Goodwill, Benedict College partner on business accelerator program

Goodwill Industries of Upstate/Midlands South Carolina has partnered with Benedict College’s Women’s Business Center to expand opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs through the NxLevel Business Accelerator Program.

The 10-week program is designed to equip participants with the essential skills and knowledge to build, grow and sustain successful businesses, according to a news release.

NxLevel meets in a hybrid format, accommodating participants at Goodwill’s Pleasantburg location in Greenville and the Hardscrabble location in Columbia. Sessions are held weekly and include hands-on training in key business areas, including:

• Creating effective business plans
• Developing capability statements
• Conducting SWOT analyses
• Mastering credit basics
• Cash flow management
• Elevator pitch development

The program also features interactive sessions with guest speakers specializing in accounting, insurance, business law and social media marketing, the release stated. By the end of the program, participants will have developed and submitted a comprehensive business plan tailored to their entrepreneurial goals.

“We are thrilled to partner with Benedict College’s Women’s Business Center to bring the NxLevel Business Accelerator Program to life,” said Monique McDaniels, GIUMSC vice president of community and workforce development. “This partnership underscores our shared commitment to fostering economic mobility and entrepreneurship across South Carolina.”

In celebration of this collaboration, GIUMSC and Benedict College’s Women’s Business Center hosted a formal Memorandum of Understanding signing event in November 2024, according to the release. Since then, the program has successfully graduated 13 participants, empowering local entrepreneurs with the tools to succeed. Successful participants have grown their ventures in the areas of food and beverage, health and beauty, retail, and education services.

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“This transformative partnership with Goodwill has been pivotal to the program’s engagement and success. Through this dynamic collaboration, we have been able to deliver immense value to our participants, and we’ve already seen them implementing strategies to elevate their businesses to the next level,” said Tiffany Nichole Burns, Benedict College Women’s Business manager of business development and client support.

The next orientation for the program is scheduled for Feb. 11, and will accommodate up to 20 participants per session. For more information on the NxLevel Program, click here.