VENTURESOUTH membership
VentureSouth includes more than 400 members, most of whom are in close proximity to one of our many VentureSouth Markets – but investors are welcome to join from anywhere.
Explore our Markets below – and click here if you’d like to join VentureSouth.
VENTURESOUTH MARKETS
Aiken • Asheville • Charleston • Charlotte • Fayetteville • Hilton Head • Midlands (Columbia) • Piedmont (Greensboro/Winston-Salem) • PeeDee (Florence, SC) • Rock Hill • Spartanburg • Triangle (Raleigh/ Durham/ Chapel Hill) • Tri-County (Anderson/Oconee/Pickens) • UCAN (Greenville, SC) • Virginia • Wilmington
VentureSouth Aiken (Aiken, SC)
Formed in 2015 under the leadership of Peter Buckley and Paul Newsom. Today Paul co-leads our efforts in the region with Bob Hottensen.
Aiken Market Directors
Bob Hottensen
Retired Equity Analyst, Goldman Sachs & Olayan Group
Paul Newsom
Associate Professor of Finance, USC Aiken
VentureSouth Asheville (Asheville, NC)
Established in 2014 in partnership with the Economic Development Coalition for Asheville-Buncombe County and the Asheville Chamber of Commerce.
Asheville Market Director
Jeff Kaplan
Director, Venture Asheville
VentureSouth Charleston (Charleston, SC)
VentureSouth Charleston launched in 2014 as one of our first expansion markets.
Charleston Market Director
Eric Thome
Managing Director of Business Development
VentureSouth Charlotte (Charlotte, NC)
Led by Juan Garzón and serial entrepreneur Mac Lackey, our Charlotte Market formed in the Queen City in 2016.
Charlotte Market Directors
Juan GARZON
Executive Director, Innovate Charlotte
Mac Lackey
Founder, Exit DNA
VentureSouth Fayetteville (Fayetteville, NC)
VentureSouth Fayetteville successfully launched in early 2020, under the stewardship of local entrepreneur Marty Cayton.
Fayetteville Market Director
MARTY CAYTON
Publisher at Greater Fayetteville Business Journal
VentureSouth Hilton Head (Hilton Head, SC)
VentureSouth Hilton Head launched in 2015 to provide access to VentureSouth to residents of Hilton Head and Bluffton.
Hilton Head Market Directors
Morgan Malino
General Counsel & Data Protection Officer
Tim Zwerner
Business and Real Estate Attorney
VentureSouth Midlands (Columbia, SC)
VentureSouth Midlands launched as our first VentureSouth expansion market in 2014. Originally called Capital Angels, VentureSouth Midlands serves our investors in Columbia, SC and the surrounding areas.
Midlands Managing Director
Charlie Banks
Co-Founder & Managing Director, VentureSouth
VentureSouth Pee Dee (Florence, SC)
The Pee Dee region of South Carolina is the 16th community to join Venturesouth, bringing the resources of a venture capital firm to local investors.
PeeDee Managing Director
Curtis Lee
Founder/Principal at Kairos Sophos Consulting
VentureSouth Piedmont (Greensboro, High Point, Winston-Salem, NC)
VentureSouth Piedmont launched in 2017 to serve the Triad area of North Carolina.
Piedmont Market Directors
Matt Bailey
Investor and Director of Soelect Inc.
Malay Shah
General Partner Piedmont Summit Capital
VentureSouth Rock Hill (Rock Hill, SC)
VentureSouth Rock Hill was one of our earliest expansion efforts in 2015.
Rock Hill Market Director
Jay Rinehart
President/CEO at Rinehart Realty Corporation
VentureSouth Spartanburg (Spartanburg, SC)
VentureSouth Spartanburg officially launched in February 2015 as Spartanburg Angels in partnership with the Spartanburg Chamber of Commerce.
Spartanburg Managing Director
Paul Clark
Co-Founder & Managing Director, VentureSouth
VentureSouth Triangle (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, NC)
VentureSouth Triangle officially launched in September 2021.
Triangle Managing Director
Paul Clark
Co-Founder & Managing Director, VentureSouth
VentureSouth Tri-County Area (Anderson, Oconee, Pickens)
Originally known as Electric City Angels in Anderson, VentureSouth Tri-County has expanded to include counties in the Golden Corner of South Carolina.
Tri-County Market Director
Craig Kinley
Principal of WiProwess, LLC
VentureSouth UCAN (Greenville, SC)
The Upstate Carolina Angel Network (UCAN) is the original investor group from which VentureSouth evolved. UCAN launched in April of 2008.
UCAN Managing Director
Matt Dunbar
Co-Founder & Managing Director, VentureSouth
VentureSouth Virginia (Richmond, VA)
Established in 2021, VentureSouth’s newest angel group was created in partnership with Startup Virginia, a nonprofit high-growth business incubator and entrepreneurial hub dedicated to advancing businesses that build a long-term, sustainable economy for Virginia.
Virginia Market Directors
Richard Wintsch
Executive Director at Startup Virginia
Noelle James
Director of Startup Growth at Startup Virginia
VentureSouth Wilmington (Wilmington, NC)
Our Wilmington Market joined the VentureSouth fold in 2019.
Wilmington Market Director
Rob Kaiser
Publisher at Greater Wilmington Business Journal
