Building an Entrepreneurial Culture at Drake University with Chase Spencer

Host Kaylee welcomes Drake University's Chase Spencer to the Iowa Tech Podcast from the Jethro's Barbecue Studio for a lively conversation about cultivating entrepreneurs in Iowa. Chase shares his path from Monroe, Iowa to Drake—pivoting during 2020 from a dream of theme park design to politics, and ultimately to entrepreneurship after a formative class sparked his venture "Chasing Cars," a QR-code storytelling tool for classic car owners now used by hundreds across the country. He explains his evolution at Drake from contractor to program manager overseeing entrepreneurship initiatives that bridge students and the community—spanning student-focused support and community outreach, the Drake Business Clinic, and a new student accelerator launching this spring with awards ranging from $500 up to $300,000 to help founders launch, learn, and iterate. Together, Kaylee and Chase dig into the "why now" for ideas (QR codes, anyone?), the complementary strengths and gaps between arts and sciences and business students (big vision vs. execution), and how a culture shift in the Midwest can empower more builders to tackle big, hairy problems. Chase details the Drake Business Clinic's Demo Day—think speed-dating for founders and advisors—centered on "three goals, five things" to drive real progress beyond pitch decks. He makes a simple ask of the ecosystem: answer those .edu emails, show up as mentors, and invest time, relationships, and resources in students while they have a supportive safety net to experiment. To get involved with Drake's entrepreneurship programs, reach Chase at [email protected]. Full show notes: https://iowapodcast.com/chase-spencer