The Iowa Podcast The Iowa Podcast

Connie Boesen is running for Mayor of Iowa's capital city and largest city by population, Des Moines. Why? Because she wants Des Moines open for business. 
Boesen formerly served on the Des Moines Public School board and currently serves on the Des Moines city council. Iowa State Fair goers may know her as the apple lady behind Applishus. She explains her desire is to focus on economic development in both downtown and surrounding neighborhoods. To do that she wants to replicate the success of InvestDSM and recruit new businesses to come into Des Moines. 
She also addresses challenges in the schools, absence rates, addressing homelessness, improving public safety by addressing core problems, and how intrusive the city should be on mandating garages and tiny houses.
Boesen will be running against Mayor Frank Cownie, who has been serving Des Moines since 2003. Check out the full show notes at https://iowapodcast.com/connie-boesen-des-moines-mayor

The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and subsequent takeover by Federal regulators sparked concern in the banking industry causing the DOW to lose 500 points early Wednesday. Jim Plagge, the CEO of Bank Iowa explains what happened, why it happened, and what impact this will have on Iowans. 
Plagge explains why record deposits in 2021 meant banks across the country were flush with cash. Why SVB and other banks invested that cash into treasury bonds and mortgage-backed securities, and how rate increases and large cash withdrawals led to a perfect storm. 
Plagge also explains FDIC Insurance caps, how to protect yourself, steps you can take if you have more than 250k, and why Iowa may be insulated from banking challenges. He also has a great argument for why you should use local community banks. 
Learn more at https://iowapodcast.com/bank-iowa-jim-plagge-svb 

Scott Marler, Director of the Iowa DOT explains how Iowa is prepared for train derailments, how common this kind of incident is, and why construction zones block off lanes for "no f***ing reason" to quote an Iowa DOT Construction sign that was manipulated by an unknown motorist. 
Marler also discusses the federal infrastructure package as it relates to Iowa, the safety of Iowa's bridges, why higher EV registration is actually a wash in overall taxes, what is the deal with I-80 near Iowa city, and he introduces new technology that will allow road workers to communicate with your car and navigation apps. 
Check out the full show notes at: https://iowapodcast.com/scott-marler-iowa-dot-train-derailment

In under 2 years, Blk & Bold Specialty Beverages co-founder Pernell Cezar already achieved national distribution in Target. As Iowa-based Blk & Bold turns 5 this year, we wanted to air this previously recorded interview to celebrate!
Cezar explains what "specialty coffee" is and how it differs. It turns out, specialty coffee is a “fact-based” term, meaning it’s not marketing fluff. Like wine, it has a fact-based point system.
Cezar began his career in Target retail merchandising, helping manage inventory across their supply chain. In that role, he made buying decisions and negotiated with packaged goods companies. He knew this industry quite well before starting his coffee journey.
Learn more at https://iowapodcast.com/pernell-cezar-blk-and-bold 
 
Blk & Bold turns 5 this month. This episode was previously recorded 3/11/2020 when they were 2 years old. 

When thinking of Iowa Art, most people think of American Gothic and that's where the conversation ends. But Jeff Fleming, of The Des Moines Art Center, explains why Iowa is art savvy, and why smart business leaders and civic leaders use art as a secret weapon to grow local economies and development. 
The Des Moines Art Center is 75 years old and therefore they're celebrating 75 years of Iowa art. (Actually, more like 100 years.) The list of Iowa artists is so large they had to use an entire gallery to hold all of it. We also discuss why the arts are usually first to get in periods of economic uncertainty, and why that may be one of the worst economic decisions you can make. 
Also, do you know where all the Downtown Des Moines Sculpture Park Art was stored before it was installed between Grand and Locst? Hint: it was in someone's yard! 
See the show notes here: https://iowapodcast.com/75-years-of-iowa-art-center-jeff-fleming
 

40,000 people have been confirmed dead at this point and Dave Wilson, who has lived in Turkey for 30 years, says there's no way the true devastation can be communicated. The destruction in the Southeast corner of the country has led to 400 orphans thus far and in many cases, entire families were lost in an instant. A neighborhood of a colleague had 9 out of 10 apartment buildings completely leveled. Each building had about 70 occupants. 
Wilson is the founder of TACO. The organization is active in Turkey helping people when they need it most, getting them shelter, food, clothing, and resources. They've established trustworthy channels dating back decades. But even his team is feeling the pressure, including one of his team members who is Ukrainian and is still reeling from Russian aggression. 
Wilson explains Turkish culture, and history, and why he has been kicked out of the country multiple times, beaten and put in prison. As his team operates in Turkey, he currently resides in Germany hoping the government allows him back in the country. 
Read the full show notes and donate at https://iowapodcast.com/turkey