The University of Georgia’s Entrepreneurship Program has established the Robert H. Pinckney IV UGA Idea Accelerator Endowed Fund to provide ongoing support for one of the university’s signature programs for aspiring student entrepreneurs.

The fund is named in honor of Robert “Bob” Pinckney, the former director of UGA’s Entrepreneurship Program who died in February. Pinckney came to UGA in 2015 to teach a one-semester entrepreneurship course and soon became instrumental in establishing the university-wide Certificate in Entrepreneurship, housed in the Terry College and open to students of any major.

The fund, endowed by Hugh M. Tarbutton Jr. (BBA ’86), will support programming, instructional resources, student awards, travel, faculty and student support, equipment, and other needs of the Idea Accelerator.

The Idea Accelerator reflects Pinckney’s emphasis on learning entrepreneurship through practice. The program holds two four-week “business boot camp” sessions each fall and spring semester. Students with an idea or who are ready to launch or expand a business work with experienced entrepreneurs, advisors, and investors.

During the program, students test their ideas, identify customers, refine their business models, and learn when to pivot. The curriculum progresses through customer discovery, financial literacy and investor readiness, with students held accountable to key performance indicators throughout the four-week program. Teams advancing to the final round pitch their business plans to a panel of judges and compete for a $2,500 award.

Tarbutton’s ties to the Entrepreneurship Program include serving on the Entrepreneurship Advisory Board and judging student pitch contests.

“Bob grew the Entrepreneurship Program into a thriving community that connected students with entrepreneurs, coaches, mentors, investors and donors,” Tarbutton said. “The Idea Accelerator is an essential program that furthers the legacy Bob started.”

Pinckney was himself an entrepreneur long before coming to UGA. A 1982 UGA graduate, he earned his MBA from Harvard Business School in 1986 and worked with Southern Bell and the John Portman Companies before becoming a serial entrepreneur. His ventures included Network Telco in Houston and Athens-based EvoShield.

Tarbutton, of Atlanta, earned his bachelor’s degree in finance from UGA and is principal at Katahdin Management Co. He is an advisory trustee on the UGA Foundation and a member of the Terry Dean’s Advisory Council.