Entrepreneur Garrett Blackwelder Speaks about Obstacles and Opportunities at UMO

April 2, 2026
Contact:  Rhonda Jessup, Director of Public Relations

MOUNT OLIVE – Success, according to Garrett Blackwelder, is rarely a straight path. It is built through risk, failure, and the people who stand beside you along the way.

That message came into focus as Blackwelder, a Mount Olive native, spoke at a recent University of Mount Olive Tillman School of Business event. Blackwelder shared his entrepreneurial journey, from a chance startup opportunity to building Grover Gaming, a company specializing in charitable gaming software and electronic gaming systems.

Throughout the morning, Blackwelder spoke as much about relationships as he did about business. Early in his remarks, he paused to recognize those who had supported him from the beginning, including his wife and his mother, both seated in the audience.

“My wife, Corrie, has been a big part of my journey and my success,” he said, reflecting on their relationship that began during his college years. He also acknowledged his mother, Beverly Blackwelder, noting the role family has played in keeping him grounded. His connection to the University also runs deep. Blackwelder is the grandson of Ray Scarborough, whose legacy includes helping reestablish the University’s baseball program and the naming of Scarborough Field.

An athlete himself, Blackwelder carried that competitive mindset with him to East Carolina University, where he competed as a student-athlete before beginning his business journey. “I didn’t know what I wanted to do right out of college, and that’s okay,” he told students. “You don’t have to have it all figured out.”

His first step into business came through a chance opportunity involving gaming machines, a venture that quickly expanded. Just as quickly, it was disrupted by regulatory changes that wiped out much of what he had built. “Obstacles create opportunities,” he said. “What are we going to do next? That’s the question you must answer.”

Faced with that question, Blackwelder made a decision, not only about what to do next, but how to do it differently. It led to a shift toward software development and, ultimately, the creation of Grover Gaming. He noted that the name itself reflects his mindset, a combination of the words “grow” and “over,” representing the idea of continual growth and expansion.

Along the way, those early experiences also shaped the company’s purpose. “We got treated bad,” he said. “So, our ‘why’ became simple. We don’t want to treat people that way.” 

That philosophy shaped Grover Gaming’s approach to customer service and company culture, which he described as a key competitive advantage in a highly regulated and competitive industry. “It’s not just about making money,” he said. “It’s about taking care of people.”

He pointed to the company’s internal “care” program, which focuses on employee well-being across spiritual, physical, mental, financial, and relational areas, as one example of that commitment. Rooted in his faith, Blackwelder said that approach extends beyond the workplace and into how he leads. “When you get to the point where you realize you don’t own it, you’re just stewarding it, it takes the pressure off,” he said. “Whether it goes right or wrong, there’s a bigger plan.”

That sense of a bigger plan has carried into the next phase of his work, shaping how he continues to grow and expand. In addition to Grover Gaming, Blackwelder has launched other ventures, including Banilla Games, and more recently, a newly rebranded company, Valicy, focused on expanding into regulated gaming markets.

Following his remarks, Blackwelder participated in a question-and-answer session with students, offering practical advice on leadership and decision-making. He encouraged students to act decisively and embrace uncertainty as part of growth. “The worst decision is no decision,” he said. “You’re not going to get everything right, but you can learn from every step.”

He also returned to a theme that ran throughout his talk, the importance of relationships both in business and in life. “Be relational,” he said. “If people trust you, you can have hard conversations, you can grow, and you can build something meaningful together.”

The University of Mount Olive is a private institution rooted in the liberal arts tradition with defining Christian values. The University was founded by the Convention of Original Free Will Baptists. For more information, visit www.umo.edu.