We take great pride at the Terry College of Business in our rich history of producing successful entrepreneurs who build companies of all sizes, missions and ambitions. One of my great joys as the college’s dean is the opportunity to get to know these dreamers and leaders among our students and alumni and observe their drive to succeed up close. It’s one of the reasons we have dedicated so much time and energy over the past five years to promote the University of Georgia’s campus-wide initiatives related to entrepreneurship.
That’s also why I am so pleased to share some of our alumni’s most entertaining success stories in this issue of Terry magazine and tell you about the remarkable progress we have made under the direction of Bob Pinckney, who is leading UGA’s Entrepreneurship Program as the newly announced Milton Anthony (Tony) Greene Director of Entrepreneurship. This spring marked the Entrepreneurship Program’s biggest milestone yet, when we celebrated the completion of Studio 225, named for its West Broad Street address. It is 11,000 square feet of idea accelerator, incubator and makerspace at the intersection of North Campus and downtown Athens, and it’s the new home of student entrepreneurship at UGA. ENTR’s exceptional faculty and staff are all affiliated with the Terry College, but their programs and activities were intentionally designed to serve students in all majors and graduate programs at the University of Georgia. This cross collaboration is one of its key strengths, and having a dedicated space is a game-changer for everyone involved — students, faculty, alumni and industry partners.
Similarly, we are driving innovation throughout our degree and certificate programs, especially with experiential learning opportunities. We are significantly expanding the number of consulting projects with corporate clients, giving our students rare access to dynamic organizations and leaders. Based on the overwhelming feedback we are hearing, our students deliver great value to companies that partner with us, and in many cases these capstone projects become transformative experiences as graduating students transition to full-time employment. These projects also put our faculty’s expertise and insights on display as they mentor students and advise clients.
As I reflect on the mix of new programs and offerings at Terry, the changes over the past 10 years are striking to me. With the addition of Studio 225 and the ways we can now spark new ideas, we are better positioned to teach students how to identify opportunities and solve the challenges of tomorrow.
Sincerely,
Benjamin C. Ayers, Dean
Earl Davis Chair in Taxation