SC Launch Inc. elects new board chair

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Andrea H. Marshall has been elected chairperson of SC Launch Inc., the investment affiliate of the South Carolina Research Authority and she will also serve on the board of trustees of the South Carolina Research Authority.  She replaces long-time SC Launch Inc. chairperson Peter Dunphy.

Marshall previously served as the Launch board’s vice-chair, and under Dunphy and Marshall’s shared leadership, the board of directors reached several successful milestones. SC Launch Inc. invests in eligible SCRA Member and SC Launch Inc. Portfolio companies that accelerate innovation and create higher-paying jobs in the state.

She joined the board of directors in 2008 as an appointee of the MUSC Foundation for Research Development and served until 2016. She re-joined the board as an at-large appointee in 2017 and was elected board vice-chair in 2019.

“I am very pleased and excited to continue this work under Andrea Marshall’s leadership,” said Matt Bell, executive director of SC Launch Inc. “She has significant experience with the SC Launch program and the state’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. I believe she will have a tremendous impact in both areas through this position.”

 Marshall is the vice president, general counsel, and administrative officer for MedTrust Holdings Inc. This fast-growing company offers non-emergency medical transportation for healthcare providers in South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. Before moving to South Carolina in 2004, she practiced law in New York City with Holland & Knight LLP, one of the nation’s largest firms. Since arriving in South Carolina, she has served as leader of an angel investment fund and worked in senior executive roles for companies developing emerging technologies.  Marshall also served as the founding innovation director of the Roper St. Francis Research and Innovation Center in Charleston.

She holds a law degree from The University of Texas School of Law and her bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University.

Established in 2006, SC Launch Inc. is the investment affiliate of the South Carolina Research Authority. The independent, nonprofit corporation provides convertible loans and investment funding to qualifying SCRA Member Companies. The returns on this funding provide additional coaching and grants to next-generation technology startups.