Building the Local Philadelphia Economy, One Post at a Time

What happens when you mix a passion for the Philadelphia community, an entrepreneurial mindset and a willingness to hit the record button? For Doug Ulrich, MS ’25, it resulted in Chase U, a thriving social media marketing brand that has partnered with iconic regional names like Wawa, Herr’s and the Philadelphia Phillies.

As a graduate student balancing a career and a rapidly expanding media presence, Doug chose the Master of Science in Entrepreneurship and Innovation to future-proof his professional trajectory. We sat down with Doug to talk for an insider’s look into the graduate experience of a Drexel student.

Q: What originally led you to choose Drexel and the MS in Entrepreneurship and Innovation program over a traditional MBA?

DU: I was looking through a couple of different graduate options—comparing an MBA, an MS and an MA. When I saw a Close School class that was literally called “Pitch It!” and read the description, I knew right then that this was the program for me. It felt completely in line with what I was doing outside of my nine-to-five with my social media marketing company. Looking at classes like “Pitch It!” and “Ready, Set, Fail,” I realized this was going to be a practical application of theory. It wasn’t just about staring at ledgers or getting ready to be a traditional C-suite executive; it aligned perfectly with where I wanted my career and my company to go.

Q: You’ve mentioned that the classes here felt incredibly real. What sets the learning environment at the Close School apart from other graduate programs?

DU: One of my absolute favorite things about the classes is just how hands-on they were. There was a real practical application of knowledge. It wasn’t about reading a theory, regurgitating information on a test and just moving on to the next week. To me, this is what graduate education was always meant to be: a true mentor-mentee relationship where you learn directly from experts in the field.

The faculty members are in a position to truly help you along the way. They don’t just grade a case study and say goodbye; they sit down with you, grab a cup of coffee and meet up with you outside of class hours to ask, “What are you doing, what do you want to do and how do we get there together?”

Q: Speaking of faculty mentors, you worked closely with Professor John Wilson. What was that collaboration like?

DU: The collaboration I had with “Doc John” was something I absolutely did not expect. Being able to tap into his network as an entrepreneur, business owner and investor was incredibly valuable. I still value the fact that I can have ongoing connections and conversations with his business partners to see how we can collaborate using my social media marketing work and his various ventures. You simply do not get that at every college. Having that built-in network is an incredible opportunity.

Q: How does Close facilitate collaboration within Drexel?

Doug: The Close School extends entrepreneurship out to so many other programs at Drexel. I had the opportunity to work alongside business students and creators from the Westphal College of Media Arts & Design. I even had the chance to come back and speak to an undergraduate class to share my experience with students who want to be content creators, influencers or social media marketers. It was a great opportunity to pay it forward and say, “Here is how I got to where I am. How can we get you there?” Whether it was collaborating with a student doing food reviews or bridging connections for a young lady breaking into sports marketing, the cross-campus collaboration was unexpected and incredibly fun.

Q: How are you applying what you learned in your Corporate Entrepreneurship concentration to your professional roles today?

DU: The Corporate Entrepreneurship concentration has come in handy tremendously. In my work with the College of Engineering at Drexel, I looked at our recruitment, engagement and marketing workflows and asked how we could do things more efficiently. Marketing is ever-changing, so I embedded the systems I learned from my peers, faculty and classes directly into our college’s platforms. Thankfully, we have been able to increase our social media engagement by about 10 percent in less than a year. I’m incredibly grateful for the trust the team gave me to just run with it, and seeing those metrics prove out is pretty cool.

Q: Let’s talk about Chase U. What started as a pandemic passion project has grown into a massive community champion. What’s the philosophy behind it?

DU: Chase U started with me filming a 10-minute coffee review in my car during COVID-19. It quickly evolved from coffee to Philly sports and local food — specifically, cheesesteaks. During a time when it was very challenging for small businesses to keep their doors open, I realized I could use my car as a studio to highlight local restaurants and coffee shops to give them some love. Unbeknownst to me, we were building a community.

The foundation of Chase U is entirely about building up the local economy and increasing brand awareness for businesses that don’t have massive corporate marketing budgets. It’s why I don’t do negative reviews. If a place isn’t great, that video never sees the light of day because I’m not here to take a community down. I want to make sure the staple neighborhood spots that have been open for 50 years stay open.

Q: Your platform has unlocked some unbelievable doors with major Philadelphia sports teams. What has it been like working with the Phillies, Eagles and Flyers?

DU: A 10-year-old Doug would be completely losing his mind, and honestly, 36-year-old Doug loses his mind just as much! Growing up, I always wanted to work in sports, but my degree wasn’t in that field. Through a partnership with a brand called FOCO, I became known as the guy who wears the Phillies overalls to games, making skits, stadium reviews and playoff rally songs.

The Phillies saw them, reposted them and used my sounds in their official videos. That opened doors to field invites, media passes and real friendships with players on the Flyers and Eagles. I even got a media pass for the All-Star Game events here in Philadelphia, and I’m participating in a wiffle ball competition with Ryan Howard at Citizens Bank Park! Five years ago, I never would have thought that sentence would come out of my mouth.

Q: You’ve also partnered with major local staple brands like Wawa and Herr’s. How did those corporate sponsorships come to be?

DU: It all comes down to authenticity. I almost always have a red Wawa cup in my hand, and I grew up loving Herr’s chips and Hank’s Soda. I supported these brands at family parties since I was a kid, so I included them in my content long before they ever paid me or officially partnered with me. Once they reached out to work together, we brought some amazing ideas to life. I recently got to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary on a tour bus side-by-side with Ed Herr and his wife, interviewing the man whose face is on the back of the chip bag! Getting graduation cards, congratulations notes for my new baby and custom onesies from brands like Wawa and Herr’s makes them feel like an extended family.

Q: What is the biggest piece of advice you would give to someone considering a degree at the Close School?

DU: Take advantage of every single thing this school has to offer. I truly believe the way the Close School and Drexel approach education is exactly how it is supposed to be. You are learning from literal experts who take time away from running their own successful businesses to teach the next generation. Go to the events. Ask for the coffee talks. Network with their networks. It is the perfect blend of what you know and who you know, because the person teaching you the curriculum is an industry insider. Nobody does community building and networking better than Drexel.

Q: What is your perspective on managing the fear of failure when launching a new project or business?

DU: One of the best things I ever heard from a fellow student in my very first Close School class was that failure is not binary. It’s not a simple yes or no, success or unsuccess. There is a massive gray area centered around: What did I learn? How do I adapt? How do I overcome this moment?

Don’t get stuck thinking failure is finite. Hit record, take the chances, be silly and be ready to fail on camera. It’s okay if you don’t see the massive metrics or get the brand deals immediately. As long as you genuinely enjoy the process of creating and showcasing your community, just keep building.