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 talking through the endless depth that NFTs deliver. We take a pit stop to discuss the unmatched energy of accelerating others, the connections we'v...
Feb 28, 2024•35 min•Ep. 39
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 . After the break, we blast through digital artifacts that are ordinals on-chain, generative AI, prompt engineering, #ChatUX , decentralized computin...
Feb 21, 2024•40 min•Ep. 38
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, and the peace that awaits all who build toward their own state of career nirvana ....
Feb 14, 2024•50 min•Ep. 37
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 a fresh connection with Jeff Reed at Momentum Studios, you know this caffeinated conversation is loaded with value for linchpins and design thinkers...
Feb 07, 2024•36 min•Ep. 36
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 looking for what exists, versus hoping it doesn't....
Jan 31, 2024•43 min•Ep. 35
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 Development Podcast with this fellow translator of nerd to normal! For EP34 of You Don't Need This Podcast , grab a hammer and cut once. Ben, Ryan, and...
Jan 24, 2024•36 min•Ep. 34
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 into the art of podcasting. Have you thought about starting a podcast? Here's how this podcast was produced and this episode is for you. BONUS: Ben was...
Jan 15, 2024•39 min•Ep. 33
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 work....
Jan 08, 2024•39 min•Ep. 32
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, together we ask, what is school for? This is a simple, but important question that has so many answers! As we embark on 2024, how might we continue ...
Jan 01, 2024•45 min•Ep. 31
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 bow on 2023!...
Dec 25, 2023•38 min•Ep. 30
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, ecosystem exploration , founder-market fit, OKRs, KPIs, financial modeling, mentor madness with a #GiveFirst mindset, raising venture capital, perfecti...
Dec 18, 2023•34 min•Ep. 29
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-based sales, balancing personal brands, activating phygital concepts, when to quit, spirit animals, truth-based prompt engineering with AI, collectabi...
Dec 11, 2023•33 min•Ep. 28
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 school that has taught over 10,000 kids how to code ! It was cool to have this leader in education craft a caffeinated contribution called Playforce an...
Dec 04, 2023•42 min•Ep. 27
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 shift and in safety management roles within manufacturing. Hear how this led to innovative ideas that now help manufacturers lead with proactive preven...
Nov 27, 2023•38 min•Ep. 26
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....
Nov 20, 2023•34 min•Ep. 25
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 his life to the underrepresented. Listen as we jam on the hope for our youth, telling the story of a p...
Nov 13, 2023•44 min•Ep. 24
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, web3 , and always staying curious....
Nov 06, 2023•33 min•Ep. 22
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....
Oct 30, 2023•41 min•Ep. 22
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 , OpenOpen , being present as a parent, building as co-founders, and staying professional over pinball....
Oct 23, 2023•40 min•Ep. 21
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 clarity, execution in sales, and remaining friends at all cost. Cheers!...
Oct 16, 2023•36 min•Ep. 20
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 for intrapreneurs looking for productivity within big data, non-technical founders raising capital , an...
Oct 09, 2023•37 min•Ep. 19
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, mentor madness , long-term content creation , and hiking through the finite journey of life....
Oct 02, 2023•37 min•Ep. 18
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.
Sep 25, 2023•38 min•Ep. 17
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, and filling the sales funnel to keep entrepreneurs building in the wild. As Kaylee reminds us with her...
Sep 18, 2023•39 min•Ep. 16
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 trucking companies automate IFTA compliance, identify operational inefficiencies, and drive uptime. Meet ...
Sep 11, 2023•35 min•Ep. 15
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 Officer and helps leads innovation as an intrapreneur within one of the largest companies in the world. He...
Sep 04, 2023•38 min•Ep. 14
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 importance of learning from failure, communities of practice, and ways ecosystem allies can push through ...
Aug 28, 2023•39 min•Ep. 13
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.
Aug 21, 2023•41 min•Ep. 12
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....
Aug 14, 2023•33 min•Ep. 11
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're with Kevin Harrington and your private jet lands in the wrong country. To celebrate the 10th epis...
Aug 07, 2023•39 min•Ep. 10
