Celebrating a Milestone: Joan Randall's Honorary Doctorate and the Spirit of Lifelong Learning at The Boost Pad

Rachel Rowell • November 5, 2024

Inspiring Lifelong Learning: Joan Randall’s Achievement and Its Impact on Our Community

A person in cap and gown holds a diploma, posing in front of a university backdrop.

At The Boost Pad, we believe in the power of lifelong learning, the strength to pursue dreams at any stage, and the transformative impact of dedication. Today, we’re thrilled to honor our very own Joan Randall for her incredible achievement: receiving an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters (D.Litt) and a Global Fellowship in Leadership Principles and Business. Joan’s story is an inspiring reminder of what’s possible, no matter where you start or how long the journey.


Joan’s Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, is awarded to individuals who have made profound contributions to civic, business, educational, and philanthropic communities—those whose work reaches far beyond themselves. Her decades of service and leadership have touched countless lives, and this recognition is both humbling and empowering.


Reflecting on her journey, Joan shared, “As I stood on that stage, feeling the weight of the hood placed upon my shoulders, I couldn’t help but think back to my younger self—the girl from Jamaica, driven by hope for a better life and navigating countless challenges along the way. This recognition is not a conclusion but a new beginning.”


Her words capture the essence of our mission at The Boost Pad, where we encourage everyone to see learning and growth as lifelong endeavors. Joan’s achievements highlight that with perseverance, dreams fueled by purpose can indeed come true. Her honor isn’t just a personal milestone; it’s a symbol of resilience and a spark for others who might doubt that dreams are achievable.


Joan’s story is proof that our leadership team at The Boost Pad embodies the power of lifelong learning. Her journey reminds us all that no matter the age or stage of life, it’s never too late to pursue your goals, open new doors, and create a lasting impact. Her renewed commitment to serve, inspire, and empower others aligns beautifully with our mission, and we couldn’t be prouder.


From the entire Boost Pad team: Congratulations, Joan! Your accomplishment fuels our vision and strengthens our belief that we can all rise higher, lift others, and chase our dreams. Here’s to the many lives you will continue to touch and inspire along the way!


Founder Stories & Startup Wins — The Boost Pad

Cohort 13 Kicks Off: 17 Founders Begin Their Journey with The Boost Pad

By Mark Babaran • September 24, 2026
There's a particular kind of energy in a room full of people who've decided to bet on themselves. On Wednesday, September 16, 2026 , that energy filled Do Greater Charlotte as 17 founders officially kicked off Cohort 13 of The Boost Pad Accelerator the beginning of a 14-week journey that will challenge them, stretch them, and ultimately transform how they think about the businesses they're building. We Build Entrepreneurs First. Businesses Follow. That phrase isn't just a tagline at The Boost Pad it's the whole philosophy behind everything we do. Before founders ever touch a financial model or a marketing plan, we ask them to slow down and answer a harder question: why does your business deserve to exist? That's the spirit Module 1 was built around Know Your Why and it set exactly the right tone for everything ahead. Because here's the truth every founder in that room learned on day one: purpose comes before product. Products evolve. Strategies shift. Markets change. But a founder who is clear on their purpose, their vision, their mission, and their values has a foundation that holds steady through all of it. When your why is clear, every decision who you serve, how you market, who you partner with, how you grow gets easier. A Team Fully Invested in Their Success This cohort isn't walking into the next four months alone. Founders were introduced to the full Boost Pad team who'll be alongside them at every stage from Executive Director Steven Lewis, to Entrepreneurs in Residence Harold Hughes and Charles Kearse guiding them toward stronger, more scalable businesses, to the operations, marketing, and program support team making sure nothing falls through the cracks. Add in a roster of experienced mentors and guest experts, and it's clear: no founder in Cohort 13 will be figuring this out solo. Introducing CoachMax: A Learning Experience Built for Founders One of the most exciting parts of Kick Off was introducing this cohort to their new digital home for the program: Thinkific , powered by CoachMax , our AI coach available on demand. Every module is already built and waiting founders log in, work through the week's content, submit their assignments, and track their own progress in real time. It's a structured, always-available layer of support that means learning doesn't stop when the session ends; it continues all week, every week. Building Toward Pitch Night, One Week at a Time Perhaps the most exciting part of this journey: founders won't wait until the final week to build their pitch. Starting this week, every founder began constructing their investor-ready pitch deck one slide at a time Title Slide first, then Problem, Solution, Business Model, and onward alongside a weekly 60-second elevator pitch video that gets sharper, tighter, and more confident with every submission. By the time Cohort 13 reaches Pitch Night on January 6, 2027 , every founder will walk on that stage with a complete, polished, investor-ready presentation built week by week not thrown together the night before. A Cohort as Diverse as Charlotte Itself What already stands out about this group is the range seventeen founders, seventeen different businesses, spanning technology, wellness, consumer products, event services, education, and more. It's exactly the kind of mix that makes a cohort strong: founders learning not just from mentors and EIRs, but from each other, across industries they'd never otherwise cross paths in. Delivered in Partnership with the Do Greater Foundation Cohort 13 is proudly delivered in partnership with the Do Greater Foundation two organizations united around the same outcome: expanding access for founders who've historically been underserved by traditional capital, and opening more doors, relationships, and rooms to the entrepreneurs building Charlotte's future. "Progress Comes Through Consistency, Curiosity, and Action." That's the standard this cohort committed to on day one show up, participate, ask questions, support each other, and apply what they learn. It's a high bar. It's also exactly why Boost Pad graduates go on to build real, sustainable businesses. Grateful for This Cohort Thank you to every founder who showed up ready to build, to our EIR team for leading the way, and to the broader Boost Pad and Do Greater Foundation community that makes a night like this possible. Cohort 13 has only just begun and we can't wait to watch these 17 founders discover their why , sharpen their pitch, and walk across that Pitch Night stage in January.
The Boost Pad and UNC Charlotte launch the Student Innovation Program, with group photo and blue branding.

The Boost Pad & UNC Charlotte Launch the Student Intern Program

By Mark Babaran • September 24, 2026
Partnerships Create Possibilities: The Boost Pad & UNC Charlotte Launch the Student Intern Program

Listening First: The Boost Pad & Apparo Host a Technology Needs Session for Small Business

By Mark Babaran • September 24, 2026
Good support starts with good listening. That's the idea behind our latest Strategic Partner Network collaboration on Thursday, September 17, 2026 , The Boost Pad partnered with Apparo to host a virtual listening session focused on one question: is technology helping small businesses run, or making it harder? A Session Built Around Real Voices For more than 20 years, Apparo has helped organizations use technology more effectively through practical, accessible guidance and support. Now, they're exploring whether that same kind of support could benefit small, owner-run businesses and rather than guessing at the answer, they wanted to hear it directly from business owners themselves. That's exactly what this session was for. Small business owners joined us virtually to talk openly about the technology they deal with day to day from CRM and customer management to accounting systems, marketing tools, Google Workspace and Microsoft 365, cybersecurity and data protection, and AI and automation. No pitch, no sales agenda just a genuine conversation about what's working, what's not, and where the real friction points are. What We Heard The conversation did exactly what it was meant to do. As Apparo's Director of Technology Engagements, Jennifer Ray, put it afterward: the discussion helped confirm assumptions about the value Apparo might bring to the small business community. In other words the challenges business owners described lined up with what Apparo suspected, and now there's real, firsthand insight to help shape what comes next. Didn't Make It? You Can Still Weigh In For anyone who registered but couldn't attend live, Apparo shared a recording of the session along with a short follow-up questionnaire so more voices can still be part of shaping this work: 🎥 Watch the Session Recording → Grateful for the Partnership A big thank you to Jennifer Ray and the Apparo team for bringing this idea to us and trusting our community enough to ask hard questions and actually listen to the answers. And thank you to everyone who showed up, shared honestly, and helped shape what smarter technology support could look like for small businesses across Charlotte. Join the Strategic Partner Network This session is one small example of what's possible when organizations like Apparo choose to invest their expertise in Charlotte's entrepreneurs. The Boost Pad's Strategic Partner Network brings together Alumni Partners , Professional Partners , and Community Partners each contributing knowledge, mentorship, networking, or industry guidance, for a commitment of just five hours per cohort cycle. If your organization has expertise to offer technology, finance, marketing, legal, or otherwise we'd love to talk about what a partnership could look like. Become a Strategic Partner → Practical technology. Real business challenges. Your voice.
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