We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tripp Roche a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Tripp, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

Honestly, the most meaningful project I’ve worked on is Carolina Pong.

It didn’t start as some big master plan. I just love table tennis, and I kept wondering why Columbia didn’t have a real home for the sport. At the time, there wasn’t much structure. A few scattered players, no real junior pipeline, no major events. I felt like we could build something better.

So I started small. A few tables. A few nights a week. Some nights were packed, some nights it was just a handful of us grinding. There were definitely moments where I questioned if it would last. But people kept showing up.

What makes it meaningful is the people. Watching beginners gain confidence. Seeing kids start competing. Hosting the South Carolina State Championships here in Columbia and realizing we went from “we don’t have anything” to hosting the biggest event in the state. That was powerful.

It means a lot because it was belief before proof. No big investor. Just vision, effort, and a lot of late nights. It taught me that if you see something missing in your city, you don’t have to wait for permission. You can build it.

Tripp, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Tripp Roche, and I’m an entrepreneur and community builder based in Columbia, South Carolina. I grew up around small business through my family’s restaurant, Villa Tronco, which gave me an early appreciation for hospitality, relationships, and the long game of building something that lasts. Over time, that evolved into launching and growing projects of my own, most notably Carolina Pong, a competitive table tennis club and event platform, as well as civic initiatives like Spotlight Columbia. I didn’t get into this because of a perfectly mapped-out plan. I got into it because I saw gaps in my city and felt a responsibility to help fill them.

Through Carolina Pong, I provide structured training, tournaments, youth development, and large-scale events like the South Carolina State Championships. Through Spotlight Columbia and other civic efforts, I work on projects that bring people together and elevate Columbia’s identity through placemaking and community-driven ideas. At the core, I solve a connection problem. Whether it’s giving athletes a real home for their sport, creating third spaces that promote health and competition, or aligning businesses and institutions around shared civic pride, my work is about building momentum where it didn’t exist before.

What sets me apart is that I’m not just running events or businesses, I’m building ecosystems. I care deeply about relationships and long-term impact. I’m most proud of turning ideas that started as conversations into tangible, visible realities that serve real people. I want potential partners, clients, and supporters to know that I lead with vision but execute with persistence. If I commit to something, I’m all in. My brand is about energy, optimism, and the belief that you don’t have to wait for someone else to improve your city. You can step up and help shape it yourself.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

One of the biggest pivots in my life came when I didn’t get into USC. At the time, that felt like a major setback. I had pictured myself there, saw it as the natural next step, and honestly tied a lot of identity to that outcome. When it didn’t happen, it stung. It forced me to sit with disappointment and rethink what my path was actually going to look like instead of the one I had imagined.

Instead of letting that define me, I pivoted. I enrolled at Midlands Technical College and leaned in. I focused on entrepreneurship, business fundamentals, and started building real-world projects alongside my coursework. That season ended up being incredibly formative. I wasn’t just studying theory, I was launching Carolina Pong, organizing events, building partnerships, and learning leadership in real time. Not getting into USC pushed me to stop waiting for a certain logo or institution to validate me and start validating myself through action.

Looking back, that rejection was one of the best things that could have happened to me. It forced resilience. It made me resourceful. And it reinforced a mindset I carry now in business and life: sometimes the door you thought you needed to walk through closes so you can build your own.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I didn’t build my social media by trying to “go viral.” I built it by documenting what I was already doing. When I started Carolina Pong and getting more involved in civic projects around Columbia, I just posted consistently. Tournament photos. Late nights setting up tables. Meetings about Spotlight Columbia. Wins, losses, setbacks. Over time, people started following not because everything was polished, but because it was real. They could see the momentum. They could see that things were actually happening.

What helped most was being specific. I didn’t try to appeal to everyone. I leaned into table tennis, entrepreneurship, and local civic pride. That attracted the right audience. I also tagged partners, highlighted other people, and celebrated collaborators publicly. Social media isn’t just broadcasting, it’s relationship building. When you shine light on others, they naturally amplify you back. Consistency mattered more than perfection.

For anyone just starting, my advice is simple: start before you feel ready, and post about what you genuinely care about. Don’t copy trends that don’t fit you. Document the process, not just the highlight reel. And remember, audience growth follows clarity. When people understand what you stand for and see that you’re serious, they’ll stick around.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://villatronco.com
• Instagram: @tripprochesc
• Facebook: @Tripp Roche
• Linkedin: Tripp Roche
• Twitter: @tripprochesc
• Youtube: Tripp Roche