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This year, a group of students from the Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business attended the SC Innovates competition, the only statewide pitch competition for college students in South Carolina. Hosted at the University of South Carolina, out of 72 applicants, eight Clemson teams made it to the semi-finals, four made it to the finals, and two of the four finalist winners were from Clemson. The competition is sponsored by the SC Dept of Commerce and SCRA. This past year’s competition had over 10 schools across the state competing.

Lori Trudell, assistant professor at the Powers College of Business and co-chair of the competition, says, “This competition, newly renamed The Palmetto Pitch Competition, is invaluable to our students as it exposes them to other students around the state representing their schools and competing to be the best in the state. Our students rank in the top each year, which is why we are excited to host this competition here at the Powers College of Business at Clemson for the first time in Fall 2025.”

SC Innovates finalists:

1st Place ($1700 cash prize & Start-Up boot camp with Revyrie) – “Bluuzone Bottles” by Julia Babun from North Greenville University.

2nd Place ($800 cash prize & 3 coaching sessions with mentors) – “HemoFlow” by Adam Neil from Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business at Clemson University

3rd Place ($500 cash prize) – “ClimaPot” by Jackson Williams, Helina Brown and Max Kudlov from College of Charleston

Fan Favorite Vote ($200 case prize) – “Flex Flow” by Ella Hause, Jessica Kicza, Sydney Lundeen and Lauren Murphy from Clemson University College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences

HemoFlow, Adam Neil

In second place was sophomore pre-business student Adam Neil. He pitched his company HemoFlow. HemoFlow was designed to help people with hemophilia, a rare, chronic bleeding disorder that prevents blood from clotting properly.

Neil explains, “People with hemophilia experience joint bleeds, which are often asymptomatic, so they don’t even feel them. We’re developing a way for hemophiliacs to detect these joint bleeds early, potentially using ultrasound technology.”

He is excited to have placed second in the SC Innovates competition and says he’s grateful for the help he’s had along the way. “I’m so thankful for the support from my family and that I’ve found at Clemson. Without them, none of this would have been possible.”

The Powers College of Business Department of Management and the Brook T. Smith Launchpad are planning on hosting the 2025 SC Innovates competition next year, renamed the Palmetto Pitch. Details are forthcoming and are expected to be available next spring.

To learn more about entrepreneurial resources at Clemson, visit the Brook T. Smith Launchpad.

In our Inside Look stories, The State's journalists take you inside places around South Carolina that you maybe haven't seen before. Read more. Story idea? statenews@thestate.com.

Many people love a good cup of coffee, or perhaps a scoop of ice cream. And there are many folks who like to hang out with cats.

Now there’s a place in Columbia where they can engage in both of those activities.

Cat Daddy Cafe opened its doors Thursday afternoon at 2533 Main St., just north of downtown Columbia. The new spot is owned by Mohammad Saadeddin and his wife Melissa Peterson, who also own Noma Bistro about a block away on Main.

The new cafe offers a number of treats, including muffins, coffee, ice cream, hot tea, tiramisu, cake and much more. But the real stars of the show are the roughly dozen cats that call the cafe home. The general idea for those that visit Cat Daddy is that they can grab a snack and then spend time with the felines.

“The idea was to find a way to have a service for the cats and for the neighborhood,” Saadeddin said on Thursday. “These cats we have, I raised myself. ... We try to have a safe area where people can come in and play with them, spend time with them, and so forth.”

While the in-house cats at Cat Daddy Cafe are not up for adoption, Saadeddin said that the cafe plans to host adoption events twice per month with outside animal services agencies.

“We are going to reach out to other agencies and help them do the best for the animals,” Saadeddin said.

The cafe also has a gift shop offering cat-related plush toys, key chains, coloring books and more.

Columbia City Councilwoman Aditi Bussells was among those in attendance for Cat Daddy Cafe’s Thursday opening. She lives in the neighborhood not far from the cafe, and said it will be a unique service for the area.

“This is personal for me, because Mohammad has been like our neighborhood uncle, and a champion for growth in this area for a long time,” Bussells said. “When he started pitching the idea of this new concept, I was definitely curious and excited, and I wanted it to have an impact on the community.”

Bussells said the city’s animal services division will plan to partner with Cat Daddy Cafe for adoption events, and possibly have occasional mobile clinic services at the cafe.

Saadeddin said the idea for a cat cafe came to him from his friend Lucy McCravy, a longtime patron at Noma Bistro. McCravy said she would often notice that Saadeddin had a big heart for stray cats that would come around the bistro, often feeding the older cats and the babies.

“I would say, ‘You need a cat cafe,’” McCravy said. “He understood the cafe part, for sure, and he went right after it.”

A longtime restaurateur, Saadeddin said he has long been a fan of cats and all their ways.

“I love cats,” he said. “Cats, to us, are a very precious thing. I feel a special connection to them. ... Cats bring out the very best in all of us.”

This story was originally published January 17, 2025 at 5:00 AM.

COLUMBIA — ESPN announced Thursday that "College GameDay" will be in Columbia for South Carolina women's basketball's game against LSU on Jan. 23.

This will be the second consecutive year that the game between the No. 2 Gamecocks (16-1, 4-0 SEC) and the No. 4 Tigers (19-0, 4-0) will be featured on the show. Last year, the "College GameDay" crew went to Baton Rouge on Jan. 25 where South Carolina won 76-70.

It will be the first of five on-campus visits for the women’s college basketball edition of the pregame show with Elle Duncan, Chiney Ogwumike and Andraya Carter. The one-hour program will air at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN, with tipoff at 8 p.m. in Colonial Life Arena.

This will be the third time the Gamecocks have hosted "College GameDay" which is the most of any school and their fifth appearance on the show.

LSU leads the all time series 22-20 but South Carolina holds the two most recent wins. The Gamecocks picked up a regular season win in 2023-24 and in the SEC Tournament championship game on March 10. South Carolina and LSU got into a noteworthy scuffle in the final two minutes of the game but the Gamecocks ultimately won 79-72.

The Tigers are one of the few remaining undefeated teams in college basketball this season. They take on Florida on the road on Sunday before traveling to Columbia.

A NEW CHAPTER:Why South Carolina's Dawn Staley said she invested in Unrivaled, a new women's basketball league

The Gamecocks face No. 19 Alabama on Thursday (7 p.m., SEC Network+) and host No. 13 Oklahoma on Sunday (3 p.m., ESPN).

Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at lkesin@gannett.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @Lulukesin

COLUMBIA — Martin Luther King Jr. Day will kick off at the Statehouse with the 25th annual King Day the Dome.

Celebrations will start bright and early on Jan. 20 with an 8 a.m. prayer service at Zion Baptist Church in downtown Columbia, followed by a march to the Statehouse at 10 a.m.

Jamie Harrison, current National Democratic Committee chair and former Lindsey Graham challenger, is slated to deliver this year’s keynote speech.

The state Department of Public Safety is enforcing a “clear bag policy” for the event: visitors will be directed through a security checkpoint and will only be allowed one approved clear bag during the event. Approved bags are listed as clear plastic, vinyl or PVC bags or backpacks of any size, or one-gallon clear plastic freezer bags. Exceptions may be made for medically necessary bags, but additional screening will be required.

The event is hosted by the South Carolina Conference of the NAACP and started in 2000 as a rally to bring down the Confederate flag flying on top of the Statehouse. The flag came down from it's perch atop the Statehouse in 2015 in the wake of the Emanuel AME Church mass shooting by a white supremacist, but the rally lives on as a way to commemorate the lives and legacies of Civil Rights heroes.

The event regularly counts national figures in attendance. Last year, speakers included Vice President Kamala Harris and U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

The theme of this year’s rally is “There is no winning in giving up.”

Wreath laying ceremony

Columbia’s own annual tradition, the 37th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration service, is scheduled for Jan. 25.

Prior to the service, a wreath laying ceremony is scheduled for 3:06 p.m. at the corner of Harden and Green streets.

The service starts at 4 p.m. at Martin Luther King Jr. Park, 2300 Green St. John H. Dozier, president of Columbia College and former chief diversity officer at the University of South Carolina, will serve as the keynote speaker.

The city is providing a shuttle service for event-goers: it will run from the parking deck at 2221 Devine St., accessible from Lee Street.

Location, location, location.

They say it can make or break a restaurant. For Villa Tronco, location has been as much a part of the story as its iconic dishes. The Italian staple has been at the same location for all 85 years of its existence and been in the family all that time.

South Carolina's oldest operating restaurant did not start off serving the Italian dishes that now draw regulars in. Villa Tronco began as a fruit stand; a way for Sadie and James Tronco to make a living for their family after moving from Philadelphia to Columbia.

They were no strangers to the business, or the city. Sadie's parents moved here in the early 20th century, opening a fruit stand on Gervais Street. When James was sent to then-Camp Jackson from Philadelphia during World War I, he met Sadie.

Introducing Italian to Columbia

Iodine Fruit Store, as Sadie and James called their place, also served food with a short-order kitchen. Their location turned out to be almost perfect, as a Greyhound bus station was built right across the street.

The influx of Northeastern soldiers during World War II, and their longing for a homecooked Italian meal, is what brought the cuisine to Columbia.

"There were very few Italian families here in Columbia, when ... those northern soldiers found out that she was Italian, then naturally just navigated over here to the restaurant," said Owner Carmella Roche, granddaughter of Sadie.

Sadie made Italian classics like spaghetti and meatballs for those stationed here who had gotten to know the Tronco family. Before long, pizza was in the oven, though it had to be given away at first since such a novelty was new to Columbia locals.

When the fruit stand transitioned to a full restaurant, it opened under the name of Tony's Spaghetti House. Tony was Sadie's brother. He would go on to serve in World War II.

Looking back over the last eight decades, Carmella, who runs the restaurant with her husband, Joe Roche, said Villa Tronco is a cornerstone of Columbia.

"I feel like we are part of the history of downtown Columbia," she said.

A Family Matter

For Carmella, it was always natural that she be involved in the restaurant. She spent her childhood coming in with her parents to work.

"I grew up here as a little girl," she said. "I worked here as a waitress and hostess."

Over time, the restaurant's menu has evolved. For many years, Sadie, or "Mama Tronco," was at the helm and running the kitchen. Through the years, other chefs have left their mark.

"We've added to the menu as chef's have come and gone," said Tripp Roche, Carmella's grandson and the fifth generation of the Tronco family to work in the restaurant. "We've tried to keep the signature dishes and our traditional dishes the same recipes, like the pizza."

Regulars can expect specials that change nightly, allowing Villa Tronco's kitchen staff to showcase their creativity.

Where Generations Celebrate

While the food draws customers in, Villa Tronco has become a symbol of gathering for families. Carmella cited one couple who celebrated all 64 of their wedding anniversaries at the restaurant.

Villa Tronco also features a "hideaway booth" that allows privacy for special moments.

"Many, many engagements have happened in that booth," Carmella said.

Despite decades of running the restaurant, it was the COVID-19 pandemic that presented one of Villa Tronco's greatest challenges.

"That was such a scary time for all of us," Carmella said. "We had to close for a short period of time. And the uncertainty of what was going to happen, the economy."

There was a moment when she wondered if Villa Tronco would make it through the pandemic. But she believes the restaurant has come back better, and credits some of that to Columbia's growing Main Street District.

"We did come back stronger than ever," Carmella said. "And downtown has flourished and that has helped us so much with all these new folks moving in."

The Legacy Continues

As Villa Tronco enters its 85th year, some things are still the same. The restaurant continues in its original location. Mama Tronco's square pizza is still on the menu. But a few things are changing.

Tripp said the restaurant is exploring opportunities in Name Image and Likeness (NIL) deals, with a "Carolina Room" at Villa Tronco. Gamecock memorabilia line the walls, including newspaper clippings and images of Heny Martin, the first Gamecock men's basketball player to score 1,000 points, who also worked at the restaurant for years and married into the family.

Working with 1801 Media, Tripp said, "We want to help USC with keeping their athletes home."

Tripp and his brother, Donavan Roche, plan to continue the family business and are working as owners in training. Tripp is drawn to the marketing and public facing side of the work. Really, it has always been part of his plan.

"I’ve always wanted to get involved since I was a young kid," he said.

Just like his grandmother.

As she likes to put it, "It's in our blood."