Iowa Innovation Podcast finding its voice

CEDAR RAPIDS — Last month, Malia Gutenkauf was sitting in a recording studio, talking with two of her peers about new ways to invest and pay off debt.

Two weeks later, her story — and the story of her Cedar Rapids consulting company, Little Miss Finance — was being listened to by hundreds.

That’s because Gutenkauf was a guest on the third season of the Iowa Innovation podcast, hosted and recorded locally and shared worldwide via Apple, Google, Spotify and other platforms.

“In my eyes, the Iowa Innovation podcast is about sharing stories, and getting real about what’s happening with individuals in our communities,” she says. “The hope is always that by being vulnerable and transparent, others may be inspired or learn something new, to better their lives.”

Reinventing itself

More than a year ago, NewBoCo launched the Iowa Innovation podcast with one goal: To highlight new and innovative ways to do things. Halfway through Season 3, the show is applying that same mindset to its own program. Already the show has installed two new permanent hosts; taken on its first live podcast at the Englert Theatre in Iowa City; and featured high-profile guests like Cedar Rapids Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell and Debi Durham, director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority and the Iowa Finance Authority.

Co-host Anthony Betters Jr. says that even as it grows, Iowa Innovation is still focused on its main goal: to gather local stories of innovation and entrepreneurship, with the aim of inspiring listeners who are working in similar areas.

“We speak on the innovative change that is happening in our state,” Betters says. “Anyone can benefit from being informed about what is happening right in their backyard. And we try to give it an energetic twist.”

The Iowa Innovation podcast rose from the ashes of NewBoCo’s Innovation Coffee chats, which were held virtually over Zoom during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Once in-person events returned, NewBoCo staff wanted to find a way to continue the conversations they’d started.

NewBoCo teamed with another local company, Upload Media Group, which handles the audio production side of things. Episodes are recorded weekly out of UMG’s studio in Czech Village and shared to a variety of popular podcast platforms, from Spotify and Apple to Google.

“For me, every Wednesday morning, when there's a new one in my feed, I get excited because it's great content,” said NewBoCo board member Aaron Horn, who helped launch the podcast last year and served as a co-host for one episode. “The people that we're interviewing are doing amazing things, and considering how many brilliant Iowa innovators are out there, there's plenty of content for seasons and seasons to come.”

In its first season, Iowa Innovation featured a wide-ranging roster of guests, from Brucemore CEO David Janssen to Alissa Gardner, the founder and owner of Farm to Health Organics. The show also featured rotating guest hosts from the NewBoCo staff.

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Continuing the conversation

Betters and co-host Jessica Abdoney were among those rotating guest hosts. But at the end of Season 2, producers realized that Iowa Innovation was missing something: a consistent voice week to week. Betters and Abdoney were offered the gig.

Betters, a recent Iowa transplant from Waco, Texas, who works by day as NewBoCo’s community engagement manager, had never hosted a podcast before Iowa Innovation. But he says he’s quickly finding his groove.

“Being a part of Season 2 definitely made me feel more comfortable about being behind the mic, and working with Jessica (Abdoney) has been easy,” he says. “She speaks her mind, and I feel open to joking with her and getting into what feels like a natural conversation.”

Abdoney, who works by day as NewBoCo’s marketing coordinator, says she likes having the opportunity to showcase a side of Iowa that many don’t see.

“When you think of Iowa you think corn, Midwest and fields, but there are a lot of entrepreneurs who are doing big things here, and who deserve recognition and support,” she says. “It’s awesome to interview people who are making a positive impact.”

O’Donnell, who appeared on the podcast earlier this month, gave a thumbs-up to the new co-hosts.

“Anthony and Jessica definitely passed the ‘vibe check,’” she says. “It was a chance for me to exhale a bit, and talk about our city ‘friend to friend.’”

Gutenkauf agreed.

“Even with differing opinions on what some might deem as controversial topics, there was continued space to listen and understand each other's different perspectives,” Gutenkauf says of the experience. “That’s what the Iowa Innovation podcast is all about.”

Live from the stage

The changes to the show have challenged the new hosts. On June 8, Betters and Abdoney recorded their first live episode — and it was onstage at the Englert, as the opener for EntreFEST 2023. Their guest was Debi Durham, director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority and the Iowa Finance Authority.

“It was nerve-wracking to have an audience watching us,” Abdoney says. “But I think it made us a better pair as interviewers, because it was just us and Debi; we couldn’t turn to our producer or ask to take anything out.”

“The experience was an amazing first for me,” Betters agreed. “I was a little bit terrified of being on stage live, because we are not used to that. But the energy of the crowd, and having a professional like Debi Durham there with us, made it very enjoyable.”

NewBoCo and Upload Media Group just released the live episode with Durham last week. Future guests include a mix of local educators, business owners and artists, all of whom have stories of innovation to tell.

“We’re talking about cutting-edge information happening in Iowa that is affecting the world,” Betters says. “Our podcast will help people see that what we do really matters in this state.”

To learn more about the Iowa Innovation podcast or to listen to episodes, visit newbo.co/iowa-innovation-podcast/. Episodes are also available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google, and other popular podcast sites.