The Rinker family invests $1 million into Furman’s Hill Institute

With a $1 million gift, Leighan and Dave Rinker are helping entrepreneurial Furman University students turn their dreams into reality by endowing the signature pitch contest, now known as the Rinker Paladin Pitch Competition.

Since its start in 2019, the Furman University Hill Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship pitch competition has ignited a spirit of free enterprise in hundreds of students, encouraging them to invest their time and energy into developing their own business venture. Furman’s top student innovators compete to develop and pitch their ideas to a panel of judges, and amid a burst of confetti one winner walks away with the $10,000 Johnny Flynn Paladin Pitch Award.

“The depth and breadth of opportunities the Rinker Paladin Pitch Competition provides students interested in entrepreneurship is unique among liberal arts and sciences universities,” said Furman University President Elizabeth Davis. “We are immensely grateful that Leighan and Dave Rinker understand how important this is for students, and that they had the vision and generosity to ensure these opportunities for generations of students to come.”

The Rinker Paladin Pitch Competition will run from 4-5:30 p.m. April 10, in the Trone Student Center’s Watkins Room. Students, faculty, staff and visitors will watch competitors pitch their venture ideas to a panel of business leaders. While the judges deliberate and finalize their scores, three honorees from the business community will be presented with The Rinker Award for Innovation, Free Enterprise and Entrepreneurship. After the judges announce the winner, the finalists and award nominees will have the chance to connect over a special dinner.

Judges Kylie Felker ’09, right, and Spencer Tate ’24 listen to students pitch their business ventures during the Paladin Pitch Competition in 2024.

An inspiring legacy

Bryan Davis, Hill Institute executive director, said the competition is “an opportunity for students to engage across all the pillars of business development: Critical thinking and self-discovery, storytelling, grit and hustle.”

These are values the Rinker family have embodied since the 1920’s, when Dave’s father, Marshall E. Rinker Sr., built what would become the largest ready-mix concrete company in the United States. Leighan Rinker, a former professor of education at Palm Beach Atlantic University, is a Furman trustee emeritus, the founder of Beginnings of Palm Beach County and the former chair of the accreditation policy board of the National Association for Childcare Professionals. She and Dave have four children: Traci Rinker Miller ’89, Chris Rinker ’94, Allison Rinker St. John ’96 and David S. Rinker, three of whom are Paladins. Each has started their own business. Leighan and Dave also have three grandchildren who are Paladins: Sarah Rinker ’20, Mike Miller ’23 and Chris Rinker ’25.

“Just as we wanted other young people to experience the benefits of a Furman education, we also wanted them to have t

he opportunity to take their dream and learn how to develop it into a reality,” Leighan said. “This requires being taught, mentored, nurtured and encouraged on their journey.”

“The Rinkers have used the success they’ve had to give back and support others,” Bryan Davis said, and their generosity can inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs striking out on their own.

Getting students ready for business

In its six years, nearly 600 students have completed a Hill Institute program. The Rinker Paladin Pitch Competition has garnered nearly 2,000 attendees, allowing more than 250 students to share their ideas and learn from business leaders. The competition has produced dozens of successfully growing ventures, such as dotflo and Aconabolics, and produced emerging leaders like Brooke Dominiak.

The Hill Institute’s Davis encourages student competitors to use the Rinker Paladin Pitch as a starting point and treat the months of preparation for this competition like it’s the launch of their company.

The finalists who make it to the competition get automatic entry into the community accelerator program GVL Starts, a nine-week experience offering mentorship, coaching, instruction and connection to an investor community committed to supporting aspiring entrepreneurs. They’re also eligible for fellowships within the Hill Institute, hiring for or partnering with investment agencies. Additionally, they have access to the Furman Innovation Lab, providing workspace and resources for their new ventures even after graduation, Davis said.

“We’re serious about making sure students get the value they deserve out of their Furman experience,” he said.