The Iowa Podcast
You probably heard about it from a friend getting your morning coffee at Brewhemia or Daisy Chain. Or perhaps you saw your favorite Iowan post about it? Maybe you searched the net for something that interested you. So, what is The Iowa Podcast? It's Real Iowans, talking about real events and stuff within the state worth paying attention to. It seems like even objective news today is pushing some kind of agenda. You won't find that garbage here! We certainly won't shy away from real issues, and we certainly won't stay away from difficult questions, but on The Iowa Podcast we will never take our guests out of context or edit their comments in any way (unless we both agree of course—sometimes people say dumb stuff or cough in the microphone!)
Episodes
Connie Boesen is running for Mayor of Iowa's capital city and largest city by population, Des Moines. Why? Because she wants Des Moines open for business.
Boesen formerly served on the Des Moines Public School board and currently serves on the Des Moines city council. Iowa State Fair goers may know her as the apple lady behind Applishus. She explains her desire is to focus on economic development in both downtown and surrounding n...
The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and subsequent takeover by Federal regulators sparked concern in the banking industry causing the DOW to lose 500 points early Wednesday. Jim Plagge, the CEO of Bank Iowa explains what happened, why it happened, and what impact this will have on Iowans.
Plagge explains why record deposits in 2021 meant banks across the country were flush with cash. Why SVB and other banks invested that cas...
Scott Marler, Director of the Iowa DOT explains how Iowa is prepared for train derailments, how common this kind of incident is, and why construction zones block off lanes for "no f***ing reason" to quote an Iowa DOT Construction sign that was manipulated by an unknown motorist.
Marler also discusses the federal infrastructure package as it relates to Iowa, the safety of Iowa's bridges, why higher EV registration is actually a was...
In under 2 years, Blk & Bold Specialty Beverages co-founder Pernell Cezar already achieved national distribution in Target. As Iowa-based Blk & Bold turns 5 this year, we wanted to air this previously recorded interview to celebrate!
Cezar explains what "specialty coffee" is and how it differs. It turns out, specialty coffee is a “fact-based” term, meaning it’s not marketing fluff. Like wine, it has a fact-based point system.
Cezar...
When thinking of Iowa Art, most people think of American Gothic and that's where the conversation ends. But Jeff Fleming, of The Des Moines Art Center, explains why Iowa is art savvy, and why smart business leaders and civic leaders use art as a secret weapon to grow local economies and development.
The Des Moines Art Center is 75 years old and therefore they're celebrating 75 years of Iowa art. (Actually, more like 100 years.) Th...
40,000 people have been confirmed dead at this point and Dave Wilson, who has lived in Turkey for 30 years, says there's no way the true devastation can be communicated. The destruction in the Southeast corner of the country has led to 400 orphans thus far and in many cases, entire families were lost in an instant. A neighborhood of a colleague had 9 out of 10 apartment buildings completely leveled. Each building had about 70 occup...
How many startups do you think are launching in Iowa? Would you have guessed Kaylee Williams, Investment Director of the InnoVenture Iowa Fund has spoken to 60 in the last 3 months? And that represents a tiny percentage! What on earth is going on? She breaks it all down.
Williams explains why startups are drawn to Iowa from bigger cities like LA, and why Iowa is seeing major startup growth. She explores the state of AI and ChatGPT...
Emily Steele is the founder of Hummingbirds based in Iowa. She shares tactical ideas and strategies your small business can utilize to grow your following, and grow your business today.
Hummingbirds just raised one million dollars to expand a unique model of digital marketing. Her...
Kim Reynolds has signed a new school choice bill into law but what does it actually mean? Democrat Senator Nate Boulton and Republican Senator Brad Zaun explain what the new school choice bill means for Iowans. They have disagreements on this bill, of course, but they have a shared vision of helping children.
There are quite a few myths about the bill they debunk, and there are some areas of agreement too. Can a private school educ...
News broke today of a targeted shooting at Starts Right Here, an organization that helps kids that have challenging backgrounds. Two children have died and Will Keeps was injured in the shooting. As of writing this, he is in surgery. He was on another show of mine a few years back and I wanted to air this interview on The Iowa Podcast.
Will is an incredible person and has gone through some incredible adversity. His heart for our k...
Megan McKay, the founder, and CEO of Peace Tree Brewery started the company to help the town of Knoxville. Today the company is one of the largest breweries in Iowa, and today they announce a brand new beer with a fun Iowa theme.
McKay also discussed the bizarre nature of Iowa beer and liquor laws. Most Iowa beer and booze snobs are well aware of the drastic price decrease when you cross the Minnesota border, but most aren't famil...
Manufacturers are simplifying supply chains and bringing manufacturing to the USA. Leisa Fox has founded MakeDSM to ensure Iowa capitalizes on this big opportunity.
Apple made huge news by announcing their drawdown of manufacturing in China, but their move is only the most visible sign of a global manufacturing trend ongoing for years.
In this interview, we dig into what increased manufacturing means for Iowa, why we're strategica...
Due to rapidly changing cannabis laws in Iowa, it can be difficult to keep up with the state of medical marijuana in Iowa. Lucas Nelson, Group President of Bud & Mary's, an Iowa-based cannabis company, explains everything you need to know and how to get your own medical marijuana card.
Many aren't aware the previous THC cap on medical products was removed in 2020. This means physicians can determine ...
It seems like we read about bizarre uses for Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) every day, but what practical uses do we see in the field? Also, will A.I. on the farm help or replace the farmer entirely? Colin Hurd, CEO of Mach, is creating AI technology already making its way into Iowa farms and explains the future of farming.
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The town has less than 1000 people but has heavily invested in infrastructure that is already starting to attract remote and tech workers. Stanton, Iowa completed a robust fiber optic network to every home back in 2017 and now that remote work has global adoption, families are moving in says Kevin Cabbage, CEO of Farmers Mutual Telephone Company (FMTC). He also discusses their huge 3D Printer that prints livable homes and their new...
Iowa's largest airport, the Des Moines International Airport (DSM) has been hinting at changes for years, but those changes are finally taking effect. Kevin Foley, Executive Director explains what those changes are, outlines updated plans, and finally puts to rest jokes about the airport's name. He also tells why his wife was flagged by security for something in her bag!
DSM used to be mildly irritating. Iowans would drive to Omah...
After 50 years, the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee has recommended Iowa lose its first-in-the-nation status. But not only that, Iowa won't be in the first 5 early states at all. Laura Belin, Editor and Publisher of Bleeding Heartland, Iowa's progressive news source, explains the reasons for this historic and tragic shift.
Belin says a few factors may be at play in this decision. President Joe Biden didn't do well in Iowa. He finish...
It made statewide news, and politicians, including former Congresswoman Cindy Axne, echoed the story: Iowa workers lose about $900 million annually to overtime payment violations, minimum wage law violations, and other forms. That's a big number, but how accurate is it? Sean Finn the policy analyst with Common Good Iowa who was initially cited in the Des Moines Register report, sat down for a deep dive interview and explained what ...
You see them holding cardboard signs on your commute to work, but have you ever wondered how Iowa's homeless population ended up there? There are many opinions on the matter ranging from "they deserve it" to "anyone can be homeless," but neither of these beliefs are entirely accurate. In fact, the issue is a bit more complex than most people realize. Tony Timm is the Chief Executive Officer of The Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Iowa...
A University should change with the job market and set the students up for success with life's ebbs and flows. That is precisely the challenge Dr. Rachelle Keck see. Keck made history by becoming the first female president of Grand View University. Facing declining enrollment numbers nationally and cut budgets, she opens up about how to address new challenges and how the University has evolved.
She also discusses the silver lining...
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