Furman University launches center on innovative leadership in Greenville

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Furman University has launched the Center for Innovative Leadership, a talent development initiative aimed at supporting mature and growing businesses in Greenville and the greater Upstate region.

The CIL leverages Furman’s expertise and community outreach already in play through four institutes on campus, and combines that with key global partners to provide best-in-class leadership and business innovation programming, said Garrett Stern, executive director of the CIL, in a news release. Stern came to Furman in August 2022 from the University of Richmond, where he built professional programs and forged community relationships for more than seven years.

“The CIL is designed to meet professionals at any point along their journey,” Stern said in the release. “We aim to provide transformative learning that will alter career trajectories, whether through certificate programs, short courses or one-on-one coaching. We want to serve the broader Upstate community by doing what Furman does best, providing impactful education and building community leaders.”

To that end, Stern has developed strategic relationships with Global Leadership Services in Spartanburg, UX Design Institute in Dublin, Ireland and Peak Performance in Richmond, Va., the release stated.

Global Leadership Services, an Upstate-based leadership development firm, is the preferred channel partner for the Center for Creative Leadership, based in Greensboro, N.C., providing globally recognized leadership curricula, the release stated.

“Furman’s Center for Innovative Leadership represents an exciting opportunity for the Greenville region,” Clemson Turregano, CEO of GLS, said in the release. “Together, we’ll provide world-class leadership development, customizing programs to employers’ needs, and allow participants to immediately test and use new leader skills in their workplaces.”

As UX Design Institute’s first U.S. partner university, Furman will offer courses to foster business innovation and build tech talent, according to the release.

“UX (user experience) and UI (user interface) design make up one of the fastest growing fields in tech,” Stern said. “The partnership with UX Design Institute allows us to address a key talent need that aligns with the expertise found in our master of strategic design program. We’ll be offering professional certificates for both UX and UI.”

The CIL is working with Peak Performance to bring DEI leadership coaching and amp up Furman’s long-running Women’s Leadership Initiative, which debuted in 1998, the release stated.

“Peak is proud to partner with Furman’s Center for Innovative Leadership on the Women’s Leadership Initiative. We are committed to the vision of the Center and thrilled to bring our high caliber coaches and services to the Upstate,” said Yuri Tuppince, founder and chief learning officer at Peak.

The CIL is currently accepting applications for the Women’s Leadership Initiative, which starts on April 27. Find more information by visiting its website.