DRCI Kicks Off HEROES Program at “Bluffton HEROES Day”
Bluffton Mayor Lisa Sulka Declares May 20th Bluffton Heroes Day at Event Officially Launching Entrepreneurial Program for Military, Veterans, Police, Firefighters and EMTs
(Bluffton, SC) May 21, 2021 – More than 80 people, including dozens of the Lowcountry’s heroes, gathered at Veterans Park in Bluffton on Thursday, May 20th to officially kick off the Don Ryan Center for Innovation’s new HEROES Initiative and learn how this program can help the region's heroes become active entrepreneurs. The event featured Bluffton Mayor Lisa Sulka declaring the day as the first-ever “Bluffton Heroes Day”, issuing a proclamation to mark the day in honor of the launch of this unique program to help the Lowcountry’s valued heroes transition to business ownership
There are more than 22,000 active, prior service, retired military and First Responders in the Beaufort County region. The DRCI HEROES Initiative was created and launched to cater to them by providing them with the tailored resources that they need in order to start and grow a business, offering specialized support for the large population of Active Duty, Reserve, National Guard, Veterans and First Responders (police, firefighter and EMT) in South Carolina.
The DRCI HEROES Initiative is being launched by the Don Ryan Center for Innovation with a grant from the SC Department of Commerce’s Office of Innovation, and is open to all military, veterans, police, firefighters and EMTs throughout the region who are interested in exploring the idea of business ownership, or who have an idea for a business and are looking to take it to the next level. In issuing the proclamation, Mayor Sulka’s noted the tremendous role that the Lowcountry’s heroes have played in giving back to the community through the years.
“I’m excited to help officially kick off the Don Ryan Center for Innovation’s new HEROES Program, and proclaim today Bluffton Heroes Day in honor of all the heroes who have given so much to us here in the Lowcountry,” said Mayor Sulka. “The launch of the DRCI’s HEROES program is an important new way to both help our valued heroes and grow our local economy here in Bluffton.”
The event also included presentations from the SC Secretary of Veterans Affairs, William (Will) Grimsley, Major General, US Army (Ret.), and Julie Kunkle, Grants Administrator at the SC Dept of Commerce’s Office of Innovation, as well as the dedication of a memorial plaque for Army Ranger Larry Hughes, who played an integral role in creating and growing the DRCI. In addition, HEROES Program Mentor Kevin Ryan (a former Army commander) and Mentee Matt Gulick (a retired Marine) spoke about the role that Ryan’s mentorship and the DRCI’s resources had in helping Gulick successfully launch his company, Pourzilla (www.pourzilla.com), which is the first early success story of the HEROES Initiative.
“Since 2012, the Don Ryan Center for Innovation has played a key role here in the Lowcountry in helping so many entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses,” said Mike Levine, DRCI CEO. “We have the resources, contacts and proven results to help our heroes become successful entrepreneurs, and are excited to now be launching our HEROES program to help serve those who serve us.”
For more information about HEROES, or to inquire about becoming part of this unique entrepreneurial program, visit www.donryancenter.com/heroes.