Deanna Meador is CEO of tech company Couture Technologies and apparel brand Freedom Company.

She began Couture Technologies to empower apparel companies with virtual fitting technology, 3D garment creation services, and enhanced data analytics designed to reduce returns. Couture Technologies is a NSF-funded company that was recognized as one of the Top 9 tech startups in the world during the Olympics of Tech, the 2023 Most Innovative Apparel E-Commerce Tech Solution, 2022 Most Innovative Apparel Sales Software Company in the World, and one of the Top 3D Companies in Tennessee.

Deanna is a successful serial tech entrepreneur that describes herself as never meeting a challenge she didn’t like. She started her first company during graduate school and grew it to multiple locations until it was acquired by a larger company. After selling this company, she developed a paperless data collection system for collecting assessment and observational data. This system was adopted by universities across the U.S., South Africa, Portugal, Australia and Sweden. In 2017, she joined 3 other inventors to develop Chalk Coaching, a tool for improving classroom experiences for preschool and kindergarten children through collaborative, data-driven coaching.

On March 8th, 2023, International Women’s Day, Deanna made history when she became the first woman to raise $1.5M in 8 hours. She intentionally structured her raise in this way to start to change the narrative around the lack of funding for women-owned companies. Deanna was the recipient of the Unsung Hero award for her work with underserved youth, as well as the Young Alumni Achievement Award from her undergraduate university for her innovations (the highest honor the university bestows on alumni under the age of 40, out of over 400 nominees).
Over the last 5 years, she has taught over 17 cohorts of aspiring entrepreneurs and mentored over 500 teams as they evaluated new technologies and launched new ventures. Deanna really enjoys working with creators, inventors, and entrepreneurs that dedicate their lives and talents to making a positive impact in the world.

To meet with Deanna, or any of our excellent mentors, please fill out this interest form.