When Ashley Clark was 22-years old, she was living at home in North Carolina, with her parents and her college degree, working a job she’d had since she was 15-years old. Counting the number of times he’d been to a Kilwins on one hand, her dad made a suggestion out of the blue: “Have you ever thought about owning a Kilwins franchise?” He saw an entrepreneurial spirit in her that she didn't yet see in herself. 

Kilwins in Greenville, South Carolina, opened on Friday, September 27, 2013, on North Main Street. For the next five years, Ashley and her husband Landon worked together to build a successful business with the mission of creating enjoyment and making people happy. They thought they were getting into the ice cream business, but what they soon realized was that they were in the people business. In 2018, Ashley was selected as the South Carolina Young Entrepreneur of the Year by the US Small Business Administration and in 2021, she was selected as the inaugural ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award recipient by the Greenville Chamber.

In spring 2019, Landon and Ashley began expanding and have since opened new or purchased existing Kilwins franchises in Hendersonville, NC, Highlands, NC, Franklin, TN, Nashville, TN, and Alpharetta, GA. They are currently focusing on expansion with Kilwins in Nashville, TN, Roswell, GA, and Marietta, GA, and are looking for leaders. 

Landon and Ashley love building relationships with their team. They teach their team to show up on time, deliver on promises, and be better communicators. Landon and Ashley are passionate about inspiring their team members to do the things that inspire them. They believe that training means belonging and that training enables change.

Ashley currently serves on the Downtown Franklin Association Advisory Board as a board member and on the Highlands Chamber of Commerce Grants Committee as a committee member. In the past, she as given her time to various boards and organizations including South Carolina Ducks Unlimited, Fall for Greenville, The Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary of Greenville, SC, CAKE&WHISKEY, Girls on the Run, Greenville County Soil & Water Conservation District, and the Greenville Chamber Minority Business Accelerator as a Business Coach.

Landon & Ashley grew up in western NC and met in 4-H when they were kids. They attended high school together and Ashley graduated from Clemson University in 2012. They’ve lived in three different states with Kilwins and currently reside in middle Tennessee with their two young daughters and black lab.