Katherine Swartz Hilton

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

ABOUT KATHERINE SWARTZ HILTON

Katherine Swartz, MA, is founder of Coax Strategies, LLC, designing and delivering projects that strengthen revenue, engagement and impact. She oversees strategic initiatives for the University of South Carolina\'s McNair Institute for Entrepreneurism and Free Enterprise, among other clients. Katherine has two decades of non-profit and higher education executive experience. She is the founding executive director of the Women\'s Business Center of South Carolina, and led the McNair Center for Entrepreneurism and Community Engagement at Columbia College. She served previously as the Vice President of Talent and Leadership Development for the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce and the first Executive Director of Columbia Opportunity Resource. She oversaw the Chamber\'s flagship programs, Leadership Columbia and Leadership Columbia Alumni Association. Prior to that she served as membership director for three professional associations in the southeast. Katherine is a graduate of the University of South Carolina College of Mass Communications with a BA in communications and earned a MA in Organizational Change and Leadership from Columbia College. She is a graduate of the Non-Profit Leadership Institute at Francis Marion University and the Diversity Leaders Initiative of the Riley Institute at Furman University. Katherine was recognized in the 2016 Class of The State\'s 20 Under 40, as a Top Woman in Industry by the Palmetto Center for Women in 2014 and a Woman of Influence by the Columbia Regional Business Report in 2012. Inspired by her parents’ lifelong community service and activism, Katherine is passionate about voluntarism and philanthropy, serving as chair of the Richland Library Board of Trustees and on the executive committee of the Palmetto Center for Women. She is an adjunct professor and frequent guest speaker. Katherine is married to Gregory Hilton, mom to Pascal, plus four-legged children, Dora and Mr. Gato. They reside in Earlewood in downtown Columbia.