Ten at the Top Upstate News
March 2, 2020 - Volume 11, Issue 3
Calling All Young Professionals:
Don't Miss Pique 2020 on March 23rd
The 5th Annual Pique Young Leaders Summit, presented by ScanSource, will be hosted by Ten at the Top on March 23rd at the Huguenot Mill & Loft in Greenville. Sallie Holder, author of the book Rock Middle: The Roadmap from Empty Success to True Fulfillment, will serve as the keynote speaker.

This annual event provides a great opportunity for networking among young professionals from the more than 20 young professional groups in the Upstate as well as with veteran executives from the public, private and non-profit sectors.

A graduate of Vanderbilt University and the University of South Carolina Law School, Sallie Holder previously served as an attorney at Ogletree Deakins Law Firm and lives in Greenville. She coined the phrase “Hitting Rock Middle™” and the revolutionary BE BOLDER strategy to help people create their biggest, boldest, most successful careers. In addition to her recently released book, Sallie is a dynamic speaker who leaves audiences with the tools they need to make the changes they desire. She’s an expert on leadership, teams, change management, mindset, and motivation.

In addition to the keynote address, attendees will have the opportunity to choose from three breakout sessions and the popular executive networking roundtables. Below are details about the three breakout sessions.

Negotiating Your Best Career
You know where you are now, and you know where you want to go in your career (or have a general idea, anyway), but do you know how to get there? Whether it’s more money, more leadership, or more work-life balance, it’s important to know what to ask for and how to ask for it in order to reach your goals, and the panelists will talk you through those negotiations.

Moderator: Virginia Cebe, Corporate Communications Project Manager, ScanSource
Panelists:
Steve Hall, Vice President of Business Development, Find Great People
Ken Peterson, Senior Director of Human Resources, ScanSource
Melissa Walker, President, Heyday Coaching

Community Engagement: Building Your Career Outside of Your Office
One of the best ways to enhance your resume that has nothing to do with the actual work you do is to be actively engaged in your community. Volunteering, sitting on boards and committees, and other forms of community engagement make you a well-rounded and outward-thinking individual, which is attractive to employers as you move up in your career. But more than that, it’s a great way to grow as a person!

Moderator: Reah Smith, Realtor, Lake Keowee Real Estate
Panelists:
Alan Ethridge, Executive Director, Metropolitan Arts Council
Corie Culp, Community and Public Relations Manager, AFL
Adela Mendoza, Executive Director, Hispanic Alliance

Conflict Management: Effective Communication for a Peaceful Workplace
Workplace communication can be tricky business—differing personalities, personal and professional competition, and conflicting priorities lead to unproductive communication and sometimes conflict and strained relationships. The professionals on this panel will talk about strategies for navigating those challenges and creating a peaceful workplace for yourself and your co-workers.

Moderator: Alex Moore, Director of Marketing and Communications, United Way of the Piedmont
Panelists: 
Stephanie Tarbet, Director of Internal Communication, Michelin North America
George Shira, Vice President of Human Resources, Chemical Division at Milliken & Company
Margot Shaffer, General Manager, Corley Plumbing | Air | Electric

One of the annual highlights of the event is the Executive Roundtable sessions with veteran executives from across the Upstate. The Executive Roundtables provide an opportunity for small group discussions with executives currently leading businesses, local governments and community organizations in the Upstate. You can read the full list of Executive Roundtable participants on the Pique web page .

The event is being held from 2:00-6:30 p.m., and individual tickets are $25.
Local Author Sallie Holder will serve as the Keynote Speaker
 for the Pique Young Leaders Summit on March 23rd.
Entrepreneur Ecosystem Group Looks at How to Increase Awareness of Services Available in the Upstate
On February 20th the Upstate Entrepreneur Ecosystem gathered for their first quarterly meeting of 2020. 

The focus of this workshop was on how to increase awareness for an organization’s services and reach more entrepreneurs. Design the Experience founder Stephanie Acker presented on several ways to do this, including through better SEO, tools like Google My Business, and strategic hash tagging on social media.

The workshop was also an opportunity for the network to hear updates from each of the priority area work groups as they continue develop their action plans. Increasing awareness for entrepreneurial resources and fostering connections within the ecosystem are the primary goals of this initiative in 2020.

As always, the workshop served as a great connection point for the individuals and organizations in our region that support entrepreneurs and small businesses. The network will meet next on May 12 th to discuss the significance of mentorship in the success of new entrepreneurs. 
Staying On Top:
Addressing Access to Transportation is Critical to the Upstate
By Dean Hybl, Executive Director, Ten at the Top

The beginning of a new decade always provides an opportunity to look ahead and forecast what issues and opportunities are on the horizon.

As we exit a decade that began with 11+ percent unemployment in South Carolina and enter one with an unemployment rate under 3 percent, there is no question that our priorities and areas of focus for 2020 and beyond will be quite different than they were ten years ago.

Over the last couple of years, we have started to see a shift from a primary focus on attracting jobs for available workers to developing, attracting and retaining talent to fill available jobs. We also now must place greater emphasis on reducing the barriers to employment for people living in the Upstate who are unemployed or under-employed.

There are many barriers impacting the ability for some residents to succeed, but below are three of the primary ones:
  • Transportation/mobility
  • Education/skills training
  • Cost of housing outpacing wage increases

While all three of these issues are critical and justifiably have many Upstate entities working to mitigate them, at Ten at the Top we have spent the last two years working most specifically around bringing together stakeholders from across the region to address issues around transportation and mobility.

It is estimated that 6% of all households in the Upstate (roughly 37,000 households) have no access to a vehicle. In Greenville County alone, 24% of all residents (roughly 125,000 people) reported that they have some challenges with securing dependable transportation to get to jobs, school or other locations.
Upstate Vibe Feature of the Month:
Upstate International Month Brings the World to You
The month of March is Upstate International Month, with events across the Upstate celebrating various aspects of cultures across the world—from food to film to festivals. The events range from large ticketed events at the Peace Center and other venues to smaller, more intimate gatherings, so there’s something for everyone to explore.

All told, there will be around 100 events hosted by 50-60 businesses and organizations throughout the month of March. The host organizations partner with Upstate International, using the UI branding and theme (“Fun on a Global Scale!”) for their events, which UI then promotes.

The events are meant to highlight the beautiful diversity that exists among various cultures around the world, but Upstate International as an organization exists, in part, to shine a spotlight on the ethnic diversity that exists right here in the Upstate.

Article by Sharon Purvis, TATT Director of Outreach & Special Projects
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. If your company or organization is interested in joining TATT's Leadership Level Supporters, please contact Dean Hybl today.
Stay Connected with Upstate Initiatives & Resources

Check out the TATT YouTube Channel for archives from meetings, presentations and events hosted by Ten at the Top. The channel also includes videos of the Elevate Upstate Grant recipients and other TATT initiatives.

TATT volunteers have developed a number of interactive regional asset maps. Check out links to regional resources below.









There is something interesting, educational or entertaining happening in the Upstate 365 days a year.

Be sure to post your Upstate experiences using the hashtag #UpstateVibe365 and check out the regional calendar for what is happening across the region.

Ten at the Top
13 Regional Engagements in 2020
203 Participants in 2020
923 Regional Engagements since 2010
42,173 Participants since 2010
On the Calendar

Be sure and put these TATT events on your calendar:

Pique: Young Leaders Elevating the Upstate
March 23 | 2:00 - 6:00 p.m.
Huguenot Mill and Loft
101 W Broad St
Greenville, SC 29601

Upstate Mobility Alliance
Social & Informational Session
March 26 | 5:00 - 6:30 p.m.
Park 37 Community Room
250 Executive Center Dr., Greenville, SC

Upstate Professional Planners Meeting
March 31 | 8:00 - 9:30 a.m.
ReWa Laboratory
564 Mauldin Road
Greenville, SC 29607

Become a TATT Supporter

Ten at the Top funding partners and event sponsors are the backbone of the organization.

We are very grateful for all the companies and organizations that annually support TATT. Check out the list of current partners .

In 2020 TATT will be continuing to hold a number of topic-specific workshops and meetings around issues that are impacting the Upstate. In addition, we expect the 2020 Upstate Regional Summit to be our biggest event ever.

We hope you will continue your TATT support or become a new partner in 2020.


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