S.T. PedenS.T. Peden is president of the Minority Economic Development Institute, Inc. (MEDII), a non-profit organization founded in 2007. He retired in 2003 from GE after dedicating more than 34 years of service to the company. Peden is a fierce champion for the underdog and an activist for people who have been “left out” of opportunities. He was born and raised in Greenville and attended South Carolina State University where he earned a degree in business administration. From Peden’s experience in the military, at GE and in contracting companies for minority and diversity issues, he learned what he had to do, which was to find a way to bring small, minority and women-owned businesses in contact with one another to help them implement a sound infrastructure and find and secure real business opportunities in the Greenville community.