Commencement season is here, and while we all love the tradition, let’s be honest: a lot of graduation ceremonies are still operationally stuck in the 18th century. This week, Chase Rigby, CEO of Tassel, joins Mike Palmer to talk about what it actually takes to modernize the final milestone of the student lifecycle. Chase shares his path from teaching seventh-grade math and science with Teach For America to working as a product manager at Google, before ultimately using a search fund model to acquire Marching Order and evolve it into Tassel.

We dig into why forward-thinking colleges are moving away from treating graduation as just a logistical headache and starting to view it as a strategic marketing and recruitment engine. Chase explains how Tassel is trying to upend the traditional business model by moving away from nickel-and-diming students with steep fees for their own achievement, and instead leveraging community gifting platforms that put money back in their pockets for rent or student debt. We also get into the tech side of things, discussing how they train AI models on a 20-year phonetic database to get broadcast-quality name pronunciations on stage, all while navigating the strict landscape of biometric privacy and user consent. It turns out getting that final touchpoint right pays massive dividends for lifelong alumni relations.

Episode Timestamps:

00:00 - Chase's journey from Teach For America to product management at Google.

03:00 - Running a search fund and finding the graduation space with Marching Order.

05:30 - Shifting mindsets: Treating commencement as a strategic marketing and alumni recruitment tool.

09:00 - Turning graduation into a net-positive financial event for students via gifting.

12:30 - Blending digital software with real life to provide free graduation photos.

18:30 - How Tassel uses a 20-year phonetic database and AI to nail name pronunciation on stage.

21:30 - Tackling biometric privacy, user consent, and BIPA compliance.

28:30 - Scaling campus software point solutions and trends in the lower middle market.

32:30 - Final takeaways, looking out for Tassel at upcoming ceremonies, and closing shots.

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