VOLUME 15 NUMBER 16 ■ COLUMBIABUSINESSREPORT.COM
Part of the
network
Pizza prize
Village Idiot owners receive city Hall of Fame honor. Page 4
Rooms to grow
New hotel adds 88 rooms to Blythewood market. Page 6
New apartment complex planned on 38 acres. Page 7
Colite City
West Columbia development to focus on innovation. Page 8
Complex facelift Sephora newest tenant at Trenholm Plaza. Page 9
INSIDE
Upfront ................................ 2 SC Biz News Briefs ................ 3 In Focus: Banking & Finance .......................................... 14 List: Financial Brokerage Firms ................................. 16 At Work ............................. 20 Viewpoint ...........................23
Columbia visitors top 15 million in 2021 By Christina Lee Knauss
EXPANDED REACH
A state-of-the-art computer lab is part of Benedict College’s new ServiceNow Tech Center. (Photo/Christina Lee Knauss)
Benedict College celebrates opening of new technology center By Christina Lee Knauss
Luxury on Sunset
NOVEMBER 14 - DECEMBER 4, 2022 ■ $2.25
cknauss@scbiznews.com
B
enedict College’s new ServiceNow Tech Center, which celebrated its grand opening Nov. 2, aims to broaden the scope of today’s tech workforce pipeline. The center, located inside Benedict’s Business Development Center at 2601 Read St., is part of a $1 million multiyear strategic partnership between Benedict and ServiceNow, a California-based company that aims to equip traditionally underrepresented students with the digital skills needed in today’s workforce. The partnership, formed in 2021, also includes five years of ServiceNow-awarded scholarships for Benedict students pursuing science, technology, engineering arts or math degrees as well as access to a ServiceNow HBCU Bootcamp program that uses customized, hands-on learning to help prepare students for tech careers. ServiceNow offers a cloud-
based workflow automation platform that helps businesses and organizations streamline work processes. Roslyn Clark Artis, president and CEO of Benedict College, joined ServiceNow’s chairman and CEO Bill McDermott in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new center, and community members and Benedict students walked through the center’s brightly lit spaces decorated with minimalist, fashionable furnishings. The center includes a stateof-the-art computer lab with a maker space, laptop stations, a pitch room, private study rooms and a student lounge, as well as updated network infrastructure and new devices to provide students with critical access to technology. Karen Pavlin, chief equity and inclusion officer for ServiceNow, described how the strategic partnership is part of the company’s ongoing mission to bring more diversity to the tech industry as a whole. “One of my best experiences
was talking with a Benedict student who said she was excited to see someone who looked like her in a leadership position in the tech industry,” Pavlin said. “Serving underrepresented groups and getting them involved in the industry is what gets me up every morning.” Artis said the center is part of Benedict’s ongoing commitment to preparing its students for the global workforce. In 2020, the school was named one of the Top 10 smaller HBCUs for STEM education by The Hundred-Seven, a national database of information about historically Black colleges and universities. “Benedict always strives to produce human potential,” Artis told SC Biz News. “We know America has been rapidly diversifying, and this tech center allows us one more opportunity we can provide for our Black and brown students and also offers a chance for us to help diversify the tech industry.” Reach Christina Lee Knauss at 803753-4327.
Help on the way
City launches Rapid Shelter to aid homeless population. Page 10
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cknauss@scbiznews.com
he Columbia area welcomed 15.1 million visitors in 2021, according to a report from Experience Columbia SC, the region’s destination marketing organization. The numbers were revealed Nov. 2 at a special event at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, according to a news release. Bill Ellen, president and CEO of Experience Columbia SC, said they show that tourism in the area is back in full swing after the pandemic. “Thanks to a successful recovery strategy and recovery funding from our stakeholders, our region welcomed 15.1 million visitors in 2021,” Ellen said. “That doesn’t happen on its own. We are telling our story in many ways and driving visitors to the destination. Our staff are experts in the tourism industry, staying on top of trends in the meetings, sports and leisure markets, and we couldn’t do it without our hospitality partners, stakeholders and funding partners. “ Tourism in the Columbia area has a $2.4 billion economic impact, generates $120 million in state and local taxes and is responsible for 21,000 jobs, according to statistics compiled by Longwoods International and Tourism Economics. The region also welcomes 5.4 million overnight visitors. All of these statistics are above pre-pandemic numbers from 2019, according to the release. “Columbia is not a drive-through, fly-over city,” Ellen said. “We’re an experience all on our own and have just as much, if not more, to offer than our competitors when it comes to destination assets.” Reach Christina Lee Knauss at 803-753-4327.