SEASON 1 FINALE Ben McDougal and Jim Morgan compose a symphony of sound and share BIG news to tie a beautiful bow on a sensational season of You Don't Need This Podcast! Recorded at the largest sound stage in Minnesota, together we jam on producing new music every day, sleeping in a kick drum, and being a part of other artist's creative process. Be…

Welcome back to Wisconsin! Ben McDougal was visiting UW Stevens Point to deliver You Don’t Need This Keynote at the 2024 Think Like an Entrepreneur event. As part of a wonderful whirlwind, he visited a local coworking and makerspace to record this special "In The Wild" episode. Kevin Neuman leads the way as Assistant Dean within the Sentry School o…

Welcome to Wisconsin! Ben McDougal was visiting UW Stevens Point to deliver You Don't Need This Keynote at the 2024 Think Like an Entrepreneur event. As part of this wonderful whirlwind, he jumped into a local recording studio with two local leaders at different stages in life. Evan Stanislawski is a recent graduate of UWSP, while Matt Vollmer did …

Tim Zarley protects ideas. If you're building a product, actively enjoy the details of this episode brewed through valuable IP strategies. Zarley Law, now Zarley Conley, has been collaborating with idea machines for over 60 years, so as Tim Zarley follows in his father's footsteps, it's neat to have this recorded relic brewed to keep you building.…

We hear the Internet is a big deal. Drew Harden is a web development wayfinder, author, and culture-building leader at Blue Compass. After some rich thoughts on creating significance within a company's culture, we dive into the world of web development. Ben was in web development for 8 years back in the day, so this was a fun chance to hear how web…

Antonio Roddy, aka Tone the Movemaker, was born original and is making moves to stay that way. This is an entertaining episode that celebrates lasting initiative. Along with fresh fashion from Designed by the Streets, Tone, Dao, and the team keep turning knobs to stay ahead of the innovation curve. Together, we scratch through origin stories, his c…

Curt Nelson and Beth Meyer help entrepreneurs spin the Rubik's cube that is starting (and scaling) a business. The Entrepreneurial Development Center is celebrating 20 years of really getting involved to make an impact. Curt also leads the Iowa Venture Capital Association. Together, we chat through the origin story of the EDC, then shift gears to c…

Michael Libbie has been in broadcasting since 1967! He has interviewed over 1,500 remarkable people, which made it an honor to interview him. Ben and Michael talk about lone wolves, articulating our thoughts, understanding your audience, and the long-term effects of persistence. We also commemorate his voice and hear his why behind Insight Cubed an…

Julie McDougal shares a final interview before she retired from IBM. Can you imagine being at IBM for over 35 years?! The featured guest in EP47 has lived on the edge of technology her entire career! Julie worked within the culture and this fun episode is a glance at how she united others. As you'll hear, Julie is also our host's aunt. Cheers to ev…

Navarr Grevious and Aaron Carter were visiting Des Moines from Miami, for the Black & Brown Business Summit. After QuikLiq won the $50K pitch competition, we had to find a spot to chat in the wild! In EP45, we pour innovations into beer, wine, and spirits. We talk about how these co-founders met at Clark Atlanta University, then reunited to build t…

Alex Myers is a certified futurist who will put you ahead of the curve. Along with his leadership at Aragon and throughout the world of web3, Alex authored Organizational Shift within the Roasted Reflections library. This writing pairs perfectly with this epic episode, as we explore Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs). After the break, we…

Scotty Russell is a web3 artist, podcaster, and business coach for creators. His cosmic illustrations are minted on Solana and other blockchains. He's also recorded 250+ episodes of the Side Hustler's Perspective and has coached 1,500+ artists to extend their own creative seasons. Scotty was in Des Moines for a web3 gathering, so he and Ben popped …

Jessica Pfohl Paisley is a creative community builder who is fascinated by the diversity of life. Whether it's enjoying time with family, building on the frontiers of fashion, or making others feel their best through AMIDST Magizine, Jessica connects community through photography, print, music, and events. Together, we talk about curating resources…

Cody Retlich is an alumni of the Techstars Iowa Accelerator (see Cody on-stage at #TSDemoDay in 2022) and this is the first of a new In The Wild category. Recorded after the launch of 1MC in Madison and Milwaukee, Cody and his Wisconsin-based team at DroneAdair, help drone pilots manage their business. This leader knows what's up when it comes to d…

Brandon Hart is a builder who helps others do the same. EP41 is all about 3D printing and how additive manufacturing helps evolve ideas into reality, while boosting sustainability in manufacturing and providing a path to our own neon future. Along with talking about the futuristic things we can "print", such as nanotechnology, boitech, and food; Br…

Joe Murphy is the director of the Iowa Business Council, which unites 20+ chief executives from Iowa’s largest organizations. Since 1985, the IBC has used economic research to determine key initiatives that help drive lasting progress in Iowa and beyond. Together, Ben and Joe talk about collaboration amongst leaders, sequencing public policy, intra…

Will Schneller explores the intersection of design, technology, and entrepreneurship. After an epic opening moment on the mic, Ben and Will talk about building within education, signals to consider if/when/what to quit, wallets in web3, zero knowledge proofs, and provenance. After the break, Will expands on what he wrote in Non-Fungible Fabric, by …

Joshua Larson is a video game developer, AI fashion designer, and web3 founder. We load in with Joshua's experience building inside the Bitcoin Startup Lab, which has us talking about startup accelerators, pivoting, and tokenomics. We then rewind to hear how he hacked his way into video game development, and here are a few games he helped to ship. …

Dwana Bradley builds relationships. Her team at Iowa Urban Media tells stories through the Urban Experience Magazine and her leadership with Iowa Juneteenth is felt year-round. Together, we celebrate love and Black History Month, by dancing with purpose-driven initiatives, the uninterrupted power of print, prompt engineering through societal biases…

Kristy Volesky is an author and educational advocate. Kristy recently published her first book, Transformational Work-Based Learning, and together, we chat about how the innovative spirit is activated through internships and creative activities within a startup community. With this leader's experience inside the Iowa Department of Education and now…

Intellectual Property and Trademarks and Patents, o my! Sean Solberg is a protector of ideas and as a patent attorney at Fredrikson & Byron, you know this extended episode is loaded with strategic value. Ben, Sean, and BEN BOT discuss patentability and building to go big, even when you're small. We also encourage business owners to be bold by looki…

Inspired by a remarkable Startup Weekend DSM last weekend, this build now vibe from Balaji, the winter freeze, and land development leaders coming together to share stories with this episode's featured guest. Ryan Glick continues building residential land development tools, such as lot inventory management, through Groov. We also love The Land Deve…

Corey Dion Lewis is a health equity advocate and experienced podcaster. Together, we talk about activating our connected era in ways that deliver heartfelt health care outside of the clinic. We also chat about the localized value of bringing people together through community events like My City My Health. After the break, we shift gears and dive in…

Jessi McQuerrey activates leaders. She been connecting dots through Iowa ABI programs like Business Horizons for high school students and Leadership Iowa for business and community leaders. Together, we chat about how real skills open side doors to innovative opportunities. We also talk about event management and the mental weight of such intrinsic…

Russ Goerend is a bold and generous leader who designs community-driven experiences for high school students exploring what's next within the Waukee APEX work-based learning program. This is a powerful episode for educators, students, and parents! Inspired by Stop Stealing Dreams, Connect Dots, and How to get into a famous college with Seth Godin, …

Every story ends and Brian Crotty with HDH Advisors helps business owners finish in style. Together, we chat through exit strategies, business valuation, merges & aquisitions, ESOPs, and cultivating a performance-based culture through transitional times. Refill your mug and enjoy this gift of a caffeinated conversation. What a perfect way to wrap a…

Kerty Levy is an advisor, investor, and friend who helps entrepreneurs succeed. Kerty and Ben collaborated through Techstars, so we grab the morning oars to first dance with how smooth is fast. Together, we then glide through the wild experience of accelerators. The value is vast as we continue by discussing why to think big, building a team, ecosy…

Sachin Sehgal found lasting purpose by starting his first business at the University of Iowa. Along with all that is multimedia marketing, Sachin is building Elevate and Bond Branding as he continues to explore connections between our physical and digital worlds. You'll love these shared wavelengths on customer discovery, content creation, value-ba…

Elizabeth Tweedale brings parents and students together by embracing lifelong learning. Since graduating from Loras College, she has (co)authored six books and exited an AI company called GoSpace. This award-winning technologist is now the CEO of Cypher Coders, which is an IRL coding camp for children, as well as, Coco Coders, an online coding scho…

Gabriel Glynn solves clues to keep team members protected. MākuSafe is making the world safer with hardware, data, and analytics. Imagine you're sitting next to the campfire with Ben and Gabriel. Let those s'mores get melty, as this heartfelt conversation is brewed to enjoy! Together, we chat about Gabe growing up with his dad, who worked the 3rd s…

Chase Merlin gets pulled over by the jargon police to chat decentralized finance (DeFi), stablecoins, digital wallets, blockchains, tokenomics, DAOs, and a variety of other web3 technologies. After raising $11.1M in 2023, Brale has continued to shake things up by providing stability within the wild west of cryptocurrency. Stay wild, but hedge volat…

Andre Wright is a genuine father, designer, visionary, activist, and community builder. He was inducted into the Junior Achievement Hall of Fame in 2021, with work featured at New York Fashion Week, and collaborations with Politico, NPR, Target, Atlantic Records, Warner Music Group, and Facebook. Whether it's Wright House, Humanize My Hoodie, or ha…

Adam Viet is a baller who connects others and recruits tech talent to support company cultures that sing the songs of significance. Adam is a leader in Des Moines, hosts the Shooters Touch Podcast for basketball coaches, and owns Vociferous - #109 within the Roasted Reflections NFT Collection. Sub in as we shoot hoops and talk sports, hiring talent…

Cassie Edgar is a scientist, entrepreneur, attorney, and investor. This empathetic artist has paved a path of fire and light. Wait until you hear these valuable translations of how math tells the story of nature, biomathematics, biotech, patent law, leveraging licensed technology, how to be strategic in regulated industries, and preparing for an ex…

Ben Sinclair is a wizard who builds amazing technology just for fun. This episode is hilariously awesome as "The Bens" chat about their special origin story. We open the gates on the evolution of FliteBrite, building an electronic serving system, and a beer festival app. Laugh with Ben and Sinclair as we have fun connecting jokes with WWDC23, astro…

Ethan Davidson molds ideas into reality! He is the President of Beratek Industries, a Co-Founder in FliteBrite, and just launched Conduit Direct Group. If you've ever wanted to manufacture a new product, you'll want to sip on this delicious discussion. Ethan talks through product design, materials, prototyping, and manufacturability. We also discus…

Ryan Gerhardy puts data to work. This friend from Australia started in investment banking and worked within venture capital before launching Pitchly. We unclip from our snowboards to chat about data enablement and leadership to scale a startup. As we discuss his team raising over $10M, Ryan outlines three stages investors look for: Potential, Promi…

Jeff Reed is a problem solver who uses the art of connection to design the future. Awarded the 2023 innovation ENTREPRENEUR of the Year, Jeff is a caring leader who is fueled by the unmatched energy of accelerating others. This elevated episode will make you feel like you're on top of a mountain as we discuss idea navigation, design thinking, mento…

Anika Yadav is a remarkable high school student leading on the timeline of now. She is an award-winning advisor with Pi515 and a national officer with Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA). Tune into this special interaction that will motivate students to build without permission, while inviting us all to activate more innovative conversations …

Kaylee Williams is a sales savant and an empathetic venture capitalist dedicated to accelerating fellow founders. As the Investment Director at InnoVenture Iowa, she manages a $30M public fund focused on investing in early stage companies throughout Iowa, with applications for this year's $100K InnoVenture Challenge now open! Together, we chat abou…

Danny O'Halloran defines founder-market-fit and Jake Miyazaki is a data scientist. These high school friends, turned roommates, and now co-founders are building MetaFuel. This team worked through the Techstars Iowa Accelerator in 2022. Today, they deliver a turnkey smart fleet platform that plugs into vehicle telematic systems. The MetaFuel Card is…

Tej Dhawan is an advocate for entrepreneurs building within all stages of growth. He's been building technology and has been connecting dots since the earliest days of the Des Moines startup community. Many may hear their name mentioned in this special relic and cheers to all that was StartupCity Des Moines back in 2011! Now at Principal Financial …

Hit the trail and plant some seeds with Diana Wright! As the Startup Community Builder for Greater Des Moines Partnership, Diana is a generous leader who uses the art of connection to evolve the Des Moines startup community, while also weaving webs throughout Iowa and beyond. Together, we explore building within complex entrepreneurial ecosystems, …

Welcome back to school! Tom Swartwood has made the world a better place by accelerating endless students around the globe. We talk about activating the entrepreneurial spirit within academia and redefining retirement for leaders who will never stop making a ruckus to fuel positive change around the world.…

Russel Karim is a technologist building on the frontiers of sustainable fashion. Refill your mug and enjoy this caffeinated conversation with the CEO of Dhakai. We dance with topics like phygital apparel, being entrepreneurial as a college student, designing swag to make an impact, this founder's Techstars Iowa experience, and how we can stitch tog…

Brandon T. Adams is an ambitious leader who tells stories with video. BTA is also an author, investor, speaker, and advisor who uses his experience to accelerate fellow founders. Join us for this VIP conversation on how to earn your way onto cap tables, building an audience that cares, all that is Rise and Record, the value of masterminds, pro tips…

Nancy Mwirotsi is a nationally recognized wayfinder who inspired students to lead by outfitting them with skills in technology and innovation. Over the past 10 years, Pi515 has promoted diversity in STEM careers and graduated hundreds of students, with free programs geared toward refugees, young women, and people of color. The real skills we talk a…

Kyle Tut is a cowboy who wrangles data on the frontiers of web3. The team at Pinata is powering the future of media distribution and it was cool to have this Omaha friend in Des Moines! Pin this nerdy episode on blockchain technology, NFTs, digital content management, hackathons, raising $20M+ in web3, and creative ways to go out and build somethin…

Rebekah Sletten is an agricultural advocate in Iowa and tells stories for America's Cultivation Corridor. Rebekah's activity throughout the startup community has her connected into emerging agtech innovations and the future of food. Together, we discuss the value of building an engaged network outside of your own industry. We also learn about the C…

Brad Dwyer is a nerd you need to know. His expressions through software are thoughtful, award-winning, and world changing. Whether it's building into computer vision, multimodality, augment reality, machine learning, AI, game development, Y Combinator, or raising $20M to support the growing team at Roboflow, this technologist leads the way and our …