Civic Dollars Selected for Myrtle Beach Living Lab Program
Civic Dollars CEO, Stephen McPeake during his visit to eMYRge at the HTC Aspire Hub in Myrtle Beach, a co-working hub that is supporting the Living Lab companies
The City of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina / Belfast, Northern Ireland 25th July 2025
Innovative health and wellness platform joins prestigious Smart Cities Initiative to enhance community engagement
We're thrilled to announce that Civic Dollars has been selected to join the City of Myrtle Beach's Living Lab program, a groundbreaking public-private partnership that supports emerging technology companies and encourages innovation in the smart cities space.
About the Living Lab Program
The Living Lab program is part of Myrtle Beach's Smart Cities Initiative, designed to bring innovative technology companies to the area to prototype and test their technologies in a real-world environment. This prestigious program provides companies with the opportunity to use Myrtle Beach as their testing hub while contributing to the city's vision of becoming a leading technology and innovation center.
Civic Dollars in Myrtle Beach
As part of this partnership, Civic Dollars will enhance the health and well-being of both Myrtle Beach residents and visitors through our innovative platform that incentivizes outdoor activity. Users can earn Civic Dollars by spending time in the vast array of parks, open spaces and the Grand Strand Beach and exploring the city.
They can then redeem these rewards for discounts from local stores and businesses that partner with Civic Dollars or donate them to support local good causes and community initiatives like Coastal Carolina YMCA, All Nations Café and Our Marsh Counts.
The program aligns with the city’s strategic goals to:
• Promote outdoor physical activity and wellbeing
• Support small businesses and tourism
• Foster civic engagement and community pride
Civic Dollars users will earn 1 Civic Dollar for every 30 minutes they spend in the parks, beaches and open spaces in the Myrtle Beach area.
International Recognition
Our selection for the Living Lab program expands the initiative's international presence, with Civic Dollars joining as one of six foreign companies in the program. This recognition highlights the global appeal of Myrtle Beach as a technology hub and demonstrates the universal applicability of our platform in promoting community health and engagement.
Looking Forward
"This is an exciting time to be in Myrtle Beach," said Howard Waldie IV, Chief Innovation Officer for the City of Myrtle Beach. “Civic Dollars expands our Living Lab program's global reach by being the first participant from Ireland. We are honored to be welcoming Civic Dollars to not only Myrtle Beach and the State of South Carolina, but also the United States. Their unique vision for enhancing community health is already taking off in our region - and they're just getting started. We look forward to watching their continued growth in our innovation ecosystem, locally and abroad.”
“We’re thrilled to launch Civic Dollars in Myrtle Beach,” said Stephen McPeake, CEO at Civic Dollars. “The city’s commitment to innovation and community health makes it an ideal location to demonstrate the impact of our technology. We’re excited to support residents in living more active lives—while giving back to the local economy.”
For more information, contact:
Stephen McPeake CEO - Civic Dollars - stephen@civicdollars.com https://civicdollars.com
For more information about the Living Lab program, visit the City of Myrtle Beach website.