ChristiPowell

Notes about our speakers: Carlos Phillips began serving as President/CEO of the Greenville Chamber on March 29, 2016. The Greenville Chamber‘s vision for a globally competitive Upstate economy where businesses succeed and people prosper, and mission for leading, convening, and mobilizing the business community to drive regional economic growth are supported by its 1,800 member businesses and $4 million annual operating budget. Much has been achieved during Phillips’ time with the Greenville Chamber, including the implementation of strategic plans for the organization, and Accelerate (the Chamber’s private sector fueled economic develop campaign), selling its office of forty years and moving downtown to Grenville’s central business district, leading a statewide effort for legislation to expand the number of non-violent offenses eligible for removal from one’s criminal record, partnering with Columbia, Charleston, Myrtle Beach and Charlotte chambers to form the SC Metro-Chambers Coalition, and partnering with the United Way of Greenville County and the Urban League of the Upstate to for the Greenville Racial Equity and Economic Mobility Commission. The Greenville Chamber Foundation secured a $500,000 grant to expand its Minority Business Accelerator initiative to the Columbia and Charleston markets. The Chamber has been awarded “Chamber of the Year” by the Carolinas Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives for its programmatic leadership and value to its members and earned 5-Star Accreditation by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for its operational excellence. Phillips is an active leader in the community and his profession, serving as a director for VisitGreenvilleSC, Urban League of the Upstate, Community Foundation of Grenville, and United Way of the Upstate. He chairs the United ***** College Fund Upstate Mayor’s Masked Ball which raises funds to help get kids to and through college. He serves on the executive committee of the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives and chairs its Metro Cities Council, and he’s also a member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce “Committee of 100” and serves on its Equality of Opportunity task force. Originally from Owensboro, KY, Phillips received an undergraduate degree in Communications from the University of Kentucky and a master’s degree in organizational communications from Western Kentucky University. He and his wife, LaTonya, have four children. Diane Hardy is a former nurse anesthetist turned entrepreneur, who opened Nothing Bundt Cakes at Verdae in Greenville over 5 years ago. She is also the Executive Director of the Mom and Pop Alliance of SC, which she founded during Covid upon discovering SC’s almost 400,000 small businesses had little representation in our State House. The Alliance provides education, communication, and advocacy for SC’s family-owned businesses. Her passion for SC's small business is strong, and as such she donates her time to the organization, accepting no salary or government funding. Her love for our state isn’t new. Before launching the Mom and Pop Alliance she was the founder and host of The Palmetto Panel (2014-2019), an annual statewide conference highlighting issues impacting South Carolina. She has a bachelor’s in nursing and psychology from Michigan State as well as a master’s from MUSC. She and her husband have 3 adult children and are enjoying life as empty nesters. Karen Caruso, a Carolina native, has built a professional career centered around empowering employers to make informed hiring decisions. Karen’s background in the security, surveillance, and loss prevention industry lead her to become a licensed private investigator. In 1996 and as a new mom, her passion for helping others and her professional background merged as she sparked the idea to start a childcare background screening business for families looking to hire safe and reliable childcare. She founded Mind Your Business, Inc. (MYB), a leading provider of pre-employment background screening services, drug testing, and EEO investigation services. Today, MYB headquartered in Hendersonville, NC and helps thousands of clients across the nation including Fortune 500 corporations, nationally recognized non-profits, and the federal government, while maintaining the same dedication to screening childcare providers as it did at its foundation. Her company stands as a testament to what a big vision and diligent, careful processes can accomplish. Through Karen’s dedication, she was honored to be named North Carolina’s Small Business Person of the Year in 2011 and many other accolades to honor her success and commitment to building up the surrounding community. Today, her vision has expanded to inspiring and mentoring other woman-owned and minority business owners. She is a proud member of the WBENC Women’s Enterprise National Forum and the GWBC Voice Forum.

Thank you for posting and for helping young people seek employment! You are doing good things!