Conversations with cool people doing awesome things in and around Missoula, Montana.
We like say at the college that "Montana Means Business," but that's not just a catchphrase. Montana and our Missoula community inspire incredible creators. This podcast is about exploring their journeys. We hope the stories we share will resonate with you, at whatever stage you are in your career.
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MoFi's Dave Glaser on Making People "Bankable"
Justin W. Angle
MoFi is a non-profit organization with a mission to "provide financing and consulting services that transform the lives of individuals and strengthen communities." Dave Glaser is president of this important organization and chats with us about the critical catalytic roll MoFi (formerly known as Montana ... Read More
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Montana Code School - a Case Study in Education Innovation
Justin W. Angle
The Montana Code School launched in 2015 as a way to prepare students to walk in ready and able to the growing number of technology jobs available in Montana. In this episode we talk with Paul Gladen, Director of the Blackstone Launchpad and founder of ... Read More
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Pictionary Creator Rob Angel on Trusting the Process
Justin W. Angle
Rob Angel invented the legendary game Pictionary in 1985. I got the chance to speak with this charismatic, inspired and dynamic creator during a quick visit with his children, both Missoula residents. Rob shares the Pictionary origin story, brings us up to date on his ... Read More
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Bjorn Nabozney on Building a Community with Big Sky Brewing Co.
Justin W. Angle
Few places impact the community like Big Sky Brewing. This week, we sit down with founder Bjorn Nabozney to talk about beer, building a community, and the issue of alcohol on college campuses.
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Erin Switalski on the vital work of Women’s Voices for the Earth
Justin W. Angle
Women’s Voices for the Earth is a Missoula-based national non-profit organization doing big things on a national scale. The group’s aim is to eliminate the use of harmful chemicals in a surprising and disturbing number of household products, particularly products used predominantly by women. We ... Read More
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The Big Dipper's Charlie Beaton Knows Ice Cream, Music, and Balance
Justin W. Angle
Montana has a handful of iconic establishments, and The Big Dipper is one of its finest. In this week's episode we learn all about it with founder and owner Charlie Beaton, a Missoula legend. Charlie not only creates killer ice cream, but he also makes ... Read More
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Black Coffee's Matt McQuilkin on Coffee, Community & Creativity
Justin W. Angle
Matt McQuilkin and Jim Chapman launched Black Coffee Roasting Company in 2010 and it quickly became a fixture of the Missoula scene. In this conversation, Matt and I discuss the series of experiences that uniquely prepared him for success as a coffee entrepreneur and how ... Read More
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Meg Whicher: Recreation Evangelist
Justin W. Angle
Meg Whicher is a Recreation Specialist at Missoula Parks and Recreation.
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Tester, Gianforte, & Ward on Higher Education and the 6-mil Levy
Justin W. Angle
Investment in higher education is a hot topic across the country and in Montana especially. Every ten years since 1948 Montanans vote on a ballot measured called the 6-mil levy, which represents a substantial funding mechanism for the state's university system. The 6-mil levy returns ... Read More
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Eric Sprunk, COO at NIKE, on Leadership, Opportunity and Coming Home
Justin W. Angle
Eric Sprunk was the commencement speaker at this year's University of Montana graduation ceremony. In today's episode, we track Eric's experience as an accounting student who graduated in from UM in 1986 though to his current position as head of Nike's global operations. It's an ... Read More
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Pearl Jam's Jeff Ament on Creativity, Hustle, and Giving Back
Justin W. Angle
Jeff Ament was born in Havre and grew up in Big Sandy. His Montana roots and pride run deep and returning to his home state is a big part of what keeps him balanced. Our conversation dug into several key themes about the basis for ... Read More
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Lisa Mills and Elephant Friendly Tea
Justin W. Angle
Lisa Mills is the creator of the world's first tea certification program. In this episode she tells us about the devastating effects conventional tea farming has on the severely endangered population of Asian elephants. The program she launched - Elephant Friendly Tea - is a ... Read More
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Christopher Preston: Philosopher for the Synthetic Age
Justin W. Angle
This week we chat with Christopher Preston, Professor of Philosophy at University of Montana. Christopher recently published The Synthetic Age: Outdesigning Evolution, Resurrecting Species, and Reengineering Our World. The central argument of the book is that human beings have fundamentally altered the planet in a ... Read More
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Clark Fork Coalition's Karen Knutsen: What the River Needs
Justin W. Angle
This week's episode features my conversation with Karen Knutsen, Executive Director of the Clark Fork Coalition. Karen's focused and dynamic leadership has lead the coalition to many critical achievements in its work to protect and restore the Clark Fork River watershed. We talk about the ... Read More
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Switchback Records: Students Making Music
Justin W. Angle
In this episode we chat with some of the amazing University of Montana students behind Switchback Records. Switchback Records is an entirely student-run record label operating out of the College of Business’s Entertainment Management Program. On April 13, Switchback will launch its first album Elvis: ... Read More
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The Dram Shop Origin Story with Zach Millar
Justin W. Angle
Learn how Missoula's Dram Shop went from crazy idea to booming business in this week's conversation with Zach Millar. This interview was done on location, catching Zach as he tuned up the shop for a regular day of business. That makes the sound quality a ... Read More
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Joel Benenson - Chief Pollster and Strategist to Obama and Clinton
Justin W. Angle
Joel Benenson is a premier political strategist and pollster. He's the only Democratic pollster to have played a leading role in 3 winning presidential campaigns. He recently visited University of Montana to speak with our students about the Big Sky Poll project. Joel and I ... Read More
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R2C's Michelle Cardinal: CEO, Philanthropist, Activist
Justin W. Angle
This week we feature Michelle Cardinal, CEO and Co-founder of the R2C Group, a digital marketing firm headquartered in Portland, OR. Michelle was recently on campus as this semester's Gilkey Lecture Speaker. She used the opportunity to talk about the power of business to give ... Read More
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Mike Foote: Mountain Athlete, Innovator, Community Builder
Justin W. Angle
In this episode we connect with "friend of the pod" Mike Foote. Mike is a legendary mountain athlete who competes with the world's best in two sports that few people know about - ultra running and ski-mountaineering. He is the co-founder and race director of ... Read More
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BONUS EPISODE: Griz Hoops - March Madness!
Justin W. Angle
Today we drop in a special episode. Over the last year I've had three members of the UM Men's basketball team as students in my class - Jamar Akoh, Fabijan Krslovic, and Bobby Moorehead. These fellas exemplify what student-athletes can be and are great representatives ... Read More
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Paramount's Jeremy Sauter on How Movies Are Made
Justin W. Angle
It's award show season, so this week we feature our conversation with Jeremy Sauter, Marketing Executive at Paramount Pictures. We discuss how a film moves (or doesn't) from idea to release and the various drivers of success. It's a bit of art and a bit ... Read More
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Michelle Huie and Stef Sample: A Case-Study in Coaching Success
Justin W. Angle
In this episode we speak with Michelle Huie and Stef Sample. Michelle is founder of VIM&VIGR and Director of Marketing at Submittable, two important start-ups headquartered in Missoula. Stef is a serial Montana entrepreneur who owns and operates a broad portfolio of businesses. She is ... Read More
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Missoula Mayor John Engen Thinks Beyond Town and Gown
Justin W. Angle
This week we sit down with Missoula Mayor John Engen. Mayor Engen is a graduate of the University of Montana's School of Journalism. He worked for years at the Missoulian before joining Missoula City Council and then winning the Mayoral election in 2005. We discuss ... Read More
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Seth Bodnar on Leadership & Change at University of Montana
Justin W. Angle
In this episode Justin sits down with University of Montana President Seth Bodnar. Seth is six weeks into the job and brings a unique blend of experience and youth to the position. They explore his leadership philosophy and how to bring thoughtful change to UM.
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"Don't let them shut you up!" Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
Justin W. Angle
In this episode Justin is joined by University of Montana Regents Professor of Marketing Jakki Mohr and Associate Professor of Management Suzanne Tilleman. Together they explore the timely topic of sexual harassment and misconduct in the workplace and their role as business educators in addressing ... Read More