Chastain, 25, currently serves as director of Coker College’s Enactus team, a program in which students use business concepts to create community outreach projects. A graduate of Coker College with a Bachelor of Science in management, Chastain became Enactus program director in 2012, leading the execution of student projects in business development and service learning, which help to empower and lead members of the community. The projects of the Coker College team recently led it to becoming Regional Champion at the Enactus United States Regional Championship. From 2010 to 2012, Chastain led a sales team for Guardian Building Products of Greenville, S.C.
“I am honored by the opportunity to develop and lead the Duke Energy Center for Innovation in Hartsville, and I am excited to begin working with all of its partners including Duke Energy, Clemson, the City of Hartsville and the Community Foundation’s board,” Chastain said. “Hartsville is a fitting home for a business incubator, since this city was founded on innovation and entrepreneurship and has remained the home of thriving businesses ever since. I look forward to this program’s emergence as a focal point for local economic development, one which will generate new products, services and jobs in this community.”
Karl Kelly, Director of Commercialization and Technology Incubation for Clemson University, said the incubator’s establishment in Hartsville comes as an exciting addition to the Technology Village Program.
“This incubator represents the opportunity to create new companies in a broad range of technologies including agricultural, environmental, biotechnology, robotics, chemicals and software,” Kelly said. “Ben Chastain brings experience in incubation and company development and will be a creative and resourceful new director that will compliment the new center. We look forward in working with Ben.”
A similar initiative opened last year in Bluffton.
Dr.
Paul M. Horton, Director of the Clemson Institute for Economic & Community
Development, said he looks forward to working with Chastain and all those
involved with the incubator as it begins to engage with new and emerging
companies.
“It is truly exciting to be a part of this public-private entrepreneurial enterprise to enhance and expand Hartsville’s economy,” Horton said. “We pledge our continued commitment to support this innovative process.”
Community Foundation for a Better Hartsville board member Martin Driggers said Chastain will bring a combination of experience, savvy and vigor to the new center.
“As a board member, I was already very excited about this opportunity for Hartsville. With Ben as the director, I know that the incubator will be another landmark that will produce results for our community,” Driggers said.
For more information about the Duke Energy Center for Innovation in Hartsville, contact Director Ben Chastain at ben.chastain@hartsvillesc.gov or Karl Kelly, Director of Commercialization and Technology Incubation for Clemson University at karl@clemson.edu.
