Iowa Tech Podcast
Welcome to the Iowa Tech Podcast, your gateway to the vibrant world of technology and innovation right here in Iowa. Each week, we dive into the dynamic landscape of Iowa's tech industry, showcasing the brilliant minds, groundbreaking startups, and transformative ideas that are shaping the future. Join our host, Kaylee Williams, as we sit down with tech entrepreneurs, industry experts, and thought leaders who are driving change and pushing boundaries in fields ranging from artificial intelligence and cybersecurity to agtech and clean energy. Whether you're a seasoned professional, a budding innovator, or simply tech-curious, the Iowa Tech Podcast offers insider insights, inspiring stories, and practical advice to keep you at the forefront of the digital revolution. Tune in to explore how Iowa is making waves on the global tech stage and discover how you can be a part of this exciting journey.
Episodes
Join host Kaylee Williams as she sits down with Amy Lindberg and Bo Schatzberg, co-founders of TechFuse Des Moines, to explore the evolution of Iowa's premier technology conference.
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What started as two separate events, Agile Iowa (2014) and DevOps Days Des Moines (2018), ...
Sam Andrus, CEO of GTI Consulting, shares his journey from northern Minnesota to becoming one of the state's most trusted business consultants.
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🐖 Get a free $30 gift card from Jethro's BBQ: https://iowapodcast.com/jethrosbbq
Growing up in an entrepreneurial household where his father ran painti...
In this episode of the Iowa Tech Podcast, host Kaylee Williams sits down with Natalie Merrill, COO and CFO of Bound, to discuss the company's explosive growth trajectory. Bound, a scheduling and ticketing platform for high school athletics, has nearly tripled its school adoption in the past year—jumping from 600 schools to nearly 1,200—and is preparing to launch its Series A funding round.
In this episode, Kaylee sits down with Jeff Caldwell, Vice President of Strategy and Content at Stratovation Group, to explore what separates winning go-to-market strategies from failing ones in agriculture.
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Jeff breaks down the difference between a "shot...
In this episode of the Iowa Tech Podcast, we dive into what's new and exciting at EntreFest, Iowa's premier entrepreneurship conference. Hosted in Iowa City's vibrant pedestrian mall, EntreFest is celebrating its 14th year with an expanded lineup of 70+ speakers across 33 sessions and 3 keynote programs.
💡 Find this show on your favorite player: https://iowapodcast.com/jan-findlayson
⚖️ Hurt at...
Ever had a great business idea but didn't know how to fund it? In this episode, host Kaylee Williams sits down with Ryan Lincoln, the District Director for the Small Business Administration here in Iowa, to decode the SBA's most popular loan programs—the 7(a) and 504—and why so many entrepreneurs don't even know they exist.
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📱...
In this inspiring conversation, host Kaylee Williams sits down with serial entrepreneur Matt Ostanik to explore his 20-year journey through the startup ecosystem.
💡 Find this show on your favorite player: https://iowapodcast.com/Matt-Ostanik
🐖 Get a free $30 gift card from Jethro's BBQ: https://iowapodcast.com/jethrosbbq
Matt shares his origin story - from architecture school in Iowa t...
In this episode, host Kaylee Williams sits down with Joey Beech, aka the Financial Lit Lady, an author, speaker, and one of the driving forces behind Ankeny Angels.
💡 Find this show on your favorite player: https://iowapodcast.com/Joey-beech
🐖 Get a free $30 gift card from Jethro's BBQ: https://iowapodcast.com/jethrosbbq
Joey shares her journey from teaching financial literacy at local h...
Nick Leeper has spent the last two decades building meaningful products in Iowa's tech ecosystem—from the Obama campaign's fundraising systems to Dwolla's real-time payment infrastructure to Hummingbirds' creator platform. In this episode, host Kaylee Williams sits down with Nick to explore how a kid from Mitchellville ended up in rooms with the Federal Reserve, the Gates Foundation, and some of the brightest min...
In this episode of the Iowa Tech Podcast, host Kaylee sits down with co-organizers Safiya Lee-Evans and Tej Dhawan to introduce Iowa's first-ever Startup Week — a multi-day event celebrating and platforming entrepreneurs from across the state and the broader Midwest.
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🐖 Get a free $30 gift card from Jethro's BBQ: iowapodcast.com/jethrosbbq
Des Moines-based technologist and builder, Derek Brooks has a career that spans Fortune 100 roles, scrappy startups, and high-stakes political tech for the Obama campaign. Broox, as his friends know him, traces his path from growing up in eastern Iowa and discovering software at Cornell College to early work at Pioneer (now Corteva), a pivotal stint at Red 5 Interactive, and becoming a remote engineer before it was cool.
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Host Kaylee welcomes Anastasia Williams, the entrepreneurial community navigator at Iowa's West Coast Initiative, for a candid look at building a rural startup ecosystem across Monona, Plymouth, and Woodbury counties. Anastasia describes her "concierge" role connecting founders to resources, and how she's catalyzing a grassroots, founder-led community that now meets weekly to share roadblocks, surface values, and co-de...
On this episode of the Iowa Tech Podcast, host Kaylee welcomes Kelly Prickett, Regional SBDC Director and Director of Economic Development and Entrepreneurship at Indian Hills Community College. Kelly shares her winding path through tourism, Main Street, and higher ed, and how her blended role lets her build rural entrepreneurial ecosystems across 10 southeast Iowa counties. She explains how SBDCs provide no-cost, one-on-one counse...
Host Kaylee Williams sits down with Jacki Boldt, executive director of Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses in Iowa, to unpack how the free, 12‑week hybrid program helps established small businesses scale. Jacki shares her path from business education to leading the statewide initiative, which focuses on growth through new markets, products, or services—n...
In this episode of the Iowa Tech Podcast, host Kaylee welcomes Julie Pearce, co-chair of the 12th Global Insurance Symposium, to preview this year's event happening April 14–15 at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines. With the theme "Insurance in an Era of Possibilities," Julie shares how the program is designed by industry executives for industry professi...
On this episode of the Iowa Tech Podcast, host Kaylee sits down with Dr. Balaji Narasimhan, CEO and founder of ImmunoNanoMed, to explore a moonshot innovation: a dry-powder, needle-free vaccine platform called "powder wax" that's inhaled through the nose. Balaji explains how their particle-based technology could deliver stronger, faster mucosal immunity right wh...
On this episode of the Iowa Tech Podcast, host Kaylee sits down with Dr. Paula Kueter, professor at Morningside University and director of the Joan and Larry Arnold Entrepreneurship Center. Paula shares her journey across Iowa's private colleges and her mission to elevate entrepreneurship beyond the state's flagship institutions, spotlighting smart, creative students who often fly under the radar. She details how Morn...
On this episode of the Iowa Tech Podcast, host Kaylee sits down with Krista Martin, Partner at Novy, a healthcare-focused venture studio building software companies from the ground up. Krista shares her path from Iowa-born product leader to venture studio operator, influenced by her time in Indianapolis and exposure to High Alpha's model. She breaks down Novy's six-stage approach—ideation, validation, creation, and growth at ...
On this episode of the Iowa Tech Podcast, host Kaylee Williams welcomes back Dr. Tony Vanden Bush, CEO of Syntherna, for a candid look at how the biotech startup has navigated a shifting market. Since their last chat in August 2024, attitudes toward RNA vaccines have cooled and animal-health regulatory timelines have lengthened - two forces outside the company's control. Tony explains Syntherna's dual pivot: opening th...
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