Melody Gaulden-Horton, CPA is the founder of Arc Advisors, where she leads a highly skilled team with extensive experience in tax planning, consulting, and compliance. She concentrates on working with foreign owned U.S. companies and U.S. companies with foreign subsidiaries, advising on structuring their cross-border transactions in a manner that creates an efficient global effective tax rate while still mitigating risk. She counsels clients with global estate and trust issues. She also has considerable experience working with the offshore voluntary disclosure programs for clients that need to catch up their tax filing requirements.

With a strong background in the field, Melody previously served as a partner and led the international services practice for Elliott Davis. She earned her undergraduate degrees from Converse University, dual majoring in Accounting and Spanish. After graduating Converse, Melody went on to receive her Master of Professional Accountancy specializing in taxation from Clemson University.  She specialized in international taxation, attending Moore Global’s International Tax School in Prague. She has been active in the community serving on the board for Greenville Literacy Association, Upstate International, and the Family Effect.

Eric Hargraves is a Senior Manager at Elliott Davis. He has more than 20 years of experience in supply chain, procurement and logistics and serves as the project lead and advisor guiding our customers in strategic decision-making to address supply chain disruptions and risks. He specializes in global trade advisory, offering solutions such as cost containment, end-to-end optimization, and risk assessment for trade compliance. Eric's extensive international experience, cultivated through partnerships across North America, Latin America, and the Asia-Pacific region, underscores his leadership in enhancing supply-side functions to deliver value to both consumers and executive stakeholders.

Cal Hurst is the President of Southern First. He has worked in banking throughout South Carolina for over 16 years, helping clients grow their businesses and plan for their future. He is passionate about creating long-term relationships and positively impacting everyone he connects with. In addition to his work, Cal is an engaged member of the Upstate community, serving on the Board of Directors for the Greenville Chamber, United Way of Greenville County, and Greenville First Steps. Cal is also the Public Address Announcer for Furman Basketball and a member of First Presbyterian Church, where he serves as a Deacon and in the Ignite Worship Band. Cal is a proud husband and father of two children.

Christian Langstein, MBA is the Chief Financial Officer, Americas, for the DRÄXLMAIER Group, a global automotive supplier with major operations in the U.S. Southeast. Based in the Upstate South Carolina region, he oversees regional finance and supports the company’s growth and community engagement across the Americas. Langstein has been with DRÄXLMAIER for more than two decades, progressing through commercial and management roles after starting with the company via internships and moving into a full-time role in 2003. He also serves on the South Carolina Leadership Committee for the German American Chamber of Commerce (GACC South).

Rhiannon Poore is the founder and CEO of Forge Search + Consulting, where she partners with companies to build resilient teams that thrive in an evolving world. Since its inception, Forge has grown into a multi-million dollar professional recruiting firm headquartered in Greenville, SC serving a nationwide client base. An award-winning recruiting leader, Rhiannon brings 20 years of experience in talent acquisition, business development, and talent development—along with a unique blend of strategic insight and real-world expertise.

Entrepreneurial at heart, Rhiannon has been recognized for her distinct ability to lead change and drive results throughout her career, including honors such as Greenville’s “Best and Brightest” and FGP’s “Top Biller of the Year.” Previously, Rhiannon led talent acquisition at a large public accounting firm and began her career working for an executive search firm. A believer in the power of relationships, Rhiannon founded Forge to transform talent acquisition with a people-first approach that equips companies and candidates for lasting success.

Jason Pritchard, CPA is a partner in the tax practice at GreerWalker LLP where he specializes in state and local taxation. Prior to joining the firm, Jason was most recently responsible for the oversight of state and local tax accounting and compliance at a global top five financial institution. In addition, Jason spent ten plus years at a Fortune 50 retail company where he was responsible for all aspects of federal, state and international taxation. He has approximately 20 years’ experience evaluating and resolving US federal and state audit issues, the financial evaluation of proposed mergers and acquisitions and in the development and implementation of strategic business technology.