Introducing Spoke
Meet Will the Founder of Spoke, canvas wrapped photograph speakers. This recent college graduate has set his own path to entrepreneurship for as long as he could remember. Learn more about the product he designed to help beautify the sound in our homes.
Q: What’s your name, title, business?
A: Will Bodewes, Founder of Spoke
Q: What does your business do?
A: We make speaker pictures. Spoke transforms a canvas wrapped photograph into a brilliant sounding speaker. These photos take a fundamentally different approach to creating sound that can fill a room in a way that other speakers can't. Our speakers are battery powered and equipped with the latest Bluetooth technology so they can hang on a wall and remain indistinguishable from a photo; that is, until you want them to be.
Q: Tell us about your entrepreneurial journey.
A: I have wanted to be an entrepreneur for as long as I can remember; the idea of creating something and sharing it with the world has always been fascinating to me. I earned my degree in mechanical engineering with the goals of learning how to design, test, and bring my ideas to life. Spoke has been a pipe dream of mine ever since I discovered DML technology over two years ago. After years of research, designing, and testing, we have arrived at an easy-to-use product that still captures the same mind-blowing feeling that I felt upon discovering it. I couldn't be more excited about our product and cannot wait to share it with the world.
Q: What was the most powerful lesson you learned on this journey?
A: Being an entrepreneur is not easy, so working on something you are really passionate and excited about is as, if not more, important than the idea itself.
Q: Why did you apply for the SCAPE Program?
A: Before hearing about SCAPE, I found our company struggling to connect the dots between where we were and where we wanted to be. Upon learning of all the great opportunities and mentorship that SCAPE had to offer I knew that this program would be what we needed to take the next step. I applied to SCAPE to learn the necessary steps to growing my company the correct way.
Q: What companies inspire you the most (local, national, worldwide)?
A: On a global scale, Tesla is one of the most inspirational companies to me. The idea of creating products that go above and beyond the expectations for quality is really inspiring, and a business model that we plan to adhere to. On a more local scale, over the past 18 years of my life I have gotten the opportunity to watch my dad grow his veterinary business from a one-person practice operated out of our garage to a company with over 20 employees and tens of thousands of clients. Having the opportunity to watch him create his business from the ground up has really inspired me to follow an entrepreneurial career myself.
Q: What do you love most about the Four Corners?
A: I have always loved the outdoors; from backcountry skiing to mountain biking, to trail running, the Durango area has some of the best in the country. The four corners area has a great mix between recreation and resources, and I feel lucky to be able to take advantage of both.
