Rural Builds

Broadcasting from the Arizona Housing Coalition Conference in Phoenix, Birdman sits down with  Joan Serviss following her recognition as the 2026 Advocate of the Year.   In this in-depth conversation, Joan shares her decades of experience in housing advocacy and discusses why Arizona's housing challenges have evolved far beyond homelessness alone. Today, middle-class families, teachers, healthcare...

At the Arizona Housing Coalition Conference in downtown Phoenix, Birdman sits down with Nicole Newhouse to unpack one of the biggest issues facing Arizona and rural America alike: affordable housing.   This conversation goes beyond the stereotypes surrounding "affordable housing" and digs into the real-world impact on middle-class families, seniors on fixed incomes, young professionals, teachers,...

What if a small rural city could keep its teachers, firefighters, hospital staff, and public workers—not by waiting for prices to drop, but by building a local system that makes homeownership possible? In this episode of Rural Builds , host Rob "Birdman" Hephner records from Bisbee City Hall with a team that's turning workforce housing from a buzzword into a working model: Mayor Ken Budge , city p...

What if affordable housing didn't mean a handout—and instead became a real "first foothold" into homeownership and the middle class? In this episode of Rural Builds , host Rob Birdman Hephner sits down in Flagstaff, Arizona with Eric Wolverton , CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Northern Arizona , to break down a bold new approach to workforce housing in one of the most expensive markets in the state...

What if the most effective solution to addiction, mental health crises, and repeat ER visits isn't another program—but someone who's been there before? In this episode of Rural Builds , host Rob Birdman Hephner sits down in Tucson, Arizona, with Richard Sandoval , Senior Director of Community Programs at Hope Incorporated , for a powerful conversation about peer support, recovery, and what works i...

What happens when unresolved trauma goes untreated in rural communities—and what does it really take to rebuild hope? In this episode of Rural Builds , host Rob Birdman Hephner speaks with Jonathan Brunson at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York about the realities of mental health, poverty, and resilience in rural North Carolina.   Brunson is a board member with the Rural Opportunity Institute an...

What really shapes a person's health—and why does medical care account for only a small piece of the outcome? In this episode of Rural Builds , host Rob Birdman Hephner sits down at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York with Aaqil Khan , a rural systems builder working at the intersection of technology, healthcare, and community change.   Khan shares his work with Collectively , an AI-driven compan...

How do communities actually solve complex problems like poverty, housing instability, and workforce readiness—without wasting money on studies that sit on a shelf? In this episode of Rural Builds , host Rob Birdman Hephner sits down with Richard Taylor , Vice President of  eTransX , to unpack a platform designed to help communities work smarter, not harder.   Recorded at the Federal Reserve Bank o...

What does it really take to help families move out of poverty—especially in places that don't have big cities, big budgets, or big spotlights? In this episode of Rural Builds , host Rob Birdman Hephner sits down with Mark Farley of Empower Upper Cumberland to talk about what's working in rural Middle Tennessee—and why it matters.   Recorded on location at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York , thi...

Rural employers don't just need workers—they need workers who can stay , grow , and help a business run better. In this episode of Rural Builds , host Rob "Birdman" Hepner talks with Jay Johnson , Rural Program Manager of Workforce Development at Local First Arizona , about a program that's putting real support (and real dollars) behind rural hiring.   Jay breaks down the Northern Arizona Good Job...

Rural Builds launches with a candid conversation on what it really takes to strengthen rural communities—and why traditional, metro-designed solutions often fall short. Hosts Rob "Birdman" Hephner and Allison Hephner explore how rural community champions are addressing social determinants of health like housing, food access, workforce, childcare, and substance use with limited resources but deep l...