Iowa Tech Podcast
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Pivoting in Biotech with Dr. Tony Vanden Bush of Syntherna
On this episode of the Iowa Tech Podcast, host Kaylee Williams welcomes back Dr. Tony Vanden Bush, CEO of Syntherna, for a candid look at how the biotech startup has navigated a shifting market. Since their last chat in August 2024, attitudes toward RNA vaccines have cooled and animal-health regulatory timelines have lengthened – two…
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Welcoming the 12th GIA Cohort with Dan Israel
Host Kaylee kicks off the New Year on the Iowa Tech Podcast from Jethro’s Barbecue Studio with guest Dan Israel, Managing Director of the Global Insurance Accelerator (GIA). The GIA has just begun its 100-day program for its most international cohort yet: six startups representing founders from Sweden, the UK, Germany, Wales, Canada, and the…
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Poking Holes in Tradition: ReEnvision Ag’s Seed Spike and the Future of Precision Planting
Jayson Ryner, founder and CEO of ReEnvision Ag and entrepreneurship professor at NIACC, explains the Seed Spike planter—the first ultra–low soil disturbance planter built for the soil-health era. How Seed Spike Works Ryner explains how the simple “poke-and-place” mechanism lets farmers plant earlier with less power, improves emergence and spacing, and thrives in no-till and…
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Building an Entrepreneurial Culture at Drake University with Chase Spencer
Audio version: Host Kaylee welcomes Drake University’s Chase Spencer to the Iowa Tech Podcast from the Jethro’s Barbecue Studio. Chase, a Drake alum and newly appointed program manager for entrepreneurship, shares his journey from aspiring Disney Imagineer to political science student to founder and now ecosystem builder. Chase recounts graduating high school in 2020, pivoting…
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Mental Health, AI and Turning Tragedy into Purpose with Jeff Johnston of Brightn
Host Kaylee welcomes back Jeff Johnston, founder and CEO of Brightn, for a candid, inspiring conversation about purpose, product, and the realities of founder mental health. Jeff shares the deeply personal origin story behind Brightn. After losing his son Seth to fentanyl in 2016 and his wife five years later, he left a successful 32-year…
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Angels in the Krause (House) with Diana Wright
Host Kaylee welcomes back Diana Wright, Startup Community Builder at the Greater Des Moines Partnership, for a fast-paced debrief on this year’s Iowa Angel Investor Summit. Now in its fourth consecutive year (fifth overall), the Summit expanded to a two-part experience: a Fundamentals of Angel Investing workshop the night before and a full-day summit featuring…
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Inside the Digital Transformation of Community Banking with Tara Seible
In this episode of the Iowa Tech Podcast, host Kaylee Williams welcomes Tara Seible, founder and CEO of In the Green Marketing, a digital agency that has carved a niche serving community banks. Seible shares her journey from the demanding world of newspaper publishing to launching her own firm, building a specialized team, and now…
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The Midwest Startup Taking on Billion-Dollar FMCs with Donuts and AI
Iowa Tech Podcast host Kaylee Williams interviews Drake Bauer, CEO and cofounder of Proaction, newly rebranded from Flete. Bauer explains the name change reflects the company’s ethos: helping transportation organizations shift from reactive to proactive operations. The domain aligned, the timing clicked, and Proaction launched this week. Proaction offers fleet management software—a single pane of…
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Taking a Beat – Re-Envisioning the Iowa Tech Podcast
The Iowa Tech Podcast is taking a short pause as host Kaylee Williams steps back to reflect on its journey and explore new ways to share the stories that matter. After connecting with countless founders, innovators, and community leaders across the state, one thing is clear — Iowa’s startup scene is full of voices worth…
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An Interview with Paul MacDonald, the Cofounder & Managing Director of Bio Innovations Midwest
In this episode of the Iowa Tech Podcast, host Kaylee Williams interviews Paul MacDonald, co-founder and managing director of the Bio Innovations Midwest conference. Paul shares the conference’s evolution from its European roots as World Bio Markets, which later became Bio Innovations Europe, before expanding to the U.S. Midwest with support from the Nebraska Department…