Iowa Tech Podcast
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Navigating Entrepreneurship in the Iowa Tech Scene with Force Fitters
In this episode of the Iowa Tech podcast, host Kaylee Williams interviews Justin Schoen, the CEO and co-founder of Force Fitters, a company specializing in corporate and safety apparel. Justin, a native of West Des Moines, has been part of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Des Moines for over a decade. He began his career in…
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From Accidental Entrepreneur to Tech Trailblazer: Alyssa Nolte’s Journey
In a recent episode of the Iowa Tech podcast, host Kaylee Williams interviewed Alyssa Nolte, CEO and founder of TruVue, who shared her entrepreneurial journey. Alyssa described herself as an “accidental entrepreneur,” diverging from her initial corporate career plans after being captivated by a professor’s eye-tracking technology at the University of Northern Iowa. Despite having…
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Entrepreneurial Journey and Triumphs of Repaint Studios
In this episode of the Iowa Tech podcast, host Kaylee Williams interviews Billie Asmus, CEO and founder of Repaint Studios, who recently won the $100,000 InnoVenture Challenge. Billie shares her entrepreneurial journey, explaining how her frustration with disposable paint tray liners led her to invent the Repaint Tray, a reusable silicone paint tray with a…
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Navigating the Entrepreneurial Landscape: An Insightful Journey with Micah Walker
In the first episode of 2025 of the Iowa Tech podcast, host Kaylee Williams interviews Micah Walker, an analyst at the InnoVenture Iowa Fund. Micah shares his entrepreneurial journey, which began at a young age due to his desire to create shoes for people with flat feet. Raised in a family with a real estate…
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Navigating Tech and Innovation in Iowa
In this episode of the Iowa Tech podcast, host Kaylee Williams engages in a conversation with Kelley McManus, the Managing Director of P3+ Uplift, to explore her journey and insights into the tech industry. Kelley shares her background, highlighting her upbringing in Iowa and her unconventional path into the tech world, which she describes as…
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Zero to Acquired: the PicklePlay Story with Blake Renaud
In this episode of the Iowa Tech Podcast, host Kaylee interviews Blake Renaud, the founder of PicklePlay, a startup capitalizing on the global popularity of pickleball. Blake, based in Cedar Falls, Iowa, discusses her journey as an entrepreneur, starting with her casual involvement in pickleball which led to identifying several pain points in the sport.…
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Building the World’s Biggest Company with Brad Dwyer, CTO and Co-Founder of Roboflow
In a recent episode of the Iowa Tech Podcast, host Kaylee welcomed Brad Dwyer, CTO and co-founder of Roboflow, to discuss the company’s journey and the future of AI. Roboflow specializes in enhancing camera intelligence through AI, transforming unstructured pixel data into structured information. Brad, who has been with the company since its inception from…
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Navigating Innovation and Talent in the Iowa InsurTech Landscape
The Iowa Tech Podcast, hosted by Kaylee, features Jim Lewis, the Executive Director of the Vaughan Institute for Risk Management and Insurance at the University of Iowa. The episode explores Jim’s diverse career path, highlighting his transition from a marketing agency owner to an entrepreneur in the insur-tech industry, and eventually into academia. Jim’s journey…
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Empowering Iowa: Katie Patterson’s Journey in Tech and Entrepreneurship
Katie Patterson, the founder and CEO of Happy Medium, shares her journey into entrepreneurship in Iowa, starting from her early career aspirations in media to founding her strategic business agency in 2011. Initially aiming to be a journalist, Katie discovered her passion for advertising after an internship with Two Rivers Marketing, which set her on…
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Whitney Warne: Using the Enneagram to Lead Your Business
The podcast episode features Whitney Warne, an entrepreneur and founder of Ivory House Photography and Evoke EQ. Whitney shares her journey of starting her own photography business after realizing she could do for herself what she was doing for others. She emphasizes the importance of building a supportive team and identifying one’s unique strengths while…