Ask A Kansan

Ask A Kansan
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Documentary
  • Updated Weekly

A podcast focusing on the perspectives, lives, and stories of Kansans to provide greater insight into the state we all call home.

  1. Discovering Hidden Trails with Jeri Brungardt | Hiking Kansas

    2d ago

    Discovering Hidden Trails with Jeri Brungardt | Hiking Kansas

    What if the best hiking in Kansas has been right under your nose the whole time? Jeri Brungardt co-founded Women Hiking Kansas and Beyond in 2019 with a simple idea: stop losing track of friends who wanted to tag along on hikes and just make a Facebook group. What happened next surprised even her. Twelve strangers showed up to that first hike — none of them personal friends — and the group has grown to over 12,000 followers since. Jeri shares how the group scouts trails, what gear actually matters, why rattlesnakes dictate their summer schedule, and how hiking has become an unexpected source of community for women going through life's hardest moments. Highlights Women Hiking Kansas and Beyond started in 2019 and now has over 12,000 Facebook followers — grown entirely organically with no paid advertisingThe co-founders personally hike every trail before taking the group, checking parking, safety, and seasonal hazards like rattlesnakes at Horse Thief CanyonThey use the AllTrails app to discover new trails across the stateThe group is open to any female 12 and older; their oldest participant is in her upper 80s and outpaces most of the groupMonthly hikes are free; overnight trips charge a $20 fee managed through EventbriteTheir annual September trip to Estes Park, Colorado has been running every year since 2020Jeri recommends hiking poles for everyone — they reduce strain on your back and help probe water crossingsAlways bring sunscreen, a hat, water or electrolyte drinks, and a small first aid kitThe group has attracted women from 12 different states to their Colorado tripCindy Kuhnauer, the co-founder, also runs Fearless and Female, a self-defense business out of WichitaSydney defends Spangles with her whole chest (and eats it in the Walmart parking lot so her kids don't find out) Chapters 0:00 — Madeline's softball ear muff situation 2:13 — Podcast intro 2:49 — Meet Jeri Brungardt 3:25 — How Women Hiking Kansas and Beyond got started 5:06 — How they pick trails and scout locations safely 7:10 — What "hiking" actually means for this group 8:02 — Upcoming Salina hike (Marty Bender Nature Area + Audubon Society) 9:18 — Beginner tips: gear, shoes, water, and safety 13:32 — Age range and the community the group has built 15:31 — Jeri's personal hiking backstory 17:17 — Favorite trails in Kansas 17:07 — Trail diversity across Kansas 19:57 — Jeri's backstory and career at Wesley Medical Center 22:34 — The health benefits of walking 23:52 — Beyond Kansas: Estes Park, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas City 26:26 — How much work goes into running the group (+ Eventbrite) 31:04 — Rapid fire: shoes and hats 32:27 — Weather safety and what to do when it's 100 degrees 33:59 — Rails-to-Trails and connecting with other hiking groups 36:42 — Hiking with kids and different trail personalities 39:45 — Future plans for the group 43:25 — How the group grew through COVID and the power of one Facebook page 47:55 — Stories From a Hat: parking lots, prairie dogs, Spangles, and soup flights 53:34 — Outro and where to find Ask a Kansan Resources Women Hiking Kansas and Beyond — Facebook Group AllTrails — alltrails.com — trail-finding app mentioned by JeriKanopolis State ParkElk City State ParkMonument Rocks / Castle RockTallgrass Prairie National PreserveFearless and Female — self-defense business run by co-founder Cindy Coughenour, based in Wichita Learn more about the podcast at askakansan.com! This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network, for more information, visit ictpod.net

    55 min
  2. Cowboys, UFOs, and Distant Horizons with Jim Gray | Kansas Space Cowboy

    Jun 22

    Cowboys, UFOs, and Distant Horizons with Jim Gray | Kansas Space Cowboy

    For centuries, history has been passed down through the stories of our lived experiences. And in this episode you’ll get a taste of the remarkable life of Jim Gray — The Cowboy — and this conversation might just be the most unexpected one we've had yet. Jim Gray is a rancher, historian, author, and director of the Jansen Museum in Geneseo, Kansas — a town of about 220 people in Rice County. He takes us from the wild cattle towns of 1860s Kansas all the way to a blinding white light on a rural road in the summer of 1972. Whether he's riding the Chisholm Trail or piecing together a collection of UFO drawings in a repurposed farmhouse museum, Jim sees the Kansas prairie as a place that communicates with those willing to listen. Highlights A severe hailstorm recently devastated Salina — lost movie theater, closed mall, shattered pool railings — and the aftermath brought a wave of out-of-state dent repair hustlers trying to bribe Sydney at the permit officeJim Gray grew up three miles east of Geneseo and comes from a long line of livestock people whose family ranch in Rice County is still operating todayA music teacher once told young Jim to ditch the cowboy hat — his voice would take him farther. He didn't listen, and he has no regretsJoseph McCoy's stockyards in Abilene (1867) transformed Kansas: cattle shipments went from 35,000 head to 300,000 in just four years before the town literally ran the drovers offIn 2011, Jim helped organize a modern cattle drive from south of Caldwell to Ellsworth — 300 head, three weeks, chuck wagons, and a near-runaway that cost him his canteenHollywood cowboys (think Yellowstone) don't match reality — real cowboys Jim has known are shy, polite, and would never cuss around a womanJim's book centers on Ellsworth, where the phrase "a man for breakfast" meant killing someone — and where Civil War veterans once dragged outlaws out of their beds to restore orderIn late July/early August 1972, Jim and his wife-to-be experienced a blinding white light that filled their car and retracted up into the sky — followed by a massive dust devil that came straight down Main StreetThe Janzen Museum in Geneseo preserves the collection of Dr. Elmer D. Janzen — minister, chiropractor, ventriloquist, auctioneer — who amassed 8,000 family history slides and an entire room of UFO materials, including technical drawings of flying saucers by a Nickerson mechanical arts teacher named John DeanJim built a medicine wheel on his pasture 25–30 years ago, aligned to the equinoxes, that he says has taught him as much about the circle of life as any college classKansas UFO Day is June 27th (a Saturday) at the Jansen Museum in Geneseo, featuring vendors and the "Martians and Market" pop-upThe hosts played "Beam Me Up, Kansas" — a segment preparing extraterrestrials for life in the Sunflower State, covering tornado sirens, I-70 crosswinds, the Kansas State Fair parking situation, and which Kansan should negotiate first contact (Jason Sudeikis got a strong vote) Chapters 0:04 — Hailstorm Fallout in Salina 1:20 — Dent Repair Hustle Stories 3:27 — Meet The Cowboy, Jim Gray 4:54 — Becoming The Cowboy 7:05 — Falling for Kansas History 9:01 — Abilene Stockyards Revolution 13:22 — Modern Chisholm Trail Drive (2011) 18:19 — Cowboy Work Then and Now 23:03 — Hollywood vs. Real Cowboys 23:57 — Ellsworth Wild West Tales 27:19 — Gunfight Myths and Reality 28:25 — The 1972 UFO Encounter 31:19 — Museum Founder & UFO Links (Dr. Elmer D. Janzen) 32:29 — Doc Janzen's Slide Archive 33:12 — The UFO Room Origins 34:19 — Museum Neglect & Revival 35:39 — Did Janzen Believe? 37:26 — Distant Horizons Prairie 38:51 — Medicine Wheel Wisdom 41:17 — Kansas UFO Day & Visiting the Jansen Museum 42:48 — Roswell: Cowboys and Aliens 43:49 — Hosts Reflect on Jim 45:39 — Beam Me Up, Kansas (Segment) 47:27 — Alien Questions: Tornado Sirens 49:30 — Driving I-70 Survival Guide 50:38 — Which Kansan Negotiates with Aliens? 52:05 — Which Kansas Town Has the Most Alien Energy? 53:40 — Share Your UFO Story 54:47 — Episode Wrap & Announcements Resources Geneseo City Museum — https://www.geneseomuseum.com/Kansas UFO Day — June 27th (Saturday) at the Jansen Museum, Geneseo, KS https://www.geneseomuseum.com/copy-of-aboutSend your UFO story: info@askakansan.com Learn more about the podcast at askakansan.com! This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network, for more information, visit ictpod.net

    56 min
  3. Preserving Kansas African American Stories with Shane

    Jun 15

    Preserving Kansas African American Stories with Shane

    What does it take to preserve the stories that shaped Kansas — and to tell them honestly? Shane Carter, executive director of the Kansas African American Museum (TKAAM), joins us for a rich conversation about history, identity, and the work of building something that lasts. Shane's path to Wichita is anything but ordinary: a chance painting job in Newton, a curiosity-fueled afternoon touring Wichita's historical sites, and a job posting that felt like it had his name on it. What followed was a year of pouring hard-won lessons from 13 years running a community center in Ohio into one of the most important cultural institutions in the state. We get into the history of the museum's building — a church hand-built brick by brick by its congregation, saved from demolition by a woman who stood in front of it and said no — and the responsibility TKAAM carries to tell accurate history without pointing fingers or creating shame. Shane is direct, personal, and genuinely inspiring. Stay for the whole thing. Highlights The Retro Future Home — A 1950s all-electric model home in Prairie Village toured by 60,000 people, preserved inside the Johnson County Museum, and a striking reminder of who those "American Dream" suburbs were designed forShane's Kansas origin story — How a cash job painting in Newton led him to spend his lunch breaks learning about Hattie McDaniel, the Dockum Sit-In, Chester I. Lewis, Nicodemus, and the ExodustersThe do-gooder's dilemma — The tension between giving everything to your community and actually making it home for dinner; Shane reflects on what it cost him and what the move to Kansas restoredThe Lincoln Community Center — A one-room schoolhouse turned regional hub: 120 kids daily, a staff of 30, a $6M construction project completed during COVID, and job re-entry for people the system had given up onTKAAM's building history — Calvary Baptist Church, demolished and rebuilt by its congregation in 1916–17, saved from county demolition in the 1970s by Doris Kerr Larkins, and now the home of the Kansas African American MuseumThe new museum and culture center at 201 North Main — A capital campaign with a goal of opening in June 2028, featuring immersive and interactive exhibits on Wichita's civil rights historyTelling history without shame — How Shane thinks about creating a genuinely non-political safe space where the Tulsa Massacre, segregation, and civil rights are told accurately to everyone in the roomJuneteenth programming — Free admission June 19–20, a community mural with Evergy at the museum, and events at McAdams Park with the Juneteenth ICT group Chapters 0:00 — Retro Future Home2:03 — Segregation Reality Check2:38 — Introducing Shane Carter3:53 — Kansas Journey Begins4:41 — Ohio Roots & Leadership8:17 — The Do-Gooder's Dilemma9:50 — Skills for the TKAAM Role13:29 — Finding the Museum21:36 — Learning Kansas & Wichita23:48 — Museum Origins & Building29:25 — Hidden Stories & Water Street31:37 — Churches as Community Pillars35:38 — Museum Literacy Program36:09 — Museum Programs Overview37:25 — Trailblazers Hall of Fame38:41 — STEM Spotlight at Exploration Place39:21 — Taking Education Beyond Walls41:48 — Building the New Culture Center43:19 — Telling History Without Shame50:46 — Support the Capital Campaign51:33 — Juneteenth Events & Meaning56:48 — Mom's Knick-Knacks Game1:02:07 — Wrap-Up & Announcements Resources Mentioned Kansas African American Museum (TKAAM) — www.tkaamuseum.org/Juneteenth ICT — Community programming at McAdams Park, WichitaJohnson County Museum — Home of the Retro Future HomeExploration Place — Wichita; site of TKAAM's African Americans in STEM February projectionGreenwood Rising — Tulsa, Oklahoma; TKAAM peer and partnerCosmosphere — Hutchinson, KansasSunflower Summer — Kansas free-admission summer program for families Learn more about the podcast at askakansan.com! This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network, for more information, visit ictpod.net

    1h 3m
  4. In the Grain: Kansas to Ecuador and Back with Tanner Johnson | Kansas Carver

    Jun 8

    In the Grain: Kansas to Ecuador and Back with Tanner Johnson | Kansas Carver

    What happens when a kid from Lindsborg, Kansas follows his heart to a cloud forest in Ecuador — and then returns after staying for nearly 20 years? Tanner Johnson's answer to that question is one of the most unexpected, quietly profound stories we've heard. He built a bamboo house, married into a local family, taught English to kids from kindergarten through 12th grade, and somewhere along the way, picked up a knife and started carving wood. Now he's back in Kansas, reunited with his family, and using his art to honor the memory of Jewish people lost to the Holocaust — one face at a time. Highlights Podcast listener Greg Victors (the Wichita Wardancer) inspired a collaboration with Manhattan High School Orchestra director Cody Toll — exactly the kind of cross-Kansas connection Ask A Kansan was made to createTanner grew up in Lindsborg, studied anthropology at K-State, and ended up in an Ecuadorian cloud forest as a volunteer on a bird study — and never really leftHe lived for years with no internet, no foreigners within 50 miles, and learned Spanish entirely by immersion in a rural communityHe built his own bamboo house, asked for his wife's hand from her brothers (her father had passed), cleared nearly two acres of land with his 90-something-year-old grandfather-in-law, and planted 110 trees during a pandemic military lockdownGrowing violence and crime in Ecuador in 2023 pushed him to bring his family back to Kansas — they got married here, bought a house, and are now all togetherHis daughters arrived in Kansas with almost no English and had to sink or swim in the school system — and thrivedHis woodcarving specialty is realistic faces, with a particular focus on honoring the memory of pre-Holocaust Jewish communities, inspired by Roman Vishniac's photography book A Vanishing WorldA face-to-face encounter with antisemitism solidified his decision to pursue a degree in Jewish studiesHe's carved over 650 pieces in five years — all by hand, no power carving toolsSydney debuts the new podcast segment: Fart or Art? Chapters 0:05 — A Surprise Ask A Kansan Connection 1:23 — Meet Tanner Johnson 3:23 — From Hobby to Woodcarver 5:16 — Lindsborg Roots and Music 6:37 — Anthropology to Ecuador 11:08 — Choosing a Life Abroad 12:51 — Forest Life and Family 16:34 — Pandemic Reality Check 19:07 — Back to Kansas Together 23:24 — Finding Woodcarving Style 25:58 — Tools and Tropical Hardwoods 26:58 — Relearning the Knife 27:25 — Counting 650 Carvings 28:25 — Finding Purpose in Memory 32:01 — Art Form and Antisemitism 35:11 — Choosing Jewish Studies 36:54 — Spiritual Beliefs Explained 39:11 — Hand Tools and Roughouts 41:07 — Where to Find Tanner 43:12 — Hosts Reflect on the Interview 44:04 — Fart or Art Game 52:20 — Episode Wrap and Plugs Resources Tanner Johnson Woodcarver — tannerjohnsonwoodcarver.comTanner on Instagram — @tannerjohnsonwoodcarverA Vanished World by Roman Vishniac — the photography book that shaped Tanner's Holocaust memorial carving focusZen Mind Jewish Mind — the book Tanner credits for shaping his spiritual perspective Learn more about the podcast at askakansan.com! This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network, for more information, visit ictpod.net

    53 min
  5. 4 Days in Kansas | Building Community Culture with Brad Anderson

    Jun 1

    4 Days in Kansas | Building Community Culture with Brad Anderson

    How do you build a city's cultural identity — and why does it matter more than you might think? We sit down with Brad Anderson, Executive Director of Salina Arts and Humanities, the only city department of its kind in Kansas. Brad shares why Salina has been investing in arts and culture since 1966, what's at stake as the city embarks on a new cultural plan called The Big Picture, and why the Smoky Hill River Festival — celebrating its 50th anniversary this year — is so much more than a street fair. Then our producer Alicia joins us to pull back the curtain on Four Days in June, a documentary film five years in the making that captures what the River Festival truly means to the people of Salina. Highlights Salina is the only city in Kansas with a standalone Department of Arts and Culture — on par with parks, public works, and policeThe new cultural plan "The Big Picture" will produce a 10-year roadmap for Salina's arts and cultural life by end of 202670% of Stiefel Theatre ticket sales come from outside Saline County — the arts are an economic engineThe River Festival turns 50 this year (May 11–14) — admission is $15 in advance, $20 at the gate, and kids 11 and under are FREEThe Festival Families First program provides free four-day wristbands to anyone who identifies as financially limitedFirst Treasures — the program where kids shop for art on their own — has been running for 25 years, and some of those kids are now adult patronsRoughly 2,000 volunteers buy their own wristbands and power the festival — without them, admission would be closer to $75Sculpture Tour Salina is in its 16th year; Boom Salina has brought over 35 murals to the city in just five yearsFour Days in June premieres July 9 with a private screening, then screens at the Salina Art Cinema July 10–15 Chapters 0:00 — Pre-show: Sydney's dad and his new drone 2:16 — Welcome & episode intro: a two-part show 3:13 — Meet Brad Anderson: lifelong Kansan, exec director of Salina Arts & Humanities 4:00 — What is Arts & Humanities — and what makes Salina unique? 10:30 — The Cultural Plan: from the Wolfe Report to The Big Picture 17:56 — Private sector arts: Sculpture Tour Salina & Boom Salina 20:00 — Art you don't have to love: the value of public sculpture and civil dialogue 24:05 — River Festival week is here 24:36 — What IS the River Festival? A 50-year origin story 27:18 — Pricing, access, Festival Families First & volunteers 31:06 — First Treasures: teaching kids to be art patrons 40:36 — Post-interview reflections: Brad in the community 42:30 — Meet Alicia: producer at Fyli, director of Four Days in June 45:39 — Four Days in June: the film's name, form, and philosophy 47:50 — How they chose their interview subjects & building a diverse perspective 51:00 — Where to see the film, streaming plans & cultural release strategy 53:20 — How to get involved & closing Resources Salina Arts & HumanitiesSmoky Hill Museum Smoky Hill River FestivalSculpture Tour SalinaBoom SalinaStiefel TheatreSalina Art Cinema — Screening Four Days in June4 Days in June — The documentary film Learn more about the podcast at askakansan.com! This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network, for more information, visit ictpod.net

    57 min
  6. Keeping Auctions Alive with Lori Rogge | Chanting Kansan

    May 25

    Keeping Auctions Alive with Lori Rogge | Chanting Kansan

    What does it take to build a life — and a career — that touches nearly every corner of one state? This week we sit down with Lori Rogge, one of a handful of female auctioneers in Kansas, to talk about growing up across the state, learning the chant, and how a 22,000-acre Flint Hills ranch ends up on the internet. Highlights Sydney's grandfather was such a loyal auction customer that the auction house retired his bidder number — and it's now engraved on his gravestoneLori's parents, Gene and Connie Francis, founded Gene Francis & Associates in 1984 and have since built a global auction reach — including clients from Belgium, the UK, and Chihuahua, MexicoLori attended Worldwide College of Auctioneering in Mason City, Iowa — and her very first auction as an auctioneer was a $10,000 paintingThe auction industry has moved dramatically online; Gavel Roads Online Auctions launched in 2016 and was perfectly positioned when COVID hit in 2020There are only three or four female auctioneers in Kansas outside of Kansas CityThe SNL skit featuring auctioneer-speak went viral — and Lori loved every second of itThe National Auctioneers Association is actually headquartered in Overland Park, KansasJordy Nelson (Green Bay Packers) grew up in Leonardville, and his family's Nelson Family Community Foundation is active in the communityHistoric Lake Scott State Park in western Kansas sits on the only known Native American pueblo in Kansas, dating to the 1600sFlint Hills Trail State Park is the eighth longest rail trail in the entire United States Chapters 0:00 – Grandpa Auction Hoard1:09 – Bomb Shelter Safe2:21 – Welcome / Intro to Lori3:35 – Meet Lori Rogge4:05 – Growing Up Kansas8:25 – Why Leonardville10:40 – Career Path Shift13:58 – Building Online Auctions16:58 – Learning the Chant27:40 – Chant Mechanics35:51 – Reading the Room36:10 – Auctions Going Online (Estate Sales & Collectibles)33:27 – Estate Plans & Loyal Clients36:04 – From Onsite to Online37:00 – Auctioneers in Small Towns40:40 – Why She Gives Back44:16 – Rural Riley County Community Foundation49:19 – Women Grow the Farm52:02 – Hosts Reflect on Auctions52:54 – State Park Guessing Game44:09 – Historic Lake Scott State Park1:00:25 – Final Wrap & Call to Action Resources Mentioned Gene Francis & Associates – Lori's family real estate and auction company, founded in 1984Gavel Roads Online Auctions – Online auction bidding platform launched by the Francis family in 2016Worldwide College of Auctioneering – Where Lori earned her auctioneer's license; locations in Mason City, Iowa and ColoradoKSU Foundation – Kansas State University Foundation, where Lori worked in gift and estate planning from 2005 to 2015Kansas 4-H Foundation – Lori has consulted for this organizationNelson Family Community Foundation – Founded by the family of Jordy Nelson (K-State and Green Bay Packers), based in LeonardvilleFlint Hills Discovery Center – Manhattan, KS museum with an exhibit on the auctioneer chantNational Auctioneers Association – Headquartered in Overland Park, KansasRails-to-Trails Conservancy – Organization that rail-banked and helped develop the Flint Hills Trail beginning in 1995 Learn more about the podcast at askakansan.com! This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network, for more information, visit ictpod.net

    1h 1m
  7. Spinning and Serving with DJ Carbon | Vibin' Kansan

    May 18

    Spinning and Serving with DJ Carbon | Vibin' Kansan

    What happens when a kidney stone saves your life and challenges you to chase your dreams? That's exactly what happened to James Bobetsky — known to most of Wichita as DJ Carbon. After 21 years in the corporate world, a cancer diagnosis, a surprise reconnection with his biological family, and a pandemic, Carbon made the leap to full-time DJ at 40. And he hasn't looked back since. Highlights Oak Grove Radio 98.5 out of Minneapolis now airs Ask a Kansan every Sunday at 9 AM — a shoutout to the station for helping expand the show's reach beyond the podcast worldDJ Carbon (James Mlavsky) has been a full-time DJ for seven years, based in Wichita — doing events, weddings, corporate gigs, and deeply embedding himself in the city's cultural sceneCarbon grew up on Long Island, NY, immersed in vinyl records, hip-hop, punk, and ska before moving to Wichita his senior year of high school — a move he initially hated and now wouldn't trade for anythingHe breaks down what it really means to "know your audience" and "read the room" — and why a DJ who shows up with a pre-planned set isn't really DJingA kidney stone led to a cancer diagnosis in 2018 — and while waiting for surgery, he discovered his biological family through 23andMe. Within six months: cancer surgery, meeting blood relatives for the first time, and getting marriedHe went full-time as a DJ in November 2019 — right before COVID — and pivoted to selling robot lamps to survive the shutdownCarbon has donated his time to dozens of nonprofits including Tallgrass Film Festival, American Cancer Society, Blood Cancers United (Wine About Cancer), Wichita's Littlest Heroes, Wichita Animal Action League, and the Humane SocietyFive days after kidney surgery — gauze, scars and all — he showed up to DJ a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society because he personally needed to be thereHis "DJ 101" social media series shares life and business lessons under the guise of DJ wisdom, and has generated more response than almost anything else he's postedHe names Carry Nation & The Speakeasy, Rudy Love Sr. and Jr., and the late Jenny Wood as the soundtrack of Kansas Chapters 0:03 – Radio Shoutout: Oak Grove Radio 98.5 airs the podcast1:27 – Show Intro & Tease: Introducing DJ Carbon2:44 – Meet DJ Carbon4:03 – Life as a Full-Time DJ5:35 – Music Roots and Influences8:39 – New York to Wichita11:14 – Keeping Up With Music16:04 – Know Your Audience21:39 – Going Full-Time After Cancer26:35 – Origin of DJ Carbon27:58 – Aux Cord Versus DJ29:47 – Nonprofit DJ Impact31:54 – Surgery Gig Dedication35:50 – Branding and Visibility38:37 – Family Life Balance37:57 – Consistency and Corporate Bookings38:37 – DJ 101 Mentorship41:09 – Kansas Soundtrack Picks44:32 – Where to Find DJ Carbon46:06 – Hosts Reflect on DJs47:40 – Where in the Rectangle? (State Parks Edition)48:05 – Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park50:38 – Mushroom Rock State Park52:15 – Elk City State Park54:38 – Final Wrap Resources Mentioned Oak Grove Radio 98.5 (Minneapolis) – oakgroveradio.com (airs Ask a Kansan every Sunday at 9 AM)DJ Carbon – Facebook, Instagram and  https://djcarbon.com/Wichita River Festival – https://wichitariverfest.com/Tallgrass Film Festival – tallgrassfilm.orgWichita's Littlest Heroes – wichitaslittlestheroes.comWichita Animal Action League – https://waalrescue.org/Humane Society of the United States – https://kshumane.org/Carrie Nation & The Speakeasy – https://www.cnsict.com/Rudy Love Sr. & Rudy Love Jr. – https://rudylove.com/Jenny Wood – https://jennywoodmusic.com/ Learn more about the podcast at askakansan.com! This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network, for more information, visit ictpod.net

    56 min
  8. Language, Culture, and Community with LeLan Dains | UnBound Kansan

    May 11

    Language, Culture, and Community with LeLan Dains | UnBound Kansan

    What happens when a white guy from a small Kansas town becomes the bridge-builder between Spanish-speaking and English-speaking communities — and somehow also changes the global cycling industry along the way? LeLan Dains is one of the most fascinating people we've had on this show, and honestly, we almost undersold him. As the executive director of Kansas Spanish Speakers, LeLan has spent years breaking down barriers, building trust with immigrant communities, and proving that opportunity doesn't leave rural Kansas — it waits there for the right person to claim it. Oh, and he co-founded what is now the world's premier gravel cycling event. From Emporia. On gravel roads. We told you. HIGHLIGHTS LeLan's motto for Kansas Spanish Speakers: "Sí, cómo no" — yes, of course. Whatever you need, they'll help you get there or find someone who can.Kansas Spanish Speakers serves both Spanish speakers AND English speakers — because a bridge needs two solid banks. They offer immigration documentation help, health insurance navigation, driver's license assistance, Spanish classes, custom business training, and community workshops.LeLan's origin story: he froze like a deer in headlights trying to order in Spanish at a Mexican restaurant after six months of studying — and that embarrassing moment sparked an entire nonprofit.The Kansas Health Foundation invested $1 million over 10 years in Kansas Spanish Speakers through their Building Power and Equity Partnership. Since 2022, Kansas has moved up three consecutive spots in national health rankings.LeLan addresses the elephant in the room — yes, he's a blue-eyed white guy leading a Latino-serving nonprofit. His answer is honest, thoughtful, and worth hearing.The issue of children being used as translators for their parents in medical, legal, and financial situations — why it's inappropriate, and what Kansas Spanish Speakers is doing about it.Emporia became the first certified Welcoming Community in Kansas, with LeLan's organization leading the effort. Dodge City and KCK have since followed.LeLan co-founded Dirty Kanza — now rebranded as Unbound Gravel — which draws 5,000+ riders from 40+ countries to the Flint Hills every year. The event literally crashed the internet and now runs on a lottery system.Gravel cycling didn't exist 15 years ago. Unbound Gravel helped create the entire category — and now the Tour de France has a gravel stage.Kansas has 98,000 miles of gravel roads. That's not a typo.LeLan's message to rural Kansas kids: a blank canvas isn't empty — it's an opportunity to paint whatever you want.CHAPTERS 0:00 — Ditch Flower Season 0:55 — Numb Fingertips Story 1:36 — Stratica Salt Rock 4:17 — Welcome to Ask a Kansan 5:16 — Meet LeLan Dains 6:31 — What Kansas Spanish Speakers Does 7:20 — Services and Programs 8:36 — How It All Started 10:16 — Going Statewide 13:04 — Partners and Health Impact 16:53 — Imposter Syndrome and Privilege 19:43 — Rebrand and Mission Shift 22:27 — Spanish Dialects and Slang 26:05 — Working With Businesses 32:15 — Kids as Translators 38:24 — How Service Changes You 41:39 — Learning English Together 40:32 — Rural Kansas Roots 42:28 — Recreation Career Path 43:12 — Coming Home to Build 46:35 — Unbound Gravel Explained 48:26 — Why the World Comes 54:49 — Where to Learn More 56:35 — Post Interview Reflections 58:24 — Mystery Knick Knack Game 1:05:50 — Final Wrap and Thanks RESOURCES Kansas Spanish SpeakersUnbound GravelKansas Health FoundationBuilding Power and Equity Partnership (Kansas Health Foundation)Kansas Leadership CenterBig Brothers Big SistersWelcoming AmericaMaxwell Wildlife RefugeStrataca — Kansas Underground Salt MuseumEmporia State UniversityFrost Valley YMCACarmichael Training SystemsCurious Kansan NewsletterKansas Spanish Speakers intro videoLeading Health Podcast - from the Kansas Health FoundationLearn more about the podcast at askakansan.com! This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network, for more information, visit ictpod.net

    1h 6m
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

A podcast focusing on the perspectives, lives, and stories of Kansans to provide greater insight into the state we all call home.

Information

  • Creator
    Ask A Kansan
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    63
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Ask A Kansan

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