Drake Blessum

Founder of Svens Skincare

SJMC major: I have a Business degree from Drake, but my finance, Lindsey Phelps, was a Marketing and Journalism double major.

Website: svencares.com

What your business does: We sell high-quality, everyday, mineral sunscreen that rubs in clear!

What inspired you to start your business: In 2017 a friend and I were headed to the beach in Chicago, and we needed sun protection. We stopped into the local Walgreens and saw that most all the sunscreens were chemical-based (like Coppertone & Banana Boat) or were low quality and left a white layer on your skin after applying. My friend who has dark skin told me that he would not wear any of them if they left a thick white cast. On that day I vowed to make a Mineral Sunscreen that would rub in clear on ALL skin types! The following year, Svens launched our first product – Svens Everyday Mineral Sunscreen SPF 33.

How are you using what you learned at Drake in your job? I use many of the skills and classes I took at Drake University each week with my startup, Svens Skincare. From how to build out my public relations and press releases – to what content we create for our website and social media.

The best part about being a former Drake University graduate is a powerful network and resources available to alumni. This Fall and Spring semester, Svens Skincare is proud to be the client for Dr. Bruhn’s PR & ADV Capstone class! It has been educational for Svens Skincare to work and interact with the PR and Advertising students as they offer up creative solutions on how to attract more customers.