Give 4 Garnet 2026

The McNair Institute for Entrepreneurism and Free Enterprise at the University of South Carolina develops and empowers creative, productive leaders so that they may enjoy the benefits of free markets, create jobs, and drive economic growth. Through the generosity of The Robert and Janice McNair Foundation, the McNair Institute was created in 2017 to support entrepreneurship and free enterprise education. The Institute focuses on: 

• educating and supporting current and future entrepreneurs through innovative classes, tools, and programming, an entrepreneurship minor, and experiential learning opportunities; 
• building community as a leader-partner at the USC, local, state, national, and global levels; and 
• advancing entrepreneurism by providing thought leadership and by connecting students, alumni, entrepreneurs, organizations, and others in a range of entrepreneurial ecosystems and markets.

Our initiatives include:

• Entrepreneurship minor and individual classes: Minor and classes available to all Columbia campus undergraduate students; some classes available to students on additional campuses. We are working toward expanding offerings throughout the USC system.
• Virtual advising for entrepreneurs and future entrepreneurs: Students, alumni, and others receive support starting and growing their own businesses through online advising from real entrepreneurs with experience in a variety of fields.
• Connecting Students to Startups: Students are connected to startups for internships and other experiential learning opportunities.
• Events: Inspirational and informative talks by entrepreneurs, networking events, in-class advising sessions, skills workshops, and business plan competitions are some of the ways we increase students' exposure to real-world experience and access to the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Some events are open to the public.

Your gift, no matter how large or small, makes a real impact on students during their time at the University of South Carolina and beyond. We are very grateful for our donors!