Ranked the #5 U.S. metro for digital nomads by Yelp and Zillow, the #8 millennial magnet by Business Facilities, and the #2 trending destination by TripAdvisor, Charleston stands out for both its career opportunities and its livability assets, including its year-round warm climate, culture, food, beach access, and low cost of living.
Charleston is home to innovative companies in life sciences, aerospace, automotive, infotech, and logistics. The city offers a dynamic startup culture, in addition to career opportunities at multinational corporations like Boeing, Bosch, and Volvo.
In 2021, Boeing started to release workforce demographics data to increase accountability for diversity in hiring. The company plans to increase the representation of Black employees in the U.S. by over 20% in the next five years.
Known for its friendly business climate, Charleston’s commitment to DE&I extends to its progressive VC community. HI Mark Capital, a new venture fund in Charleston, is focused on raising a $15 million fund for Black, brown, and women-owned businesses, ownership groups that are underrepresented in the Southeast.
Herbert Drayton, managing partner, describes the business community as warm, inviting, progressive, and genuine. In Charleston, networking is second nature. Entrepreneurs in industries from medicine to VC have one thing in common: their appreciation for Charleston’s collaborative business community.
Charleston is home to DE&I champions who are moving the community forward.
“The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) created a model for DE&I. The Center for Health Disparities Research, established in 2005, is one of the leading centers of its kind. In addition to research, MUSC is focused on the recruitment and retention of diverse talent. It graduates and retains the most Black men in the nation,” said Dalarossa.
