Lead The Way with Anna Gouker

In this episode we learn about Beth Larson and her amazing backgound as a musician and leader. Anna goes in depth about Beth's upbringing and what led her to her role with Habitat For Humanity of Dane County.  To learn more about how you can get involved with Habitat For Humanity of Dane County please visit: https://habitatdane.org/

In this episode Anna Gouker speaks with Cliff and Yvonne Hooks of Barneveld Cafe. An amazing couple who share there love for the community through good food and free jokes. The Hook's run a non profit cafe that is open to the public, creating a space for all to enjoy the luxury of going out to eat. They run the cafe completely free of charge, setting an astounding example for community outreach. We home you enjoy this episode of Lead The Way with Anna Gouker as it was one of our favorite conversations to date. 

In this Episode we learn from Joy Willenbrink-Conte about the many benefits of music therapy. Joy goes in depth on her background and what led her to becoming a music therapist.  For those unfamiliar with music therapy she explains it well-  "Music therapy can be a space to foster creativity, empower, and build connections, therefore boosting your resilience in response to pain, conflict, loss, and trauma." Joy Willenbrink-Conte There is much to learn in this episode and we hope you enjoy!   

In this episode we learn about the amazing mentoring programs they have avialable at Big Brother Big Sisters of Dane County. Sandy Morales goes in depth on her background and what led her to her position at Big Brothers Big Sisters. Listen to learn more about getting involved and how they work "to clear the path to a child's biggest possible future." https://www.bbbsmadison.org/

In this Episode we learn from Amy Kerwin and the amazing work she has done with Primates Inc. Founded in 2004 Amy was able to take and learn from her experiences at the University of Wisconsin with rhesus monkeys. She found that these humble animals deserve sanctuary and an enriching life through retirement. Through many barriers Amy was able to create an amazing sanctuary. Not only does Primates inc. provides space for retirement but also acts as a prototype for other communities. We all have much to learn from her work and the rest of the team at Primates inc.  primatesinc.com

In this episode, Anna has a wide-ranging conversation with the amazing Christine Benedict, Executive Director of Girls on the Run of South-Central Wisconsin.    www.girlsontherunscwi.org   Find them on Facebook!

Anna talks with Jaclyn Eitrem and Justin L'Abbe of Just Bakery (a JustDane initiative). Just Bakery is a 12 week educational and vocational training program. The program works with individuals who are experiencing significant barriers to employment (homelessness, justice involved, lack of education, and/or a lack of work history or skills). Visit justdane.org to learn more. Facebook & Instagram: @justbakeryMSN

Anna talks with Karla Thennes, Executive Director of Porchlight. They discuss a wide range of topics, including how Karla originally discovered her passion for working with people experiencing homelessness and Karla's journey of fighting self-doubt as she's grown in her profession. Visit porchlightinc.org to get involved!

Arthur Aston is Executive Director of Build Jake's Place, Founder of OurView, and host of the OurView podcast. Anna and Arthur discuss the work of promoting inclusion of people with disabilities and what it requires of them both personally. **This interview was recorded during the summer of 2021. Please excuse any reference to the "hot weather" that is incongruent with the temperature outside right now.** Build Jake's Place: www.buildjakesplace.org OurView: www.our-view.com

Anna has a wide ranging conversation about domestic violence with Outreach Specialist, Cia Siab Vang, and LGBTQ and Youth Program Director, Cody Warner, of End Abuse Wisconsin.  www.endabusewi.org

Anna has a conversation with Wisconsin State Senator, Melissa Agard. She shares her perspective about many topics, including what has changed in the Madison community, how we can improve inclusion, and ways we can all do our part to come together.

Anna's book, Don't Ask Permission to Fly, is AVAILABLE NOW on Amazon. Thanks again to Rachel Hermes, she da bomb! Anna's Podcast Picks: Slate Political Gabfest The Megyn Kelly Show Pivot (hosted by Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway) The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg How I Built This with Guy Raz It Was Said

In this episode, Anna talks with Representative Francesca Hong, the breakout political star who won an extremely competitive state assembly seat and is now serving Wisconsin’s 76th District. In addition to her public service, Rep. Hong is co-owner of the restaurant, Morris Ramen, and co-founder of Cook It Forward. Learn more at cookitforward.com

This episode is all about improving self belief and figuring out how to lean into your unique ability to lead, something that is a struggle for us all and a topic that really resonates with Anna. Laura Gmeinder is a former Human Resources executive turned Business & Leadership Coach. She has been highlighted in many major publications for her expert ability to help women transform their lives and businesses. Learn more at www.lauragmeinder.com

Anna talks with Valerie Zaric, host of Future-Proof Career, a podcast that will ease your anxieties around career decisions and help you take control of your future. Valerie's background uniquely enables her to guide listeners in a positive direction. The last year has brought so much struggle to so many people. Valerie shares with her audience what to consider before pivoting their careers towards new possibilities. Check it out at www.valeriezaric.com

Did you know that 55,000 adults in Dane County struggle with literacy? That's enough to fill more than three Kohl Centers! In this episode, Anna speaks with Jeff Burkhart, Executive Director of Literacy Network of Dane County, about the important work they do. Visit www.litnetwork.org for more information. 

It's a new year, and there's no better time to highlight good leadership than 2021! In this episode, Anna talks with Helen Osborn-Senatus, Program Manager of The River Food Pantry, the Madison area’s busiest food pantry. As it says on their website, The River serves over 1,000 households every week in pursuit of their vision: a fully nourished community. Visit riverfoodpantry.org for more information.

In this episode, Anna talks with Connor Raboine, Co-Executive Director of SlowFood UW. Check out the links below for more information: Fair Share’s website: https://www.csacoalition.org/  Robert Pierce, here is his website as well: https://southmadisonfarmersmarket.com/ current programming for SlowFood UW -https://slow-food-uw.square.site/ https://www.facebook.com/slowfooduw https://www.instagram.com/slowfooduw/?hl=en

Let's talk mental health! Leah Rolando is Suicide Prevention Coordinator at Mental Health America of Wisconsin. We recorded this conversation towards the end of September, which was National Suicide Prevention Month, and during the course of the conversation, she had a lot of great things to share about how to speak up for yourself as well as how we can all show up better for one another. Visit mhawisconsin.org for more information and resources!

In this episode, Anna has a conversation with Rowan Childs, founder and executive director of Madison Reading Project.  Learn more about the work of the Madison Reading Project and their upcoming virtual event Whiskey and Words: www.madisonreadingproject.com Also, check out the 2016 Kids Count Data Book (aka Race To Equity Report): https://racetoequity.net/2016-kids-count-data-book/  

If you’re looking for some light and inspiration, this is the episode for you. Anna recently had the chance to have a conversation with Dr. Roxie Hentz, the founder and CEO of CEOs of Tomorrow, a nonprofit organization that offers social entrepreneurship workshops and courses to young innovators and problem solvers inspired to shape their world.  Visit CEOsofTomorrow.com for information about the organization as well as Dr. Hentz' book "It’s my Business: Inspiring Students’ Ideas for a Better Community."  

Rita Mae Reese is an award-winning poet and author whose work has received a Rona Jaffe Foundation Writer's Award, a Stegner fellowship, and a "Discovery"/The Nation prize. If that was not enough, Reese is also the Literary Arts Director at Arts + Literature Laboratory, a community-driven contemporary non-profit arts organization supporting the visual, literary, music and performing arts based in Madison, Wisconsin.  Visit ritamaereese.com and artlitlab.org for more info. 

Anna was able to speak with Amie Hoag, assistant director of communications and annual giving at the Goodman Community Center in Madison. If you are not already familiar with Goodman, it is a local nonprofit that offers a huge amount of support, services, and programming that is available to people in the Madison community. Visit goodmancenter.org for more info and you can follow them on Twitter at @GoodmanCenterWI

Anna had the chance to speak with Dane County Circuit Court Judge Everett Mitchell. Judge Mitchell’s previous roles include assistant district attorney in Dane County and director of community relations at UW Madison. As he serves on the bench today, Judge Mitchell is also lead pastor at Christ The Solid Rock Baptist Church.   Facebook @ Christ The Solid Rock Baptist Church

In this episode, we focus on this moment of opportunity for change. Anna has two conversations with Wisconsin community leaders about organizing, teamwork, and what comes next in creating social equity and racial justice in our society.   First, Anna speaks with Dwight D. Williamson, Jr., an organizer with Black Lives Matter in Milwaukee. Then, Angela Lang, Executive Director of BLOC (Black Leaders Organizing for Communities) joins Anna for a wide-ranging dialogue. Visit www.blocbybloc.org for more information.

We are living in a very frightening and unusual time. For that reason I was so glad to have the chance to talk with our guest in this episode who has a calm and reassuring presence as well as much wisdom to share. Kelly Hora owns and operates Bluestem Acupuncture in Madison.In this episode, we have a wide-ranging conversation about how she stumbled into her profession and her practical tips for getting through this strange moment. For more about Bluestem Acupuncture: madison-acupuncture.com 

Connecting through art is essential now more than almost any other time. Our guest in this episode is Jonathan Solari, the CEO of Madison Ballet. Jonathan is leading an organization that’s doing everything possible to serve the needs of our community with what they do best; creating beauty in life through performance. Anna first met Jonathan a couple of years ago through the new leader’s council fellowship program, which they completed in the summer of 2018. He is a great example of thoughtful leadership and we hope you learn a lot from his approach.  To learn more about classes and other ways to support Madison Ballet, visit madisonballet.org.

It was not long ago -- although it feels like forever! -- that the coronavirus caught us all by surprise, shifting our lives in a new direction. Many of us are struggling to find meaningful ways to use our time in quarantine. In this bonus episode, we had the opportunity to talk with a man at the center of a new Facebook group called Dane County Neighbors Helping Neighbors, which demonstrates the best of our community. 

This is the decade to deliver on sustainability, that is what all of the experts are saying. In this episode, we learn what it means for the local community in Dane County Wisconsin.  Claire Oleksiak is Executive Director of Sustain Dane, a nonprofit organization that serves Madison and the rest of Dane County by inspiring, connecting and supporting individuals and larger groups to reach sustainable solutions. Just before social distancing became our way of life, we caught up with her at their office to talk about a wide range of topics that have a huge impact on the future of the community.    To learn more about Sustain Dane, visit Sustaindane.org 

Back in late February, before all of our lives changed due to a global pandemic, I had the distinct pleasure of talking to Tehmina Islam. She is a Madison based Certified Professional Midwife with a strong passion for consent centered care. We recorded the following conversation, which touched on many things including her unique style of treating pregnant people, their bodies, and their babies. You can find out more about Tehmina and her services at accessmidwiferywi.org. 

In this episode, Anna has a conversation with Madison entrepreneur and owner of Slide Gourmet Potato Chips, Christine Ameigh, which is on its way to sweeping the nation. Christine is the epitome of leadership as she uses her business to connect and elevate all parts of her community. During their chat, Anna talks with Chiristine about how her dream became a new and bigger reality then she could have ever imagined. 

In this episode, we learn from Amber Radatz, Co-Director of UW Discovery Farms, a farmer led research and outreach program. Where collaboration is key. Amber and her colleagues work closely with private farmers to learn how agriculture affects water quality.  For more information, visit: www.uwdiscoveryfarms.org  

In this episode, we are continuing our series, examining restorative justice as an alternative to the traditional criminal justice system by sharing a conversation that I recently had with Eugenia Highland - Restorative Justice Director at the YWCA Madison.  For those of you who are not familiar with the YWCA of Madison here is there Vision "YWCA Madison envisions a community where people of all racial, ethnic, socio-economic and gender groups are valued and included, and discrimination and injustice are eliminated. To this end, the YWCA Madison provides leadership in our community to create social change for all racial, ethnic, gender and economic groups. Through YWCA programming and collaborative initiatives, individuals, families and the community at large are empowered to greatly improve quality of life."  YWCA Madison: www.ywcamadison.org 

Anna chats with Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin, Mandela Barnes, to gain a better understanding of his journey to the second highest office in the state and what his vision of a more sustainable Wisconsin looks like.

In this episode, we are continuing our series, examining restorative justice as an alternative to the traditional criminal justice system by sharing a conversation that I recently had with Lorrie Hurckes Dwyer, executive director of the Dane County TimeBank. For those of you who are not familiar with the Dane County TimeBank, it operates on the timebanking model and this is how it works: when members provide a service for other members, one TimeBank Hour is earned for each hour spent providing the service. Members can then exchange each TimeBank Hour earned for an hour of service from someone else. The Dane County TimeBank is also actively involved in the restorative justice initiative for youth in Dane County, WI. Dane County TimeBank: www.danecountytimebank.org  

This is the beginning of a three part series exploring restorative justice in Dane County, Wisconsin. Featured in our restorative justice series are the organizations providing supportive practices as an alternative to the traditional punitive approach to correcting youth behavior.   Interviewed in this episode is the Program Coordinator for the Youth Peer Court Program, Cierra Grobe and Program Director, Jay Kiefer, both of Briarpatch Youth Services. To learn more about Briarpatch, visit youthsos.org  

In this episode we learn about Chrysalis Pops, "a Madison grown social enterprise that offers an opportunity for individuals living with mental health challenges to gain meaningful paid work experience from seed to sales."

In this episode, we hear from Laura Dresser, assistant director of COWS. Throughout her life, Laura has been motivated to elevate all voices and this priority has carried through to her work at COWS. Her role helps to develop solutions in workforce development and the partnerships necessary to make them happen. Listen and learn!   Website: www.cows.org        

Wisconsin Representative Chris Taylor shares her experience fighting for values that address the challenging issues facing her community.

In this episode, we hear from Kristie Schilling, who shares her self discovery in navigating her way to be CEO at Monona East Side Business Alliance.  

In this episode, we hear from Justice Castañeda, a man of influence in Madison, Wisconsin. Plucked from a painful environment at age 17, Castañeda has returned to his hometown two decades later to use his personal experiences to make his community a place for falling in love.