At the heart of Greenville’s founder community, GVL Starts from the Hill Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship gives first-time and early-stage founders a structured yet human way to take an idea and move it toward launch. Over nine weeks each cohort dives into hands-on learning with local entrepreneurs, design thinkers, and university faculty who help refine business models, sharpen pitches, and open doors to the kinds of conversations that matter. Along the way participants build core skills in everything from customer discovery to capital strategy, connect with mentors and peers, and culminate their journey with a pitch competition.