Joe Erwin
Entrepreneur Joe Erwin is the co-founder and former President of marketing agency Erwin Penland, as well as co-founder of the Erwin Center for Brand Communications at Clemson University. In 2016, he founded Erwin Creates and its innovative centerpiece – a collaborative co-working community for creative services professionals called Endeavor, located in the heart of downtown Greenville.
A graduate of Clemson University, Joe began his career at Greenville’s Leslie Advertising, and joined DMB&B in New York before returning to Greenville in 1986. He and his wife Gretchen opened Erwin Penland with one account and two employees. The agency experienced extraordinary growth during his 29-year tenure as president, ultimately employing more than 400 team members in Greenville and New York. The agency’s national client roster grew to include Verizon Wireless, Denny’s, L.L.Bean, Michelin’s Uniroyal Tire brand, Chick-fil-A and Disney XD.
Active in the community and the advertising industry, Joe has served on numerous boards and commissions, including the South Carolina Special Olympics, the Governor’s Commission on Teacher Quality, the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, the American Association of Advertising Agencies and Clemson University.