Innovation, Investment, Strategy, and Development Consulting Firm

With decades in the private, government, and not-for-profit sectors, Robinson Ventures has gained invaluable experience that can help your company move itself to the next level. As a strategy and development consulting firm, Robinson Ventures helps companies to improve performance through analysis of existing business problems and the development of future plans. Involving the identification and cross-fertilization of best practices, analytical techniques, change management and coaching skills, technology implementations, strategy development or even the simple advantage of an outsider's perspective, Robinson Ventures brings formal frameworks and methodologies to identify problems and suggest more effective or efficient ways of performing business tasks. Robinson Ventures forms bridges between academia, firms, and thought leaders in other fields. As a result, our approach uses a variety of tools and techniques to approach business problems. We pride ourselves on not only suggesting changes but also staying to help with the implementation of the recommendations.

About Our Founder and President

Cian Robinson

Founder and President

With 25-years of experience in management, strategy, investment, innovation, and leadership within both large, complex corporations as well as small, entrepreneurial companies, Cian Robinson is a decades long entrepreneur in the healthcare, information technology and management consulting fields. His specialties include implementation of strategies that take concepts from idea to implementation, to goal achievement, and finally organizational impact. An entrepreneurial leader, he is an expert at building and nurturing teams, partnerships, and coalitions.

Most recently Cian was the Vice President and Executive Director of Innovation at McLeod Health as well as the Chief Administrative Office of McLeod Health Innovation Corporation, having joined the system in October 2020. Prior to McLeod, he was the Executive Director of Innovation, Research and Real Estate Investments for Ochsner Lafayette General. Prior to Ochsner Lafayette General, he was a Director of two computer science-based research centers at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Cian has a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Saint Vincent College (Latrobe, PA) and a Master of Science in Public Policy and Administration (finance concentration) from Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College (Pittsburgh, PA). Cian has his EdD-ABD in Leadership from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He has been recognized for his entrepreneurial and community work with several awards including Silicon Bayou 100 (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020); Leadership Louisiana (2017), LEAD Virginia (Class of 2008), Amherst N.Y. Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business Champion Award (2006), Western New York’s 40 Under 40 Award (2005), Niagara Frontier Industry Education Council’s Pathfinder Award (2004), National Science Foundation’s Entrepreneur Next Wave Award (2003), as well as Leadership Buffalo’s Class of 2000. He and his wife Dr. Natalie Harder reside in Hartsville, SC and have two children, Tucker, and Rory.

You can download Cian's resume here. To get a better understanding of our founder, listen to him talk about relationships and how expertise can be used in trying times.

 

Kelsey Gibbons - PROJECT MANAGER


Kelsey Gibbons joined Robinson Ventures in 2021 and is responsible for all aspects of our client engagements and success. Prior to joining Robinson Ventures, Kelsey served as a 2021-2022 Innovation and Venture Fellow. Kelsey is from Cortland, New York. She was a member of Enactus, Student Athletic Advisory Committee, Morgan’s Message, and the University’s Field Hockey team who won the Conference Championship in Spring 2021. Graduating in May 2022 with a degree in Business Administration and Marketing with a Chemistry minor, Kelsey attended Lander University where she received her MBA in Business Analytics and Digital Marketing in 2023.

 

DAN MCAFEE - GRAPHIC DESIGN and PODCAST PRODucer

 

Dan has always been passionate about media; fine tuning video, picture and audio to be the best they can be. Joining us from Delaware in January of 2022, he is a self-taught editor and graphic designer, taking on the role of communicating with our future podcast guests, editing, and uploading. In his free time, he’s a digital artist and the keeper of his turtle, Haku.

 

Tucker robinson - social media, web design, AND PODCAST PRODUCER

 

Joining in September of 2021, Tucker took on the task of reinventing both our website and social media. He also helped launch Robinson Ventures Radio, a podcast that explores how a person "why" and their ingenuity leads to innovation. He is a graduate of South Louisiana Community College with an Associate's Degree in General Studies with an emphasis in Economics. Tucker plans to return to school in the Spring Semester of 2024. 

 

 

Venture Fellowship

Each semester Robinson Ventures partners with young individuals who express interest in business and management. Through hands-on exposure to current challenges in the rapidly changing business industry, the Venture Fellow seeks to discover opportunities to positively impact the future of business through strategic investments in various startup companies and organizations as well as work with our existing portfolio companies. Our 2023-2024 Fellows are:

 

Kennedi Price

Kennedi Price is from Charlotte, North Carolina and is an interdisciplinary studies major concentration in computer science and graphic design with a minor in entrepreneurship and innovation.

She is interested in how companies utilize user experience as a major priority when developing their products. She is a creative student who focuses on design thinking, human-centered design, and user experience ideologies to help solve complex problems and build innovative products. Looking to be emersed in an innovative environment for continued learning in tackling complex concepts and creating products and services using interdisciplinarity in all industries. 

Kennedi has a creative side where she dabbles in creative directing, producing, and cooking. She loves anything that makes her think out of the box. After graduation, Kennedi wants to cultivate spaces where folks can gain knowledge and inspiration to tackle problems or embody creativity.

 

Abigail Kellner

Abigail Kellner is a senior at Coker University, working towards a degree in Business Administration with concentrations in Marketing and Entrepreneurship. During this internship she plans to apply the marketing and entrepreneurship skills she has learned while attending Coker University. She also hopes to learn more about how marketing and market research works in a professional environment as well as more about venture investing.

 

 

 

 

Past Fellows

2020-2021

ALICIA QUINTEROS

Alicia Quinteros is a 2021 gaduate of Coker University majoring in Business administration and management. As an Innovation and Venture Fellow, Alicia sough to discover opportunities to positively impact the future of healthcare through strategic investments in innovations, both internal and external to health systems. She conducted due diligence and presented insights on potential new investment opportunities, including data/document collection, marketplace analysis, competitive analysis, and business model vetting to increase business growth and innovation opportunities. 

Alicia currently serves as a Technical Project Manger at Walmart Global.

 

2021-2022

Seraphin Kibonge

Seraphin Kibonge is a 2022 graduate of Coker University in Hartsville, SC, majoring in Molecular Biology and minoring in Communications. He was heavily involved within the University, serving as the Student Body President, a Vice President for Enactus, an organization focused on student entrepreneurship, and a hurdler for the Men’s Track and Field team, among other commitments. His efforts were recognized by Coker, winning two Excellence in Leadership Awards, the Cobra Service Award, and the Rebekah Chapman Memorial Award. Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Seraphin moved to the United States at an early age and resided in Raleigh, NC before attending Coker. Seraphin has prior internship experience with the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) and as a Strategy Intern for McLeod Health. He is seeking a career in Healthcare Management post-graduation. He will be attending UNC Chapel Hill this fall.

"Being a Venture Fellow has allowed me to gain real-world experience with the process of venture capital, particularly due diligence. Understanding the metrics used by venture capitalists, sitting in on calls with CEOs of various startups, and being able to pick the brains of angel investors that are a part of the Venture South group, have provided me with invaluable skills and knowledge that I will take to my MBA program and my life endeavors. I am beyond thankful to have been selected for this fellowship."

2022-2023

Kristoff Person

 

Kristoffer Persen is from Norway, and is a 2023 graduate of Coker University in Hartsville, SC, majoring in Business Administration with a concentration in Management, with a computer science minor. Kristoffer was the Student Body President at Coker University and on the Men's Track and Field team. He has also completed the Kooper Leadership Academy. Kristoffer is now at the Louisiana State University studying to get his MBA.

 

 

Bethany Weatherford

 

Bethany Weatherford is a 2023 graduate of Coker University and a native of Hartsville, SC. She double majored in Business Administration and Political Science with a minor in Criminology, as well as a member of the Honors program, Enactus, Alpha Phi Sigma (Criminology honor society), and the Bookstore Ambassadors. She was the Vice President of the Chinese Culture Club, as well as a Mandarin Chinese tutor in the PASS center. Bethany now attends the University of South Carolina's School of Law where she will obtain a J.D. and Master's degree in Health Administration.