 to serve as Regional Administrator for the U.S. Small Business Administration for Region IV; serving nine districts located in the eight Southeastern States of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.

As a small business owner and entrepreneur himself from the young age of 22, Mr. Bell recently joined Dentons as a partner, focused on public policy, business and banking.

About Lou Kennedy

Lou Kennedy is President, Chief Executive Officer and Owner of Nephron Pharmaceuticals Corporation. She joined Nephron Pharmaceuticals in 2001 and accepted the position of President and Chief Executive Officer in September 2007.

Along with her husband Bill, Kennedy helped establish the Kennedy Pharmacy Innovation Center in conjunction with the UofSC School of Pharmacy. She serves on a variety of business and civic boards.

About The McNair Institute for Entrepreneurism and Free Enterprise

The McNair Institute for Entrepreneurism and Free Enterprise at the University of South Carolina promotes scholarly activity, educates students about the role of free enterprise and entrepreneurship in enhancing economic growth, and encourages students to contribute and participate through entrepreneurism in creating a better America.

The Institute is funded through the generosity of The Robert and Janice McNair Foundation which also funds centers at multiple other universities across the nation supporting entrepreneurship and free enterprise education. Under the guiding vision of Robert and Janice McNair, the foundation is committed to developing a new generation of entrepreneurial leaders who have both the technical skills and the philosophical understanding of how the free enterprise system forms the basis of economic opportunity and prosperity for individuals in our country.

Registration Note

Each attendee only needs one ticket. If multiple ticket types apply to you, select one based on the ticket descriptions. If you're unsure of which ticket type to select during registration, contact mcnairinstitute@mailbox.sc.edu.