FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 5, 2022
Hawaii Entrepreneur Joins UH Office of Innovation and Commercialization
George Yarbrough to Serve as New Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program Director
HONOLULU – The University of Hawai‘i’s (UH) is pleased to announce the appointment of George Yarbrough as innovation and entrepreneurship program director for the Office of Innovation and Commercialization (OIC).
 In his new role, Yarbrough will be responsible for leading UH’s innovation and entrepreneurship efforts, including developing strategic partnerships and collaborations with local, national and international stakeholders to help enhance its research reputation and economic impact. He will oversee various accelerator and incubator programs, and conduct technology and marketing assessments of UH inventions.
Most recently, Yarbrough served as chief executive officer and co-founder of Hub Coworking Hawaiʻi, the state’s largest coworking and event space, that was designed to build innovative programs and strategic partnerships. Prior to that, he serve as chief operating officer and co-founder of Laulea Engineering, a boutique engineering firm specializing in on-site wastewater treatment and disposal. Yarbrough also serves as a community venture partner for Wefunder, an initiative that identifies startups and founders looking to leverage crowdsource investing.
“I am excited to work with the team at the Office of Innovation and Commercialization,” said Yarbrough. “I have dedicated the greater part of the last decade to supporting the entrepreneur and innovation community in Hawai‘i and I see this as an incredible opportunity to continue collaborating with community partners and stakeholders to level up opportunities for Hawai’i’s growing innovation ecosystem.”
Due to Yarbrough’s unique background, he will also spearhead efforts to develop and manage innovation spaces within UH.
“We are thrilled to have George on our team and his impact will be significant,” said Steve Auerbach, interim director of OIC. “His extensive knowledge of the innovation and entrepreneurial space in Hawaiʻi, in addition to his expertise in venture funding and partnership building, represents a huge ‘shot in arm’ to invigorate the innovation and commercialization ecosystem at UH.”
Yarbrough is a 2018-19 Omidyar Fellow and was named Hawaiʻi SBA’s Small Business and Innovation Advocate of the Year in 2019. He is a graduate of the University of British Columbia and a Master’s of Science in Integrated Design, Business and Technology Candidate from the University of Southern California Iovine and Young Academy.
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About the Office of Innovation and Commercialization
The University of Hawai‘i (UH) Office of Innovation and Commercialization (OIC) works to inspire and support UH innovations and entrepreneurs in bringing ideas and discoveries to the marketplace by engaging local and global partners. Under the Office of the Vice President of Research and Innovation (OVPRI), OIC manages, protects, commercializes and markets UH intellectual property (IP) and technology assets developed across its 10 campuses statewide.
About UH Research
Research conducted by the University of Hawai‘i (UH) impacts the quality of life in the islands and around the world. As the state’s major research university, and because of Hawai‘i’s tremendous geographic diversity, UH plays a prominent role in the state’s economic growth and development through its diverse and world-renowned research programs in astronomy, earth and ocean sciences, medicine and tropical agriculture. http://www.hawaii.edu/research/
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