Ben Navarro
Co-Founder
BeemokBold ideas. Inspiring founders. $1M in potential investment. Don’t miss the Lowcountry’s biggest pitch competition on November 8 at Union Pier.
Co-Founder
Beemok
CEO
Fifth Third Bank
Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, President Fifth Third Bank
Tim Spence has led Fifth Third Bank with a steadfast focus on shareholders, customers and community. Under his leadership, the Bank has achieved top-tier performance metrics among peers. His commitment to culture and community is reflected in record-low employee attrition, strong internal development, and a bank-wide commitment to volunteerism.
Mr. Spence joined the bank in 2015. Prior to Fifth Third, he was a senior partner at Oliver Wyman, where he advised global financial institutions. He also held leadership roles at two growth-stage technology companies.
Mr. Spence earned his bachelor’s degree with high honors from Colgate University. He serves on the supervisory boards of both The Clearing House and the Bank Policy Institute, where he chairs BITS the technology policy division. In addition to his national involvement, Tim plays a key role in Ohio’s business community as the vice chair of the Ohio Business Roundtable. In 2025, he was named chair of the Cincinnati Business Committee (CBC) and is a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO). He also contributes to higher education through his service on the board of trustees at Xavier University in Cincinnati.
Co-Founder and CEO
Gnosis Freight
Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Gnosis Freight
Austin McCombs is the Co-Founder and CEO of Gnosis Freight, a logistics technology company pioneering Container Lifecycle Management® to improve supply chain visibility and collaboration. Since founding Gnosis in 2017, he has led its rapid growth, including a 2024 investment from Vista Equity Partners.
Mr. McCombs began his career working with freight forwarders and their customers, sparking his passion for applying technology to global logistics challenges. He continues to focus on data-driven solutions that help logistics companies work more efficiently.
He earned both his B.S. in Supply Chain Management and his M.S. in Management Information Systems from Auburn University. Based in Charleston, Mr. McCombs leads Gnosis Freight in its mission to modernize global shipping operations.
Founder
Meeting Street Capital
Founder, Meeting Street Capital
Claudius “Bud” Watts IV is the Founder of Meeting Street Capital and a seasoned investor with more than two decades of leadership in technology, semiconductors, software, and software-enabled services. Through Meeting Street Capital, he focuses on investing in early-stage technology companies, helping innovative founders scale their businesses and navigate critical phases of growth. He also serves as the Chairman of the Board of Commscope, Inc. (NASDAQ: COMM).
Previously, Mr. Watts established and led the Technology Buyout Group at The Carlyle Group where he oversaw investments in numerous companies including CommScope, SS&C Technologies, and Freescale Semiconductor. Earlier in his career, he was a Managing Director at First Union Securities and a principal at Bowles Hollowell Conner & Co. Before entering finance, he served as a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot, qualified as an instructor in both the F-16 and A-10 aircraft.
Mr. Watts earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from The Citadel and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He serves on several boards, including The Citadel Foundation and Roper St. Francis Foundation, and is recognized for his deep commitment to education and community impact in Charleston.
Founder
Castle Coaching & Consulting
Leadership Coach, Entrepreneurship Instructor and Former Amazon Executive
Sarah Castle is a purposeful leader dedicated to transforming organizations and elevating people. With nearly 20 years of corporate experience across mergers and acquisitions, digital devices, voice technology, books, and human resources, Sarah rose to become an executive at Amazon before age 40. Known for her ability to turn teams into high-performing organizations and lead meaningful transformation, she has built a reputation as a visionary operator and trusted mentor.
Today, Sarah channels her experience into coaching, consulting, and teaching, helping leaders grow into the kind of executives the future needs now. She is a visiting instructor at Cornell University, former entrepreneurship faculty at the College of Charleston, serves on multiple nonprofit boards, and speaks widely on leadership, growth and purpose-driven business.
Sarah holds a master’s degree from Cornell University and a bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University. She lives in Charleston with her family and continues to lead with energy, empathy and impact.
WODA Bag, LLC
Founders: Britt Gardner and Erin Jewett
WODA Bag offers a durable, hands-free, waterproof backpack made for active lifestyles designed to carry everything from water bottles to gym gear in one stylish, functional solution.
SiteMarker
Founders: Landon Messal & Tom Evans
SiteMarker is a construction tech company that digitizes field operations through a platform, improving communication, documentation and accountability for job site teams.
eat G.A.N.G.S.T.E.R.
Founders: Kerry Brown and Heather McDonough
eat G.A.N.G.S.T.E.R. creates packaged baking mixes for people with food allergies. With rising diet-related sensitivities, the company offers baking mixes free of the top 14 allergens, including grains, gluten, dairy, nuts, soy, seeds and eggs, so customers can enjoy feel-good foods.
Clarity
Founders: Owen Smith and Will Sadowski
Clarity provides a campus-wide, professor-verified assignment management platform that unifies due dates from the LMS and syllabi into a trusted calendar with smart reminders, AI and calendar assistance.
Torpedo Bio
Founders: Dr. Leonardo Ferreira
Torpedo Bio is pioneering, a genetically engineered immune cell therapy designed to eradicate solid tumors, Early models show dose response and superiority over existing treatments.
HorseSpot
Founders: Christopher & Lindsay Lenard
Horse Spot is a SaaS platform for equestrian competitions, serving grassroots events to nationally ranked hunter-jumper shows. This horse show management product replaces outdated technology, reduces manual errors and boosts compliance and engagement.
Lowcountry Sourdough
Founders: Lincoln and London Orr Miller
Sisters Lincoln and London Orr produce organic, seed-oil free, great-tasting sourdough bagels. They sell them most Saturdays out of their Daniel Island home. They are looking to scale output for local retail orders.
Bon Banh Mi
Founders: Jason Sakran & James Romano
Bon Banh Mi is a fast-casual Southeast Asian concept known for its flavorful, healthy and affordable food that includes bowls, tacos, sandwiches and salads. With three successful locations, the team is now expanding through franchising across the Southeast.
PGR
Founders: Pedro Galileo Romo
OptiPGR is software designed to increase manufacturing efficiency using quantum computing and AI. It processes massive datasets from controllers, cameras and sensors to deliver 25–75% efficiency gains using a patent-pending technology.
GrAIded
Founders: JT White & Coleman Isner
GrAIded simplifies the college admissions process by giving students an AI-powered platform to organize transcripts, track grades and understand their academic standing. It delivers 98% accuracy in GPA insights and prepares students for school-specific recalculations.
CHS Music
Founders: Leonid & Constantin Matros
Charleston International Music Competition operates one of the world’s largest online music contests, with over 7,000 finalists from more than 90 countries,
Alita
Founders: Matthew Rosa & Landon Feuerstein
Alita is a website chatbot designed for senior living, memory care and assisted living facilities. The tool streamlines communication with prospective employees and families searching for a care facility. Alita is used by 30 organizations, including two of the largest home care providers.
Volare
Founders: Matthew Moore & Dustin Tupper
Volare Boats is building a fully electric, low-maintenance day boat with advanced performance and elegant design. These luxury boats aim to bring new energy to recreational boating.
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Union Pier Terminal Building
196 Concord Street, Charleston, SC
General Admission: 1 Pritchard Street
Handicap Accessible: 198 Concord Street
Attire for the day is smart casual, comfortable and ready to connect.
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