Mount Pleasant Magazine March/April 2016

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wouldn’t thrive in the Southeast, particularly Charleston.”
And thrive it has, attracting quite the roster of industry
power players from Kickstarter, Twitter, Buzzfeed and
Facebook, among many other solid brands. Eclectic doesn’t
even begin to describe the varied visionaries that have been
a part of DIG SOUTH. From zany comic book illustrators
to documentarians,
the list of presenters
reads like a stunning
compilation of who
you would most
likely want to attend
a dinner party with
– ideal guests each
with their own brand
of wit, charm and
distinct aesthetic in
tow.
Among this
year’s featured
speakers, you’ll find
Gary Vaynerchuk
of VaynerMedia,
Melanie Deziel of
Time Inc., Peter
Shankman of
ShankMinds, Meghan
Keaney-Anderson
of Hubspot, Kamala
Avila-Salmon of
Google Play and
prized investor and
entrepreneur Paul
Singh.
While Charleston
is known for its
historic charm and
progressive foodie
culture, the Holy City
is so much more than
cobblestone streets and award-winning shrimp ‘n’ grits. With
prosperous tech companies that call Chucktown home, such
as Blackbaud, BoomTown, PeopleMatter, Benefitfocus and
Blue Acorn, the area is teeming with the same sort of vigor
present in California’s Silicon Valley.
“Culture and quality of life are what set the South apart
from other regions,” said Gray. “Entrepreneurs are now
parlaying those assets into business opportunities ripe for
the digital age. We have a shared history, original music and
delicious cuisine – a true regional identity. It’s time to take
the next step.”
The Harbor Entrepreneur Center, a creative company
with a Mount Pleasant location on Coleman Boulevard, will
be pitching its Cohort-5 during Venture and Demo Day.
Working one-on-one with those who want to launch their
business ideas into the market, The Harbor Entrepreneur
Center provides
individuals with the
tools, training and
mentorship needed
to craft a successful
start-up.
At last year’s
DIG SOUTH,
East Cooper’s own
Bidr took home
over $10,000 in
investments. The
brand’s clever
text-based bidding
platform, founded by
Sam Staley, continues
to lead the way in the
world of fundraising
– allowing organizers
to raise more money
through an easy-to-
use app.
DIG SOUTH is a
conference that goes
beyond PowerPoint
presentations
and fully engages
attendees with
cocktail hours, food
trucks, nightly meet-
ups and bands that
could just as easily
be taking the stage
at megafests such as
Bonnaroo or Coachella.
As a musician himself, Gray knew early on that DIG
SOUTH needed a soundtrack that would match the
conference’s undeniable presence. Scouting out those melody
makers from across the country to add a bit of rock ‘n’ roll to
the mix is always a perk of the job for Gray.
“Music is the secret sauce, the sexy part that brings great
energy and creativity to our events,” said Gray. “We love
introducing first-rate, emerging artists to new audiences and
presenting them in a professional setting.”