The Iowa Business Podcast

As we recognize apprenticeship week and the massive opportunity it brings, we learned an alarming number of parents are still pushing students to get 4-year college degrees. Why? Tim Felderman, Chair of the Iowa Apprenticeship council and Superintendent of Hampton-Dumont school district is concerned. 💡 Find this show on your favorite player: https://iowapodcast.com/iowa-apprenticeship ⚖️ Get guidance from Dentons Davis Brown: https://dentons.com/en/dentons-davis-brown 🐖 Get a free $30 gift card from Jethro's BBQ: https://iowapodcast.com/jethrosbbq  Felderman explains why Iowa's process is far more adaptive to business, and how apprenticeships have evolved into tech, food service, and other growing fields. He explains apprenticeship is essentially precision education, and says helping students find fulfilling careers can be a challenge, especially as parents still push 4-year degrees on students, adding to their debt-load.

Iowa's talent gap has long been a headache for local businesses, but Michelle Book, CEO of Altus CXO, reveals a "shot in the arm" solution that is currently seeing a 5,400% surge in LinkedIn roles. Unlike traditional consultants who simply hand over a plan and leave, these fractional leaders embed themselves directly into the C-suite to solve high-stakes problems with "muscle memory" gained from decades of experience. As Book explains, "It gets hot when you want it hot, and it cools down fast when you turn it off". 💡 Find this show on your favorite player: https://iowapodcast.com/fractional-executives ⚖️ Get guidance from Dentons Davis Brown: https://www.dentons.com/en/dentons-davis-brown 🐖 Get a free $30 gift card from Jethro's BBQ: https://iowapodcast.com/jethrosbbq From $1 billion commodity giants to 30-year-old family manufacturers, companies are increasingly using this "gas range" approach to leadership to bypass the months-long hunt for full-time hires. Whether it's navigating a major tech implementation or professionalizing operations for a future sale, these seasoned pros offer high-impact results without the long-term overhead or benefits costs. "I certainly think that this is the way we're going to employ executives and get work done in the future," Book notes. Tune in to discover why she believes "these are people that want a dynamic work environment, status quo they get bored easily, so they're ready to go, hit it hard".

He's officially 30 days in. Meet Kyle Gamble, the brand new CEO of Hubbell Realty. Gamble touches on the future of their business, why downtown will come back, and what technology they're looking at to lower housing costs. Gamble believes Central Iowa's competitive edge lies in a high quality of life that outweighs the "young exodus" seen in other markets.  💡 Find this show on your favorite player: https://iowapodcast.com/kyle-gamble-hubbell-realty ⚖️ Get guidance from Dentons Davis Brown: https://www.dentons.com/en/dentons-davis-brown 🐖 Get a free $30 gift card from Jethro's BBQ: https://iowapodcast.com/jethrosbbq With 32 years at the company under his belt, Gamble views current economic headwinds—like rising material and labor costs—as cyclical challenges that can be mitigated through strategic volume building and lifestyle-focused development. Chapters: 01:29 - Keeping Young Talent Local 04:54 - Reviving Downtown Des Moines 07:47 - Homes Built For Flexibility 10:32 - Future Plans And Affordability

The real risk of Ai use isn't private information being shared with tech companies, but a complete breakdown the very information your company relies on to operate. Chris Draper, founder of Morrigan Ai says innocent uses of Ai tools are cementing inaccurate information into company databases, CRMs and tools forever.  💡 Find this show on your favorite player: https://iowapodcast.com/morrigan-ai ⚖️ Get guidance from Dentons Davis Brown: https://www.dentons.com/en/dentons-davis-brown 🐖 Get a free $30 gift card from Jethro's BBQ: https://iowapodcast.com/jethrosbbq Consider every time someone in an organization uses an Ai tool to take notes, then casually uploads those notes to a CRM the entire organization relies on. If they didn't verify accuracy first, which most employees don't do, other tools and employees will later be relying on less-accurate information. Draper explains the risks, and steps that should be taken right away. Chapters: 00:00 - AI Is Here Now 01:33 - Shadow AI Everywhere 06:14 - Beyond Privacy Risks 11:04 - Real World Failure Modes 22:07 - Lead With Managed AI 28:29 - AI Is An HR Issue

As we watch NASA's Artemis II mission, one Iowa company is looking forward to incredible breakthrough potential. The moon has plentiful Helium3, an element not found on earth, and Vermeer's technology can harvest it, unlocking new potential in quantum computing and fusion energy. CEO Jason Andringa explains. 💡 Find this show on your favorite player: https://iowapodcast.com/vermeer-helium3-mars-moon ⚖️ Get guidance from Dentons Davis Brown: https://www.dentons.com/en/dentons-davis-brown 🐖 Get a free $30 gift card from Jethro's BBQ: https://iowapodcast.com/jethrosbbq Andringa has a space background. He has a degree from MIT in Aeronautics and Astronautics and worked for NASA's Jet Propulsion lab—yes, a real life rocket scientist. Andringa discusses their massive one hundred million dollar expansion into Bondurant, and confirms he's been communicating with SpaceX on future technology and missions. Will Vermeer be planting a flag on the moon or Mars soon? Chapters: 01:14 - Bondurant Expansion Plans 13:48 - Automation and AI Reality 17:03 - Humanoid Robots Timeline 17:49 - Moon Mining Helium Three 27:45 - Why Build in Iowa

Would you invest one million dollars into algae? Probably not, that sounds crazy. But that's exactly what the state of Iowa just did and that one move may be key to cleaning our air, waterways, growing organic crops, and creating sustainable aviation fuel. Martin Gross, founder of Gross-Wen Technologies tells us how their process works.   💡 Find this show on your favorite player: https://iowapodcast.com/gross-wen-technologies ⚖️ Get guidance from Dentons Davis Brown: https://www.dentons.com/en/dentons-davis-brown 🐖 Get a free $30 gift card from Jethro's BBQ: https://iowapodcast.com/jethrosbbq   Iowa-based Gross-Wen technologies grows algae. Gross explains why too little or too much algae can be a problem, how algae cleans water and eats carbon from the air, and how they're creating fuel for crops and fuel for planes with systems that look like algae treadmills.   Chapters: 00:00 - Why Algae Matters 05:11 - Turning Wastewater Into Value 14:30 - Co-Located Treatment Tech 18:26 - Algae Carbon Advantage 24:26 - Scaling Modular Systems 29:16 - Biofuels Vision Fundraising

Energy is now a growing concern alongside healthcare and talent acquisition for Iowa leaders. Nicole Crain, President of the Iowa Association of Business and Industry (ABI), breaks down fresh survey data out today.  To be clear, energy is cheap and accessible in Iowa, but Iowa business leaders wonder how long that will last as new data centers pop up, all with future Ai energy demands. The quarterly survey from ABI board members shows cautious optimism, but may show two very different Iowa economies developing. Traditional manufacturing vs advanced manufacturing. 💡 Find this show on your favorite player: https://iowapodcast.com/abi-survey-results ⚖️ Get guidance from Dentons Davis Brown: https://www.dentons.com/en/dentons-davis-brown 🐖 Get a free $30 gift card from Jethro's BBQ: https://iowapodcast.com/jethrosbbq Chapters: 03:01 - Capital Spending and Confidence 06:04 - Workforce Crunch and Pipeline 17:48 - Strategic Planning In Slowdowns 18:46 - Energy Capacity Worries Rise 22:55 - Healthcare Costs And Retention

Can an Iowa-based drive-through brand focused on energy drinks survive? Can it take on the likes of Starbucks? Apparently the answer is yes. After building numerous stores across Iowa, the founder of Hyper Energy Bar, Chris Whalen, is expanding throughout the midwest.  Service runs in Whalen's blood. As a kid he was surrounded by hotel and restaurant operations all under the Heart of America Group brand which is father Mike Whalen started. Hyper Energy Bar, while not owned by Heart of America, is growing because of what he learned about service. It turns out, creating unique experiences have given Whalen the edge he needed to build a growing brand. 💡 Find this show on your favorite player: https://iowapodcast.com/hyper-energy-bar 🐖 Get a free $30 gift card from Jethro's BBQ: https://iowapodcast.com/jethrosbbq   ⚖️ Get guidance from Dentons Davis Brown: https://www.dentons.com/en/dentons-davis-brown Chapters:00:00 - Meet Hyper Energy Bar 01:52 - Service Culture and Hiring 12:30 - Scaling Beyond Iowa 14:37 - Competition and Differentiation 15:45 - Real Estate and Co Location Strategy 20:28 - Expansion Playbook and Wrap Up

While some small downtowns across the country are dying, towns like Dubuque, Iowa are growing. John Gronen, founder of Gronen Development explains how their role has evolved into a hybrid of a typical state economic development, tourism office, and investment firm.  💡 Find this show on your favorite player: https://iowapodcast.com/downtown-dubuque-iowa 🗞️ Be first to get new interviews: https://iowapodcast.com/subscribe/ 🐖 Get a free $30 gift card from Jethro's BBQ: https://iowapodcast.com/jethrosbbq ⚖️ Get guidance from Dentons Davis Brown: https://www.dentons.com/en/dentons-davis-brown Gronen's approach has been profitable, but isn't solely focused on the numbers. He doesn't see himself as just a developer but also an investor and partner with many of his tenants. He will turn down tenants to preserve the local culture local entrepreneurs have worked so hard to build. He explains how his team works alongside retailers, restaurants, service businesses, and corporate offices, and SMB leaders to see and understand the unseen value of community.  Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction 00:25 - Meet the Developer 01:14 - Amazon and Remote Work 02:19 - Dubuque's Downtown Draw 04:35 - When Remote Work Fails 08:19 - Collaboration Comes Back 10:12 - The Downtown Revitalization Pitch 10:42 - Depac and the Voices Building 15:34 - Tax Credits and Mixed Use 17:24 - What Is New Markets Credit 18:24 - Downtown Retail Shifts 19:12 - Building Vibrancy Strategy 20:43 - Critical Mass Wins 22:56 - Developer Tenant Partnership 27:15 - Curating the Right Tenants 31:28 - Starting the Revitalization 36:13 - Tax Credits as Catalyst 36:53 - Closing and Wrap Up

Iowa's top 21 CEOs are in between a rock and a hard place. They want to continue their traditional calculated approach, the reason for Iowa's dependable economy, but face new market volatility, a weekly-changing regulatory landscape, Ai disruption, and future energy concerns. Is it time for change? Joe Murphy, President of the Iowa Business Council explains how they're adapting to these new pressures.  💡 Find this show on your favorite player: https://iowapodcast.com/iowa-business-2026/ 🗞️ Be first to get new interviews: https://iowapodcast.com/subscribe/ 🐖 Get a free $30 gift card from Jethro's BBQ: https://iowapodcast.com/jethrosbbq ⚖️ Get strategic guidance from Dentons Davis Brown: https://www.dentons.com/en/dentons-davis-brown Murphy says Iowa's outlook is solid and stable for now. But that doesn't mean these new pressures aren't raising eyebrows. Market volatility, regulatory changes, and tariffs are changing frequently, which makes long term planning for these large organizations difficult. Supply chains and staffing alone can take 6 months to a year to address. As many SMB leaders depend on the economic foundation they set, how are they adapting?  Chapters:  00:00 - Welcome and Introduction of Joe Murphy 01:53 - Ag as Iowa Linchpin 03:20 - Trade Uncertainty and Tariffs 07:03 - Investment Freeze Effects 07:20 - Big vs Small Business Impact 10:33 - Iowa Risk Culture Meets AI 12:12 - AI Adoption and Reskilling 14:45 - AI and Jobs Debate 15:34 - Workforce Crunch and Automation 17:14 - Offshoring Disruption Scenario 18:05 - AI and Job Outlook 18:33 - Iowa Labor Shortages 20:18 - Growing Iowa Population 21:50 - Tariffs Hit Ag and Manufacturing 25:24 - Supply Chains and Certainty 28:22 - Energy Demand and Data Centers 31:55 - What Keeps Leaders Up 33:17 - Quality of Life Investments 34:36 - Closing and Wrap  

Iowa's young talent has been leaving the state for decades, but the "baby boomerang" gave Iowa employers a sense of peace. Iowans know leaving students will return to start a family. But that's no longer happening.  Anna Mable, of Association of Business and Industry asks why Iowa employers are ignoring a proven solution. 💡 Find this show on your favorite player: https://iowapodcast.com/business-horizons 🗞️ Be first to get new interviews: https://iowapodcast.com/subscribe/ 🐖 Get a free $30 gift card from Jethro's BBQ: https://iowapodcast.com/jethrosbbq ⚖️ Get strategic guidance from Dentons Davis Brown: https://www.dentons.com/en/dentons-davis-brown As ABI's Workforce Programs & Engagement Coordinator, Mable leads a weeklong business camp here in Iowa called Business Horizons. You've probably heard of it before, but what you do know is the camp's proven track record of keeping young talent in the state. Many employers actually recruit high school seniors directly into their future workforce from the camp itself. So why are some employers and communities overlooking them?   Chapters:  00:00 - Welcome to the Iowa Business Podcast + Introduction to Anna Mable 00:16 - The 'Baby Boomerang' Is Slowing—Why Iowa's Talent Pipeline Is at Risk 01:55 - What Employers Are Seeing: Students Leaving Earlier & Not Coming Back 03:39 - Who's Doing It Well 05:35 - Myths Holding Everyone Back: 'Only 4 Careers' and 'You Need a Degree' 10:32 - Bridging the Gap 12:45 - Generational Stereotypes & Tech Skills 15:45 - Business Horizons Support Is Shifting: Local Programs vs Statewide Impact 22:47 - Inside Business Horizons: Shark Tank Pitches, Tours, Confidence & Growth 25:08 - How Employers Plug In 29:38 - Success Stories + Closing

Follower numbers and web traffic aren't meaningful numbers anymore. Iowa CMO and Comms leads need to switch focus to AI search and control mind share, not worry about vanity metrics. Iowa-based AI and search pro Ryan Doser explains why trust signals need to lead your marcom strategy.  💡 Find this show on your favorite player: https://iowapodcast.com/web-traffic-s... 🗞️ Be first to get new interviews: https://iowapodcast.com/subscribe/ 🐖 Get a free $30 gift card from Jethro's BBQ: https://iowapodcast.com/jethrosbbq Doser details why audio-only podcasts are dead and what Iowa brands need to do as web traffic drops off. Is written content valuable in an era where people Gemini, Grok, ChatGPT, and Perplexity questions and never visit our websites? Does web content matter, and how do we own our audience distribution as AI takes over? Doser gets into the weeds.    Chapters:  00:00 - Introduction and Podcast Rebranding 00:14 - The Evolution of SEO and AI's Role 00:40 - Guest Introduction: Ryan Dozer 02:02 - Impact of AI on Web Traffic and Content Creation 02:35 - Small vs. Big Business Strategies 04:54 - The Importance of Owned Distribution 05:19 - Social Media Algorithms and Personal Branding 09:28 - Ethics and Transparency in Digital Promotions 11:36 - AI Misinformation and Trust Signals 18:26 - The Importance of PR and Comms in the AI Era 18:58 - AI Partnerships with Media Companies 20:08 - Prioritizing Video Content Over Written Content 21:53 - Effective Video Content Strategies 24:53 - Local vs. National Content Strategies 32:38 - Leveraging AI and Automation for Content Distribution 35:36 - Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Critical minerals are in high demand for US-based manufacturing, but access has become a pressing concern. Can a new Iowa startup solve the problem for the country? Daniel Bina, CEO of Critical Materials Recycling explains how their partnership with Iowa State University will commercialize what is known as "urban mining."  💡 Listen on your favorite app: https://iowapodcast.com/critical-materials-recycling-iowa   🗞️ Be first to get new interviews: https://iowapodcast.com/subscribe   🐖 Get a free $30 gift card from Jethro's BBQ: https://iowapodcast.com/jethrosbbq  ⚖️ Reach out to Denton's Davis Brown https://dentons.com/davisbrown    Presently, companies send spent electronics and unusable technology overseas for labor-intensive processing. It's expensive and inefficient. Bina however, says their urban mining approach can extract valuable materials and minerals right here in Iowa. Does that mean Iowa is the center of a new, and quite literal, gold rush? He's banking on it. Chapters: 00:43 - Introducing Dan Bina and Critical Material Recycling 02:25 - The Geopolitical Landscape of Rare Earths 04:11 - Recycling as a Solution to Mineral Shortages 10:40 - Challenges and Innovations in Recycling 16:10 - Strategic Positioning and Local Resources 18:13 - Exclusive Technology Licensing 19:03 - Global Sourcing and Scaling Up 20:32 - Collaborations with Major Companies 22:23 - Global Recycling and Rare Earth Independence 27:44 - Innovative Recycling Technologies 31:06 - Economic and Business Opportunities 33:51 - Conclusion and Contact Information