Leaders from Midlands Community to Speak at EngenuitySC's Ignite! Celebration, Nov. 16, 2016

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Nov. 1, 2016 - PRLog -- EngenuitySC will gather some of the most influential voices in the Midlands on Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2016, 5-8 p.m. at Ignite! 2016, the Midlands' annual hot-ticket celebration of economic competitiveness.

Mayor Elise Partin of Cayce, Richland Library's Melanie Huggins, Mike Crapps of First Community Bank, Darion McCloud of NiA Theatre Company and acclaimed artist Michaela Pilar Brown will converge to give short, dynamic TED-style talks to more than 300 ticketholders in the Midlands business community on the unfinished second floor of the brand new First Base Building at BullStreet (2142 Boyce Street, Columbia, SC 29201), adjacent to Spirit Communications Park, home of the Columbia Fireflies.

Tickets to Ignite! are $55, available online at http://www.engenuitysc.com/ignite.

Attendees enjoy open bar, heavy hors d'oeuvres and networking; a streamlined program of keynote talks by three sets of local thought leaders and video presentations by three $5,000 Ignite! Ideas Contest entrepreneurial finalists; followed by live voting for the winner of the competition and awarding of the prize funds, presented by Nephron Pharmaceuticals.

The evening will be hosted by EngenuitySC board founding co-chairs Steve Benjamin, Mayor of Columbia, S.C.; Dr. Harris Pastides, President of the University of South Carolina; and emcee Mary King.

Melanie Huggins, executive director of Richland Library in Columbia, S.C., and Elise Partin, Mayor of the City of Cayce, S.C., will team up to present a keynote on their experiences becoming leaders in the Midlands. Mike Crapps, founder, president and CEO of First Community Bank, will speak about protecting company culture and southern manners in a modern business world.

Michaela Pilar Brown and Darion McCloud, Columbia-based creative entrepreneurs, will co-present a talk about starting important conversations through the language of art. Both local artists have committed their lives to making statements on larger issues via artistic expression, and have both been critically acclaimed locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.

The sponsor of the Ignite! 2016 Ideas Contest, Nephron Pharmaceuticals Corporation is a global leader in manufacturing generic respiratory medications utilizing blow-fill-seal technology. Nephron Pharmaceuticals recently moved its headquarters to West Columbia, S.C., right outside of owner and CEO Lou Kennedy's hometown of Lexington.

Additional Ignite! 2016 Anchor Sponsors include BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, sponsor of the evening's networking hour. Competitiveness Sponsors are SCRA, the University of South Carolina Office of Economic Engagement and Midlands Technical College. Collaboration Sponsors are First Community Bank; Mashburn Construction; the Midlands Authority for Conventions, Sports and Tourism; Ogletree Deakins; SCE&G; LLE Construction; Nelson Mullins; Lower Richland High School; Hopkins Middle School and Southeast Middle School.

Headquartered in Columbia, S.C., EngenuitySC is an economic development nonprofit focused on enhancing our region's competitiveness and prosperity. In partnership with business, government, education and community leaders, EngenuitySC specializes in regional collaboration and project management; the activation of local industry clusters; and regional research, analysis and marketing. For more information, visit http://www.engenuitysc.com.