Paul Quinn College

There’s a lot I want to share, but I don’t want to bury the lead. So here it is: I’ve taken on a new role as the founding director of the Paul Quinn Center for Entrepreneurship. Oh, and there’s a new title to go along with it—Professor Meade. Starting this spring, I’ll be teaching an introductory entrepreneurship course.

Here’s how it all came to be. Earlier this year, I was on a hike near Mt. Fuji with my best friend. It was freezing, and as is typical for our conversations, we ended up wrestling with some big life questions. One of them turned out to be a game-changer. My friend asked, “How do you want to spend your time?”

At first, I defaulted to thinking about work goals—revenue, margins, the usual. But he pressed me, “What if the money didn’t matter? What would you do?” I had no answer. That silence stayed with me, and over time, it helped me articulate what truly brings me joy: coaching, teaching, and helping others build something bigger than themselves.

I started dreaming about how to turn that thinking into something meaningful. I landed on creating an accelerator/incubator for underrepresented founders to equip them with the skills, resources, and mentorship they need to thrive.

Fast forward to a conversation with a colleague at Babson College. I shared this idea with her, and she immediately thought of Paul Quinn College.

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Let me tell you what excites me about Paul Quinn.

They are less of a school and more of a movement. They’ve reimagined what higher education can be by asking a bold question: If we built a college from scratch, what would truly matter? Here’s what they landed on:

• Affordable education: They’ve set an ambitious goal—no student should graduate with more than $10,000 in student debt.

• Urban work college: Students work on and off campus, securing internships that give them both income and experience.

• Credentials: Every year, students earn a workplace-ready credential. Even if they leave before graduating, they walk away more competitive in the job market.

• Every Quinnite is an Entrepreneur: Before you graduate from Paul Quinn, you must create a business.

This last piece is where I come in. I’ll be building out the entrepreneurship program, and my vision is simple: I want Paul Quinn students to dream so big it scares them. But dreaming is just the start. When this vision is fully realized, the program will give students the tools, confidence, and real-world experience to turn those dreams into reality.

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What This Means for Creative Friction

Creative Friction isn’t going anywhere. My focus there will remain razor-sharp: serving as a trusted advisor to my clients, helping them grow their businesses sustainably. What’s shifting is my mission—it’s expanding to include these students at Paul Quinn. I’ll be in service to their dreams, just as I’ve been in service to yours.

This is a full-circle moment for me. It’s a chance to help young entrepreneurs see what’s possible, to amplify their ambitions, and to prepare them to thrive in a world that too often underestimates them. I am honored to be part of this movement.