Fifteen years ago or so, a prominent leader from the Raleigh-Durham area came to the Upstate as the keynote speaker for a local business event and made a rather astute observation after spending a couple of days here. He said, “Greenville is a community too restless to be content with its own success.”
The moment we heard this, several of us around the room looked at each other, smiled and nodded because we instantly knew his comment captured something unique about this area, something we had all felt and even participated in but couldn’t articulate. It was the restlessness part that got our attention.
As someone fairly new on the economic development scene back then, I had already sensed the restlessness he mentioned. The pride in what was already accomplished was being juxtaposed against the never-quenched thirst to do even more. It was in this season of development that NEXT was born, that Clemson University’s Graduate School of Business planted its flag in downtown Greenville and the Upstate Carolina Angel Network coalesced to begin making investments in our region’s top companies. These are just a few of the many game-changing efforts that arose in response to the restlessness that abounded alongside our growing confidence and pride.
Today, we’re experiencing growth and recognition unprecedented in our community’s history and it is tempting to bask in the international spotlight and rest on our collective laurels. But we’re too restless for that. We have a history of shaking off the comforts of the status quo for the difficult pursuit of a greater vision.
In 2021, we are proud of what this area has become and we should be. It’s important that we pause to enjoy and appreciate each day here. But we also see the unrealized potential of this place we love. We see that not all of our neighbors are fully participating in the prosperity we are blessed with. And we see that an even better, stronger community is on the horizon if we just stay restless, together.
