Fletchers donate $600,000 to establish fund for entrepreneurial support at the UA

Frank and Judy Fletcher, University of Arkansas alumnus, have contributed $600,000 to their alma mater to establish an entrepreneurial assistance fund in the Sam M. Walton College of Business.

The new funding stream will be known as the Frank and Judy Fletcher S.A.K.E. Fund. S.A.K.E. is an abbreviation for the entrepreneurial course known as Students Acquiring Knowledge through Enterprise.

“S.A.K.E. is important to the continued success of the Walton College’s entrepreneurship initiative, which is one of the most important strategic pillars of the college,” said Matt Waller, interim dean of the Walton College. “We are grateful to Frank and Judy Fletcher for their practical support of Walton College students through this gift. The leadership team of the Walton College is committed to the success of S.A.K.E., entrepreneurship and innovation in the education of our students.”

S.A.K.E. operates as an entrepreneurial practicum course. The course allows students to participate in the accounting, marketing and sales, customer service and operations of ForeverRed, which provides unique and personalized products to commemorate the Razorback experience at the UA. Using support from benefactors such as the Fletchers and profits from the business, S.A.K.E. students have been able to travel to China, Tunisia, Costa Rica and Belize. The unique class has received two national awards for innovation in entrepreneurship teaching.

“I think Carol Reeves is the most interesting teacher I have ever come in contact with,” Fletcher said. “She loves to really prepare her students for the real business world and uses more than just a typical book and lecture style. We both like to give up and coming entrepreneurs a taste of the real world and the actual challenges they will face. Dr. Reeves is like no other person I have ever met, because she understands that books and routine college courses sometimes lack the day-to-day lessons of how to be successful in today’s business climate.”

The Frank and Judy Fletcher S.A.K.E. Fund will provide support to create a new class – S.A.K.E. Innovations – and to allow professional management of ForeverRed. An entrepreneur-in-residence, Ali Sadeghi-Jourabchi, was hired to provide stable oversight of the existing S.A.K.E. class and the S.A.K.E. Innovations class.

The fund will also support expenses related to new product development for the class; professional support in accounting and technical enablement, such as website design and maintenance; and student internships, particularly in start-up businesses.