{"podcast":{"title":"The Signal","slug":"the-signal-7024065","podcast_index_feed_id":7024065,"rss_url":"https://feeds.castos.com/4xqr8","website_url":"https://edtechconnect.castos.com","image_url":"https://episodes.castos.com/66cf7b74d67cb0-47099354/images/podcast/covers/c1a-mp079-qd154xrxu74q-t9z0us.jpg","author":"Jeff Dillon","episode_count":96,"summary":"With more than 450,000 downloads, The Signal is the definitive podcast for higher education’s transformation leaders. Hosted by Jeff Dillon, The Signal cuts through the noise of the \"status quo\" to bring you the strategic intelligence needed to reshape how institutions recruit, support, and retain students. Every Friday, we sit down with the practitioners and technology builders who are actively defining the next decade of campus life. Why Higher Ed Leaders Listen: In one of the most consequential periods for academia, we move past the hype to focus on Human-Centered Innovation. Our episodes feature deep-dive interviews with guest experts focusing on the \"real work\" of institutional evolution. Core Topics & AI Strategy: * Artificial Intelligence: Practical AI adoption, governance, and the \"Human in the Loop\" mindset. * Enrollment Marketing: Modern recruitment strategies and GEO (Generative Engine Optimization). * Student Success: Data-driven retention, mental health, and digital engagement. * Institutional Transformation: Navigating digital transformation with a focus on workforce readiness and AVPs reimagining student care. Whether you are a C-suite leader, IT Director, or Facult…","last_synced_at":"2026-07-17T20:20:41.808526+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-signal-7024065"},"episode":{"title":"Ep. 95 - Jeff Meade: Why Paul Quinn College Made Entrepreneurship a Graduation Requirement","slug":"ep-95-jeff-meade-why-paul-quinn-college-made-entrepreneurship-a-graduation-requirement","published_at":"2026-07-10T11:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-signal-7024065/ep-95-jeff-meade-why-paul-quinn-college-made-entrepreneurship-a-graduation-requirement","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-signal-7024065","url":"https://edtechconnect.castos.com/episodes/jeff-meade-why-paul-quinn-college-made-entrepreneurship-a-graduation-requirement","audio_url":"https://episodes.castos.com/66cf7b74d67cb0-47099354/2501519/c1e-gm27jbr982qu202dk-ndr809kms753-it7rwa.mp3","summary":"What if a college degree required not just passing classes—but launching a real business? In this episode, host Jeff Dillon sits down with Jeff Meade, Founding Director of Entrepreneurship at Paul Quinn College, where \"Every Quinnite Is an Entrepreneur\" isn't a slogan—it's a graduation requirement. Every student, regardless of major, must start and launch a venture before they leave campus. Jeff brings over 20 years of agency and consulting experience to higher ed, and he's using that builder mindset to reimagine what a college education can produce. He shares the story of the hike in Japan that led him to ask \"what makes me happy?\"—and how that question pulled him out of a successful consultancy and into the classroom. The conversation covers Paul Quinn's venture-based learning model, a six-week boot camp where students identify problems, pitch solutions, and then build real businesses with real stakes. Jeff explains how securing six-figure seed funding changed the way students show up—turning dreams into tangible ventures. He also introduces the concept of acquisition entrepreneurship, where the college itself is exploring equity partnerships in businesses to diversify revenue streams and give students hands-on operating experience. For any institutional leader wondering if this model could work beyond Paul Quinn, Jeff offers a practical path: culture starts at the top, and you need people who see the world differently. This is a must-listen for anyone who believes higher ed must do more than teach theory—it must create value. Key Takeaways Every Student Must Launch a Business to Graduate: At Paul Quinn, entrepreneurship isn't an elective or a major—it's a graduation requirement for every student, regardless of their field of study. The goal is to help students think…","meta_description":"What if a college degree required not just passing classes—but launching a real business? In this episode, host Jeff Dillon sits down with Jeff Meade, Fou…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1962,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-signal-7024065/episodes/ep-95-jeff-meade-why-paul-quinn-college-made-entrepreneurship-a-graduation-requirement/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-signal-7024065/ep-95-jeff-meade-why-paul-quinn-college-made-entrepreneurship-a-graduation-requirement.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}