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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 academic focus.

Robert and I discuss his journey from a sense of places and spaces and how his experience in Rockford, Des Moines, Chicago, and West Africa. We shared some fond memories for some of high school teachers, including the late, great K.D. Benson.

Robert’s journey to his PhD work and continued research interests include West African “Gold Coast”, cultures and histories, Afro-Atlantic inspirations to maroons’, free-blacks’ and slaves’ struggles for freedom and identity in the Caribbean and North America. We explore the history of the Maroon people. For fans of the podcast, you might remember our conversation with Howard Allen and the inspiration of the Maroon people for his business. Howard, Robert, and I all attended the same high school.

Robert discusses the research for his next book focused on 500 African narratives, which synthesizes 500 published accounts of African narratives of people that were enslaved and ended up in America.

We touch briefly on the role of humor in understanding and confronting and challenging a polished, whitewashed version of US history. We also talk about the importance of trust between researcher and participants when conducting qualitative research.

Robert’s most recent book is entitled Identity, Spirit and Freedom in the Atlantic World: The Gold Coast and the African Diaspora.

I appreciated Robert’s perspective on the importance finding one’s own voice when doing their research; the benefits of finding a good mentor; and the power of asking the right question. Robert highlights how there’s room for innovation in the way we understand and process history. It was an honor having Robert join me on the show. I hope you enjoy the episode.

About Robert

Robert Hanserd, Associate Professor of African and Atlantic History at Columbia College Chicago West African culture and history and its circulation throughout the Atlantic World (West Africa, America and Western Europe) is a central academic focus. Research interests include West African “Gold Coast” and Bight of Benin cosmologies, cultures and histories, Afro-Atlantic inspirations to maroons’, free-blacks’ and slaves’ struggles for freedom and identity in the Caribbean and North America, and a range of topics related to African, Caribbean and African-American history and life. Recent publications include Identity, Spirit and Freedom in the Atlantic World: The Gold Coast and the African Diaspora by Routledge Press in 2019 and two forthcoming editing projects in 2022: 500 Voices: Catalog of Published Narratives by Africans Enslaved in the Transatlantic Slave Trade, 1586-1936 currently under review for publication and African Indigenous Systems by Sub-Saharan Publishers forthcoming in 2022. Hanserd is a member of the African Studies Association, Ghana Studies Association, and presented his research on numerous panels and symposia. His other interests include inquiry of Africa diasporas from a range of interdisciplinary, historical, and cultural settings, study abroad programming, multi-media research and production, and public history.

Links

Robert’s Book: https://www.routledge.com/Identity-Spirit-and-Freedom-in-the-Atlantic-World-The-Gold-Coast-and/Hanserd/p/book/9781138104099

Credits

Episode produced by Spark Consulting Group (www.inspiredbyspark.com) in Iowa City, with support from Executive Podcast Solutions (https://www.executivepodcastsolutions.com/).

The Iowa Idea Podcast theme music written and performed by Paisley Bible (https://paisleybible.bandcamp.com/).

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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, resistance, and community building. She is the founder of This Body is Worthy, a project aimed at celebrating bodies outside of mainstream societal ideals, and Words of Reclamation, a space for disabled writers. Links to Hannah’s website and This Body is Worthy can be found in the show description.

Hannah and I discuss her journey and early interests in writing and advocacy. We explore topics of genre, genre-bending, and the importance of inclusivity and human-centered design.

Hannah was generous and patient with me as we dug into her approach to creativity and writing. I appreciated Hannah’s advice on creativity and how honor one’s creative needs. I loved her insight into the importance of “listening to those living the experience.” Too often our mental models and assumptions get in the way of recognizing the human and humanity in others. Famed systems dynamics researcher Jay Forrester said we all have mental models; and as George Box said, “all models are wrong, some are useful.” Our models are wrong in that they’re imperfect, but they can become better and more useful if we’re open to continuous learning.

It was an honor having Hannah join me on the show. I hope you enjoy the episode.

About Hannah

Hannah Soyer (she/her) 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, resistance, and community building. She is the founder of This Body is Worthy, a project aimed at celebrating bodies outside of mainstream societal ideals, and Words of Reclamation, a space for disabled writers. She also happens to be a cat and chocolate enthusiast.

Links

hannahsoyer.com

thisbodyisworthy.com

Credits

Episode produced by Spark Consulting Group (www.inspiredbyspark.com) in Iowa City, with support from Executive Podcast Solutions (https://www.executivepodcastsolutions.com/).

The Iowa Idea Podcast theme music written and performed by Paisley Bible (https://paisleybible.bandcamp.com/).

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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 Jen describes them “rebels with a cause.”

We talk about Jen’s journey from advertising and account planning, with a fascination for what makes humans tick; to management consulting with a focus of brand and customer experience; to burnout and her transformative approach to coaching. A reinventor herself, Jen left her consulting career for a 14-country journey across Europe in early 2019. She’s currently based in Egypt, where she’s building a network of groundbreaking coaches and strategists to support status-quo-busting founders worldwide.

We dig into Jen’s approach to aligning the walk with the talk. As Jen says, “there’s got to be a better way” when it comes to how we enable humans at work. Jen describes the power of coherence and how we create wholeness in organizations, and what Jen describes as the motivation DNA of the people within our organizations.

I appreciate Jen’s focus on “Start with Who” as a principle that transcends customer-centricity. It really comes down to the leaders and leadership teams and how they’re wired and how they want to feel. We also explore organizations as ecosystems, with emotions as the nutrients for the humans in that system and how we can better address the “me within the we” to positively activate the human layer of work and organizations. Within the ecosystem metaphor, Jen describes the power of a regenerative approach.

We mix it up on the power of brands, how we might reframe brands, and how organizations can fill the leaky bucket of their customer retention efforts.

It was an honor having Jen join me on the show. This episode was a deep investigation into the power of bringing one’s best self to their work and being intentional on how we show up. I hope you enjoy the episode.

About Jen

Jen Rice 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.

Jen’s work is informed by 30 years of experience in transformation strategy, human-motivation research and a lifelong curiosity about the human condition. Her “Start with Who” principle includes and transcends customer-centricity, helping founder CEOs break ground within themselves to be more effective groundbreakers in the world. She also supports Reinventors: senior leaders seeking to leave the corporate nest to create more freedom and impact as entrepreneurs.

A reinventor herself, Jen left her consulting career for a 14-country journey across Europe in early 2019. She’s currently based in Dahab, Egypt, where she’s building a network of groundbreaking coaches and strategists to support status-quo-busting founders worldwide.

Links

Website: www.begroundbreaking.co

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferrice415/

Credits

Episode produced by Spark Consulting Group (www.inspiredbyspark.com) in Iowa City, with support from Executive Podcast Solutions (https://www.executivepodcastsolutions.com/).

The Iowa Idea Podcast theme music written and performed by Paisley Bible (https://paisleybible.bandcamp.com/).

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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 moving to Iowa. Devin talks about his love of art combined with his early exploration and experimentation of Photoshop and Linux. With a nudge and inspiration from his uncle, Devin turned his love of design and art into a business.

We dig into Devin’s early influences and mix it up on how we think about art and design. Devin turns the table and asks me questions about art and design. I really appreciate Devin’s mission to “paint the world with good design.” A link to Devin’s site is included in the show description.

It was an honor having Devin on the show. I hope you enjoy the episode.

About Devin

So, I’ve been in the field of graphic and web design for over 12 years. I’ve had the honor to work for many clients around the world. My goal is always to help my clients achieve their goals and make the world a better place through branding, UI/UX, and beautiful design.

Design, to me, is more than just putting pictures together. Your website, logo and marketing materials need to be based on your principles, mission, and goals. When you hire me, I will pull inspiration from you, your client or customer base, and other existing visuals to create designs that work and communicate for you and your brand.

Branding is mandatory. I want to make sure you look good from the ground up. Regardless of how many new tricks and tools I learn to bring your brand to life, I still have my favorites like Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Webflow, Affinity Designer and Affinity Photo. Whether you need a full website overhaul for your OctoberCMS or WordPress site or full branding redesign, my toolbox is packed with solutions.

No matter what each job requires, I’m always up for new endeavors no matter how challenging.

Links

devingreen.me

Credits

Episode produced by Spark Consulting Group (www.inspiredbyspark.com) in Iowa City, with support from Executive Podcast Solutions (https://www.executivepodcastsolutions.com/).

The Iowa Idea Podcast theme music written and performed by Paisley Bible (https://paisleybible.bandcamp.com/).

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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 of the impassioned response to a TEDTalk she gave on the power of two simple words: YOU MATTER! An educator for 30 years, Angela has shared her message of mattering not only with students and teachers, but with businesses and organizations of all kinds. Her work with industries is finding new ways to ignite the genius of employees, successfully addressing a $15 trillion employee engagement problem.

We talk about Angela’s journey growing up in a Shell Rock, Iowa to going to med school at The University of Iowa, to pivoting to education to becoming an entrepreneur and change maker. It was her time in rural Iowa that shaped her “invisible small town rules” which can guide powerful community engagement. We discuss how acknowledging and attending to those in our community can have a positive, transformative impact.

I appreciated Angela’s perspective of “mattering as a call to action, as the kind of person we bring to the world everyday.” We discussed how common sense is not common practice, and so much more regarding the ways we might better engage in all phases of our lives.

It was an honor having Angela on the show. I hope you enjoy the episode and know that you matter.

About Angela

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 of the impassioned response to a TEDTalk she gave on the power of two simple words that went viral. YOU MATTER! An educator for 30 years, Angela has shared her message of Mattering not only with students and teachers, but with businesses large and small and organizations of all kinds. Her work has been shared in 78,000 classrooms across 100 countries that has rallied more than a million children.

Her work with industries is finding new ways to ignite the genius of employees, successfully addressing a $15 trillion employee engagement problem. Angela Maiers is considered one of today’s most influential thought leaders in education and transformative thinking.

She is the author of nine books, including the highly acclaimed Genius Matters and Classroom Habitudes. Futurist. Innovator. Educator. Entrepreneur. Change Maker. Angela Maiers is on a mission to disrupt the status quo and to empower every individual to change their own world, if not the world around them for the better.

Links

angelamaiers.com

choose2matter.org

Credits

Episode produced by Spark Consulting Group (www.inspiredbyspark.com) in Iowa City, with support from Executive Podcast Solutions (https://www.executivepodcastsolutions.com/).

The Iowa Idea Podcast theme music written and performed by Paisley Bible (https://paisleybible.bandcamp.com/).

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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 of directors. She’s a TEDx speaker, a published writer, a podcaster, and an undergrad at Drake University. Abena resides in central Iowa.

We talk about Abena’s journey growing up in Des Moines, her love of books, the power of community libraries, and how these things come together in her work in literary empowerment and providing greater awareness of Black authors. I appreciated Abena sharing her perspectives and insights and the spirit of the term Sankofa, and the positive potential we’re capable of as Iowans.

Please check out the links in the show description. I strongly encourage listeners to check out Abena’s Tedx Talk, “Iowa Nice Interrupted.” She uses the analogy of a bike lane to highlight the experience of Black Iowans. In our conversation, we also looked at RAGBRAI, the Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa, as a positive example of when Iowans are at their best – celebrating community, sharing the road, hosting strangers, etc.

It was an honor having Abena on the show. I hope you enjoy the episode.

About Abena

Abena Sankofa Imhotep 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 of directors. She’s a TEDx speaker, a published writer, a podcaster, and an undergrad at Drake University. Abena resides in central Iowa.

Links

TEDx Talk: Iowa Nice Interrupted

Website: www.abenasankofa.com

Facebook: Sankofa Literary & Empowerment Group

Podcast: Black & Privileged in America Podcast

Credits

Episode produced by Spark Consulting Group (www.inspiredbyspark.com) in Iowa City, with support from Executive Podcast Solutions (https://www.executivepodcastsolutions.com/).

The Iowa Idea Podcast theme music written and performed by Paisley Bible (https://paisleybible.bandcamp.com/).

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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 music, Bob is a thoroughbred enthusiast and works at Prairie Meadows racetrack in Altoona, IA.

We talk about Bob’s journey from growing up in Richmond, VA, driving buses in New York City, to touring with indie rock bands, to his work in horseracing, and running a record label. Bob also cohosts the podcast “3 Song Pod” with Mike Hogan. Bob shares how is interests in both music and horseracing were cultivated throughout his formative years Richmond.

I appreciated Bob sharing some fantastic stories and perspectives about his careers in music and horseracing, as well as his openness to my questions and playing along with as we nerded out about Vic Chestnutt. The title of this episode, Lester P. Jenkins, is in honor of Bob’s time as a bus driver in New York City.

Pavement will be touring Europe in 2022. As for Bob and I teaming up to write the next great arena sports anthem, we’ll have to wait and see.

It was an honor having Bob on the show. I hope you enjoy the episode.

About Bob

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Nastanovich

Links

Bob on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bnastanovich

The 3 Song Pod on Twitter: https://twitter.com/3songspod

The 3 Song Pod Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/3-songs-podcast/id1278507191?mt=2

Pavement – https://pavementband.com/

Vic Chestnutt “Little” because y’all should check it out – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_(album)

Credits

Episode produced by Spark Consulting Group (www.inspiredbyspark.com) in Iowa City, with support from Executive Podcast Solutions (https://www.executivepodcastsolutions.com/).

The Iowa Idea Podcast theme music written and performed by Paisley Bible (https://paisleybible.bandcamp.com/).

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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. in Biochemistry post-doctoral fellowship in Molecular Biology, he pursued a career in higher education at liberal arts colleges. Justin taught as an Assistant Professor at North Park University and Associate Professor at Gordon College prior to moving to Endicott College as a Professor of Biology and Bioengineering and Assistant Dean of STEM. While there he managed a team of 40+ faculty, oversaw 10+ undergraduate programs, led the creation of new programs in Engineering and Bioinformatics, and worked with a nearby incubator to develop its technology capabilities and promote startup success.  He returned to Iowa in 2019 and works at IDT DNA, while consulting with or serving on the scientific advisory board of biotech startups. Justin is a natural collaborator who has established multiple partnerships, including the Life Sciences Consortium of the North Shore, a novel affiliation of colleges, a research institute lab, a startup incubator lab, and government to promote regional economic and workforce development. Justin enjoys all things Iowa Hawkeyes and longs for the day when ALS can be called a curable disease instead of an underfunded one.  Justin asks you to visit the ALS Association (Iowa chapter) and ALS Therapy Development Institute websites if you feel the same (links are available in the episode description).

We dig into Justin’s journey from growing up in Pella, IA, spending his high school years in Rockford, IL and pursuing a degree in Biomedical Engineering and serving as a college professor and administrator; ultimately returning home to Iowa.

I appreciated Justin’s perspectives on problem solving and collaboration We mix it up on the importance of generalists and the power of a liberal arts education in the context of STEM, and how we might better cultivate curiosity.

It was an honor having Justin on the show. I hope you enjoy the episode.

About Justin

Justin Topp 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. in Biochemistry from UT Southwestern Medical Center (2005) and post-doctoral fellowship in Molecular Biology, he pursued a career in higher education at liberal arts colleges. Justin taught as an Assistant Professor at North Park University and Associate Professor at Gordon College prior to moving to Endicott College as a Professor of Biology and Bioengineering and Assistant Dean of STEM. While there he managed a team of 40+ faculty, oversaw 10+ undergraduate programs, led the creation of new programs in Engineering and Bioinformatics, and worked with a nearby incubator to develop its technology capabilities and promote startup success.

Justin is a natural collaborator who has established multiple partnerships, including the Life Sciences Consortium of the North Shore, a novel affiliation of colleges, a research institute lab, a startup incubator lab, and government to promote regional economic and workforce development. He has identified and raised over $6M through private and public mechanisms to fund educational programs, research projects, lab facilities, student scholarships, and entrepreneurial education.

A passion project/lifelong dream of Justin’s was to move back to the midwest and promote development of the startup ecosystem. He returned to Iowa in 2019 (Coralville) and works at IDT DNA, while consulting with or serving on the scientific advisory board of biotech startups. Justin is at his happiest when collaborating and is always looking for ways to connect local entrepreneurs to mentors, partners, and capital. Justin hopes to increase the venture capital available to midwest companies while also promoting the benefits of adopting an entrepreneurial mindset to increase the number and diversity of startups formed in the region. If you are like-minded, his DMs are open.

A father of three, Justin is very happily married to his wife Meta and a proud #girldad.  He is a voracious reader and proponent of Range, but that’s probably because he fails the MBTI test. He enjoys all things Iowa Hawkeyes and longs for the day when ALS can be called a curable disease instead of an underfunded one.  Please visit the ALS Association (Iowa chapter) and ALS Therapy Development Institute websites if you feel the same.

Links

Twitter: @JustinTopp
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-topp-7ba1a34/

Credits

Episode produced by Spark Consulting Group (www.inspiredbyspark.com) in Iowa City, with support from Executive Podcast Solutions (https://www.executivepodcastsolutions.com/).

The Iowa Idea Podcast theme music written and performed by Paisley Bible (https://paisleybible.bandcamp.com/).

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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 of people who have rebooted their lives whether or not they really wanted to in the first place. The Reluctant Phoenix is available anywhere quality podcasts are served… So, it might not be the same place you find this humble podcast.

We dig into Jeff’s journey from going to college for visual art, to working in the early days of digital design and social media, to comedy and storytelling. Jeff describes his early stage shows and what it was like working onstage making music with live chickens. We dig into what trauma, from testicular cancer to the loss of a parent, can do to focus one’s priorities.

I appreciated Jeff sharing the details regarding his collaboration with friend and producer Kara. We mix it up on the importance of food and the inspiration for his “Cooking is Coping” newsletter. I relished Jeff’s perspective on the problems with the “endless optimization” of social media and why maybe the world would be better off with fewer photoshop filters.

I’ve enjoyed Jeff’s comedy and love The Reluctant Phoenix, so it was an honor having him join me on the show. Links to Jeff’s website, Bandcamp site, and podcast are linked in the show description. I hope you enjoy the episode.

Jeff’s Bio

(copied from Jeff’s website with permission)

I have worked to strategize, create and present Web content in some capacity or another since 2004, when I started my first (and now largely mothballed) blog. It got me a job as a Community Manager at AOL in 2005, where, among other things, I was able to direct and manage the AOL Blogs community, as well as AOL Gay & Lesbian. My personal blog was also featured on Instapundit, Digg, BoingBoing, ValleyWag, Metafilter, the Washington Post, Consumerist, Wired, and any number of other large, widely read sources of traffic.

After moving to New York City in the summer of 2007, I worked at the College Board as a content creator and Web manager, writing, editing, and uploading articles for the College Board’s sizable SAT/LSAT prep site. I also worked to develop a strategy for the College Board to begin incorporating blogs, message boards, comments and other aspects of the social web into their online presence.

I began working as the Director of Digital Communications at Time Warner Cable in May, 2008. I developed, launched, and edited Time Warner Cable’s blog and Twitter presence, worked collaboratively to develop crisis communications, and wrote and edited a lot of content for that blog on a very regular basis. You can see examples of that work on my Work Writing page.

After leaving TWC in December 2013, I did freelance social strategy and content development for Brand Connections, an advertising/branding agency with clients including VO5, Nissin Famous Foods, SkinnyGirl Sweetener, Dunkin’ Donuts, and more.

I’m also a storyteller, standup comic, and the producer/performer behind ‘And I Am Not Lying,‘ a variety show that combines stand-up, storytelling, burlesque, sideshow and music on the second Friday of every month at UCB East.

I just recorded my first album for Comedy Dynamics, which will be released in mid-April of 2017.

I have won multiple Moth StorySLAMS, including a GrandSLAM in March of 2014. My stories have appeared on This American Life, The Moth’s podcast, and in written form on The Paris Review Daily. I also teach a semi-private storytelling class.

You can follow me on Twitter: @jeffsimmermon

Links

Jeff’s website: http://www.jeffsimmermon.com/
Twitter: @jeffsimmermon

Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-reluctant-phoenix/id1536818332

Jeff’s Bandcamp site: https://jeffsimmermon.bandcamp.com/

Credits

Episode produced by Spark Consulting Group (www.inspiredbyspark.com) in Iowa City, with support from Executive Podcast Solutions (https://www.executivepodcastsolutions.com/).

The Iowa Idea Podcast theme music written and performed by Paisley Bible (https://paisleybible.bandcamp.com/).

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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-Nebraska NAACP, and a servant-leader on local, state, and national boards, commissions, and committees. Matthew enjoys mentoring youth, volunteering, and holistic wellness. Also, Matthew is related to Anne Carter, a DEI pioneer, and early guest of the podcast. Matthew frames his “vision is to develop compassionate leaders who demonstrate a mentality reflecting greatness, influence change, and commit to generational impact in historically disenfranchised communities of color.”

We discuss Matthew’s journey growing up in Waterloo, changing course from elementary education to becoming a lawyer, to sharing his time and talents to build communities, ecosystems, and helping black families build generational wealth. We talked about his quest to slay the philanthropic dragons to unlock the power and potential of our communities.

We dig into what it means to be a black man in Iowa and how Matthew channels his love of humanity to improve the wellbeing of residents and communities in Iowa. We explore the power of continuous learning and the need for our current systems to be more empathetic and future focused.

I always appreciate Matthew’s energy and passion and loved his framing of the importance of healthy infrastructures for black and BIPOC communities, which was a completely different take on my standard stuck/unstuck prompt.

In our conversation, Matthew referenced Abena Imhotep’s powerful TEDx Talk, which is linked in the show description.

It was an honor having Matthew join me on the show. I hope you enjoy the episode.

About Matthew

A native of Waterloo, Iowa; Matthew R. Gilbert, Esq. descends from generations of servant leadership. The Furgerson – Harris – Nash families are well known for advancing civil rights, education, health and equity for African American communities in Iowa.

An advocate, entrepreneur, and ecosystem builder that values cooperation, justice, and historic preservation; Matthew is differentiated by a complement of executive strategies, transactional expertise, and transformative resilience.

An experienced advisor for elected officials, public figures, business owners, faith-based leaders, and public-private partnerships; Matthew’s mission is to coach and advise families, businesses, and communities in creating generational wealth by leveraging legacy and impact.

Matthew is Founder and President of Iowa C.O.R.E. Inc., Economic Development Chair for the Iowa-Nebraska NAACP, and a servant-leader on local, state, and national boards, commissions, and committees. Matthew enjoys mentoring youth, volunteering, and holistic wellness.

“My vision is to develop compassionate leaders who demonstrate a mentality reflecting greatness, influence change, and commit to generational impact in historically disenfranchised communities of color.”

Links

Matthew’s website – www.mrgreatnessofficial.com
Abena Imhotep’s TEDx Talk

Credits

Episode produced by Spark Consulting Group (www.inspiredbyspark.com) in Iowa City, with support from Executive Podcast Solutions (https://www.executivepodcastsolutions.com/).

The Iowa Idea Podcast theme music written and performed by Paisley Bible (https://paisleybible.bandcamp.com/).