Lives Radio Show with Stuart Chittenden

Matthew Henkes is the Vice President of Grants and Initiatives at the Iowa West Foundation. He talks about a life spent exploring the tensions between human connection and achievement. Raised in California, Henkes studied and worked across the world on various philanthropic and community aid projects. He then made the choice to move to Council Bluffs to work on supporting others in making a positive impact on the community and, as it transpires, on himself too.Matthew Henkes's goal at the Iowa West Foundation is to ensure that every outgoing dollar not only furthers the foundation's goals of well-being, belonging, opportunity, and financial stability but also makes a lasting impact on the community. His journey in philanthropy began at Chemonics International, a global professional services firm, working on a variety of projects, such as an economic development program in Asia and the Middle East, and an environmental grant program covering a three-country area in Southern Africa. Henkes earned a MPA in nonprofit management from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University and an MA in international economics and conflict management from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. Henkes moved to the Omaha/Council Bluffs area in 2014, where he lives with his wife and son.

Mike Battershell, President and CEO of Bergman Incentives, talks about growing up a punk kid in a cowboy town; his efforts to make Omaha better as a community trouble-making do-gooder, and the evolution of that spirit to better the world now through the lens of building his business as a self-described capitalist and socialist.Bergman Incentives a provider of promotional products and branding solutions based in Omaha, Nebraska with offices from the Western Rockies to the Great Plains. Beyond his role at Bergman Incentives, Battershell honed his skillset through extensive service in Omaha's nonprofit and civic sectors, holding numerous board and leadership positions. Battershell has consistently embraced disruption as a means of challenging the status quo and fostering progress. As a father of four, Battershell and his wife are vested in improving the experiences and resources available to the next generation and endeavor to make a lasting impact on the region's business and civic landscape.

Mental health counselor and community activist, Elaine Wells, talks about her work as a counselor - helping couples find relationship harmony - and what drew her to that field. Wells also shares her evolution from being raised in a conservative Southern Baptist faith to Unitarian Universalism and how that religion of love and humanism aligns with her values and a calling to community activism.Elaine Wells, as a mental health counselor, especially enjoys helping couples to create and maintain happy, healthy relationships. Wells has long been a community activist - advocating for world peace, inclusive justice, and a sustainable environment, working with groups including Nebraskans for Peace, RESULTS, and Omaha Together One Community (often referenced as OTOC). Wells created a Dialogue process to bring people together for constructive conversations on controversial topics, facilitating Pro-Life/Pro-Choice, Black-White, Conservative-Liberal; and Racism in Omaha dialogues. Having grown up in East Texas as a Southern Baptist, she converted to Unitarian Universalism in 1970, and this religion of love and humanism has been a huge part of her evolution.

The Reverend Kevin Jagoe, minister to BuxMont Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, shares his journey from small-town Minnesota to Unitarian Universalist ministry, weaving together life as a gay man, humanism, and a call to serve. He reflects on religion, purpose, and - in a changing spiritual landscape - what it means to lead with love.The Reverend Kevin W. Jagoe was born and raised in small-town Minnesota. He lived in Brooklyn, NY before being called as minister by BuxMont Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in 2018 and now lives outside of Philadelphia. He completed his Master of Divinity at Meadville Lombard Theological School in Chicago and is currently working on his Doctorate of Divinity at United Lutheran Seminary. Prior to seminary, he completed a BA in anthropology, criminal justice, and forensic sciences with minors in psychology and biology as well as a Master of Arts in Nonprofit Management. Beyond congregational life, Jagoe is Adjunct Faculty with the Humanist Studies Program of the American Humanist Association and has worked professionally within the Humanist movement since 2013.

Poet Steve Langan talks about his poetic craft and his new poetry book, Bedtime Stories, with themes of death and desire, faith and healing. Langan also reads some of his poems for us and shares how art and poetry in his life have yielded new emotional knowledge.Steve Langan has a background in creative writing and public health. His most recent poetry collection “Bedtime Stories” follows on his previous poetry collections: Freezing, Notes on Exile and Other Poems, Meet Me at the Happy Bar, and What It Looks Like, How It Flies. Langan served as Director and Community Liaison for Medical Humanities at the University of Nebraska Omaha and founded the Seven Doctors Project, in which Omaha area writers guide healthcare workers in writing workshops. Langan developed the course, Writing About Sickness and Health, and currently teaches at Baylor University's Medical Humanities Program.

Environmental consultant and biologist Barbi Hayes talks about a passion for the natural world that encouraged her as a nontraditional student to study biology and later to start her own environmental and research consultancy. Revealing a zest for life, Hayes shares her advocacy for changing our attitudes to nature and how we live with and within it.Barbi Hayes earned her degree in biology from the College of Saint Mary, after which she went on to found Hayes Environmental LLC, an environmental regulatory and research company, which she ran from 1994 to 2020. Hayes is a managing partner in two farming operations - one called Roy Johnson Family Partnership and the other Soybean Babes LLC. Hayes was the first woman appointed to the Douglas County Planning Commission in 1995 and was elected the first woman chairman in 2003. Hayes's love for nature inspired her donation of her family's 1900s-era historic barn to Glacier Creek Preserve for the University of Nebraska at Omaha's environmental research and education facility. As well as her love for nature, Hayes's love for art resulted in the MoonRise Gallery, an art gallery in downtown Elkhorn, which after several years closed its doors at the New Year.

Author Teresa Carmody's work is creatively formed as autofiction, playfully structured by procedure and constraint. Wielding language to create space for change, Carmody explores her life experiences, including spirituality, gossip, queer relations, friendship, and much more, re-emerging into a fresh understanding of herself. Carmody also reads excerpts from her work.Carmody is the award-winning author of numerous works of fiction, creative nonfiction, autofiction, and hybrid forms, exploring issues of spirituality, gossip, intersubjectivity and perception, queer relations, friendship, embodiment and the archive, intersectional feminism, and autofiction/autotheory. Their books include Maison Femme: a fiction (published in 2015), The Reconception of Marie (published in 2020), and A Healthy Interest in the Lives of Others (published 2025). They hold a B.A. in interdisciplinary studies from Evergreen State College, an M.F.A. in creative writing from Antioch University, and a Ph.D. in English/Creative Writing from the University of Denver. She currently teaches in the Writer's Workshop at University of Nebraska, Omaha, and in its low-residency MFA program.

Venture capital investor and retired executive, Doug Wilwerding, talks about the example set by his entrepreneurial father, finding his own way into effective leadership, and the lessons he learned in business and life. Wilwerding also shares the evolution of his personal values and perspective on the American Dream.Doug Wilwerding's business career spanned from the 1980's through 2020. Following his leveraged buyout of Omnium Worldwide in 1998, Wilwerding served as Chairman and CEO until selling the company to West Corporation in 2007. In 2008, after completing post transaction integration and leadership transition, Wilwerding left West Corporation to form The Optimas Group, a venture investment firm. Wilwerding is a frequent guest speaker and has taught as an adjunct professor at Creighton University. He holds BSBA and MBA degrees from the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver in Denver, Colorado. He and his wife have three grown daughters and four grandchildren and live in Omaha, Nebraska, and Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Wilwerding is an avid cyclist, fly fisherman, snow skier, hiker, reader, and writer.

Raúl Arcos Hawkins, a community leader in Grand Island, Nebraska, explores the American Dream from his perspective. Hawkins talks about his journey as a child from Mexico to Nebraska, his professional and personal contributions to his community, and the uncertainty faced by him and other DACA recipients across the country.Hawkins is the Executive Director of the nonprofit organization, Multicultural Coalition. His journey from Mexico to America as a child and his life as a recipient of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, otherwise known as DACA, is the subject of the documentary short film, “To the State of the Good Life”, showing next week as part of the Omaha Film Festival.

Research scientist and conservation geneticist Cynthia Frasier talks about her early natural world experiences in New Jersey, her pursuit of a career in science, and her work and life in Madagascar and now in the Midwest. Dr. Cynthia Frasier has a long-standing interest in wild places and habitat conservation and is particularly motivated to foster a balance between wildlife and people. Frasier received her PhD in Plant Sciences from Rutgers University then moved to Madagascar and contributed to efforts to catalogue its plant diversity. Frasier now works in the Conservation Genetics Department of Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, where she continued working in Madagascar, collaborating closely with the Madagascar Biodiversity Partnership, a Malagasy NGO. Frasier is now looking forward to becoming more invested in local and regional conservation in the Midwest and is eager to dive into the rich diversity of prairies and rangelands.

Chef Cedric Fichepain talks about the origins of his passion for cuisine and combining the role of chef with the role of restaurateur, founding Le Voltaire French restaurant more than twenty years ago. Fichepain also shares his perspectives on being an immigrant and his position as Honorary Consul for France for the State of Nebraska.Cedric Fichepain is a chef and founder of Le Voltaire French restaurant and the owner of Le Petit Paris bakery. Fichepain has numerous accolades as a chef and restaurateur, including being inducted into the Omaha Restaurant Hall of Fame and becoming a permanent member of the Honorable Golden Toque. Fichepain is a native of France and, after a few years living in Italy, immigrated to Omaha in 1997. Fichepain is the Honorary Consul for France for the State of Nebraska and lives in Omaha with his wife and three sons.

Artist Lee Emma Running talks about her childhood independence and an insatiable curiosity underpinning a lifetime dedicated to making art. Together with iron, glass, paper or bone, Running illuminates our human intersection with the world's edge spaces and its cabinets of curiosities.Running engages audiences in conversations about the impact of human-built systems on the natural world through the creation of arresting objects and installations using material such as cast iron, enamel, glass, bone, and handmade paper. She has been awarded numerous arts grants and residencies, such as being a Foundry Resident in the Arts/Industry program at Kohler Co. and Artist in Residence with Opera Omaha, as well as being one of the artists partnering in creating art for Omaha Library's new central branch. Running's work is held by numerous museums and other organizations. She was a Professor of Art at Grinnell College from 2005-2021 and now lives and works in Omaha.

Luke Jensen is a veteran, neuroscience researcher, and plant medicine practitioner. Returning disenchanted and lost after a deployment to Afghanistan, Jensen shares how his search for healing led to him living in Peru's beautiful Sacred Valley and now offering retreats rooted in indigenous spiritual wisdom, the healing properties of ayahuasca and other plant medicines, and the modern science of brain mapping and neurofeedback.Luke Jensen lives and works at the intersection of neuroscience, anthropology, and the mystical realm of plant medicines. A veteran of the Marine Corps and National Guard, Jensen experienced PTSD and other negative consequences from his deployment to Afghanistan. In 2014, Jensen began to find healing in the Amazon basin learning about shamanic spiritual practices, indigenous wisdom, and the healing properties of ayahuasca and other plant medicines. In collaboration with his mentor, Dr. Richard Soutar, Jensen began field research in Peru of the effects of ritual practice and plant medicines using neurofeedback and QEEG brain mapping resulting in two published academic papers. Through his organization, Tiwaz Awakening, Jensen now offers healing retreats in the Peruvian Sacred Valley that combine the healing properties of plant medicine, the embodied practice of Brazilian jui jitsu, and the modern technology of QEEG brain mapping and neurofeedback. These retreats are the subject of a new documentary, “Crossed Paths: Ancient Wisdom and Modern Science.”

Gold medal paralympian, Jeromie Meyer, shares how he adapted to life using a wheelchair after being paralyzed as a child by a drunk driver and, more than adapted, developed his athletic skills to earn the call to represent his country in wheelchair basketball, culminating in the exhilaration of wining gold at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.Iowa native Meyer is a member of the TeamUSA wheelchair basketball team that brought home gold from the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games as well as the 2022 USA gold-winning team at the world championships. Already athletic as a child, aged 9, Meyer was paralyzed from the waist down by a drunk driver incident. He turned to wheelchair basketball, often playing at the University of Nebraska - Omaha's campus, where he later enrolled as a student. Meyer currently works in adaptive sports as a program coordinator and is earning his master's degree in athletic administration at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

Carol Horner shares how her decades long career and idiosyncratic approach to being an organization development consultant culminated in the Spiral of Accountability™, her model guiding personal growth and professional success. Horner also talks about her life below water - being an avid scuba diver whose spiritual experiences beneath the waves shape her landside perspectives on life.Horner's extensive professional experience began in 1987. She works with for profit and nonprofit organizations, both large and small, in her learning and organization development consulting in the areas of leadership and team development, communication, and change management. In 2019, Horner created the Spiral of Accountability that expresses the complex dynamic of our self-talk and interactions into a visual representation that allows people to identify, name, and understand what is happening with them and the people around them. In early 2024, her book “The Spiral of Accountability” was released. Horner is certified in several psychological profiling tools and is considered a leader in her field with numerous conference presentations, publications in trade newsletters, and several leadership positions at a variety of industry and civic associations.In her spare time, loving the water, Horner is to be found in the ocean scuba diving.

Chef Djamil Djibril Bah-Traore talks about a passion for cooking beginning in his childhood home in Togo, honoring a long if counter-cultural tradition in his family. Immigrating to America Bah-Traore has founded a family of culinary organizations furthering his belief that you can't hate someone whose food you love.Chef Djamil Djibril Bah-Traore is a West African immigrant from Togo. He is a chef and entrepreneur who aims to cast fresh and diversified light on Africa's rich culinary history. Prior to founding his House of Bah nonprofit and business entities, Bah-Traore spent over a decade working for corporate America in management capacities in numerous industries before making a major career transition to culinary arts and hospitality in 2013. Bah-Traore holds an associate's degree in culinary arts from Metropolitan Community College, a bachelor's degree in business, and a master's degree in hospitality and restaurant management.

Philosophy professor Joe McCaffrey – in our conversation recorded in May at the end of the academic year – guides us through that broad labyrinth of meaning and purpose by sharing his students responses to the question: How might we lead good lives. McCaffrey also shares what it is to be a philosopher and how he came to be one.Joe McCaffrey is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the University of Nebraska, Omaha and is also a member of interdisciplinary programs in Neuroscience and Medical Humanities. McCaffrey teaches classes on consciousness, moral psychology, bioethics, artificial intelligence, and the meaning of life. Originally from Eugene, Oregon, McCaffrey now resides with his partner in Omaha. When not doing philosophy, he enjoys strategy board games and video games, reading science fiction, fantasy, and horror stories, and dinners and movie nights with his neighbors and friends.

Firefighter, cancer survivor and advocate Nick Howe shares his experiences of surviving cancer with an experimental treatment, only a few years later to require a new heart during which time a spinal stroke left him paralyzed from the waist down. Howe talks about a desire to dedicate his life in service to others initially taking the form of being a firefighter, as well as a spouse and father, but which now has assumed a new shape and vitality of purpose.Nick and Rachel Howe met initially in 2005 and later married. Nick worked as firefighter and Rachel as a teacher. In 2016, the onset of severe health issues for Nick was diagnosed as Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma that chemotherapy, immunotherapy and an autologous stem-cell transplant failed to treat. To save his life, he underwent a highly experimental therapy called CAR T-cell therapy and he has been in remission since. After welcoming their two children, in the summer of 2022, Nick experienced more illness and received a heart transplant. A few weeks later, with his new heart failing, Nick was placed in a medically induced coma during which time he had a spinal stroke that has left him paralyzed from the waist down. Nick's dedication to supporting others now includes serving as the Nebraska State Director for the Firefighter Cancer Support Network and as an ambassador for LLS and Lymphoma Research Foundation. Nick, his wife Rachel, and their two kids live in Omaha, Nebraska.

Leslie Smith candidly shares her journey from an abusive childhood to college and to a professional career, currently as the leader of the Omaha Municipal Land Bank, a quasi-public nonprofit organization that transforms vacant and abandoned properties into community assets, manifesting Smith's passion for improving the quality of life for all people.Leslie Smith, a native Mississippian, serves as the Executive Director for the Omaha Municipal Land Bank, where she leads the organization's efforts helping to stimulate the local economy by addressing systemic vacancy issues at its core. Before coming to Omaha, Smith worked for Truist Bank developing inclusive lending mortgage strategies. As one of the foundational programs of the Blight Authority Memphis, a quasi-governmental nonprofit, Smith helped launch and lead what became a full-scale operational land bank serving the city of Memphis, energizing her passion for improving all residents' quality of life regardless of their zip code.

Musician and producer Laura Bird Burhenn talks about the changes in her vocation and life since we last spoke in 2018, including shifting more to work with her production company, Our Secret Handshake. Burhenn also shares how her commitment to a more loving, inclusive world, expressed through her art, has evolved and been re-imagined in her latest intimate tour across America.As a musician, Laura Bird Burhenn has toured the world as a member of The Postal Service, Bright Eyes, and her own band, The Mynabirds, releasing four full length albums and a host of other music. As a producer, Burhenn in 2018 founded her production company, Our Secret Handshake, based on one fundamental belief: Art Can Change the World, by exploring the spaces where art intersects activism, and where good storytelling reveals and encourages the human spirit. Burhenn has produced for various media, including The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Ellen Degeneres Show, Late Night with Seth Meyers, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The Late Late Show with James Corden, and livestream events including the MTV EMAs, the "Honor Her Wish" Ruth Bader Ginsberg tribute concert, and the "Save Our Stages" concert, which raised nearly $2 million to fund the National Independent Venue Association's work to support music venues during the pandemic.

Artist Bart Vargas talks candidly about a chaotic childhood, which found expression in drawing. After military service, Vargas turned full-time to art. He shares his love for color theory and the use of salvaged materials in his craft, his exploration of themes of identity, consumerism, abundance and waste, and the unexpected discovering of his personal voice and purpose.Bart Vargas is a Visual Artist, Educator, and Advocate from Bellevue, Nebraska. He received his BFA from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and his MFA at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. He has exhibited nationally and internationally, and his work can be found in collections throughout the world. His works have also been featured in many publications including Sculpture Magazine, New American Paintings, and HGTV Magazine. Vargas lives with his wife Bekah Jerde, and their 70+ plants in Omaha where they operate an international studio. Vargas is a Professor and Chair of Visual Arts/Graphic Arts at Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and serves on several boards for local and regional non-profit organizations that support the arts.

Melissa Breazile, a mindful outdoor guide and master naturalist, shares those early experiences of nature that inspired her creation of Wild Tree Collaborative, which offers outdoor experiences that reconnect people with themselves, each other, and the living earth. Breazile also talks about the wonder inherent in our natural world, including its spiritual and intimately healing effects in her own life.Melissa Breazile was born and raised in Southeast Nebraska and has called Omaha homebase for much of her adult life. Intrigued by the healing power of nature, she guides experiences to help participants find ease, embodiment, and connection with themselves and the living earth through her project, Wild Tree Collaborative. Breazile is a trained Mindful Outdoor Guide, certified by the Kripalu School of Mindful Outdoor Leadership, and is a Nebraska Master Naturalist. Her experience also includes communications and public policy work in the nonprofit and political sectors, and public health work as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Breazile earned a Master of Public Administration from University of Nebraska Omaha and bachelor's in digital media from Northwest Missouri State University.

International health professional, Ruth Stark, talks about a life in global health, training local health workers and developing nursing programs, eventually being appointed by the World Health Organization as its representative to Papua New Guinea. Stark shares the origins of this calling in her grandmother's stories of exploration, which inspired Stark - as a young single mother - to sell everything and embark with her family on this lifelong vocation.Doctor Ruth Stark is a nurse with over four decades of global health experience. From humble beginnings influenced by her grandmother's stories of exploration, Doctor Stark worked internationally for the World Health Organization, the United Nations, Catholic Relief Services, and other organizations across Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific Islands training local health workers, developing nursing programs, and leading initiatives like HIV/AIDS relief in South Africa. Her travels reshaped her perspective on health, deepening her understanding of the cultural, social, and economic factors affecting well-being. Doctor Stark has come to recognize the importance of local partnerships, sustainable solutions, and respecting cultural contexts in global health work, as reflected in her book ”How to Work in Someone Else's Country" published in 2011 by the University of Washington Press.

Carol Russell, a community advocate and civic leader, talks about the events and experiences that have shaped her life vocation. Russell shares her early career as a medical technologist involved in cancer research studies, and, with more than 80 causes and organizations over many years, shares her passion for philanthropy and for Omaha's collaborative philanthropic community.Carol Russell has been a leading community volunteer for nearly 50 years. She has been the Legislative or Governor's appointee on multiple task forces, is an advocate for meaningful policy change when she's passionate about a cause, and has a resume of around 83 nonprofit engagements running from A almost to Z. Russell has won numerous local, national, and international awards for her community service and is an advocate for voices that often go unheard or undervalued. Russell earned a Bachelor's degree in Zoology and Chemistry and with her Master's Degree in Pathology, worked as a trained medical technologist and supervised cancer research studies. From people that know and love her, words used to describe Russell include: loyal, compassionate, energetic, sarcastic, witty, passionate, colorful, vivacious, and loving.

Maggie Wood, executive director of Film Streams, talks about working in the nonprofit world, especially in building welcoming communities and elevating the arts and cultural landscape. wood shares the evolution of her leadership, influenced not only by her work experience but also insights revealed during international travel and a recent career break.Born and raised around Bloomington/Normal, Illinois Maggie Wood came to Omaha in 1997 with the Clark Construction Group, as part of the general contracting team that built the Roman L. Hruska Federal Courthouse and then spent the following decade focusing on business development and operational management within the construction and supplier industry in Omaha. Building on her degree in Theater Arts and Communications from Eureka College, in 2006, Wood transitioned to the non-profit sector with development and operational management roles at Opera Omaha, Film Streams, and Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, before her leadership and strategic acumen took her to Inclusive Communities in 2015, where she served as Executive Director for close to 8 years. Earlier this year, Wood was appointed the new Executive Director of Film Streams.

Demetrius “Dee Dee” Gatson, the founder of Q.U.E.E.N.S. Butterfly House, talks about the many challenges that face formerly incarcerated people as they return to their communities and, drawing from her own experiences with incarceration, how she was inspired to create the nonprofit Q.U.E.E.N.S. Butterfly House a safe and supportive place for women to call home while navigating their reentry into the community.Being a formerly incarcerated person herself, Demetrius “Dee Dee” Gatson has seen how the lack of housing, resources, education, employment, and other supports can lead an individual back into incarceration. Gaston has worked with nonprofits such as Rise and with programs such as Dance to Be Free which supports incarcerated and formally incarcerated people in present lives and in their return to community.

Mindy Rush Chipman, the Executive Director of the ACLU of Nebraska, talks about difficult experiences in her early life and shares her personal story of seeking an abortion. She talks too about the stigma and the difficulties of telling that story. We'll also hear Rush Chipman on the work of the ACLU and her path from working at a correctional facility library to legal practice.The ACLU of Nebraska's advocacy and legal work regularly includes a range of impactful civil rights issues, featuring everything from police practices to LGBTQ+ and reproductive rights. Rush Chipman came to the ACLU of Nebraska after a 3-year tenure as the director of the Lincoln Commission on Human Rights, prior to which she represented Nebraskans through her roles at the Immigrant Legal Center and Legal Aid of Nebraska, as well as in her private legal practice in rural Nebraska. One of her first jobs out of high school was at the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services where, while working in the prison library, her eyes were opened to the many issues faced by incarcerated Nebraskans. Rush Chipman's keen advocacy for everyone's human and civil rights started early in life with her personal experience needing legal support from a pro-bono attorney to access reproductive health care. Rush Chipman and her spouse live on a small farmstead and are the proud parents of four independent children.

Professor of medical anthropology and ordained priest, Alexander Rödlach, talks about his early awareness of his calling to religion and to education, his vocational endeavors ministering around the world, a commitment to the intersections of health, service, and faith, and where his journey is leading him now.Alexander Rödlach was born in Innsbruck, Austria. He was ordained after completing his studies of philosophy and Roman Catholic theology and served for seven years in Zimbabwe to support the local church. Subsequently, Rödlach earned a doctorate in Anthropology and a Certificate in African Studies. Since 2007, he has been at Creighton University and teaches undergraduate courses on public and global health. His research tends to be conducted in collaboration with organizations and community groups, and focuses on themes at the intersection of health, volunteerism, and religion. For several years, he has been accompanying the Karenni, a refugee group in Omaha, and is pursuing other research and ministry projects.

Kevin Mahler, a nonprofit fundraising consultant, talks about the thoughtfulness required in effective fundraising, how he helps nonprofits to be responsive, and his own inexorable draw to entrepreneurship in service to the needs of philanthropic organizations. Mahler also talks about the influences in his life, from diabetes, art to astrology and faith.Kevin Mahler is the founder and owner of Contributed Line, a nonprofit fundraising consultancy based in Omaha, Nebraska, which engages multiple disciplines, diverse ways of thinking, collaboration, problem solving, and addressing the urgent issues facing the world. Mahler earned a Bachelor's Degree from The University of Iowa and then a Master's Degree from Michigan State University. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Nebraska Chapter of the Grant Professionals Association and the Board for The New Territory Magazine. He lives in Nebraska with his wife and children.

Native-American spiritual and cultural consultant Renee Sans Souci talks about being a lost and confused child living between indigenous and white American culture and her awakening to a Native spiritual tradition and wisdom. Sans Souci also talks about the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women movement and her own traumatic encounters.With a degree in education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and being an Umonhon woman, Renee Sans Souci is a Cultural Consultant, Lecturer, and Curriculum Developer, and has since 2009 been a Teaching Artist with the Lied Center for Performing Arts. She has been invited to speak on topics such as Water and Environmental Science, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women advocacy, Native Science, History of Indian Education, and Native languages, Poetry, and Sustainability. Sans Souci was featured in the PBS American Masters Series, UNLADYLIKE 2020: Susan LaFlesche Picotte: The First American Indian Doctor. She is also a Co-Leader for the Niskithe Prayer Camp and is a recipient of the UNL Institute of Ethnic Studies 2023 Leo Yankton Award for Indigenous Justice.

Musician, author, and Jungian Depth Coach Orenda Fink talks about her forthcoming memoir The Witch's Daughter: My Mother, Her Magic, and the Madness that Bound Us, which recounts life dominated by an abusive, mentally ill mother; seeking to make sense of magic and faith; and Fink's escape through music and into Jungian therapy and her Last Eden in the Mojave Desert, from where she joined me remotely for this conversation. Fink will also read excerpts from this memoir of suffering, survival, and self-determination.Orenda Fink is an acclaimed musician, songwriter, performer, and writer getting her start in Birmingham, Alabama, with the pop rock group Little Red Rocket and later, in 2000, with the lauded ethereal folk duo Azure Ray, formed with longtime friend Maria Taylor in Athens, Georgia. Fink has collaborated with, among others, Moby, Bright Eyes, Sparklehorse, and the Faint, and their music has featured regularly in film and television programs. Fink's memoir “The Witch's Daughter: My Mother, Her Magic, and the Madness that Bound Us” is published by Simon and Schuster and is out in August. The experiences described in this book prompted Fink to become a certified Jungian Depth Coach with a specialization in shadow work and dream interpretation.

Angela Cooper, an organization culture consultant and founder of Mindpower Strategic, talks about her passion for and the pressures of being a business leader responsible for thousands of employees and the physical and mental toll of the burn out she experienced. Cooper also talks candidly about the lived experiences and the evolution of beliefs from faith to humanism that have shaped her work and her life.As the Founder and Principal Consultant of Mindpower Strategic, Angela Cooper helps organizations shape their cultures. Cooper has over 20 years of experience evolving business environments in ways that help everyone thrive. As the inaugural Chief Diversity Officer at Mutual of Omaha, a Fortune 300 insurance company, for over five years she led the organization's award-winning diversity, equity and inclusion and culture-shaping programs. Cooper herself has been recognized with numerous accolades for her DEI leadership. Cooper now works as a DEI strategist, change architect, and thought partner having founded her own independent consultancy in June 2022.

Media producer Paul B. Allen IV talks about the multi-generational cultural legacy of his family in north Omaha and beyond, his own international journeys exploring media and culture, and the focus of his media entity 1st Sky Omaha on news dissemination, community outreach, and citizen journalism.Being the same age as hip hop, Paul B. Allen IV was raised in Southern California in a life of music, recording studios, showcase venues, visual art, filmmaking and radio. He moved to Hawaii in his 20's where he deejayed, built musical acts, helped start a hip-hop radio station and music festivals, ran a record store and a print shop, and worked as a promoter and musician booking shows around the islands for numerous acts. From there, Allen moved to Europe in 2009 to work in film and deejaying. After coming to Omaha, where Allen's family has a long cultural heritage, he became Program Director of Mind and Soul Radio 101.3FM, a community radio station out of the Malcolm X Memorial Foundation, which evolved into Allen's 1st Sky Omaha, where the focus is now on news dissemination, community outreach, and citizen journalism training. In 2018 he started consulting on the creation of the Benson Theatre later becoming its Director of Communication. Today, Allen is focusing on his company, 1st Sky Omaha, building alternative news for East Omaha and traveling around the country to work on projects related to media, including documentary films, digital radio and video channels, and music projects.

Librarian Amy Mather talks about how libraries reflect and respond to their communities and her own passion for all things library. Mather also shares how creativity offers shape and satisfaction to her life and to the creative capital of the world around her.Amy Mather is the Partnerships Manager at Omaha Public Library and believes in connecting the community through information, storytelling, and relationships. In 2010, Mather won the Library Journal's Movers & Shakers award for her outreach efforts to young professionals. As well as her library vocation, she hosted her own podcast “Whatever Mathers” for four years and worked as an adjunct instructor teaching human relation skills at Omaha's community college. Mather completed her bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of New Mexico, and completed her master's degree in library and information science from Louisiana State University. Though she grew up in West Virginia and has lived in New Mexico, Louisiana, and Washington D.C., she considers Omaha home. In her free time, Amy is reading, practicing yoga, walking, traveling, bird watching, and, "art-ing."

Drew Davies, the founder of Oxide, a civic-minded brand and design consultancy, talks about the practical and creative side of his years as a designer and a business founder, his work on election and civic engagement materials, and his recent co-authorship of Creative Genius: The Art of the Nebraska Capitol, a book about the Nebraska Capitol's art.Davies established Oxide in 2001. He is a national president emeritus of AIGA, the professional association for design, and is the only Nebraskan to have served as a judge for the prestigious design competition, Communication Arts Design Annual. As part of his civic work, Davies contributed to the national ballot design standards for the U.S. Election Assistance Commission and collaborated with the Federal Voting Assistance Program to enhance the registration and voting process for U.S. citizens abroad. In partnership with the Center for Civic Design, Davies designed the Field Guides to Ensuring Voter Intent, which were featured in the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum. He also testified before President Obama's Presidential Commission on Election Administration. Davies recently designed and co-authored “Creative Genius: The Art of the Nebraska Capitol,” a coffee table book showcasing 100 years of art contained within the State's grandest building, revealing the themes driving the art, and chronicling the stories behind the artists and their creations.

The Reverend Heidi McGinness talks about her journey from the rubble of post-World War II Germany, to a life in faithful service to the poor, the persecuted, the oppressed, and the enslaved, including her work with the South Sudanese Underground Railroad in retrieving citizens from the North and returning them to the South.Reverend McGinness has, with unflinching zeal and hope, dedicated her life, alongside others of all faiths and of other ethical traditions, in advocating for and helping the poor, the persecuted, the oppressed, and the enslaved. Reverend McGinness's service has been recognized with several awards. She has worked with numerous humanitarian and anti-genocide organizations, including Christian Solidarity International, a Swiss human rights organization, in delivering humanitarian aid to Sudan in times of war and peace. From 2004 to 2018, Reverend McGinness assisted the South Sudanese Underground Railroad in retrieving citizens from the North and returning them to the South. Since her third retirement in 2018, Reverend McGinness continues to visit East Africa and work with refugees. Living in Omaha, she also supports Nebraskans in need, including assisting in the work of those combatting human trafficking in Nebraska and further afield.

“Strength rock” musician and lawyer Stephen Pedersen shares the evolution of his musical life, with the bands Cursive, Criteria, and many others, and we'll hear a few of Criteria's songs to illustrate his musical style and ethos. Pedersen also talks about his career as an attorney and balancing his two life vocations of law and music.Stephen J. Pedersen is the Chief Legal Officer of Medical Solutions, the second largest clinician staffing company in the United States. Pedersen is also the lead singer, guitarist and songwriter for the rock band Criteria. Pedersen is a 5th Generation Nebraskan and 5th generation attorney, but has carved out a non-traditional path in the world of law and business; all while writing, recording, releasing and touring throughout North America, the UK and Europe in support of his music. Pedersen has for more than 20 years balanced his passion for his professional work with a continuing love of music making. He is a graduate of Creighton University with a juris doctorate from Duke University's School of law.

Author, indigenous leader, and business professor Taylor Keen discusses his new book “Rediscovering Turtle Island: A First Peoples' Account of the Sacred Geography of America” which presents an indigenous lens on history and creation myths. Keen also discusses his own “living red” transformation and evolution of purpose.A Cherokee Nation citizen, Keen carries the name “Bison Mane” of the Earthen Bison Clan of the Omaha Tribe, The People Who Move Against the Current. Keen is the Founder of Sacred Seed – a nonprofit that educates and celebrates Indigenous culture and history. Keen also is a Senior Lecturer in the Heider College of Business Administration in Strategy and Entrepreneurship at Creighton University. A graduate of Dartmouth College, Keen went on to earn a Master of Business Administration and Master of Public Administration from Harvard University, where he served as a Fellow in the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development.

Author Uche Okonkwo reads from and talks about her debut book “A Kind of Madness,” a collection of short stories set in Nigeria that explore the intricacies of human relationships and desires, our flawed thinking, religious and cultural norms, and the erosion of childhood innocence. Okonkwo also shares her own growth as an author and as a person.Uche Okonkwo is a writer whose stories have been published in A Public Space, One Story, the Kenyon Review, Ploughshares, The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2019, and Lagos Noir, among others. A former Bernard O'Keefe Scholar at Bread Loaf Writers' Conference and resident at Art Omi, she is a recipient of the George Bennett Fellowship at Phillips Exeter Academy, a Steinbeck Fellowship, and an Elizabeth George Foundation grant. Okonkwo grew up in Lagos, Nigeria, and is currently pursuing a creative writing PhD at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Her debut short story collection, A Kind of Madness, published by Tin House, is now available.

Alexander Cayetano, formerly a Benedictine monk and now the senior director of Leadership Development with the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, talks about living life at crossroads, influenced by Cayetano's Filipino heritage, the appeal of liturgy, coming to Nebraska, and their call to a community-minded monastic life. We talk also about Cayetano exiting the monastery to marry their same sex partner and enter a professional career.Cayetano serves as the Senior Director of Leadership Development at the Greater Omaha Chamber. A vocation to the monastic life brought them from their hometown, Virginia Beach, to rural Nebraska. A decade spent in a Benedictine monastery instilled deep values of hospitality, community, and service, which Cayetano now carries into their professional life. Their spiritual discernment journey continues as does their commitment to social justice endeavors. Cayetano serves on the boards of Astute Coffee, Tri-Faith Initiative, and Immigrant Legal Center – Refugee Empowerment Center. A graduate of Leadership Omaha Class 44, Cayetano and their spouse, Travis, live in Omaha.

Tim Burke, the retired President & Chief Executive Officer of Omaha Public Power District, talks about his journey into leadership and the values he modeled, especially in the realm of diversity, equity and inclusion and the importance of DEI to our community, our organizations, and to Burke personally. Burke also shares why a guitar was a feature of his CEO office!In 1997 Timothy Burke joined OPPD - the Omaha Public Power District - as a vice president, serving in various roles across the company, until becoming President and CEO in 2015, retiring from that position in 2021. In the summer of 2023, Burke served as President and CEO of the Omaha Chamber of Commerce. He is currently the President of the Offutt Community Development Corporation, focused on projects at Offutt Air Force Base. Burke holds a master's degree from Drake University and a bachelor's degree from Buena Vista University. He is married to Terri and they have three sons who are married, as well as seven grandchildren.

Ariel Panowicz, photographer and founder of Luli Creative House, talks about crafting her own photographic aesthetic, her inspirations, and her professional growth. Panowicz also talks about opening Luli Creative House, the magic she creates with her clients and for the community, and the joys of color and image.Ariel Panowicz has built her career on her love for uplifting others through her imagery and creative direction. Graduating from the Art Institute of Colorado with a BFA in Photography, she returned to her hometown, Omaha, to contribute to the growth of the creative community. As well as her professional photography business, in 2022, Panowicz opened Luli Creative House, a community forward creative studio and small event space where people can come together and be celebrated just as they are. Panowicz's work has been published in People Magazine, Huffington Post, the New York Times, the Associated Press, the BBC, Reuters, The Today Show, and many more.

A listen back to a show from 2017 on the theme of Quiet. My guests in that two-part conversation were Orenda Fink, a musician, writer, and Jungian Depth Coach, and the Benedictine monk, Brother James Dowd. In the second part of the show we'll hear from Orenda Fink on her music and career, dream analysis, and how a health condition requiring the quiet of complete voice rest impacted her sense of self. First, we'll hear from Brother James Dowd on his path from New York theater to Nebraska monastery, contemplative life, and embracing silence.Brother James Dowd of the Order of the Holy Cross is the founding Prior of the Incarnation Monastery and the Community of The Benedictine Way, which was founded in 2018 in north Omaha. It is the first Benedictine monastery in the history of the Episcopal Diocese of Nebraska. At the time of our 2017 conversation, Brother James had recently joined the staff of the Diocese for a two-year position as “Monk in Residence.” His ministry focused on enriching the community's prayer and spiritual life, and discovering and building better ways to befriend the poor in our communities. Prior to entering the monastery, Brother James lived in his home town of New York City, where for 20 years he worked as a director of more than 100 theater productions and numerous live events for television.Orenda Fink is a well known musician, performer, and songwriter. She has been writing, recording, and touring for critically acclaimed records since 1997. Fink got her start in Birmingham, Alabama, with the pop rock group Little Red Rocket. In 2000, she formed the ethereal folk duo Azure Ray with longtime friend Maria Taylor. Their music has regularly featured in film and television programs and Fink has collaborated widely on numerous other music projects. Currently residing in California's Mojave desert, Fink is a certified Jungian Depth Coach with a specialization in shadow work and dream interpretation. Later this year I'll be in conversation with Fink about her new memoir, “The Witch's Daughter: My Mother, Her Magic, and the Madness that Bound Us” which will be available in August. At the time of our 2017 show on the theme of Quiet, Fink reflected back on her musical origins, self-reflection brought about by emergency surgery to correct a misdiagnosed heart defect, and the implications for her sense of self in the world when she was required to take an extensive period of complete voice rest.

Laura Roccaforte, an organizational development consultant and leadership coach, talks about her many decades working globally to develop individuals and leadership teams and her passion for helping people create environments that are authentic, supportive and inclusive. We also talk about the recent death of her husband from the neurodegenerative disease ALS, what she experienced, and what comes next.Laura Roccaforte has for decades worked globally with individuals and leadership teams who want to develop and grow. Originally from Sacramento, California, Roccaforte has lived in Nebraska for over 30 years with her late husband, Rich, and holds a BA in Organizational Communication from California State University, an M.Ed from the University Nebraska Lincoln, and is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources.

Conservation biologist and science writer Conor Gearin talks about the science and the wonders of the natural world, especially how birds may connect us with the joy of nature, and how we humans may live sustainably with the wildlife around us. Gearin also talks about uniting his passion for writing with the science of the natural world as a way for us to see more completely and more strangely.Conor Gearin is a writer from St. Louis living in Omaha. He's the Managing Producer of BirdNote, a daily radio program and podcast. Gearin's work has appeared in The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2019, The Atlantic, UnDark, The Millions, The New Territory, New Scientist, and elsewhere. He received an S.M. in Science Writing at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an M.S. in Biology at the University of Nebraska Omaha, where he completed thesis research on grassland bird conservation. Gearin is a member of the Audubon Society of Omaha's board of directors.

Poet Carolina Hotchandani talks about themes of identity, belonging, and loss in her debut poetry collection, The Book Eaters, as she explores her own lived experiences as a new mother, a daughter whose father is in cognitive decline, and a woman of mixed global heritage as well as the power of language to make and unmake us. Hotchandani also reads some of her poems.Carolina Hotchandani is the author of The Book Eaters, 2023 Perugia Press Prize Winner, which was one of the ten debut poetry books featured in Poets & Writers Magazine's 2024 debut poets issue. Hotchandani's poetry has appeared in The Atlantic, AGNI, Missouri Review, Prairie Schooner, and various other journals. She is a Goodrich Assistant Professor of English at the University of Nebraska Omaha, Nebraska, where she lives with her husband and daughter.

Autumn Pruitt is the founder of Hardy Coffee Co. We talk about the vision Pruitt has for Hardy Coffee as a source of rhythm and ritual in people's lives. She shares her entrepreneurial journey, the lessons and experiences encountered on the way, and how, like the business, she has grown to meet that aspiration.Autumn Pruitt and her husband moved back to Omaha and started a small bakery in 2010. Soon after subleasing a kitchen and tiny storefront from Aromas Coffeehouse they purchased that coffee shop. In 2015, they began roasting their own coffee under the brand Hardy Coffee Co. and later brought every piece and location of the business under the unified name of Hardy – Autumn Pruitt's maiden name. Since its first shop, Hardy Coffee has opened three additional locations and grown to nearly 70 employees today, with an ethos of striving to create connection in the community.

In conversation with actor, writer, and secular chaplain, Elizabeth Morton. With Mass as her earliest performative expression, Morton talk about her twin vocations of acting and chaplaincy, and their similar characteristics, such as curiosity, deep listening, and personal surrender. Morton shares what people are seeking from her ministry and spiritual direction, and how her non-dogmatic chaplaincy supports others in their spiritual seeking.Raised in Louisville, Kentucky, Morton is an actor and writer living in New York. She's a graduate of the University of Evansville's celebrated theatre department and a member of the Actors Center. Morton is also fascinated by the spiritual dimensions of life and has pursued a vocation in ministry and spiritual direction, accompanying people on the life journey as a self-titled secular chaplain.

Writer, air force veteran, and stroke survivor, Tamsen Butler talks about her life-threatening stroke in 2015, about her life before and her life after it, and the lessons she has learned about herself, authenticity, and how she chooses to show up in the world.Born and raised in Southern California, Butler has lived in the Omaha area for two decades. An award-winning author and Air Force veteran, she's the Senior Marketing Copywriter for a large financial services firm and a frequent contributor to Omaha Magazine. She also teaches yoga and indoor cycle classes at various gyms in the Omaha area. A major stroke in 2015 left Butler with a host of physical and cognitive deficits. As a result, she learned a hard-earned lesson about what makes a person "authentic," and shared her thoughts about authenticity on the TEDx Omaha stage in 2023.

Architect and designer Tom Trenolone talks about design, our built environments, and beauty, including the beauty Trenolone creates and finds in and around Omaha. Trenolone also talks about founding design alliance Omaha aimed at elevating design awareness and appreciation.Tom Trenolone is an architect and design advocate with the international architecture and engineering firm of HDR, where he currently serves as a Design Director and Senior Vice President, currently based in Omaha, NE. Trenolone has led teams working on architectural designs across the world, including the U2 Landmark Tower Competition in Dublin Ireland, the Hinoki-cho Performing Arts Center in Tokyo, Japan, and the USCE Center in Belgrade, Serbia. He is not only the recipient of numerous accolades and awards, but has been a juror on many awards competitions. Trenolone was named the 2019 HDR Fellow for his research proposal entitled “Saving main street U.S.A.” an investigation into the critical access hospital as urban anchor in rural communities. Trenolone's public advocacy for design has included founding design alliance OMAha, a non-profit focused on greater design awareness in Nebraska and western Iowa.

Writer and performer Zedeka Poindexter shares her passion for community and stories, and talks about her poems, essays, and performances that draw on complexities of race, class, struggle, and joy. Poindexter shares how that creative expression now is, in the form of a choreopoem, unearthing the lived experience of healthcare disparities encountered by black women. She also reads a couple of poems for us.Zedeka Poindexter is a North Omaha-born writer and performer and is co-executive director with Gina Tranisi of Nebraska Writers Collective. Poindexter's body of poems and essays draws on all five physical senses to connect with readers and listeners. By sharing stories of people in her community, she creates a relationship with her audience and guides them through the world as she sees and experiences it. Poindexter has earned numerous awards and accolades including the Best Performance Poet award from Omaha Entertainment & Arts; a Public Impact Grant from Amplify Arts, being awarded The Union for Contemporary Arts Inside/Outside Fellowship Prize; and being recognized as a Nebraska Arts Council: Artists In Schools Recipient.