Ten at the Top Upstate News
October 7, 2019 - Volume 10, Issue 10
Get Your Tickets Today for TATT 10th Anniversary Celebration
on November 20th;
Governor McMaster to Serve as Keynote Speaker
Join Ten at the Top for our annual Celebrating Successes luncheon as we recognize businesses, organizations and individuals who are helping make the Upstate a leading place to live, learn, do business and raise a family.

This event is also the culmination of Ten at the Top's 10th Anniversary Year as TATT has hosted community workshops and events across the 10-county region in 2019.

We are thrilled to announce that our special guest for the luncheon will be South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster. He will talk about how collaboration and building partnerships is crucial to the success of South Carolina.

During the luncheon we will be recognizing Ten at the Top's "Power of 10" Founding Funding Partners as well as organizations and businesses celebrating milestone anniversaries of 20 or more years in 2019. We also will be awarding the Welling Award for Collaboration and the Burdette Leadership Award.

Prior to the luncheon, the five finalists for the 2019 Hughes Investments Elevate Upstate Vibrancy Grants will make their grant presentations. Hughes Investments will also be hosting coffee and networking prior to the luncheon.

You are welcome to come to either the Elevate Upstate Grant Presentations (there is no charge for this) or the ticketed Celebrating Successes Luncheon, or both.

Individual tickets for the luncheon are $50 and can be purchased through the link below. Table & event sponsorships are also available. Please click here for more details on sponsorship opportunities .     
 
Current (2019) TATT partners will receive tickets as part of your support benefits (you should have already received an email with a special code and instructions). 
 
Register Today for Upcoming TATT County Workshops
As part of the 10th Anniversary celebration, Ten at the Top is holding county workshops across the region in 2019. Each workshop is focused on an issue of interest in that particular county and are free and open to the public, though advanced registration is requested.

Five workshops have already been held and you can read about each session here .

There are four workshops remaining to be held in 2019. Below are the event details and links to register to attend.

Oct. 17 - Oconee County Workshop - Make the Connection: Oconee County Trails and Greenways
11:00 am - 1:00 pm - Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative Oconee Office - Click Here to Register

Oct. 29 - Spartanburg County Workshop - Beyond Recruiting Talent: Elevating Professionalism
10:30 am - 1:00 pm - Milliken & Company Customer Center - Click Here to Register

Nov. 14 - Cherokee County Workshop - Ingredients for Success: Moving to the Next Level
5:30 - 7:30 pm - Institute of Innovation Cherokee County - Click Here to Register

Nov. 18 - Anderson County Workshop - Education & Employment: Next Steps for Success
9:00 - 11:00 am - Western Upstate Association of Realtors - Click Here to Register
Entrepreneur Support Providers Continue Building the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in the Upstate
On September 10th the Entrepreneur Support Providers Network gathered for their 3rd workshop of 2019. Leading labor and employment law firm Ogletree Deakins is the 2019 sponsor for this series. 

The purpose of the Q3 workshop was to plan the Upstate’s celebration of Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW), that will be from November 18th – 24th. GEW is a week dedicated to raising awareness for entrepreneurship, inspiring and educating potential entrepreneurs, and supporting local entrepreneurial ecosystems. The network anticipates hosting events and engagements in all ten counties of the Upstate during GEW.

The workshop was also an opportunity for the network to hear updates from each of the priority area work groups as they continue to develop their goals and recommendations. They will be collaborating with multiple Upstate media outlets to share the stories of successful entrepreneurs, as well as working to better understand the needs of rural and disconnected populations in the region in order to connect them with the resources they need to engage in entrepreneurship.

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 reconvene in December for their final workshop of the year. 
Upstate Regional Summit to be Held September 23, 2020;
Best Selling Author Richard Florida to Serve as Keynote Speaker
Ten at the Top is excited to announce that the 2020 Upstate Regional Summit will take place on September 23, 2020 focusing on the theme of "The New Urban Crisis." Highlighting the event will be a keynote address from best-selling author and noted urban studies theorist Richard Florida. 

In his book The New Urban Crisis: How Our Cities Are Increasing Inequality, Deepening Segregation and Failing the Middle Class - and What We Can Do About It , Florida looks at the recent trend of the young, educated, and affluent surging back to live in American cities, reversing decades of suburban flight and urban decline. He anticipates that this back-to-the-city movement demonstrates how the forces that drive urban growth also generate significant challenges for cities, including gentrification, segregation, and inequality. Meanwhile, many more cities and towns remain stagnate while middle-class neighborhoods everywhere are disappearing. Florida contends that we must rebuild cities and suburbs by empowering those communities to address their challenges.
  
During the Upstate Regional Summit we will explore how this "New Urban Crisis" is impacting both urban and rural communities within the Upstate. The morning session will set the context around some of the Upstate challenges and then a series of breakout sessions will dive deeper into specific areas of concern and opportunity. The event will culminate with a keynote address by Florida where he will outline some of the challenges and opportunities for all communities to overcome the trend and grow in a manner that promotes success and the ability for all residents to thrive. 
 

The best way to be engaged in the Summit and connect your business or organization to the 1,000 expected attendees is through a Summit Sponsorship. There is a full complement of event and table sponsorships available. Again in 2020 we will begin the event with the Partner Expo, which is a great way to showcase your business to leaders from across the region. Many sponsorships are limited in number to provide exclusivity and are available on a first-come first-served manner, so be sure and secure your involvement early. The sponsorship deadline is June 30, 2020 and individual tickets will go on sale July 1, 2020.

UpstateVibe365 Feature of the Month:
The Upstate Heritage Quilt Trail, Where Every Quilt Tells a Story
It all started in 2009 with one quilt square mounted on the Oconee Heritage Center in Walhalla.

Today, the Upstate Heritage Quilt Trail has more than 250 quilt panels mounted on barns, businesses, homes, and public buildings across Anderson, Oconee, and Pickens counties. One of the most recent squares was mounted on the building of the Greater Easley Chamber of Commerce on September 13 th—a replica of a mid-19 th century quilt pattern known as Noon Day Lilies.

The idea was based on similar quilt trails in Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Oconee County was the first county in South Carolina to embrace the quilt trail concept after a group of dedicated citizens came together to establish the Oconee Heritage Quilt Trail in an effort to promote Oconee County. The first quilt square was sponsored by the Wynward Point Ladies Group and was mounted on the Oconee Heritage Center in Walhalla in the fall of 2009.

Leadership Level Partners
Ten at the Top is fortunate to have many great funding supports and appreciate all who help ensure the current and future success of the organization. In 2019 we have introduced our Leadership Level Funding Partners. These partners have committed to support TATT with contributions of $10,000 or more in 2019. If your company or organization is interested in joining TATT's Leadership Level Supporters, please contact Allison Drew 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
80 Regional Engagements in 2019
2,628 Participants in 2019
886 Regional Engagements since 2010
40,742 Participants since 2010
On the Calendar

Be sure and put these TATT events on your calendar:

Oconee County Workshop
Make the Connection:
Oconee County Trails and Greenways
October 17th | 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Blue Ridge Electric Oconee Office
2328 Sandifer Blvd., Westminster, SC

Spartanburg County Wprkshop
Beyond Recruiting Talent:
Elevating Professionalism
October 29th | 10:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Milliken & Company Customer Center
920 Milliken Road, Spartanburg, SC

Upstate Education Spectrum
Fall Forum
November 4th | 2:00 - 4:30 p.m.
TATT/Park 37 Complex
250 Executive Center Dr., Greenville, SC

Pizza & Beer Redefined with
Furman President Elizabeth Davis
(exclusive for TATT board members and
current funding partners only)
November 12th | 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Mavin Construction
2 Ridgeway Ave, Greenville, SC
Registration Coming Soon

Become a TATT Supporter

In 2019 Ten at the Top is celebrating a Decade of Connecting the Upstate.

We are grateful to the many funding partners and supporters who have played a critical role in supporting the development of the organization over the last decade.

In 2019 we plan to recognize our long-term partners and supporters while also looking to grow engagement across the region.

We hope you will continue your TATT support or become a new partner in 2019.


If you have questions about TATT partnership and sponsorship opportunities or would like to set up a personal meeting, please contact Allison Drew.or 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