\u201cThe depth and breadth of opportunities the Rinker Paladin Pitch Competition provides students interested in entrepreneurship is unique among liberal arts and sciences universities,\u201d said Furman University President Elizabeth Davis. \u201cWe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Rinker Paladin Pitch Competition will run from 4-5:30 p.m. April 10<\/a>, in the Trone Student Center\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n Judges Kylie Felker \u201909, right, and Spencer Tate \u201924 listen to students pitch their business ventures during the Paladin Pitch Competition in 2024.<\/p><\/div>\n Bryan Davis, Hill Institute executive director, said the competition is \u201can opportunity for students to engage across all the pillars of business development: Critical thinking and self-discovery, storytelling, grit and hustle.\u201d<\/p>\n These are values the Rinker family have embodied since the 1920\u2019s, when Dave\u2019s father, Marshall E. Rinker Sr., built what would become the largest ready-mix concrete company in the United States. Leighan Rinker<\/a>, 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 \u201989, Chris Rinker \u201994, Allison Rinker St. John \u201996 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 \u201920, Mike Miller \u201923 and Chris Rinker \u201925.<\/p>\n \u201cJust as we wanted other young people to experience the benefits of a Furman education, we also wanted them to have t<\/p>\n he opportunity to take their dream and learn how to develop it into a reality,\u201d Leighan said. \u201cThis requires being taught, mentored, nurtured and encouraged on their journey.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe Rinkers have used the success they\u2019ve had to give back and support others,\u201d Bryan Davis said, and their generosity can inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs striking out on their own.<\/p>\n 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<\/a> to share their ideas and learn from business leaders. The competition has produced dozens of successfully growing ventures, such as dotflo<\/a> and Aconabolics<\/a>, and produced emerging leaders like Brooke Dominiak<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Hill Institute\u2019s 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\u2019s the launch of their company.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/218\/2025\/04\/041124_Paladin-Pitch_331-768x562.jpg\")
An inspiring legacy<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Getting students ready for business<\/strong><\/h3>\n