Iowa Tech Podcast
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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…
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Unlocking Academic Success: How Coltie Bridges the Graduate Education Gap with Innovative AI Solutions
In this episode of the Iowa Tech podcast, host Micah Walker engages in an enlightening conversation with Anuj Sharma, founder of Coltie, an innovative tech company based in Ames, Iowa. Coltie is dedicated to alleviating the stress and challenges associated with academia by providing an integrated platform connecting students, faculty, and administrators. The platform aims…
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Triumph Over Tragedy: How a Cedar Rapids Startup is Revolutionizing Mental Wellness
In the latest episode of the Iowa Tech podcast, host Micah Walker engages in a compelling conversation with Jeffrey Johnson from Brightn, discussing the impactful narrative behind Brightn’s inception and its mission in the mental wellness space. Jeffrey shares his personal journey, which was deeply affected by the tragic loss of his son Seth and…
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Navigating the Legislative Maze: How Legible AI is Revolutionizing Policy Engagement with Cutting-Edge Technology
In this episode of the Iowa Tech podcast, host Micah Walker engages in a conversation with Zack Krawiec, co-founder of Legible AI, a pioneering AI-native policy intelligence platform. The discussion kicks off with Zack sharing his background, highlighting how he and his co-founder, Casey, initially met while working as legislative interns at the Iowa State…