A New Angle

Dave Franke is a Principal at Franke & Company and the son of Bill Franke, founder of Indigo Partners. In 2016 the Franke family made the single largest gift in University of Montana history, naming both the WA Franke College of Forestry and Conservation as well as the Franke Global Leadership initiative. Dave’s work involves finding places where the family can invest to create both impact and acc...

Adam Wolf is the founder and Chief Scientist at Arable Labs, a firm that brings data science to agriculture. Arable produces a set of sensors and a suite of software and analysis services that allow farmers to make data-informed decisions. Our conversation ranges from the role data plays in both industrial as well as small-scale agriculture, to how anyone who eats can “come into integrity” with th...

Anne Helen Petersen is a Senior Culture Writer at Buzzfeed News, based in Missoula, MT. She earned her Ph. D. in Media Studies from the University of Texas and is the author of two books – “Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud: The Rise and Reign of the Unruly Women” and “Scandals of Classic Hollywood: Sex, Deviance, and Drama from the Golden Age of American Cinema.” Anne’s reporting covers an incredibly...

Joe Anderson might just be the most interesting man on earth, and the conversation we had on this episode of A New Angle is that sort that gives you hope in our society’s ability to solve seemingly intractable problems. After a long and varied career in both law and rock & roll, Joe returned to his native Montana and landed with Reflex Protect, the creators of a non-lethal self-defense spray. Thei...

Brigitta Miranda-Freer is the Executive Director of the Montana World Trade Center and the Director of Operations at MonTec. If you think that sounds like two jobs, well, you’re right. So we ask Brigitta how she does it all in this 3rd installment of the S.E.A. Change series. As a prominent leader in the Montana economy, Brigitta is known for getting things done. We talk about her experience leadi...

Peter Giannascoli grew up in New Jersey, studied economics at Princeton, worked in management consulting and then…went to film school. That’s right - film school. In this conversation we explore how Peter broke free of the traditional career path to pursue his dreams in the movie business. Now Co-President of Domestic Marketing for Paramount Pictures, Peter helps make movies come to life. He is al...

Eric Becker is an Emmy Award-winning director and documentary film maker. He is interested in social justice, conservation and human rights and tries to illuminate these issues by capturing emotional connection on film. He recently visited Missoula to show his beautiful, Return to Mount Kennedy, at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival. The film tracks the sons of the famed climber Jim Whittaker a...

Scott Jurek is an ultramarathon legend and arguably one of the greatest runners of all time. Mired in semi-retirement from professional racing and late career stagnation, he set his sights on the Appalachian Trail speed record in 2015. Scott and his wife Jenny approached this project as relative novices and their collaborative narrative account, North, tells the amazing story of their 46-day, 2,18...

In this second installment of the S.E.A. Change series, we catch up with two amazing women in the Missoula community. Christine Littig is a serial entrepreneur in the restaurant space, having opened the Old Post, the Red Bird and Bernice’s Bakery. Morgan Slemberger is the Associate Director of the Blackstone Lauchpad at the University of Montana and the leader of the Pursue Your Passions program....

Brian Kahn is a Montana radio legend. As host of the long-running (23 years!) and award-winning “Home Ground Radio,” Brian has interviewed hundreds of influential Montanans, asking who they are, what they think and what they are doing about it. Today we flip the mic and ask Brian about his approach to storytelling, activism, collaboration and problem solving. We also discuss his new book, "America...

Marc Moss is the creator, producer and host of Tell Us Something, a live storytelling event that began in Missoula and is expanding across Montana. Marc is a master at telling stories and teaching others how to do the same. In this conversation, we discuss how Tell Us Something came to be, the five “beats” of a good story and the big plans Marc has for this amazing platform. This is a public episo...

The Max S. Baucus Institute at the University of Montana’s Alexander Blewett III School of Law is a one of a kind public service institution offering a one of a kind student experience. In this episode Professor of Law and Institute Director Sam Panarella and Professor and Director UM’s Masters in Public Administration program Sara Rinfret are joined by Montana’s legendary Max Baucus, former US Se...

SuzAnne Miller is an unlikely tech entrepreneur. Shortly after she began live-streaming an osprey nest at her family ranch, Dunrovin, she slowly discovered and cultivated an amazing online community. Days@Dunrovin is a "digital front porch" and an interactive window to life on a Bitterroot ranch that brings joy and community to many in need. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this...

In this special episode we introduce S.E.A. Change, a University of Montana initiative to address the challenges and embrace the opportunities facing our society as we seek equity for all women. March 2020 will mark the 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment. We chat with Chelsea and Seth Bodnar about the significance of this centennial and what to expect from S.E.A Change. We then pivot to a con...

Jeremy Smith’s recent book “Breaking & Entering: The Extraordinary Story of a Hacker Called Alien” is a riveting narrative account of a dark world that touches us all. This is Jeremy’s third book and his writing has also appeared in The Atlantic, Discover and The New York Times. He lives in Missoula and is a graduate of the UM Masters of Fine Arts program. This is a public episode. If you'd like t...

Winona LaDuke is an economist, environmentalist, tribal leader, and two-time vice-presidential candidate. Although she resists the term activist, Winona spends her life fighting “stupid ideas.” In this conversation, she explains how unsustainable economic systems provide an excellent opportunity to build something greener, more community-oriented, more successful, and maybe even happier. Her presc...

This week's “A New Angle,” produced by marketing University of Montana Professor Justin Angle, features a conversation with UM head football coach Bobby Hauck. They pull the lens back a bit and talk about some of the larger issues facing UM, Grizzly football and the sport in general. Coach Hauck's passion for football and what it can do for young men is on display in this engaging conversation. Th...

Emily Graslie (2011 UM College of the Arts and Media graduate) is creator and host of the hugely successful Brain Scoop youtube channel and the Chief Curiosity Correspondent at Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History. Emily recently visited UM to be honored at this year’s Odyssey of the Stars and was kind enough to stop by Studio 49. We talk about her experience in digital media, her time as an...

Athena Pack is a leadership conference bringing together women in the Rocky Mountain West to learn, share, and grow. Founders Kim Shappee (RBC Financial), Nicole Hagerman-Miller (Biomimicry 3.8), and Jen Euell (Women’s Foundation of Montana) tell us why and how they joined forces, along with Sara Close (Hello Soul) to create a transformative event built around understanding personal story and maki...

As Executive Director of the Zootown Arts Community Center, Kia Liszak is a critical driving force in the Missoula arts community. The ZACC fills a growing void in our education system by encouraging creativity, self-identification, and personal connection through art. Kia appropriately asks: “What else is there besides finding ways to deeply relate to one another and ourselves?” This is a public...

In 1994, Wilmot Collins fled civil war in Liberia and somehow landed in Montana. Learn more about his amazing journey, his dedication to public service, and his inspiring rise to Mayor of his adopted home of Helena. Mayor Collins gives us hope that it is indeed possible to bring people together in this fraught political time. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subsc...

Mark Synnott is a world class big wall climber whose writing has appeared in Outside, Men’s Journal and National Geographic. Mark’s new book “The Impossible Climb: Alex Honnold, El Capitan, and the climbing life,” covers his dangerously precocious introduction to climbing and the journey that led him to climb alongside Alex Honnold and document his amazing free solo of El Capitan. The book is avai...

Chris Wright, 2002 University of Montana College of Business graduate, has worked at Google for over 15 years and worn many hats, most recently serving as head of awareness for Google Cloud. In this free-wheeling episode we discuss Chris’s undergraduate shenanigans, his efforts to digitize the entire New York Times photo archive, and his new podcast – Try: the Podcast This is a public episode. If...

Dr. Rich Willy is one of the world’s leading experts in running injuries. Learn why this professor of physical therapy chose to build his career at the University of Montana and how his research can help both clinicians and every day athletes develop strength, stay healthy and keep moving. Rich has some common sense advice that runs counter to many popular narratives about running shoes, injuries,...

The speed of technological innovation has seemingly compressed time. Peter Coffee, VP of Strategic Research at Salesforce.com , has the job of predicting what’s next in technology, what forces we should be afraid of, what issues we are wasting our time on, and how we should prepare for all of it. This conversation has broad implications for education, business, public health and every-day life. Th...