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ANNUAL REPORTFY20

progress through partnership

20192020[ ]

>>>2 | EngenuitySC FY20 Annual Report

INTRODUCTIONJune 2020

Dear Friends and Partners,

“Progress through partnership” – it’s our new tagline at EngenuitySC, but it has long been our guiding principle. We believe that the only way to achieve meaningful and lasting progress is through collaboration. We know that when it comes to building a community where we all want to live, learn, work and play, we are all in it together.

EngenuitySC’s 2019-2020 Annual Report reflects a busy, successful first three quarters. We delivered projects of regional pride, connected students with mentors and new learning opportunities, and executed our largest Competitiveness Week to date.

Then, in mid-March, we packed up our desks and began working from home.

We experienced the disappointment of changed plans and postponed projects. We missed sharing handshakes with our partners and high fives with our students as they experienced triumph. We did what was best for the physical health of our community.

We look forward to the day when the greatest threats of COVID-19 are behind us, and we recognize that it has already forever changed our landscape. We will soon enter a time of rebuilding our community, and the speed and impact of our efforts will depend on partnership and collaboration. And that’s what we believe in.

Partnership.Collaboration.Columbia.

Onward, together,

Meghan HickmanEngenuitySC Executive Director

Governed by the highest-ranking regional leaders in education, government and business, EngenuitySC is a nonprofit that works to make the Columbia, S.C., region a standout choice for top talent and competitive companies. Structured as a neutral and independent project management team, EngenuitySC is known for achieving progress through partnerships using a unique, highly effective process. Whether it is equipping K-12 students with career-ready skills, elevating quality of life with the Midlands Business Leadership Group, or producing Competitiveness Week and the annual Midlands Regional Competitiveness Report, EngenuitySC is a trusted force, working behind the scenes to build a community cultivated for living, working, playing and learning. Learn more at www.engenuitysc.com.

3 | EngenuitySC FY20 Annual Report

ABOUT USCORE VALUES• We are comfortable in a dynamic, entrepreneurial

environment• We are results driven• We are servant leaders• We are collaborative• We are committed to the potential of the region

CORE FOCUSOur Purpose To enhance our region’s competitiveness and prosperity

Our Niche Managing projects and collaborations

OUR TARGETBy 2030, the Columbia region will be in the top three of every index in the Midlands Regional Competitiveness Report when compared to our peers, propelled by EngenuitySC projects and collaborations.

EngenuitySC’s Competitiveness Week in January is kicked off by the launch of the 6th annual Midlands Regional Competitiveness Report. Left: Stacks of the report are ready to be distributed. Center: Dr. Harris Pastides is awarded the 2019 Vision Award by EngenuitySC. Right: Attendees of the event were the first to see the 2019-20 report results.

CHAIRLee Bussell Chernoff Newman

CHAIR-ELECTMayor Elise PartinCity of Cayce

SECRETARY/TREASURERPaul LivingstonRichland County Council

Beth CarriggLexington County Council

Morgan CrappsParker Poe Consulting

Scott GravesBlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina

Cheryl HarrisRichland One Board of School Commissioners

Bill KirklandUofSC Office of Economic Engagement

John Lumpkin

Lasenta Lewis-EllisLLE Construction, LLC

Chakisse NewtonRichland County Council

Ted NissenFirst Community Bank

President Ron RhamesMidlands Technical College

Dr. Keith ShahOptum

FOUNDING CO-CHAIRPresident Bob CaslenThe University of South Carolina

FOUNDING CO-CHAIRMayor Steve BenjaminCity of Columbia


FY20 BOARD MEMBERS

Right: EngenuitySC board members at the Midlands Regional Competitiveness Report launch in January: Mayor Elise Partin, Bill Kirkland, Ted Nissen, Morgan Crapps, Lee Bussell, Scott Graves, EngenuitySC Executive Director Meghan Hickman, Lasenta Lewis-Ellis and John Lumpkin.

FY20 HIGHLIGHTSattendees at 16 events during our 3rd annual MIDLANDS REGIONAL

COMPETITIVENESS WEEK

2,400raised by members of the MIDLANDS

MAYORS FORUM during the Midlands Gives Nephron

Elected Officials Challenge

$2,500

graduating class from ITS|SC’s

Leadership Insurance

7th

Oct. ‘20

new Coordinating Council projects under the banner of theMIDLANDS BUSINESS LEADERSHIP GROUP

threeonline views of our 6th annual

MIDLANDS REGIONAL COMPETITIVENESS REPORT

40K+

%

attendees at 2019 EngenuitySC/UofSC

President’s Reception

87

of budget funded through contracted collaboration

management projects

64%

@EngenuitySC followers

3,767subscribers to the e-newsletter

2,462

pieces of media coverage

119

hours of staff time spent on EngenuitySC’s mission

and projects

8,138

total estimated views of media coverage over

the lifetime of the content

705,680

increase in pageviews at engenuitysc.com

27.5%


participants in the RICHLAND ONE

Eighth Grade Career Expo

1,200

TEDxUofSC 2020premieres

helping COLUMBIA WATERFRONT PARK FOUNDATION lay the

foundation for a world-class waterfront park in our community

6 months

The Midlands Regional Competitiveness Report is an annual scorecard benchmarking the Columbia MSA against our peer and aspirant communities. To expand the report’s impact and reach we host Competitiveness Week, a full week of events highlighting both the region’s strengths and opportunities for growth.

RESULTS: • Welcomed 2,400 people to 16 Competitiveness Week

events over seven days – tripling last year’s attendance• Reached an audience of over 40,000 readers through

a new partnership with 6AM City (COLAToday), contextualizing data with success stories and strategic steps towards our region’s future

IMPACT:We continued to benchmark our successes, inform decision-making and inspire action with the 2019-20 Midlands Regional Competitiveness Report (our sixth annual), the centerpiece for our most successful Competitiveness Week yet. As the report’s reach grows, so too does the impact of the data on the work of partners throughout the community, inspiring deeper regional conversations, strategic planning work, new research and more. Competitiveness Week’s audience growth reflects this increasing momentum.

Competitiveness Week featured 16 diverse events over the course of seven days. Above left: Panelists at the Capgemini Women in Technology luncheon. Above right: The Cayce Stroll on State highlighted the city’s up-and-coming arts district and local businesses. Right: Mark Rapp and the Cola Jazz Little Big Band entertain attendees with a lively jazz performance at Main Course.


MIDLANDS REGIONAL COMPETITIVENESS REPORT & COMPETITIVENESS WEEK

Since June of 2013, EngenuitySC has offered programming in an ever-growing number of schools in Richland One. Programs include STEM experiences, soft skills development, entrepreneurship training, capital improvements, teacher enrichment programs and capacity building.

RESULTS: • Created and delivered the 8th Grade Career Expo,

which provided hands-on, “brains-on” activities related to our region’s high-demand career fields; 36 Midlands-based companies, professional organizations, and institutions of higher education brought their time and expertise to the endeavor, and all nine of the District’s middle schools participated in the day-long event

• Hosted five Teacher Discovery Days for International teachers, familiarizing them with state and local history and with free educational opportunities for their students; and two professional development workshops focused on effectively teaching American students who live in poverty. The workshops were taught by Dr. Gloria Boutte from the UofSC College of Education

• Continued to grow the Richland One Rubik’s Speedcubing League, which encourages students to kickstart their algebraic thinking by memorizing the algorithms necessary to quickly solve the Rubik’s Cube

• Delivered our signature program, Dress to Impress, to five of the District’s high schools before school building closures precluded the completion of the program District-wide

IMPACT:For seven years, EngenuitySC has delivered diverse programming to the students and faculty of Richland One. The schools we have worked with have experienced increased attendance, scholarship attainment, and student and staff satisfaction. Nothing has made us prouder than to watch students build belief in their own abilities, and to see them recognize our region as a place of promise for their future. The board and staff of EngenuitySC look forward to supporting, however we may, the students, staff and families of Richland One as they emerge with innovation and determination from the COVID-19 school building closures.

Left: Eighth grade students attend the district-wide 8th Grade Career Expo. Right: A student participates in the growing Richland One Speedcubing League.


RICHLAND COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT ONECOMPREHENSIVE PARTNERSHIP

EngenuitySC manages the Midlands Mayors Forum, periodically hosting mayors from around the Midlands to share, collaborate and discuss issues that are important to the region. The time spent together builds trust and camaraderie among the region’s elected leaders.

RESULTS: • Gathered during EngenuitySC Competitiveness Week

to explore the success of the City of Cayce’s “pre-vitalization” efforts

• Met with S.C. Secretary of Transportation Christy Hall to learn about DOT efforts to improve the safety of South Carolina’s roads, highways and bridges

• Collaborated on shared safety measures to protect the health of their constituents during the COVID-19 onset

• Raised $2,500 for local nonprofit organizations through participation in the Nephron Elected Officials Challenge during Midlands Gives

IMPACT:The efforts of the Midlands Mayors Forum bear the greatest fruit in times of collective community distress, such as we experienced during the onset of COVID-19. The trust built through time spent together in advance helped breed open, honest conversations as each local leader sought to serve their community.


MIDLANDS MAYORS FORUM

Midlands Mayors meet with Secretary of Transportation Christy Hall to discuss DOT efforts to improve the safety of the state’s roads, highways and bridges.

RESULTS: • With the help of EngenuitySC, MBLG successfully

concluded, maintained and/or launched 11 separate initiatives throughout the year

• EngenuitySC managed the launch of the MBLG Coordinating Council, a private sector-led civic alliance representing 53 nonprofit organizations that selects and executes collaborative projects intended to improve livability in the region

• EngenuitySC helped the Coordinating Council roll out three new project task forces focused on extending the Saluda Greenway to the Lake Murray Dam, creating Capture Columbia – a talent retention initiative targeting interns – and enhancing diversity on nonprofit boards

• EngenuitySC worked with MBLG to launch an effort to improve intergovernmental cooperation through regional projects, beginning first with the beautification of the Highway 302 corridor to the airport

• EngenuitySC.com became home to Champion Columbia, an MBLG-developed set of talking points that highlight the city as an exceptional place to live, learn, work and play

• In collaboration with partners, EngenuitySC oversaw MBLG’s Innovate Columbia project – a digital hub for entrepreneurial resources across the region

IMPACT:In FY20, our work with the Midlands Business Leadership Group continued to amplify important conversations, efforts and opportunities around the region. The Coordinating Council will serve as MBLG’s future home for collaborative work, and the initial projects selected will deeply impact the attraction, retention and development of talent in our region. At the same time, existing projects recorded major success: reshaping the language residents use to champion Columbia, fostering collaboration between governmental entities and making resources for entrepreneurs easier to access. Thanks to the success of the MBLG-led, EngenuitySC-supported initiative, we are now seeing spinoff projects that will ensure continued progress for our region.

Since 2016, EngenuitySC has provided project management support for the Midlands Business Leadership Group (MBLG), a coalition of more than 50 CEOs and senior executives from our region’s largest employers working to attract and retain top talent, produce vibrant job offerings, and provide necessary resources to improve livability for all people.


MIDLANDS BUSINESSLEADERSHIP GROUP

Left: John Folsom speaks at MBLG’s Annual Update held during Competitiveness Week. Right: The Champion Columbia webpage at engenuitysc.com provides regional talking points and a collection of accolades for the region.

In the spirit of TED’s mission, “ideas worth spreading,” the TEDx program helps communities, organizations and individuals produce TED-style events at the local level. The goal of the TEDxUofSC event is to highlight the work and research of Midlands and UofSC-based professionals, promoting the region as home to big thinkers and game changers.

RESULTS: • Completed prospective speaker interviews, reviewing

more than 150 applications, in anticipation of an FY21 event

• Secured event location, established committees, and determined a theme for the FY21 event

IMPACT:The University of South Carolina continues to receive recognition for the online videos of their TEDxUofSC 2018 “talks.” We look forward to delivering an event that meets the goals of the TED movement as well as the preventative healthcare measures the University will put in place when classes resume in the fall.

Above: TedxUofSC 2018 speakers Kimani Davis and Kassy Alia Ray deliver their talks.


TEDx

EngenuitySC spent six months supporting the Columbia Waterfront Park Foundation (CWPF) through strategic planning, research and project management.

RESULTS: • Helped CWPF lay a solid foundation for the future

of the organization by equipping it with a strategic plan and best practice administrative, financial, and operational practices

• Leveraged our research expertise to identify, document and present information on similar park developments around the country to inform future operations locally

IMPACT:Our work with the Columbia Waterfront Park Foundation set the stage for that organization to begin its work of developing a world-class waterfront park on the land between Gervais and Blossom Streets.


COLUMBIA WATERFRONTPARK FOUNDATION

Left: The Gervais Street bridge spans the Congaree River. Right: An aerial view of Columbia’s undeveloped riverfront reveals the potential for becoming a world-class waterfront (source: Google Earth).

FY20 SUPPORTERS

GOLD

SILVER

BRONZEAflacArnold CompaniesBullStreet DistrictCentral Carolina Community FoundationCity Center PartnershipChernoff NewmanColliers International | South CarolinaColumbia Chamber of CommerceFirst Citizens Bank

First Community BankGreater Lexington Chamber and Visitors CenterJohn LumpkinLexington Medical CenterLLE ConstructionNelson MullinsSCRASynovusThe Cason Group

PUBLIC AND EDUCATION PARTNERS

PLATINUM

[email protected] | 803.354.5720 | engenuitysc.com | @EngenuitySC

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