Aaron Anderson, founder and owner of Fresh Fit Meals
Aaron Putze, Chief Officer, Strategy and Brand Management for the Iowa Soybean Association
Adam Steen, candidate for Iowa Governor
Adrienne Greenwald and Bernie Stone, Innoventure Challenge Judges
Alex Hutagalung, CEO and co-founder of Pyrone Systems
Alex Parker, Tax Legislative Affairs Director for Eide Bailly
Alyssa Nolte, CEO and founder of TruVue
Alyx Coble-Frakes, founder and CEO of The Agenda
Amara Huffine, CEO of the Winterset Chamber of Commerce
Amelia Klatt, Downtown Des Moines Farmers’ Market
Amner Martinez, Founder of Infinite Resources
Amy Sinclair, President of the Iowa Senate
Andrew Hoiberg, Vice President of Research and Development and Technical Sales at Calcium Products
Andrew Hoyt, Singer-Songwriter from Iowa
Andrew Kirpalani, Co-founder and former CTO of WorkHound
Andy Bales, Former President and CEO of Union Rescue Mission in Los Angeles
Andy Lashier, Lashier Graphics & Signs
Andy Petersen, Host of The Big Show on WHO Radio and WMT Radio
Andy Schumacher, Chef and Owner of Cobble Hill
Andy TeBockhorst, Executive Director of 80/35
Anthony Hilleshiem, Big Bark Mobile Dog Gym
Anthony Hughes, Earned Finance
Anuj Sharma, founder of Coltie
April Hemmes, central Iowa farmer
August and Alex Severn, Capitol Data Analytics (CDS)
Ben Clark, Entrepreneur in Residence at EDC
Beth and Terry Henderson, New owners of The Honey Creek Resort (IowaAg Podcast Interview)
Beth Shelton, Chief Executive Officer of Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa
Bill Northey, Agribusiness Association of Iowa
Billie Asmus, CEO and founder of Repaint Studios (Part 1, Part 2)
BJ Spyksma, Founder of Aplos Health
Blake Renaud, founder of PicklePlay
Blair Lawton, Executive Director of the Anamosa Chamber
Bob Hodges, practice lead for BrownWinick’s Trust and Estate Tax division
Bob Riley, Chairman Emeritus of Feed Energy
Brad Dwyer, CTO and Co-Founder of Roboflow
Brad Whipple, Chief Operating Officer of MercyOne Medical Group
Brady Stein, Co-founder of Seat Stock
Brandon Hart, HartSmart Products
Brent Renner, soybean farmer and United Soybean Board member
Brian Anderson, Agri Finance Advisors
Brian Fager and Drew Clementson, Iowa Soybean Association
Brian Gumm, Founder of Ross Street Roasting
Brian Mulcahy, new Executive Director of The DSM Airport
Brian Shadle, Midwest OPX Solutions LLC
Brian Waddingham, Executive Director of the Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers
Brian Waller, President of TAI
Bruce Gerleman, Founder of Jethro’s BBQ
Bryan Arzani, Results Group LLC
Bryan Etchen, Owner of Iowa Orchard
Bryce Walter, Farm Boys Barbecue
Caleb Brus, Partner at BrownWinick
Carl Behne, President and Chief Strategy Officer of Hy-Vee Health/Exemplar Care
Cathy Erickson, Director of the Iowa Pet Expo
Charlie Cuddy, Managing Partner at Move VC and Executive Director of the Nebraska Startup Academy
Chief Dana Wingert, Des Moines Police
Chris Cournoyer, Iowa Lieutenant Governor
Chris Hagenow, Iowans For Tax Relief
Chris and Adrianne Vry, Dinky Drinky Donkeys
Chris Parker, Associate Director of UI Ventures
Chris Proskey, Chair of the Intellectual Property Practice at BrownWinick
Christian Schlaefer, Congressional candidate
Christine Miles, Principal Charity Classic
Christy Barton , The Barton Law Firm, LLC
Clair Williams-Vavra, Winner of Startup Weekend DSM
Clayton Mooney, Founder of Clayton Farms (formerly Nebulam) (IowaPod, Tech)
Cole and Cam Reiman, Spock’s Sanctuary
Colin Hurd, CEO of Ames-based MACH
Colleen Kinsey, Co-organizer at the 2025 Startup Weekend Des Moines
Conner Tidd, co-founder of Just Vertical
Connie Boesen, Des Moines Mayoral Candidate
Connor Harrington, CEO of Kuder
Courtney Crowder and Kelsey Kremer, The Des Moines Register
Craig Feller, Senior Vice President at Toggle, Inc.
Curt Nelson, President and CEO of the Entrepreneurial Development Center (EDC)
Cynthia Fodor, retired KCCI anchor and reporter
Dan Israel, Global Insurance Accelerator
Dan Neenan, National Education Center for Agricultural Safety
Dani Smid, BrownWinick Employment Chair (Part 1, Part 2)
Dan Topf, Topf Business Learning
Dave Haney, Serial Entrepreneur
Dave Machovsky, consultant with Mindset Innovations
Dave Schwartz, Special Projects Director at Lutheran Church of Hope
Dave Zrostlik, CEO of Stellar Industries
David Geiger, Farm broadcaster
Dawn Ealy, Workforce Services Director at CIRAS (Part 1, Part 2)
Debbie Durham, Director at Iowa Economic Development Authority and Iowa Finance Authority
Debra Houghtaling, Pizza on the Prairie
Democrat Senator Nate Boulton and Republican Senator Brad Zaun
Diana Wright, Startup Community Builder at the Greater Des Moines Partnership
Director John Benson, The Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management
Doug Elrod, Mayor of Bondurant
Drake Bauer, CEO and cofounder of Proaction
Dr. Anthony Paustian, Provost of DMACC West
Dr. Brett McDonough, Delta Health
Dr. Erick Pruitt, Superintendent of the Ankeny Community School District
Dr. Ian Roberts, Superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools
Dr. Jerry Farley, VP of Career Technical Education
Dr. John Cromwell, ENTAC Medical
Dr. Melissa Bates, CEO and founder of LSF Medical Solutions
Dr. Rachelle Keck, Grand View University President
Dr. Stephanie Mercier, senior policy adviser of the Farm Journal Foundation
Dr. Tony Vanden Bush, CEO of Syntherna
Drew Harden, CEO & Founder of Blue Compass
Drew Larson, Partner at BrownWinick
Drew Pells, Co-owner of JT Pells Accounting Services
Eddie Andrews, Iowa State Representative
Ed Lyon, Director of Reiman Gardens
Ehrich Pakala, co-founder and CEO of Emigrait
Elias Johnson, Channel 13 Anchor (Part 1, Part 2)
Elizabeth Weyers, Downtown Farmers’ Market Manager
Emily Reiman, Horizon Science Academy
Emily Starnes, Executive Director of The Villages of Van Buren
Emily Steele, Founder of Hummingbirds
Emma Brock, Tax Partner at Eide Bailly
Eric Kress, Central Iowa Workforce Development Board
Eric Peterson, Iowa Speedway President
Frank Kelly, economist and founder of Fulcrum
Gabe Howard, third fellow of the InnoVenture Iowa Fund
Geoff Wood, Owner of Gravitate
Governor Tom Vilsack, CEO of the World Food Prize
Grace Smithey, Miss Iowa Teen USA 2024
Grant Veenstra, Founder of Frozen Gains
Gretta Irwin, Iowa Turkey Federation
Guillermo Garcia and Jeff Grenier, Kemin
Gwen Page, Whatcha Smokin’ BBQ
Han Chen, founder and CEO of ZeaKal
Hannah Inman, CEO of the Great Outdoors Foundation
Heather Rhea, Hiking Dog Company
Henry and Nikhil, co-founders of Casmium
Ian Miller, Owner of The Slaughterhouse
Jackson Kimle, founder and CEO of Midland Co
James Nisly, Camp Creek Organic Produce owner
Jami Haberl, Iowa Healthiest State Initiative
Jamie Newel, MidAmerican Energy
Janice Marquardt, founder of Passwall Solutions (Part 1, Part 2)
Jarad Bernstein, Executive Director of The Jewish Federation of Greater Des Moines (Part 1, Part 2)
Jason Clayworth of , Reporter for Axios Des Moines
Jason Greer, founder of Peel Business Design
Jason Greer, Higher Standard Consulting
Jason Haglund, Idaho Farm and Ranch Center
Jay Byers, CEO of the Greater Des Moines Partnership
JayJay Goodvin, The Iowa Gallivant
Jayson Ryner, Founder ReEnvision Ag
Jayson Schwienebart (ALMACO) and Julie Brandt (Ascend Technologies),
Jeff Fleming, The Des Moines Art Center
Jeff Kappen, Associate Professor at Drake University, Founding Partner of Bâton Global
Jeff Kaufmann, Chair of the Iowa Republican Party
Jennie Droog, Executive Committee Promo Chair
Jennifer Robb, Founder of Simple Organizing Strategies
Jeremy Morris, Recruitment Expert with SwipeJobs
Jeremy Spillman, CEO of Toggle
Jeremy Sellars, Amish Country Store owner
Jessie Schnack, The Dancer’s Theater
Jessi McQuerrey, Association of Business and Industry
Jessica Dunker, CEO of The Iowa Restaurant Association
Jessica Mazour, Iowa Sierra Club
Jim Donovan, National R&D Tax Lead at Eide Bailly
Jim Poyzer, Iowa Farmer and Computer Programmer
Jim Rothermich, Farm Real Estate Appraiser for Iowa Appraisal (Part 1, Part 2)
Jim Roy, Percipio Workforce Solutions
Joe Greenley and Luke Evans, SEA Electric
Joe Heinrich, Executive Director of the Smart Carbon Network
Joe Jayjack, External Affairs Director with the INHF
Joe Keller and Lloraine Hardin, RCS Millwork
Joe Sweeney, Jennings Kallen Advisory
Joe Murphy, CEO of the Iowa Business Council
Joel Harris, CEO and Co-Founder of Genvax Technologies
John Jackovin, Executive Director of the BrokerTech Ventures Accelerator
John Moretz, Plant Manager at World Class Industries
John Sagherian, Regional Director of Youth For Christ and Christian Living (Beirut)
Joe Jayjack, External Affairs Director at the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation
Joe Sweeney, Aquaculture Expert
John Lyons, Daniel Spafford and Sam Hicks, Spirits Unleashed
John Mickelson, Midwest Growth Partners
John Rapp, President of Auto-Jet Muffler Corporation
Jolene Riessen, President of the Iowa Corn Growers Association
Jolie Pelds, Science Center of Iowa
Jonathan Sedgwick, Director of Equipment Operations, Iowa State University
Jon Childers, Amana Colonies Bürgermeister
Joseph Nelson, CEO of A.I company Roboflow
Josh August, Vice President of Industry Segments
Josh Mandelbaum, Des Moines Mayoral Candidate
Joshua Smith, Candidate for Iowa Senate
Joun Lee, founder of PaniClean
Juan Pablo Hourcade, Ph.D., University of Iowa Professor
Julio Delgadillo, founder of BuoyClub
Julie Kenney, CEO of the Agribusiness Association of Iowa
Julie Solis-Alvarado, BrownWinick Associate
Justin Brady, Host and Director of Iowa Podcast
Justin Schoen, CEO and co-founder of Force Fitters
Kailey Blazek Naranjo, Dentons Davis Brown
Kara Grupp, Operator of Three Pines Farm
Kathryn Fox and Chad Elliott, Weary Ramblers
Katie Hensley, Risk Management Consultant with Cottingham & Butler
Katie Patterson, founder and CEO of Happy Medium
Kaylee Williams, Investment Director of the InnoVenture Iowa Fund
Keegan Fogarty, founder of General Robotics
Keith Murphy, Renowned Sportscaster and Radio Host
Kelli Hanson, Registered Dietitian
Kelley McManus, Managing Director of P3+ Uplift
Ken McCullum, Principal Charity Classic
Kenny Slocum, Naturalist and Resource Manager for Clayton County Conservation
Kent Allen, Slim’s Country Market Owner
Kerry Burns, Owner of Mason Road Manufacturing
Kevin Cabbage, CEO of Farmers Mutual Telephone Company
Kevin Foley, Executive Director of the Des Moines International Airport
Kevin Schlueter and Stephen Smith, Reworc
Kiley Zankowski, Director of Marketing and Events for The University of Okoboji Winter Games
Kim Casko, CEO of the Iowa City Area Business Partnership
Kim Didier, DMACC Business Resources
Kris Byam, Great Oaks Executive Director
Kris Howard, KSH Design Studio
Kwizera Imani, Project Engineer at Collins Aerospace
Lana Fox, CEO & Co-Founder of ClinicNote
Laney Kraus-Tadeo, founder and CEO of Act Write Here
LaNisha Cassell, Executive Director of The African America Museum of Iowa
Laura Belin, Editor and Publisher of Bleeding Heartland
Laura Lacina, Owner of Home Slice Handmade Pies
Laura Powell, civil rights lawyer
Lauren Riensche, Owner and host of Cedar Falls Ghost Tour
Lawrence Cunningham, Keen Project Solutions, LLC
Leisa Fox, Communication and Leadership Development Professional
Leo Landis, State Curator, State Historical Society of Iowa (Part 1, Part 2)
Lesia Fox, Director of MakeDSM
Leslie Nolte, Head of school for The Iowa Conservatory in Iowa City
Levi Cermak, Co-Founder of Elevator Spaces (Manufacturing ep., Tech ep.)
Levi Rosol, CEO and founder of We Write Code
Liz Keehner, Vice President at Next Level Ventures (Part 1, Part 2)
Loraine Hardin, EOS Implementer
Lori Chesser, President of Dentons law
Lucas Nelson, Group President of Bud & Mary’s
Luke Mohrhauser, Managing Partner of the firm and Chair of MVS’s Mechanical and Electrical Practice Group (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4)
Luke Mohrhauser and Lars Gunnerson
Lynn Pritchard, Owner of Table 128
Maestro Joseph Giunta, Des Moines Symphony
Marco Battaglia, Libertarian Party
Mark Barglof, founder and CEO of Kinetic Technologies
Mark Campbell, Business Segment Manager at EMC Insurance
Mary Andringa, Chair Emeritus of Vermeer
Marvin Azzopardi, serial entrepreneur in the culinary industry
Mashal Husain, President of the World Food Prize Foundation
Mason Mead, fifth-generation agriculturalist and Iowa State junior
Matt Smith, Interim Superintendent DMPS
Matthew Rooda, CEO and co-founder of SwineTech
Marc Schneider, supply chain expert with CIRAS
Marni Hockenberg, Founder of Gears and Gadgets
Marty Martin, Drake University’s President
Matt McCoy, Polk County Supervisor
Matt Roberts, Chief Planning Officer at Syverson Strege
Matt Roberts, Financial Planner
Matt Strawn, CEO of the Iowa Lottery
Maxwell Shaeffer, Formerly of WHO Radio
Megan Bannister, Author and Editor of Olio in Iowa
Megan Grettinger, program director of the Cystarters
Megan Hanson, VIP Lead at Hinterland
Megan McKay, Founder and CEO of Peace Tree Brewing Company
Megan Smetzler, Founder and Owner of The Little White Schoolhouse
Meg Schneider, VP at the Iowa Association of Business and Industry
Melissa Miller, Project Director of the Iowa Nitrogen Initiative
Micah Walker, Analyst at the InnoVenture Iowa Fund
Michael Abramoff, MD, PhD, Tech Founder and Retina Surgeon
Michael Bird, CEO of Spindustry
Michaelyn Mankel, Senior Organizer with Food and Water Watch
Michelle L. Soupir, Ph.D, Professor at Iowa State University
Mike Berland, Senior Partner at Penta Group
Mike Draper, Founder of Raygun
Mike Helak, Karla Rendall, Ryan Mortier
Mike Naig, Secretary of Agriculture
Mike Stuart, founder of Tiny Homes of Iowa (Iowa Pod, Iowa Manufacturing)
Mike Wagner, CEO of White Rabbit Group (Part 1, Part 2)
Mike Wendel, Boone Scenic Valley Railroad
Missy Carter, The Freight House Farmers Market in Davenport
Monica Eischeid, Ethereal Beauty Lounge
Mohamed Traore, AI consultant and early employee of Roboflow
Monte Shaw, Executive Director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association
Moriah Ha, owner of Sweet Treats by Moriah
Nate Boulton, partner at Hedberg and Boulton law firm (Part 1, Part 2)
Neil Hamilton, Creator of The Iowa Nature Summit and Drake law professor
Newton “Fig” Jensen, Founder of Empigo Academy
Nick Ott, Employment and Labor attorney from BrownWinick
Parker Aden, Executive Director of the Pocahontas Chamber of Commerce
Pastor Rob Pearson, Youth and Connections Pastor of Living Waters Fellowship
Paul Gormley, CIRAS (Center for Industrial Research and Service) at Iowa State University
Paul MacDonald, Cofounder & Managing Director of Bio Innovations Midwest
Paul Pate, Iowa Secretary of State
Pernell Cezar, Blk & Bold Specialty Beverages Co-founder
Pete Moris, Director of University Relations at The University of Northern Iowa
Peter Jaques, Formerly of Farmland Finder
Pritesh Patel, Owner of Hotel Pommier
Rachel Lucs, creator and owner of Dessert Doc
Rachel Stassen-Berger, Editor in Chief, The Des Moines Register
Randy Pilkington, University of Northern Iowa
Randy Tennison, General Manager of Jordan Creek Town Center
Ray “Bubba” Sorensen, Artist (Freedom Rock Tour)
Ray Gasser, Iowa farmer and global agriculture advocate
Rena Striegel, Creator of The DIRTT Project
Rick Tollakson, CEO of Hubbell Realty
Rita Hart, Chair of the Iowa Democratic Party
Rob Carter, Director of Sales at ZeroEyes
Roberta Leão, Layer 1 Agriculture Inc.
Rob Sand, Iowa State Auditor (Part 1, Part 2)
Rob Taylor, Owner of Taylor Management Systems (Part 1 and Part 2)
Rod and Amy Murphy, Mad Murphy’s Meat Rub
Ross Peterson, former KXNO host (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)
Rupert Williams, Go Farm Yourself (Part 1 and Part 2)
Russell Goerend, Waukee APEX program
Russel Karim, CEO and co-founder of SourceEazy
Rusty Rohe, Dahl Air Conditioning and Heating
Ryan Gerhardy, Founder of Pitchly
Ryan Gruhn, Owner of Hawkeye Molding
Ryan Hoover, Broker-owner of Weichert, Realtors
Ryan Warren, PhD., Founder of QsTN
Sachin Sehgal, Elevate Digital Solutions
Sailu Timbo, Creative Planning Business Services (Part 1, Part 2)
Sally Ortgies, “Iowa Park Lady”
Samantha (Sammy) Petersen, Bloomsbury Farms
Sam Bernabe, Iowa Cubs General Manager (Part 1, Part 2)
Sean Mahoney, VP of Engineering and Regulatory Affairs at Athena GTX
Sarah Martello, Co-founder of Transparency Wise
Sarah Pugh, Executive Director of the Madison County Chamber of Commerce
Sheila Larson, Iowa Turkey Federation
Scott Burgmeyer, Become More Group
Scott Bush, owner of Foundry Distillery
Scott Carlson, Founder of Gilroy’s and Americana
Scott Herren, Founding Engineer at Hats
Scott Reister, Central Iowa sportscaster and author
Scott Marler, Iowa DOT Director (road deaths interview)
Scott Walker and Jason Richards, Pioneer
Scott Turczynski, COO of Heartland Companies
Sean Finn, Policy Analyst with Common Good Iowa
Senator Lynn Evans, Member of the Iowa Senate
Senator Sarah Trone Garriott, Member of the Iowa Senate (Part 1, Part 2)
Senator Tony Bisignano, State Senator
Shane Vander Hart, Conservative Pundit and writer
Shanon McKinley, Executive Director of the Story City Greater Chamber Connection
Shawn Nicholson, Mixed Animal Veterinarian
Sheri Penney, Iowa Women’s Foundation
Stacey Orlandi, Renewable Energy Group, Inc.
Stacy Sime, CEO of the Iowa Blood Center
Stephen Coleman, co-founder of Colewell Automation
Steve Coleman, Colewell Automation
Steve Karlin, retired KCCI anchor and reporter
Steve Kenkel, Chairman of the Shelby County Board of Supervisors
Suzanne Conrad, CEO of the Iowa Donor Network
Tami Nielsen, CEO of The Food Bank of Iowa
Tanya Fish, Employee Experience Line at ITA Group
Tara Seible, founder and CEO of In the Green Marketing
Taryn Kafer, The Dubuque Farmers’ Market
Taufeek Shah, Lola’s Fine Hot Sauce founder
Terry Welke, PhD, Executive Coach and all-around HR guru
Tim Gifford, Co-Founder and Chief Innovation Officer of Lean TECHnique
Todd Rector, The Iowa Storm Chasing Network
Todd Robran, Chief Commercial Officer at Growers Edge
Todd Shores, Fractional CFO and Director with Creative Planning Business Services (Part 1, Part 2)
Tom Chapman, Executive Director of The Iowa Catholic Conference
Tony Thelen, The River Coaching and Consulting LLC
Tony Timm, Chief Executive Officer of The Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Iowa
Tracy Jon Sargeant, Founder of The Multicultural Development Center
Troy Strawhecker, co-founder of Premier Real Estate Services and partner in JT Logistics
Troy Vincent, Navigate Wellbeing Solutions
Troy Wirtz, Dee Zee Manufacturing
Tiffany and Justin Simmons, Twist Soda
Tyler Wright, APEX Engineer Instructor
Van Carlson, CEO and founder of SRA 831B Administration
Van Harden, WHO Radio’s Van and Bonnie show
Varsha Jayade, Engineering Tech Lead at Pella Corporation
Wade Thompson, Captain Roy’s owner
Wendy Wihm Herold, iJAG (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)
Whitney Warne, entrepreneur and founder of Ivory House Photography and Evoke EQ