DRCI Launches Program to Help Local Heroes Develop New Businesses

as seen in the Island Packet

The Don Ryan Center for Innovation launched its Heroes Initiative program Thursday to help Bluffton’s heroes get their small businesses off the ground.

The center, which officially opened the doors to its new building on May 20, was started in 2012 to help local entrepreneurs, according to its CEO Mike Levine.

“He (Ryan) always had a vision for entrepreneurs because he was one himself,” Levine said.

“I got together with my team and we were talking about what we wanted to apply for with this grant and I came up with the idea to support our military,” Levine said. “Then I expanded to first responders, police and fire fighters because these are the people that help us every day.”

Levine, who has been with the center for a year and a half, said that the center helps with everything from idea development to marketing and sales.

“Some people come to us with an idea literally on the back of an envelope and ask us how they can make it a reality,” Levine said. “It’s really an A-Z book of how to run a business.”

The program has 56 mentors who help guide the entrepreneur through every step of the process to grow their business, according to Levine.

Among those entrepreneurs is former U.S. Marine Matt Gulick. He first had the idea for a cereal screw spout in 2014 with his friend Mike Finlen after his son opened up a bag of cereal from their pantry to find that it had gone stale from not being closed properly.

The duo flew to Los Angeles to pitch their idea, but didn’t get any buyers.

“There was always something wrong with the design,” Gulick said. “Coming here, they laid out a blueprint for me to follow.”

With the help from his mentors at the center, Gulick was able to narrow down his market and tailor his product to work for dispensing dog food instead.

VETERANS SUPPORTING VETERANS

Over time, the Don Ryan Center has been housed everywhere from a cramped office space in the Bluffton Police Department to a trailer. They already had the building that they unveiled in Thursday’s ceremony when they received funding from a Relentless Challenge Grant from the South Carolina Department of Commerce Office of Innovation to start the Heroes Initiative Program.

The building is located across the street from Veteran’s Park, a newly built memorial to honor fallen service members, said Steve Robillard, Sergeant at Arms from the Dennis J. Becker American Legion Post 205.

Robillard and Post Adjutant Michael Miranda were especially grateful for the launch of the program, and present at the center’s opening to show their support.

“It’s always great to see people supporting other people, especially vets,” Robillard said.

Gulick, who suffered from a traumatic brain injury during his time in the military, said that it is programs like the one at the Don Ryan Center that have been instrumental in his success. He said that his biggest goal after getting his company off the ground is to give back to the programs and the people that have helped him.

“I want to be a company that gives back,” Gulick said.