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Meet the Leadership Team

to do substantial good in the world.

Steve Whigham Co-Founder and President

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A lifelong and avid learner, Steve is passionate about the undeniable impact of a good education. His passion for education and personal growth came to him honestly, from his parents. Steve's mother infused into Steve a deep work ethic, idealism, and enthusiasm, teaching him to regard life as a sacred trust that needed to be invested in actions that were purposeful, and his father, a talented surgeon, taught him how to see people as inherently valuable and worth serving no matter their ability to serve you back.

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Steve has served as an adjunct professor at Anderson University, teaching 400-600 courses in Sales & Sales Management, Marketing Research, and Marketing Management. He also taught at MBA-Level courses in Activating Business Strategies as part of the Clemson University Center for Corporate Learning (CCL) and as a recurring lecturer to clients of Clemson University’s CCL. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting, and Master of Business Administration, and also studied at the London School of Economics (International Business & Policy), University of Southern Mississippi (Accounting), and Harvard University (Economics). 

 

As a business strategist, consultant, and corporate training developer, Steve has worked for Michelin Global, Milliken & Co, BMW Manufacturing, Porsche Cars North America, Ethicon (Surgical Division of Johnson & Johnson), New Jersey Laser Institute, Wastecorp, Sunex International, Silvercote, CloudFactory, IN-RGY, Rymedi, BFGoodrich Tires, Tire Centers Inc., The Toro Company, Blue Bird Bus Company, USAutoForce, United Community Bank, Zaddons, Solmax, Maverick Energy, Gregory Pest Solutions, Northland International University, OneLife, and MyMedChoices, among others.

Ravi Hutheesing Co-Founder

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Ravi is the first American-born descendant of India’s Nehru-Gandhi political dynasty, the family that created and governed the world’s largest democracy. However, he pursued his passion for music and in 1997 became the guitarist of triple-Grammy-nominee, Hanson, performing at the White House and Madison Square Garden, on Saturday Night Live and the Today Show, and many more.

Following the global financial crisis of 2008, he earned his pilot’s license and became an aviation speaker promoting the leadership skills acquired when learning to fly.  In 2015, Ravi accepted an invitation to serve as a cultural diplomat for the US Department of State, creating programs in Russia, Iraq, Lebanon, and Indonesia uniting people from traditionally opposed cultures and religions. 

 

Currently, Ravi is a highly respected education and cultural futurist. With the focus of empowering students today to succeed in an unpredictable tomorrow, he delivers keynote speeches to large conferences of education leaders.  He is also the author of three books, an advocate for Shanti Bhavan—a residential school exclusively for children born into India's lowest socioeconomic class, and Founder of Ravi Unites Schools—an international network of over 100 schools whose students participate in peer-to-peer cultural interactions online.

Beth Crews Chief Operating Officer & Dean of Students

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Beth Crews is a highly qualified professional with a robust background in her field. She holds a  masters degree in Counselor Education/Student Affairs from Clemson University, complemented by serving as Director of Undergraduate Evening Studies at Furman University for eight years.

 

Throughout her career, Beth has demonstrated exceptional skills as a dynamic leader, earning recognition for her contributions to the Whigham School. Already, she’s making the kind of impact that is accelerating the growth and strength of the school.

Jeremy Patterson, PhD VP of Academic Affairs and Senior Interculturalist

Jeremy grew up in Japan and from childhood developed an interest in languages and cultures. He earned a master's degree in translation from the University of Portsmouth and then went on to complete a Doctor of Modern Languages degree in French and Spanish from Middlebury College. He also completed a second doctorate in Comparative Literature to extend some of his research interests. He has published research focused particularly on how language intersects with our identity and on issues of trauma that come out of intercultural conflicts. Jeremy has years of experience teaching language, literature, and culture at the university level and to private clients. He is also Director of Study Abroad at Bob Jones University, in Greenville, South Carolina, and believes passionately in the global vision of the Whigham School. As the founder and CEO of CulturePlus Intercultural Consulting, he works to make language and culture accessible to anyone – language is not a gene, and anyone can learn it. And culture is hybrid, not fixed, and we can all learn to adapt to cultural differences.

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