MiEN Company Employee Spotlight: Drew Wodarski, Regional Account Manager

At MiEN Company, our mission is to create innovative, functional, and flexible furniture solutions for evolving learning spaces. We take pride in the dedicated individuals who make our vision a reality. Today, we’re highlighting Drew Wodarski, MiEN’s Regional Account Manager overseeing Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Oklahoma. Drew is passionate about improving students’ lives through educational environments and has been a valuable member of the MiEN team since February 2021.

Drew first was introduced to MiEN Company through playing soccer, where he met MiEN CEO Remco Bergsma, who is a lifelong soccer lover and coach himself. When Drew came to MiEN, he started in the warehouse where he was a part of daily operations. Since then, he has worked his way up to his current position, which takes him all over the central Midwest.

In his work at MiEN, Drew draws inspiration from a variety of sources. First and foremost, Drew is inspired by his grandfather who was an architect and worked on many major projects during his lifetime, including the IOWA Children’s Hospital and work at the University of Michigan. Drew also thanks his mother, who worked in childcare, for his passion for improving students’ lives and education.

At MiEN, Drew is inspired by his colleagues Claire NcNaught, Christian Frank, and Hannah Ladd, who have been great project partners and teachers. As an industry veteran, Claire has provided Drew with helpful guidance and support, especially in his early days in his position. Christian and Hannah have been great teammates as well, from being great conversational partners during long drives to helping out dealers and customers quickly and efficiently.

One of Drew’s favorite experiences at MiEN has been his involvement in the Blue Springs Business Accelerator esports space project. During the development of this project, Drew was able to visit the high school weekly for a few months to engage with the teachers and students directly for a project-based learning program. He was able to show the students MiEN’s product line and explain the design project process to them in detail. Then, the students gathered in small groups and designed their own versions of a new esports lab at the school using MiEN’s furniture line.

Drew really enjoyed and looked forward to the days that he was able to meet with the students. He appreciated hearing all of their ideas and seeing how excited the students were to create a real-world project. By working with the students directly, Drew was introduced to new perspectives on all of the different styles of learning and how much the environment can impact the people who are learning in it. Most of all, he is proud to have been a part of a program that is making a real impact on students by preparing them for their future endeavors.

Drew has a few favorite products at MiEN, which he appreciates for their versatility and style. Drew believes that the Levi Esports Chair truly is the best of all worlds––not only is the chair comfortable for everyday prolonged use, but it also offers details that gamers will appreciate such as big armrests, an adjustable headrest, and a breathable seat back material to keep cool.

Furthermore, Drew loves the Divide Mobile Storage Markerboard because it is one of MiEN’s most versatile products. This mobile storage markerboard performs well in elementary, high school, higher education, and commercial spaces. With adjustable shelves, it can store anything from books to seat pads to bins, all while being a mobile, magnetic markerboard that reaches all the way to the floor. Drew also noted that a lot of schools have been huge fans of the Divide since its release.

“I think if there was a piece of furniture from our line I wanted in my house it would be the BAY Lounge Chair, it has a sleek modern look with excellent finish options and a super high comfort level.”

Outside of work, Drew is a music lover––playing guitar is a huge passion of his, and some of his favorite bands are Greta Van Fleet, Van Halen, Jimi Hendrix, and Zach Bryan. His other favorite hobby is weightlifting, which he has been doing for a little over three years.

Drew cheers for Michigan sports teams, including the Detroit Lions and the University of Michigan––Go Blue! He also enjoys soccer and has supported Chelsea F.C. ever since he saw the team in the FIFA 08 video game many years ago.

Because Drew drives long distances often for work, he listens to podcasts to fill some of the time. His favorites are Huberman’s Lab, a science podcast, and the New Heights podcast with Travis and Jason Kelce.

Another thing that is very important to Drew is his amazing family who support him in everything he does. His parents have been married for over 24 years and he has two younger sisters who he is very proud of.

Drew’s passion for education and his dedication to innovation make him a valuable member of the MiEN family. We are honored to have him as a part of our team, and we look forward to the ongoing positive impact he will have on his projects in the future.