The Iowa Idea Podcast

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 […]