Scott Meadow, Clinical Professor of Entrepreneurship in the GSB

    Scott Meadow, Clinical Professor of Entrepreneurship in the GSB

    By Jessamine Chan
    Graduate School of Business

      
      

    Scott Meadow, Clinical Professor of Entrepreneurship in the Graduate School of Business, describes his teaching philosophy as emphasizing rigorous research combined with very tight logical analysis and the thoroughness of a person with their own money on the line.

    “I am obsessed with obtaining positive cash flow,” says Meadow. In fact, all of Meadow’s students receive a button that says “I (Heart) Cash Flow.” “I tell my students that the button is worth the entire course, because if every decision is made with that principle in mind, then they will be able to recover from anything.” The course culminates in a 30-hour examination.

    Meadow, who joined the GSB faculty after nearly 20 years as a general partner in the venture capital industry, is the recipient of the 2005 Phoenix Award, an honor he has received consecutively for four years.

    Since 1997, the Phoenix Award has been given annually to the GSB faculty member who, in addition to classroom responsibilities, has greatly enriched the learning experience of students through voluntary and committed involvement in extracurricular and community activities. Students from the graduating class of the full-time M.B.A. program nominate faculty members for the award, and the Office of the Dean determines the recipient.

    Outside the classroom, Meadow recruits speakers for and moderates student-organized conferences, conducts weekly career counseling sessions, and started the Venture Capital Investment Competition at the GSB. “My door is open 24 hours a day for any student or alumnus,” says Meadow. The full appointment sign-up sheet on Meadow’s door and a line of students waiting outside his door attest to his commitment.

    Meadow’s courses include Entrepreneurial Finance and Private Equity, Commercializing Innovation, and Special Topics in Entrepreneurship and the New Venture Challenge, which are enhanced by practical applications of lessons developed from his career as a venture capitalist.

    “The amorphous world of entrepreneurship is a combination of research and nerve,” says Meadow. “I want to create a sense of confidence that comes not only from demanding academics, but from being told by someone you respect that you are in fact a professional. I am very positive about the positives, because when you get so many talented people together in one place, they tend to forget how talented they are. It’s my job to remind them.

    “Imagine Sisyphus happy—that’s the resilience I try to infuse into my students,” says Meadow.

    Meadow earned an A.B. (magna cum laude) in history and literature from Harvard College in 1977, and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School in 1980.