The Ones Leading With Purpose

Every Bulldog a Changemaker

We believe that higher education is both a path to personal success and a springboard for students to use their knowledge and talent to make a positive difference in the world. Now we’re dedicating even more energy and purpose toward entrepreneurial programs and community engagement experiences. We’ll empower generations of students to be the ones who use their passion and potential to do well by doing good in ways that help find solutions to society’s most pressing concerns.

Finding Meaning

Drake University’s Engaged Citizen Corps helped Katie Carlton, JO’20, discover a path to improving the world around her. Now that path has led to a lifelong pursuit and career.

Supporting the Changemaker initiative can help future generations of Drake students replicate Katie’s rewarding experience.

Inspiring Entrepreneurs

As part of the Changemaker initiative, Drake faculty member Bill Adamowski launched the Drake Business Clinic in February 2022 to serve underrepresented entrepreneurs in the community.

Bill Adamowski

One of the primary initiatives of the Drake Business Clinic is its Business Accelerator. Through the 14-week program, entrepreneurs learn how to sustain and expand their businesses and create pitches for investment dollars.

Student writing a business plan

The Drake Business Clinic also provides opportunities for Drake students to partner with local business owners and undertake projects that will help their businesses thrive.

Close up of students discussing business.

Of the Clinic’s keys to success, Adamowski says, “The Clinic is ideally located, as part of Drake and the Dogtown neighborhood, with close proximity to many diverse businesses and large corporations, and anchored by a world-class educational institution.”

Drake Old Main building
For the ones horizontal 2

Create Change

Changemaker Scholars prepare to be catalysts for stronger communities through coursework dedicated to entrepreneurialism and social impact.


The students also cultivate connections in the community through service-learning opportunities. Recently, students partnered with DMARC, a local food pantry network, to develop volunteer training videos and plan outreach events to raise awareness of the organization.

“The experiences and connections I've gained from this program have been irreplaceable,” says Marra Catherine, a sophomore Changemaker Scholar. “It’s been such a blessing to go out into the community and see exactly how people are being changemakers in the real world and meet people who work in the fields I want to work in. However, what I valued most was the community that we were able to create within my cohort. This program made me fall in love with Drake.”

Feel the Momentum of The Ones

Share the excitement of Drake’s progress toward its audacious goal.

See our progress

Join the ones
who share the vision.

By elevating Drake together, we will secure a more vibrant future for those who follow our footsteps. Join the ones who will transform Drake’s vision into a reality by adding your support to the campaign for the brave & bold.

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