The Iowa Business Podcast

It's official, 38,591 new businesses were formed in Iowa in fiscal year 2026, the state's biggest single year jump in at least a decade. That brings out total to 344,679 active businesses and Iowa Secretary of State, Paul Pate comes in the studio to break it all down, also discussing their anti-fraud and anti-trafficking efforts. Pate also unpacks the new STOP Fraud Act (HF2678), a law his office...

Like every generation before them, Generation Z has often received criticism and accusations of being soft or poor at communication. While it may be true they have lacked social interactions due to COVID-19 related shutdowns, Jeff Garrison of Results on Purpose explains how their unique purpose-driven focus can be an asset to your company. Based in Iowa, Garrison works with executive leadership te...

Tens of thousands of views for balancing drinks on a server tray? Jethro's BBQ social media team posts content that, upon first inspection, doesn't seem to have anything to do with their line of business. But clearly something is working. Social media leads, Mason Jeffries and Macy Dirksen, discuss people is more important than tech. 💡 Show Page: https://iowapodcast.com/local-business-social-medi...

Almost every employee will go through a traumatic experience in their life and whether you recognize it or not, they will bring emotional baggage into the workplace. Should leaders support their staff in these times or keep a respectful distance? Nataliya Stone, PhD shares detailed research that shows the right kind of support actually builds unwavering loyalty and top-tier culture at your company...

What is Iowa Startup Week? The inaugural 4-day conference is coming to Des Moines, Iowa and will draw startup talent, investors and startup ecosystem advocates from the entire midwest. Founder Kaylee Williams (and host of our own Iowa Tech Podcast ) joins us to break down the event, who's behind it, and why now is the time to start it. 💡 Find this show on your favorite player: https://iowapodcast...

When it comes to startup-land and entrepreneurial-focused events, does it seem like the discussion always revolves around big Series A raises, venture capitalists, and adding the word "Silicon" to everything? Jan Finlayson, Event Director of EntreFest explains what Iowa's largest entrepreneur event is all about.  💡 Find this show on your favorite player: https://iowapodcast.com/entrefest   ⚖️ Get...

Locals are using ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Grok to answer questions about where to find local products or services. As a business owner do you have any control over what they say or recommend? Yes. In fact, you can do a lot for free, says Drew Harden, CEO and founder of Blue Compass. 💡 Find this show on your favorite player: https://iowapodcast.com/drew-harden ⚖️ Get guidance from Dentons Davi...

Bank Iowa has a new CEO. South Dakota farm kid, Jason Herrbolt grew up 10 minutes from Iowa and the state finally captured him. He answers Bank Iowa's crypto plans, and addresses rising competition from big National Banks saturating Iowa, stable coins and FinTech threats.  💡 Find this show on your favorite player: https://iowapodcast.com/bank-iowa-jason-herrbolt ⚖️ Get guidance from Dentons Davis...

Who's hiring who? Ai is screening resumes but is that good or bad for candidates and companies? Adam Viet of Big Creek Growth pulls back the curtain on broken HR processes and how Ai could help companies recruit better, but could just as easily hurt recruiting if CHROs aren't careful.  💡 Find this show on your favorite player: https://iowapodcast.com/Ai-scanning-resumes  ⚖️ Get guidance from Dent...

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 guid...

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 d...

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 playe...

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 ⚖️...

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-m...

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://iowapodc...

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 quarter...

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...

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://...

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 pressu...

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-...

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 interv...

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-...