Mary Hemphill, ’05, is limitless. As a North Carolina Teaching Fellow, she began her career as a third-grade teacher after graduating from Meredith College.

Driven by her passion for education and a desire to help others grow, Hemphill soon transitioned into assistant principal and principal roles, where she implemented initiatives to improve student outcomes and faculty morale at low-performing schools. This included the “one-minute meeting,” which encourages educational leaders to take a student-centered decision-making approach.  

Hemphill’s innovation led to a job offer from the lieutenant governor to serve as the first director of K-12 computer science & technology education at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. 

“When he called, I said, ‘I’m so sorry, I think you have the wrong number, I’m not a computer scientist,” said Hemphill. “He told me, ‘I don’t want you because you’re a computer scientist. I want you because you’re a problem solver.’”

In this role, Hemphill oversaw an initiative to provide an opportunity for all North Carolina K-12 students to learn computer science skills. Networking with leaders and decision-makers across the state, many requested Hemphill to speak at events outside of her work responsibilities. The demand became so great that Hemphill founded The Limitless Leader Collective, an organization that offers leadership development keynote speeches, coaching, workshops, and retreats. In 2022, Hemphill took a chance on herself and left her full-time job to focus on her business.

Hemphill has been a keynote speaker at more than 500 conferences in over 38 states.

“Had you told me that this was what my ‘yes’ was going to produce, I would have said ‘yes’ sooner,” said Hemphill. “In five years, I want the Limitless Leader Collective to be a global brand. I also want to build something with excellence and integrity, so that we can anticipate what leaders are going to look like in the next five years.”

In addition to running her business, Hemphill is an adjunct professor at UNC-Chapel Hill and a Forbes contributor on leadership strategies. Earlier this year, her article “How Leaders Use Microhabits to Activate Curiosity at Work” was featured as an Editor’s Pick.

Hemphill can trace her drive for excellence back to Meredith.

“Meredith has a standard of excellence,” she said. “There are support structures in place to help you cultivate excellence. I was the second Black SGA president and the centennial president. Seeing the 99 women who came before me, there’s a legacy that said, ‘Lead boldly. Lead unapologetically. And know that any room you step into, your voice matters, and you’re walking with this community behind you.’”