The University of South Carolina Aiken Hosts 2nd Annual Women in Business Luncheon

Aiken, SC (11/04/2022) — On Oct. 28, the School of Business Administration (SOB) at the University of South Carolina Aiken (USC Aiken) celebrated National Women's Small Business Month at the 2nd annual Women in Business Luncheon.

This event provides students with networking opportunities and allows women to gain valuable knowledge from women that have gone before them. The luncheon featured a panel comprised of four local businesswomen - Chrisssa Matthews, Katy Lipscomb, Nicole Morgan and Daniele Ligons.

Matthews is the owner of DayBreak Adult Care Services and Fairfield and Park Luxury Apartments-a previously abandoned building in downtown Aiken that she and her husband renovated in 2020. Lipscomb is the owner of Material Things, a design studio in Aiken that has allowed her to marry her passion for fabrics with home design. Morgan is the Director of Business Development and Physician Services at Aiken Regional Medical Centers and strives to recruit top-notch physicians to improve access to quality healthcare in the area. Ligons works at Aiken Electric Cooperative as the Marketing Manager. Ligons was named the 2019 Young Philanthropist of the Year by the United Way of Aiken, was awarded the 2021 Walter Allread Award from SC Living magazine and was recognized as a 2021 Young Professional to Follow by the Aiken Standard newspaper.

Whether working for businesses in Aiken or starting their own, each woman on the panel is an active member of the Aiken community and continually works to improve the area.

Through a discussion moderated by Dr. Sanela Porca, professor and founder of the Women in Business Luncheon, the panelists discussed the qualities they believe a woman in business should have and how being a woman has impacted their careers.

From curiosity to confidence, each woman listed qualities that they believe are beneficial for women to embody while progressing throughout their career.

"Resilience and never surrender," said Morgan. "I start and I just don't stop. I celebrate the accomplishments and move on."

Although she said that being a woman had been challenging during her career, Morgan does not view it as a hindrance. Matthews and Lipscomb agreed that, in their experience, being a woman had helped them in their careers more than it had inhibited them.

"I love being a woman. You bring your perspectives and strengths to the table," said Lipscomb. "I've never felt like I was inhibited, but I do know people that have been."

Ligons said she has often felt overlooked as a woman in the corporate world, but was able to overcome this by making herself known in the meeting room, knowing that she could do anything a man could do and not allowing others to underestimate her or her abilities because she is a woman.

"I hope that young women leave the luncheon feeling empowered and knowing that they can accomplish even more than what the panelists have," said Ligons.

This year, USC Aiken welcomed Dr. Nancy Albers as the new Dean of the School of Business Administration. Albers comes to USC Aiken with a wealth of experience demonstrated through her former positions as Dean of the School of Business at Pacific Lutheran University, Professor and Chair of the Marketing Department at Berry College and on the faculty at the University of North Texas and the University of Houston. Albers hold a Ph. D in marketing, a M.B.A and a bachelor of science in Speech Communication.

For more information about USC Aiken's School of Business and future events, please visit School of Business Administration (usca.edu).

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