This podcast is rooted in the concept of the Iowa Idea, which was originally conceived at The University of Iowa by Walter Jessup and Carl Seashore in the 1920s. The Iowa Idea originally brought together practicing artists and scholars for a new form of c
The Iowa Idea: Robert Hanserd “That's Why We Have Summer School.” On this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, I'm joined by Dr. Robert Hanserd. Robert is an Associate Professor of African and Atlantic History at Columbia College Chicago. West African culture and history and its circulation throughout the Atlantic World serves as his central […]
The Iowa Idea: Hannah Soyer “Listen to those living the experience.” On this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, I'm joined by Hannah Soyer. Hannah is a queer disabled writer born and living in the Midwest. Her work explores the representation of “Othered” bodies, and how the arts–in particular storytelling–can be beautiful acts of survival, […]
The Iowa Idea: Jen Rice “How do we create a more human future of work?” On this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, I'm joined by Jen Rice. Jen is the founder and CEO of Groundbreaking LLC, an integrated coaching and strategy firm that nurtures natural growth of impact-driven leaders, brands and businesses, or as […]
The Iowa Idea: Devin Green “Paint the world with good design.” On this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, I'm joined by Devin Green. Devin is a full stack designer working in the space of brand design, digital design, and development. We talk about Devin's journey from growing up in Detroit and Pontiac, Michigan to […]
The Iowa Idea: Angela Maiers “You Matter!” On this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, I'm joined by Angela Maiers. Angela founded the global movement, Choose2Matter in 2014, with a singular mission to help individuals recognize their value and potential contribution to change both their own lives and the world. The non-profit organization grew out […]
The Iowa Idea: Abena Sankofa Imhotep “Embrace books.” On this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, I'm joined by Abena Sankofa Imhotep. Abena is the director of Sankofa Literary & Empowerment Group, which promotes works by black authors and is the principal consultant for Sankofa Strategies Consulting. An active advocate, Abena serves on several boards […]
The Iowa Idea: Bob Nastanovich “Lester P. Jenkins” On this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, I'm joined by Bob Nastanovich, a resident of Des Moines, IA. Bob is an American musician and member of the indie rock band Pavement, as well as a former member of Silver Jews. In addition to his career in […]
The Iowa Idea: Justin Topp “Every day I have to learn something new.” On this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, I'm joined by Justin Topp. Justin is an Iowa native and alum of the University of Iowa, graduating with a degree in Biomedical Engineering from the College of Engineering in 2000. After a Ph.D. […]
The Iowa Idea: Jeff Simmermon “It was like river wearing down rock.” On this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, I'm joined by Jeff Simmermon. Jeff is a beautiful creative – a comedian and storyteller who hosts a fantastic podcast called “The Reluctant Phoenix.” His podcast is a series of conversations with a wide variety […]
The Iowa Idea: Matthew Gilbert “It knew it just required me to continue to learn.” Matthew Gilbert joins me on this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast. Matthew, a native of Waterloo, IA is a descended from generations of servant leaders. he is the founder and President of Iowa C.O.R.E. Inc., Economic Development Chair for […]
The Iowa Idea: Alyx Coble-Frakes “I had to stop being shy about it.” In this episode Iowa Idea Podcast, I'm joined by Alyx Coble-Frakes. Alyx is a Holistic Coach and the CEO and Co-Founder of The Agenda. App who specializes in period empowerment. After returning from the Peace Corps in 2015, she felt out of […]
The Iowa Idea: John Hagel “I've always been attracted to edges.” In this episode Iowa Idea Podcast, I'm joined by John Hagel. John is an author, strategist, management consultant and entrepreneur with more than 40 years' experience. After retiring as a partner from Deloitte, he released his latest book, The Journey Beyond Fear, that addresses […]
The Iowa Idea: Alan Moore “We can reclaim our dignity.” In this episode Iowa Idea Podcast, I'm joined by Alan Moore. Alan is a designer and business innovator on a mission to help businesses discover their own unique beauty. Alan's most recent books, 2016's Do Design: Why beauty is key to everything and this year's […]
The Iowa Idea: Dave Hill “It's a sloppy look.” In this episode Iowa Idea Podcast, Dave Hill, from show business, returns to talk about his creative process and new work that's he's launched since our last conversation (May 2020). One of his latest projects is The Bunny Shop, named after Dave's mom, started by Korri […]
The Iowa Idea: Janna DeVylder & Steve Baty “There's no hero in solving complex challenges.” In this episode Iowa Idea Podcast, I'm joined by Janna DeVylder and Steve Baty of Meld Studios, an award-winning service design consultancy in Australia. Janna, who grew up in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and graduated from The University of Iowa, is […]
The Iowa Idea: Jessi Shakarian “Tell people what you're excited about.” In this episode Iowa Idea Podcast, I'm joined by Jessi Shakarian. Jessi is a developer turned UX designer at DIA Design Guild in Los Angeles, California. She is a UX industry writer and public speaker on usability, design, and chess. Her work has been […]
The Iowa Idea: Mohamed Traore “No losses, only lessons.” In this, the 100th episode of the Iowa Idea Podcast, I'm joined by Mohamed Traore. Mo works as a Sales Development Representative for Roboflow, Inc., a computer vision and artificial intelligence startup, based in Des Moines, Iowa. He also works as a freelance web developer, hosts a […]
The Iowa Idea: Kelly Leonard “Meaning is made in moments.” In this episode of the Iowa Idea Podcast, I'm joined by Kelly Leonard. Kelly is the Executive Director of Learning and Applied Improvisation at Second City Works. His book, “Yes, And: Lessons from The Second City” was released to critical acclaim in 2015 by HarperCollins. […]
The Iowa Idea: Preston So “Hiraeth” In this episode of the Iowa Idea Podcast, I'm joined by Preston So. Preston is a product architect and strategist, digital experience futurist, innovation lead, developer advocate, three-time SXSW speaker, and author of Voice Content and Usability (2021), Gatsby: The Definitive Guide (2021), and Decoupled Drupal in Practice (2018). A product leader at Oracle, Preston […]
The Iowa Idea: L.D. Kidd “100% Over Racism.” In this episode of the Iowa Idea Podcast, I'm joined by Lovar Davis Kidd. Lovar, known by L.D., is a poet, author, dance educator, musician, and fashion activist in Cedar Rapids, IA. He the CEO and Founder of 100% OVER RACISM. L.D. is no stranger to the […]
The Iowa Idea: Natalie Nixon “Wonder and Rigor.” In this episode of the Iowa Idea Podcast, I'm joined by Natalie Nixon, PhD. Natalie changes lives through ideas so that people build their creative confidence for years to come, make an impact, and get paid their worth. She is a creativity strategist, global keynote speaker and […]
The Iowa Idea: Jackie Pelland “You're just not that big of a deal.” In this episode of the Iowa Idea Podcast, I'm joined by Jackie Pelland. Jackie obsesses about leadership. She is a founding partner of the organizational design company, Slingshot25 where she designs and delivers leadership learning programs and provides executive leadership coaching. For […]
The Iowa Idea: Miguel Encarnação “Look for the patterns.” In this episode of the Iowa Idea, I'm joined by Miguel Encarnação. Miguel is an innovation thought leader and serial chief innovation officer with experience across industries, including banking, healthcare, international development, management consulting, and higher education. He currently serves as head of data visualization (SVP) […]
The Iowa Idea: John Morley “Accommodate the richness of different perspectives.” In this episode I'm joined by John Morley. John represents my third interview with Cork natives and reinforcing the strong connections between Cork and Iowa. This Cork troika, Stephen McDonnell, Paidi O'Reilly, and John are phenomenal conversations on collaboration and innovation. Since the late-90's […]
The Iowa Idea: Jason Narducy “Just Start Moving.” In this episode, I'm joined by Jason Narducy, who Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune describes as “a first-rate songwriter and band leader.” KEXP says “you won't see more indie rock cred than on the CV of Jason Narducy.” Hailing from Evanston, IL, Jason has recorded and […]
The Iowa Idea: Ed Hess “Inner peace… that's the human journey.” For the first episode of year two at The Iowa Idea Podcast, I'm joined by Ed Hess. Ed is Professor Emeritus of Business Administration in the Darden Graduate School of Business at the University of Virginia. His new book Hyper-Learning: How to Adapt to […]
The Iowa Idea: Paidi O'Reilly “We have to innovate the way we innovate.” In this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, I'm joined by Paidi O'Reilly. This is another show that draws on the connections between Iowa and Cork. Paidi is an innovation specialist, lecturer, and trainer focused on building innovation teams that pursue bolder […]
The Iowa Idea: Ed Morrison “There's no best practice, only promising practices.” In this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, I'm joined by Ed Morrison. Ed is director of the Agile Strategy Lab at the University of North Alabama. Ed started his career in Washington, DC, where he was legislative assistant to an Ohio congressman, staff […]
The Iowa Idea: Bill Schmarzo “Don't create boxes, create swirls.” In this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, I'm joined by Bill Schmarzo. Bill is an author, professor, innovator, and consultant. He is the author of four books including The Economics of Data, Analytics and Digital Transformation. Bill is the former Chief Innovation Officer at […]
The Iowa Idea: Jon Levy “You're Invited.” In this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, I'm joined by Jon Levy. Jon is a behavioral scientist best known for his work in influence, human connection, and decision making. More than a decade ago, Jon founded The Influencers Dinner, a secret dining experience for industry leaders ranging […]
The Iowa Idea: Nina Lohman “Worry less about the label.” In this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, I'm joined by Nina Lohman. Nina is a Writer, Editor, Publisher, and community builder. Her writing explores how the lived experience of chronic pain can be understood through medicine, theology, and philosophy. She is the Founder and […]
The Iowa Idea: Stephen McDonnell “Nothing cures fear faster than action.” In this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, I'm joined by Stephen McDonnell from Cork, Ireland. Stephen is a leadership, performance, resilience & team development consultant, facilitator of transformation and cultural change professional who has been helping organizations across a broad range of industries […]
The Iowa Idea: Andrew Sherburne “It's all about trust and relationships.” In this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, I'm joined by Andrew Sherburne. Andrew is co-founder and Executive Director of FilmScene, Iowa City's nonprofit cinema and a producer/director at Northland Films. His most recent film, Saving Brinton, was named one of “the Best Movies of 2018” […]
The Iowa Idea: Ben McDougal “You don't need this book.” In this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, I'm joined by Ben McDougal. Ben is a tech founder, multimedia marketer, entrepreneurial ecosystem builder and inspired author in the connected era. He evolves ideas into reality and accelerates others through the art of connection. We dig […]
The Iowa Idea: Nate Kaeding “The importance of design.” In this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, I'm joined by Nate Kaeding. Nate is the Director of Business Development for Build to Suit, Inc. a construction management and real estate development firm based in Bettendorf and Coralville, Iowa. Nate is an active venture capital investor […]
The Iowa Idea: Varun “It happens all the time.” In this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, I'm joined by researcher, entrepreneur and author Varun Murugesan. Varun is cofounder and Head of Research at Apple & Banana where he believes that everyone can do fruitful research. Varun has spent his career immersed in psychology, technology and […]
The Iowa Idea: Scott Smith “How to Future” In this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, I'm joined by futurist and author Scott Smith. How to Future: Leading and Sense-making in an Age of Hyperchange, co-authored with Madeline Ashby, was published in September 2020. I was introduced to Scott's work by friend and podcast guest Nick […]
The Iowa Idea: Rachel Williams “There are people who work really hard at it.” In this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, I'm joined by Rachel Williams. Rachel is a native of Eastern North Carolina. She holds a Ph.D. in Art Education and an M.F.A. in Studio Art from Florida State University. She is an […]
The Iowa Idea: Abby Covert “Maybe we don't know.” In this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, I'm joined by Abby Covert. Abby is an information architect, writer, community organizer, and all-around awesome human. Abby served as President of IA Institute, co-chair of IA Summit, and Executive Producer of IDEA. She is a founding faculty […]
The Iowa Idea: Jim Sherlock In this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, I'm joined by Jim Sherlock. Jim is Director of Information Security & Technology Implementation at Pearson. Jim's teams are responsible for protecting more than 250 million sensitive records that are processed and maintained by Pearson's global Assessment platforms. Jim is one of the […]
The Iowa Idea: Saul Kaplan “You can't analyze your way to transformation!” Welcome to The Iowa Idea Podcast. In this episode, I'm joined by Saul Kaplan. Saul is an innovation junkie, the founder and Chief Catalyst of the Business Innovation Factory (also known as BIF) and author of The Business Model Innovation Factory: How to […]
The Iowa Idea: Dr. Kenneth G. Brown “An opportunity to get better together.” Welcome to the 75th episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, where I'm joined by Dr. Kenneth G. Brown. Ken is a Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship in the Tippie College of Business at The University of Iowa. He also serves as Associate […]
The Iowa Idea: Annie Duke “This is going to be such a weird podcast.” Welcome to this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, where I'm joined by Annie Duke. Annie is an author, speaker, and decision strategist. Her latest book is called How to Decide: Simple Tools for Making Better Choices. Annie's previous book, Thinking […]
The Iowa Idea: Dan Klyn “What has been will always be.” Welcome to this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast where I'm joined by Dan Klyn. Dan is a wonderful human. He teaches information architecture at the University of Michigan School of Information, is co-founder of World Information Architecture Day, past President of the Information […]
The Iowa Idea: Justin Ahrens “If somebody wrote a story about your life, would it be interesting?” Welcome to this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast where I'm joined by Justin Ahrens. Justin is the Chief Evangelist at Rule29 and the author of Life Kerning. Since 2000, Justin has led his creative agency and Certified […]
The Iowa Idea: Gregg Bernstein “Writing is the superpower for researchers.” Welcome to this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast where I'm joined by Gregg Bernstein. Gregg establishes user research practices for growing organizations, and wrote Research Practice: Perspectives from UX researchers in a changing field. He spends his days advocating for and practicing user-centered […]
The Iowa Idea: Dan Clay “Attend to the people side.” In this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, I sit down with Dan Clay. Dan is currently professor and dean of the University of Iowa College of Education. Prior to this, Dan served as the dean of the University of Missouri College of Education since […]
The Iowa Idea: Ophira Eisenberg “Go towards the people that are saying yes.” In this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, I sit down with Ophira Eisenberg. Ophira is a standup comedian, writer, and host of NPR's national syndicated comedy-trivia show and podcast Ask Me Another. She is a regular host and teller on The […]
The Iowa Idea: Tim Easton “Let's go set something on fire.” In this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, I sit down with Tim Easton. Tim is a singer/songwriter based out of Nashville. Raised in Akron, OH, Tim was influenced by a combination of pop icons (Beatles, Stones) and bluegrass/folk legends (Doc Watson, John Prine). […]
The Iowa Idea: Erin Rollenhagen “At our core everything we do is meant to solve human problems.” In this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, I sit down with Erin Rollenhagen. Erin is the CEO and founder of Entrepreneurial Technologies. In 2019, she released Soul Uprising: It's Never Just Business, a book that encourages entrepreneurs […]
The Iowa Idea: James Tutson “Trying to do something more beautiful.” In this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, I'm joined by James Tutson. James is a singer-songwriter from Iowa City. His style is a combination of southern soul and rhythm & blues. He has recorded four studio albums, two solo and two with his […]
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