At the University of South Carolina, there’s a spring breeze of brilliance blowing through the air—and it’s coming straight from the Strategic Innovation Planning and Processes (SIPP) course at the Darla Moore School of Business. This highly competitive course is a launchpad for business-savvy minds who are ready to take on the future of strategy and innovation. Part of the SC Innovates Strategic Innovation Certificate, SIPP is led by Laura B. Cardinal, who is better known as “Prof. C” by her students.
“This spring’s cohort was a truly unique blend of preparation, poise, and a pinch of Southern hospitality,” smiled Cardinal as she recalled her experience with this class. “They came in fully prepared from day one. They’re deeply thoughtful, incredibly polite, and passionate about understanding the real-world applications of strategic innovation. These wonderful attributes stayed with them the entire semester.”
Representing sectors from energy and healthcare to mental health, defense, product manufacturing, and banking, this cohort isn’t just studying innovation. They *are* innovation, and their determination is evident, as more than half of the class will continue to fulfill their Strategic Innovation Certificate. This high return rate also speaks to the high-level benefits and value that Cardinal and the other SC Innovates educators offer in their course curriculums.
One of those students is Kerri Phillips, a Strategic Innovation Certificate participant and previous student of SC Innovates’ MGMT 776. She says this course allowed her the opportunity to view innovation with a critical lens.
“I’ve learned to evaluate not simply advancement from innovation, but also shortcomings. When we challenge how companies of the past and future can better implement meaningful innovation strategy, it results in better outcomes for both the business’ goals and the collective consumer good,” explains Phillips. “Whether or not you are technically inclined, this class challenges you to stretch new mental muscles to evaluate subject matter from an alternate perspective. I would highly recommend the experience to any student who is curious about science and technology, business strategy, critical thinking, or simply just to learn from fellow students and an amazing professor like Prof. C!”
The students from this semester’s SIPP course hailed from a variety of industries and regions—half traveling from cities like Charlotte, Charleston, Florence, and Huntersville, NC. Charlotte, especially, has shown up and shown out as a hotbed for innovation-hungry professionals.
“This is a group of thinkers and doers, with 50 percent bringing backgrounds in STEM—whether through degrees, jobs, or both,” said Cardinal. “What makes SIPP special is that it doesn’t just teach students how to think strategically—it teaches them how to plan strategically. We use real-world applications, which in turn, makes these students more marketable, more visionary, and more valuable to employers across industries.”
One student, in particular, was able to immediately put his new course knowledge to work for real-time application back at his jobsite. Matt Brown, an employee at an international company, was able to apply concepts related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (D.E.I.), which is a hot topic of discussion with the current changing federal legislation.
“It became evident to me, that while intentions are good, there is more that our company could do to enhance innovation through our differing skillsets and experiences,” explains Brown. His international employer has many people from diverse backgrounds, and their D.E.I. program primarily focuses on celebrating those cultural differences. “Inclusion brings different ideas to the table but doesn’t adequately meld them into a superior byproduct. What I learned is that fusion of those backgrounds is what sets a company up for success. After internal discussions with some co-workers, we are finding ourselves ready to strive for improvements in this area.”
When asked what sets SIPP apart from other graduate courses, Melissa Jones, another returning student enrolled in the SC Innovates Certificate, says that she’s never experienced the meaningful face-to-face and cross-functional collaboration that this class afforded her.
“The ability to work with peers from different industries, companies, and roles created such a dynamic learning environment that really did a fantastic job of mirroring real-world innovation challenges,” explains Jones. “For me, it encouraged a lot of self-reflection and helped me realize the unique perspective I bring to a diverse team. This valuable gift of confidence has allowed me to step outside my comfort zone and take on complex, strategic work where I can make thoughtful decisions that will lead to more successful outcomes.”
Sharp minds. Kind souls. No-nonsense drive. The Spring II SIPP cohort is proof that when business meets innovation—with a little Southern charm—you get something powerful!