1% Better, Together™, the Thomas Drew story

As seen in the Fall 2024 DU Review magazine

Thomas Drew, BBA, Marketing '15

Astronaut, police officer or doctor are all the typical answers when seven-year-olds are asked what they want to be when they grow up. But when Thomas Drew, BBA, Marketing '15, was asked to present a report to his second-grade class on what he wanted to be, the answer surprised many, "entrepreneur."

Drew, who grew up in West Michigan, set goals for himself at a young age - to become an entrepreneur, play college basketball and live in New York City. Drew was well on his entrepreneurial journey when he graduated from Davenport University. While attending Davenport and keeping a rigid basketball schedule as the team captain, Drew started a clothing and events business. He credits men's basketball coach Burt Paddock for encouraging him to continue his strong leadership skills in his career as he prepared to graduate.

"Davenport allowed me to be the leader that I naturally was," Drew said.

As he prepared to graduate, Drew had his sights on New York City and an Ivy League master's degree. With a strong letter of recommendation from Davenport University President Richard J. Pappas, he was accepted into Columbia University, becoming the first in his family to have an Ivy League diploma.

"Once accepted, I asked the admissions reps what got me in. The answer was the character reference from President Pappas. I am indebted to Davenport University for that."

In his career, Drew draws on inspiration from his executive coach who told him, "In your childhood, you dream of who you want to be with no shackles." That mindset helps him envision a future where anything is possible.

Drew and his business partner Corey Lewis created 1AND1, a holistic wellness platform that provides expert insights, in-depth supplement reviews and personalized habit building, all built into an app for ease of use. At 1AND1, their mission is to make mental health and wellness more accessible, inclusive and effective. Their motto, "1% Better, Together™," was created with the goal that users focus on getting 1% better each day, but they don't have to do it alone.

"We have some really exciting partnerships in the works," Drew said. "We are focused on getting the app in more people's hands."

Drew described his own mental health journey and how our mental wellness, physical wellness, and accessibility to all of this information are vital to each individual's well-being. The 1AND1 app is currently free to use with plans to monetize once certain user milestones are reached. Drew feels deeply that wellness, good habit-forming behavior and mental health need to be accessible to all. To do this, Drew and his business partner focus on affiliate revenue and ad placements for many of their business ventures, especially 1AND1.

"We keep our web content free and accessible while focusing on monetization strategies that don't directly impact the consumer," Drew Explained.

As a way to de-stigmatize mental health through transparent conversations, 1AND1 produced a mental health podcast titled Off The Cuff with Danny LoPriore.

"We bring in athletes, celebrities, doctors, therapists - professionals in their field. This allows the listener to receive free tools, help and frameworks to use in their everyday life."

Their holistic approach to wellness focuses on seven interconnected dimensions: physical, emotional, intellectual, social, spiritual, environmental and financial. In the app, you can take a short quiz, set your goals, track your progress and receive tailored recommendations. So whether you're just starting your wellness journey or looking to take your well-being to the next level, the 1AND1 app can support you.

So what's in 1AND1's future? Drew and team are planning on launching in-app community and accountability features, an AI-companion, and an Enterprise solution focused on helping organizations foster community engagement and holistic well-being while reducing burnout.

Drew tends to revisit one of his favorite quotes by the late, great Steve Jobs: "Everything around you that you call 'life' was made up by people who were no smarter than you." Drew's own advice: "You have to believe that you can make things real and believe that you can do what you can see. Nobody else will believe in you unless you believe in you first."

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