Venture Forward: Building the Region’s Entrepreneurship & VC Ecosystem

Megan focuses on the strategic execution of CRDA’s core economic development programs, which include building a global business brand, recruiting foreign direct investment, attracting high-demand talent, and implementing the broader regional economic development strategy.

Thomas Rhodes is a fourth-generation entrepreneur and Partner in Rhodes Companies, a diversified holding company investing in and scaling businesses across the United States. He serves as Chairman of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, where he advocates for policies that promote growth, innovation, and a robust business climate.

Dynamic leader with 20+ years of experience building, managing, and investing in businesses across healthcare, software, and professional services. Skilled in strategic governance and relationship-building, with a passion for investing in underrepresented founders. Committed to delivering financial returns and driving social impact through community-focused leadership and impactful partnerships.

Eric Thome is the Vice President of Talent and Operations at Broadtree Partners. Eric has a background as an entrepreneur who successfully ran his own search, as well as a consultant and angel investor.

Jennifer Johnson is an Investor Relations Specialist at IR Advisory Partners, where she partners with private market General Partners across private equity, private credit, and venture capital. She helps emerging managers design and execute strategic, customized investor relations programs that strengthen relationships with LPs and support long-term capital-raising success. Jennifer brings a disciplined, proactive approach to building IR strategies tailored to the unique needs of each client, ensuring clear communication, trust, and alignment between managers and their investors.

David Mendez is Managing Partner at Good Growth Capital, one of the Southeast’s largest early-stage deep tech investors. With 25+ years in venture capital, David has led 100+ investments globally, including four unicorns.

He co-founded and exited Supplybase.inc, a VC-backed B2B SaaS company, before launching South Carolina’s first VC firm, Capital A Partners, and later joining Good Growth Capital at its inception in 2017. David has lived and invested internationally, primarily in the EU/UK, and holds an engineering degree from Clemson and an MBA from UNC Chapel Hill.