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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Slaven Lee on the value of public libraries
Justin W. Angle
Slaven Lee is the executive director of the Missoula Public Library, which was the first North American library to be named Best Public Library by the International Federation of Library Associations in 2022. In this episode, she highlights the library’s innovative “All Under One Roof” ... Read More
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I&I - The 2025 prediction show
Justin W. Angle
In our annual January predictions show, Justin and Bryce forecast what’s in store for 2025. After they dissect last year’s calls on economic stability, political shifts, and cultural trends, the two share their predictions and personal resolutions for the year ahead.
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Mallory Ottariano on building Youer
Justin W. Angle
Mallory Ottariano is the founder of Youer, an American-made apparel company headquartered in Missoula that offers bold, functional, and sustainable clothing for active individuals. Mallory shares her journey from experimenting with sewing and design in her Massachusetts hometown to building a thriving business in Montana. ... Read More
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Yarrow Kraner on the Hatch network
Justin W. Angle
Yarrow Kraner is the founder of Hatch, a global network of influencers committed to progress on pressing societal issues. Yarrow reflects on his early experiences pioneering social networking for good with initiatives that predated platforms like MySpace and Facebook, the unintended consequences of modern social ... Read More
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David Cohen on the power of startup communities
Justin W. Angle
David Cohen is the CEO and co-founder of Techstars, one of the most influential startup accelerators in the world. In this live episode recorded at the Scaling Montana Summit in Bozeman, Justin sits down with David to discuss Techstar’s mission to help founders succeed and ... Read More
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ProPublica's Dave McSwane on the unfolding medical drama in Helena
Justin W. Angle
J. David McSwane is an award-winning investigative journalist at ProPublica who recently published a story about Dr. Tom Weiner, a prominent oncologist at Helena’s St. Peter’s Hospital whose practices raised significant ethical, medical, and legal questions. McSwane takes us behind the scenes of his reporting ... Read More
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I&I - Declining trust in government
Justin W. Angle
In our December edition of Incentives & Instincts, Justin sits down with economist Bryce Ward to unpack the complex and pressing issue of trust in government. With trust levels in government at historic lows, they delve into the historical trends, causes, and consequences of this ... Read More
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Access to capital in Montana
Justin W. Angle
Jennifer Isern, Morgan Slemberger and Karl Unterschuetz are the authors of recent reports on access to capital in Montana. In this episode, the three of them sit down with Justin to discuss the financial challenges faced by entrepreneurs, with a focus on barriers for women ... Read More
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Tracy McIntyre on cooperative business models
Justin W. Angle
Tracy McIntyre is the Executive Director of the Montana Cooperative Development Center. In this episode, she joins Justin to explain the unique world of cooperative businesses, or co-ops, highlighting how these community-driven organizations solve specific needs through collective ownership and democratic decision-making.
Learn more about ... Read More
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Little Dumps’ journey from landscaping to tech
Justin W. Angle
Ross Peterson, Doug Shryock, and Steve Rice are the creators behind Little Dumps and Bulk Delivery Pro, two businesses that encapsulate the creativity and hustle this show has always tried to celebrate. In this episode, they recount their journey from running a landscaping operation to ... Read More
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I&I - The bad apple effect
Justin W. Angle
This month’s installment of Incentives & Instincts, our recurring series with Bryce Ward, dives into the concept of bad apples in various social systems and their disproportionate impact on communities and institutions. Justin and Bryce discuss how a small number of bad apples can distort ... Read More
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Penny Ronning on human trafficking (part two)
Justin W. Angle
In part two of our conversation with Penny Ronning, the co-founder of the Yellowstone Human Trafficking Task Force, she speaks with Justin on the realities of child trafficking and online exploitation in the U.S. Ronning describes the signs of trafficking that ordinary people can observe ... Read More
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Penny Ronning on human trafficking (part one)
Justin W. Angle
Penny Ronning, the co-founder of the Yellowstone Human Trafficking Task Force, joins Justin to explore the pervasive but often unseen world of human trafficking in Montana and beyond. She explains how traffickers target vulnerable individuals across industries—from construction to nail salons—and the red flags for ... Read More
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BONUS: Live from MTPR's Pledge Week
Justin W. Angle
It’s pledge week at Montana Public Radio, and in place of our regular programming, we bring you the recording of a live conversation Justin did with two wonderful MTPR colleagues: Lauren Korn of The Write Question and Sarah Aronson, host of ... Read More
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I&I - The gamble of modern sports
Justin W. Angle
In this month’s installment of Incentives & Instincts, our recurring series with economist Bryce Ward, Justin and Bryce delve into the shifting cultural and social dynamics within the sports industry. They focus on factors like the local connection to sports, the “Moneyball” effect, and the ... Read More
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Craig Cowie on expanding judicial power (part two)
Justin W. Angle
University of Montana law professor Craig Cowie returns this week to discuss the shifting the balance of power between regulatory agencies and the judiciary. Cowie explains how recent Supreme Court decisions, such as Loper Bright, are slowing down regulatory processes, creating uncertainty for businesses and ... Read More
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Craig Cowie on presidential immunity (part one)
Justin W. Angle
Craig Cowie joins Justin in this week’s episode to discuss the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on presidential immunity and its implications for prosecuting a president for criminal acts. The discussion centers around the tension between protecting a president from legal interference and ensuring accountability for ... Read More
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I&I - Election vibes vs. substance
Justin W. Angle
In this month’s installment of Incentives & Instincts, our recurring series with economist Bryce Ward, Justin and Bryce question the effectiveness of our current election system in helping us to choose the candidates whose policies will best reflect our perception of problems and priorities. Bryce ... Read More
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Jenni Graff and Philip Brittan on Scaling Montana
Justin W. Angle
Scaling Montana works to accelerate Montana’s technology innovation community, and we are joined in this episode by Jenni Graff, the executive director, and Philip Brittan, who chairs the board. They discuss Montana’s emerging tech and entrepreneurial landscape and the upcoming Scaling Montana summit, which will ... Read More
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Mark Kreider on the wildfire suppression bias
Justin W. Angle
Mark Kreider is a recent Ph.D. graduate in forestry from the University of Montana whose research focuses on wildfire suppression and its unintended consequences on forest ecosystems. In this episode, he explains the concept of “suppression bias,” where the easier-to-control fires are successfully suppressed, leaving ... Read More
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Zach Green on purpose-driven media
Justin W. Angle
Zach Green is the president of BeAlive Studios in Bozeman, Montana, and the co-founder of Rivers are Life. He began his career on CBS’s Survivor and oversaw production of the hugely successful survival series Alone. In this episode, Zach shares his experiences navigating the entertainment ... Read More
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I&I - The back to school episode
Justin W. Angle
In this month’s installment of Incentives & Instincts, our recurring series with economist Bryce Ward, Justin and Bryce dive into the changing perceptions of the teaching profession over the last 50 years. They explore how the status, prestige, and public perception of K-12 teachers have ... Read More
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Nick Mott on the Endangered Species Act
Justin W. Angle
Nick Mott is an award-winning journalist and host of a new podcast The Wide Open. The first season, Threatened, explores the complex legacy of the Endangered Species Act and new episodes are dropping weekly right now. Mott discusses the Act’s history, its powerful legal teeth, ... Read More
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Affordable housing with Shelter WF
Justin W. Angle
Mallory Phillips and Nathan Dugan co-founded Shelter WF, a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating housing options for low to middle-income earners, in 2022. In this episode, they discuss the housing challenges in the Flathead Valley, the history of zoning and its implications on class and ... Read More