Aiken Corporation

10/31/2026

We are incredibly excited to see Aiken Commons gaining momentum!

At Aiken Corporation, we believe that when nonprofits have the space, resources, and opportunities to collaborate, our entire community benefits.

Aiken Commons is about more than office space. It’s about building connections, strengthening organizations, and creating lasting impact right here in Aiken.

We’re proud to bring this vision to life and grateful to the Aiken Standard for sharing our story!

Aiken Corporation is seeking additional partnerships and sponsorships to help nonprofits access Aiken Commons at a low cost. (Full story below.)

10/31/2026

A great event hosted in the Tom Young building!

10/26/2026

What a great day for Aiken!

10/23/2026

Love to see the community so excited about an idea! If you want additional information feel free to reach out or visit our website!
https://www.aikencorporation.org/aiken-commons

10/23/2026

Aiken Corporation is pleased to announce Aiken Commons, a planned nonprofit village in the heart of downtown Aiken.

A shared place. A stronger community. Introducing Aiken Commons.

What if the organizations doing good across Aiken had a shared place to call home?

Aiken Commons is a planned nonprofit village in downtown Aiken, where independent nonprofit organizations can work side by side, share resources, and build stronger connections. Each organization will maintain its own mission and identity while becoming part of a collaborative workplace focused on serving our community.

Planned for the first floor of the Amentum building at 106 Newberry Street SW, Aiken Commons would offer affordable private offices and dedicated workstations, along with shared conference rooms, a kitchen, reception space, and other professional amenities. Sharing these resources can help nonprofits reduce overhead and put more toward the people and causes they serve.

The vision goes beyond office space. It’s a place where a conversation down the hall can lead to a partnership, a referral can connect someone with support, and students can gain practical experience in an active workplace.

A special thank-you to Amentum, our Key Community Partner, for providing all furnishings for the nonprofit space. This significant contribution will help organizations get to work from day one while directing more resources toward their missions.

We’re also excited to recognize the partners helping bring this vision to life:
• NetPlanner Systems, Inc. — supporting audio visual and security needs.
• Suds in a Bucket, LLC— providing janitorial services and training students from Aiken’s Teen After School Center.
• Aiken’s Teen After School Center — joining as an occupant and providing hands-on student training in cleaning, reception services, and other workplace responsibilities.

Together, these partnerships will create opportunities for nonprofits to strengthen their work and for students to build skills, confidence, and connections.

There’s room to be part of this story. We’re welcoming interested nonprofits and seeking additional corporate partners and sponsors to help offset workspace costs—with the goal of making rent-free space possible for participating organizations.

Learn more: https://www.aikencorporation.org/aiken-commons & https://www.aikencorporation.org/press-release
Contact Megan Pruitt: [email protected]
Together, we can give the good happening across Aiken a shared place to grow.

10/23/2026

Cyber resilience starts with a prepared community.

The Aiken Corporation is pleased to welcome the Combined Cyber Series to the Tom Young Building in the USCA AEIX space on November 9–10, 2026.

Delivered by NUARI and the National Cybersecurity Preparedness Consortium, this FEMA-funded training combines three courses covering critical thinking and cyber risk management, building cyber-resilient communities, and integrating hazard response into exercise planning.

Designed for leaders, managers, planners, responders, and community partners, the series requires no advanced technical expertise. Participants who complete the series will receive a USCA Cyber Critical Infrastructure Certificate.

Another opportunity for learning, collaboration, and community preparedness at the Tom Young Building—more than a building.

View course details and register:
https://nuari.org/ncpc_ccs_aikensc_11102026

10/20/2026

A FULL HOUSE at the Tom Young Center!

We love seeing the Tom Young Center come to life as a place where innovation, collaboration, and opportunity come together!

Today, we were proud to welcome a full house for Savannah River National Laboratory’s 50th Tritium Focus Group Meeting.

This is exactly what we envisioned for the Tom Young Center — a space that brings people, ideas, and industries together while strengthening Aiken’s role in research, innovation, and economic development.

More Than a Building. Part of an Economic Ecosystem.

10/14/2026

09/19/2026

Where technology meets creativity — right here in Aiken.

The Tom Young Center, home to USC Aiken’s Aiken Energy & Innovation Exchange (AEIX), recently hosted a fascinating exploration of artificial intelligence and the arts.

Audience members watched two live performances back-to-back—one written by a playwright and one created with the help of ChatGPT—and then had to decide which was which.

This is exactly the kind of activity we love seeing at the Tom Young Center: bringing people together to explore new ideas, ask questions, experiment, and have conversations about how emerging technology is shaping our community and our future.

Thank you to everyone who brought this unique experience to the Center and to the Aiken Standard for sharing the story.

More than a building. Part of Aiken’s growing economic and innovation ecosystem.

A small Aiken audience watched 2 fifteen minute performances back to back, then attempted to decide which one they thought was written by a real playwright or by Chat GPT. (Full story below.)

09/18/2026

Economic development begins with our young people.

In Episode Four of the Aiken Corporation Podcast, Executive Director Megan Pruitt sits down with Tim Hasty, Community Engagement Coordinator for the Teen After School Center at Second Baptist Church, to discuss how investing in Aiken’s youth strengthens the future of our workforce, leadership, and community.

The conversation explores the Center’s mission, the trusted relationships at the heart of its work, and the important day-to-day role Christopher Emanuel plays in the lives of the children it serves.

The Center’s impact is clear—and so is the need. A growing waiting list represents children and families who want access to the mentorship, academic support, enrichment, and sense of belonging the Center provides.

Aiken is fortunate to have tremendous resources and community assets. This episode challenges all of us to consider how those resources can be connected to organizations investing directly in the next generation.

Listen to Episode Four, “Aiken’s Future Starts with Its Youth,” and learn how residents, businesses, churches, nonprofits, schools, and community leaders can help this important work grow.

Listen here:

The Aiken Corporation Podcast brings you conversations with the leaders, innovators, investors, and community partners shaping the future of Aiken.