Grady Johnson
A reciprocal access agreement between four South Carolina entrepreneur support organizations (ESO Network) will provide seamless access to each organization’s coworking space and conference rooms for their founders and startup members. The newly created ESO Network will expand statewide resources by providing cross-location use of their facilities at little to no cost.
Member access benefits include splashdown space via a drop-in day pass for unreserved or hot desks at no charge and conference room bookings at 50% off the host organization’s standard retail rate. These benefits are open to individuals holding current, paid memberships at any of the participating organizations.
The ESO Network currently includes the Boyd Innovation Center in Columbia; eMYRge at the HTC Aspire Hub in Myrtle Beach; The Harbor Entrepreneur Center in Mount Pleasant; and NextGEN at the NEXT Innovation Center in Greenville, S.C. The founding members anticipate adding more South Carolina ESO organizations soon.
The Harbor Entrepreneur Center Executive Director Grady Johnson said, "This collaboration between the state's entrepreneurial support organizations is reflective of the shared belief that the entrepreneurial ecosystem isn't fenced in by geographical boundaries and also that all young companies need patient nurturing to fully blossom into powerful contributors to the state's economy."
Jenny Halstead
Boyd Innovation Center Executive Director Sam Herskovitz added, “South Carolina's startup ecosystem is stronger when we work together and connect our collective markets, resources, and networks. The Boyd Innovation Center is glad to take this collaborative step with mission-aligned partners across the state and to give high-growth founders a home base wherever they are in South Carolina.”
“Myrtle Beach has never lacked for entrepreneurs. What we’ve lacked is connection to the broader support happening across South Carolina,” said eMYRge Executive Director Jenny Halstead. “eMYRge was built to change that locally, and being part of this network means our founders now have the whole state behind them. I’m grateful to be doing this work alongside peers in every corner of South Carolina.”
“I think it's a great idea to link elbows with other entrepreneur support organizations throughout the state,” said NextGEN Executive Director Eric Weissmann. “Even as we're geographically separate (Greenville, Columbia, Charleston, and Myrtle Beach), people can now work where they want to; no one's exactly tethered to one spot.
“Founders should feel free to roam about the cabin, and they'll always have a spot to land for a day or two,” he added. “So if you're from the Lowcountry and you find yourself in the Upstate, we'll leave a key under the mat for you.”