Kelly Baird
kbaird@sccompetes.org
Kelly Baird serves as Director of the South Carolina Fraunhofer USA Alliance at the South Carolina Council on Competitiveness, bringing more than 30 years of entrepreneurial success, executive leadership, and community engagement to the role. A seasoned business leader, Kelly has launched and led eight successful ventures and gained valuable corporate experience through her roles with four Fortune 500 companies. Her diverse career spans finance, advertising and marketing, health and wellness, nonprofit leadership, professional development and training, business consulting, hospitality management, project management, and fundraising.
Driven by a passion for innovation, economic growth, and community impact, Kelly has built a reputation for connecting people, ideas, and opportunities to create meaningful results. Her broad experience across the private, public, and nonprofit sectors uniquely positions her to advance South Carolina’s competitiveness and foster strategic relationships and programs that drive long-term prosperity.
Throughout her career, Kelly has served in leadership and volunteer capacities with numerous organizations, including the City of Greenville Design Review Board, the Greenville Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Greenville Professional Women’s Forum, the Liberty Foundation SC Health Action Committee, the Children’s Museum of the Upstate, the Alliance for Quality Education, Grateful Greenville, Mill Village Ministries, Public Education Partners, Christ Church Episcopal School, Greenville Technical Charter High School, and many others. Her commitment to community building is further reflected in her role as founder of the Downtown Business Association and the Downtown Holiday Committee in Greenville, South Carolina, as well as her service as a founding pre-opening member of The Circle of the Children’s Museum of the Upstate.
Beyond her professional accomplishments, Kelly’s greatest source of pride is her family. She especially treasures time with her children and enjoys traveling, exploring the outdoors, practicing yoga, and sharing laughter with family and friends.