Meighan Cole’s journey from foster care to CEO is a powerful testament to resilience, empowerment, and community impact. As Meighan says, “Being a CEO isn’t just about holding a title or climbing the corporate or public ladder; it’s about the willpower within to take control of your life.” Her entrepreneurial journey began in 2007 when she became her grandmother’s caregiver and power of attorney after her grandmother suffered a debilitating stroke. Recognizing the lack of reliable transportation for seniors and children, Meighan purchased a van to assist her grandmother, quickly realizing this need extended far beyond her family. In 2011, Meighan incorporated CTMH legally in Kendall County.
Meighan’s involvement with the Women’s Business Development Center (WBDC) Aurora began through networking events in 2018, after learning more about WBDC, she completed the ScaleUp program in 2019 and ScaleHigher in 2023. Meighan says, both programs provided critical insights that helped her reassess her business strategies, including conducting a more comprehensive SWOT analysis and marketing plan to scale her business higher. With these tools, Meighan was able to expand her business, grow her team, and deepen her impact on the community. Meighan says she finds so much fulfillment in being a living vessel and is always seeking new ways to give back to communities in need.
CTMH has made a direct impact in the city of Aurora assisting with the homeless population, veterans and senior communities with their most critical transportation needs and providing free and discounted ridership to the community under Meighan’s former non-profit Operation Drive now Trucking In High Heels Foundation. Meighan says when her organizations were created to be a part of the solution to serve a greater need, to solve the transportation crisis she was witnessing in the field.
Beyond transportation, Meighan is an alumni of Waubonsee Community College. She earned a coaching certification and launched a coaching and consulting business, Trucking in High Heels, during the 2020 pandemic. Meighan says that her deeper calling is supporting foster care children aging out of the system by introducing them to the opportunities entrepreneurship offers. Through speaking engagements at schools, colleges, ie. Good Morning Aurora, Kiwanis club of Aurora, Waubonsee Emerging Leaders, community events, and women’s empowerment chapters, she shares her personal story of overcoming the foster care system, breaking the stigma associated with failure, and navigating the ups and downs of being a small business owner and being a woman in transportation a male dominated industry.
Meighan’s work with WBDC Aurora has also led to speaking to women in childcare about the possibilities within their business. Meighan, a former home daycare owner herself, has diversified her business portfolio to include Ma’Maw’s Kitchen, a family-owned food truck, as well as her coaching and consulting business Trucking in High
Heels & non-profit sector Trucking in Highs Foundation that aims to help elders, seniors and youth in her communities.
Together with her team, she has secured state, local, and government contracts, further expanding her business through Business Enterprise Program (BEP) certification, which she has maintained for the past four years.
With the ongoing support and resources provided by WBDC Aurora, Meighan has successfully diversified her ventures. From CTMH, launched in 2011, to Trucking in High Heels in 2020, and Ma’Maw’s Kitchen and Concessions in 2021, she continues to make a significant impact on her community. Meighan attributes much of her success to leveraging available resources, stating, “If you learn how to utilize the resources available to you, like WBDC, you will not fail.” Looking ahead, Meighan remains committed to further business growth and community service, with new ventures on the horizon in Kane County and surrounding areas. Meighan is very grateful for WBDC and the support it lends to her businesses.
