Locked in on what comes next, entrepreneurship major Tyler Kuecker has spent his time at Tippie turning ambition into action—from leading major charity initiatives to working abroad in Milan.
Tyler Kuecker doesn’t talk about the future as something that will eventually arrive. For him, it’s already here.
Turning ambition into action
While many college students treat graduation as the moment when life truly begins, Tyler learned early on that waiting isn’t part of any plan. Through his experiences in Tippie’s entrepreneurship major, from raising tens of thousands of dollars for the families of patients at the Stead Children’s Hospital to working abroad in Milan, he has come to realize that the real world starts now. And he’s built his college experience around that idea.
Different addresses, always a Hawkeye
Tyler’s story begins far from Iowa City. Born near Venice, Italy, while his father served in the Air Force, he spent his early childhood overseas before moving to Utah and eventually to Prairie City, Iowa. But no matter where he lived, one dream stayed the same: becoming a Hawkeye.
Growing up, Saturdays meant gathering around the television with his family to watch Iowa football. By the time he was in high school, he knew exactly where he wanted to go.
“I dreamed of becoming a Hawkeye my entire life,” Tyler says. “I just didn’t know what major.”
Like many freshmen, he arrived at college without a decided major or clear career plan. Then he took his first entrepreneurship class.
A classroom wake-up call
Tyler still remembers the moment that everything changed. In his freshman year course, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Assistant Professor Joe Sulentic challenged the class with something that stuck.
“People say the real world starts when you graduate college,” Tyler recalls. “But the real world is now.”
For Tyler, the idea flipped a switch. Instead of seeing college as four years of waiting, he began to see it as a place to build his future immediately. Hungry for more, Tyler registered for the Social Entrepreneurship course, where he discovered ways to combine business with impact.
“It gave me the perspective that I can do so much good in the world and still make money,” he explains. “I want to find a spot where I can help a community, help the environment, and do good for people.”
That combination of purpose and entrepreneurship became the foundation for everything he did next.
From coursework to community impact
Tyler immediately put what he learned to work. Through a sustainability-focused course, he and his classmates partnered with former Hawkeye and NFL player Micah Hyde to host a charity golf tournament. The student-run event raised $50,000 for families at Stead Family Children’s Hospital.
He didn’t stop there. Tyler and five other students traveled to Buffalo, New York, where they spoke in front of 16,000 people at Hyde’s charity softball tournament about their accomplishment. They went on to drive to New York City to connect with more influential entrepreneurs before heading back to Iowa City.
Now, Tyler serves as one of the course executives, helping to teach the class and organizing the next fundraiser to raise $100,000.
“I’m actually doing the work that I want to do,” he states excitedly. “I’m doing what I want to do in the real world right now.”
Learning business and workplace culture— in Milan
His drive to learn by action led Tyler overseas. He applied to IES Abroad, a global study-abroad and internship provider, and secured a position at a small consulting firm in Milan, Italy.
There, he worked in back-end digital marketing for e-commerce brands, helping run ad campaigns and create content. But just as valuable as the technical skills was the cultural shift.
Tyler was introduced to a work culture that valued both productivity and people, offering a model for the kind of business environment he hopes to create one day.
“Being uncomfortable is when you start to grow the most,” he says. “Living in a foreign country, working in a foreign country — those were things I never thought I’d do when I was a freshman.”
Building what’s next
Back in Iowa, Tyler is looking ahead. He hopes to continue working in e-commerce and digital marketing, as he did in Milan, while also building his own business.
He’s launching a niche T-shirt company, starting with designs inspired by his former high school and the surrounding communities.
“The moms love the shirts,” he states with a laugh.
Tyler sees his future as something he will shape for himself. Using the skills he’s learned across marketing, accounting, sales, and strategy in Tippie’s entrepreneurship program.
Locked in
Looking back, Tyler doesn’t define his experience by classes alone, but by the risks he took, the people he met, and the moments that compelled him to grow.
His advice to new students reflects that mindset.
“Keep dreaming big and get involved,” he says. “Be uncomfortable enough so you can grow. That’s how you get new ideas and new perspectives.”
For Tyler Kuecker, the future is not something to wait for. It is something to build — one bold step at a time.