You Don't Need This Podcast

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 volatility by minting this episode into your mind.

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 having dinner with Banksy , Andre has dedicated h...

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, RPO/ROD , connection vs. transaction networking...

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 exit.

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 , astrology...er...astronomy, web2 vs.  web3 , OpenOp...

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 discuss the lasting value of transparency, role clari...

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 , Promise , and Proven . This episode is invaluable fo...

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 i s 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, mentor madness , long-term content creation , and hik...

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 with students.

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 about hiking in the Appalachians, raising capital, a...

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 their latest innovation, which helps small truc...

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 Group , Tej serves as Strategic Initiatives Offi...

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 , how to plug into a startup community, the imp...

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 together the fabric of a global supply chain.

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 for content creation , and what to do when you'...

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 about in this episode of #YDNTP defines the future...

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 something.

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  Cultivo Virtual Academy , why she's interested i...

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 episode of #YDNTP brews insight you won't hea...

Jay Byers is a legendary leader. Tune in as he shares stories from his 18 years as CEO of the  Greater Des Moines Partnership and looks ahead to his new role as President of Simpson College ! We also talk economic development, evolving entrepreneurial ecosystems, the magic of music, and the value of modern education. This epic episode of  #YDNTP was brewed in the  Pour Over Publishing studio and f...

Does everyone have a creative spirit? Siobhan Spain from  Mainframe Studios , joins us to talk about StArtist communities, origin stories of the largest non-profit studio in the nation, brewing culture from within, First Fridays , exploring new technologies, monthly  web3dsm events, artificial intelligence, artists in residencies, and the diffusing value of your brain on art.

Time travel with Jon Woodard ! Founded in 1987, Wolfram Research is one of the world's most respected computer, web, and cloud software companies, as well as, a powerhouse of scientific, mathematical, and technical innovation. Bask in the nerdy of this discussion on web3, blockchain, DeFi, NFTs, and artificial intelligence. Jon started his work with  Wolfram Alpha , helped establish Wolfram Blockc...

Debi Durham is the Director and Anna Lensing is the Innovation Team Project Manager for the Iowa Economic Development Authority and Iowa Finance Authority . This government organization provides remarkable programs brewed to support business and innovation throughout Iowa. Tune in to hear us talk about the state of innovation in Iowa, ecosystem mapping, EntreFEST, non-dilutive financial capital fo...

This weekly podcast is inspired by stories brewed from within. To celebrate the launch, Ben McDougal articulates a caffeinated manifesto (below) for this podcast. He then introduces our friendly co-host ( BEN BOT ) and invites you to enjoy what's next. Enjoy! Welcome to a place where we talk about next. Were together, we share stories brewed to keep you building. The idea of "let's have coffee tog...